Chapter 084: Into The Sewers!

Novak felt a twinge of regret.

He hadn't expected Daphne to think of him as that kind of person.

Was he really someone who would disregard others just to satisfy his own desires?

Sure, perhaps in some ways he was. But looking at the exhausted Daphne, with her tired, blue-shadowed eyes, Novak knew that, this time, he didn't have any such intentions.

What he'd said wasn't some unreliable nonsense.

The people of the world misunderstood him far too deeply.

Someone as upright as Novak?

He never once entertained the idea of sealing off the villa area from male evolutionists, developing it into a self-contained city, and turning it into his personal palace filled with "vases"—beautiful women on display, with him as the sole man in the picture.

Not at all! That thought had never crossed his mind! 

In the apocalypse, a man of integrity like him was indeed rare.

The members of Chat Group No. 001 were right: Novak was the leader in humanity's evolution during the apocalypse.

Of course, for the advancement of human civilization in the Faeloria Country, Novak was willing to make the occasional sacrifice for the sake of humanity's survival.

After being misunderstood by Daphne, Novak watched her return to rest before heading to the gym and entertainment room on the third floor.

The large gym had been remodeled before the end of days.

Now, it was a spacious training area designed for combat against ordinary zombies. Novak had organized it after the apocalypse began, handing it over to the evolutionists under his command, including Daphne and the others.

Novak, having just returned from the city after a day and night, was eager to check on their progress and see how much they'd learned.

Not just Dane and the little nurse, but also Lea and Ruri!

Improvement in these times was crucial. More than anything, improving their Constitution would help preserve their longevity and appearance.

Novak didn't want the beautiful "vases" he kept in the villa area to wither away due to time's toll. That would be a true pity.

——

Feeling refreshed, Novak descended from the third floor.

What he left behind were the four women he'd trained, now collapsed with rolling eyes and foam at the mouth.

Especially Ruri, who lacked experience during the first round of training. Compared to the others, she was particularly unprepared.

Improving their Constitution was crucial; otherwise, with just a few more sessions, they wouldn't be able to keep up with the training, and the results would be lost!

After a few more sighs, Novak turned his attention back to business.

Yes, he was here for business!

But, alas, the world had misunderstood him far too deeply!

He took out the blueprint for creating the City Return Scroll he had just acquired. In the villa courtyard, a group of bodyguards and guards, including Nicole, gazed at Novak with fanaticism.

This man, who seemed omnipotent, always performed miracles right before their eyes!

The loot, along with some low-level equipment dropped by the giant rat, had already been distributed.

However, reality wasn't like a game. When the monster died, it didn't vanish into white light and respawn later.

The giant rat's body still lay there, stiff, except for its shattered head.

Novak had already given orders earlier to drain all the blood from the massive creature.

Blood was the source of life, after all.

In creatures with special abilities, blood often carried certain remnants of power.

Many materials for crafting equipment and items required the blood of various unique creatures, so this wasn't an uncommon procedure.

The same was true for the City Return Scroll.

Novak counted himself lucky. Daphne had told him that this mutated giant rat was a Level 5 mutant. If it had been any weaker, the valuable materials he had extorted would have been worthless!

Under the amazed gazes of those around him, a milky white halo began to bloom from the production blueprint, spreading slowly.

Scrolls that had been prepared earlier were laid out nearby, and as the milky white light bathed them, the giant rat's blood began to form into a red orb in the air.

Then, as if written by a god, the blood transformed into ink and began inscribing itself onto the scroll.

In less than thirty seconds, the scroll was fully saturated with blood. As the process finished, the scroll rolled up, and a faint glow emanated from it.

The power of the blueprint converged, and the scroll fell into Novak's hands. He inspected its attributes:

[City Portal Scroll (Grade E)]

[Item]

—A special scroll infused with spatial power, allowing the user to mark the current location as a return point for teleportation at any time. 

However, due to the low level of the power inlaid within the scroll, there were many restrictions. The maximum teleportation distance was only 20 kilometers (in a horizontal straight line), and the teleportation process took 10 minutes. It also couldn't be used in dungeon instances of the secret realm.

[Requirements for use: None]

It was a very basic City Portal Scroll. With its limited range of 20 kilometers, it couldn't even cover all of De M-anila City. 

Still, having such a scroll made things infinitely more convenient. In certain situations, it could even be a life-saver!

And what did it cost Novak to make?

Just a blank scroll, crafted from the lowest-grade materials purchased from the system page for a single copper coin, a barrel of blood from a Level 5 mutant giant rat, and one minute of his time.

That was all.

Yet Novak was sure that, if sold, this scroll would easily fetch a price of one silver coin—no question about it!

What kind of profiteering was this?!

Mutant beast blood had very little value on its own, worth only a few copper coins at most. But now, with this blueprint, the profit and value had multiplied a hundredfold! Not to mention that, in the future, more advanced versions would likely be even more valuable!

This was the incredible value of the City Portal Scroll Production Blueprint!

Casually tossing the scroll to Nicole, who stood there stunned, Novak addressed the group:

"I saw the one who risked their life to stop the giant rat earlier. I am someone who believes in fair rewards and punishments. In this world, the most important thing is your own strength—you should all understand that by now.

The rodent infestation in the villa area is severe, and the source is the sewer on the east side. This afternoon, I will personally lead a team to deal with it. You'll have the chance to form your own teams, gain experience, and improve your abilities.

So, start preparing! If you want to become stronger in the future, you'll need to work hard!

There's no doubt that, as long as you do what's required, you'll be stronger than 90% of the people in this apocalypse! 

That's something I can guarantee!"

Novak's words left everyone in awe.

"Yes!" they all replied in unison.

Novak nodded, satisfied, and said no more.

Several hours flew by, and soon it was one o'clock in the afternoon.

Novak, along with more than a dozen loyal guards, Nicole, and the now-rested Daphne, arrived at the southern area of Ocean Blue villa, standing before a massive sewer pipe pouring into the Bay River.