Chapter 0016: 001 Chat Group!

Daphne glanced at the TV, her surprise evident.

The screen was still displaying the last video she had discussed with Nicole, which included several clips of a zombie being taken down. During their earlier discussion, they had analyzed the young man's strength in the footage. 

But now, based on her daughter's reaction, it seemed like she knew this person!

Daphne had spent most of the past few years focusing on her career, and she hadn't paid much attention to her daughter's personal life. 

Meanwhile, Dane, though shocked by the scenes on the screen, showed no signs of embarrassment.

"He's from my school! I've been chasing him, but he's been blind to it and kept refusing me. Seems like he's been getting close with a nurse at the hospital recently too!" Dane huffed in frustration. Then, noticing something on the screen, she added, "Wait... that nurse in the video—that's her! Haha, so he's a hero saving a damsel in distress!"

Daphne didn't concern herself much with her daughter's romantic entanglements. After all, not many boys could resist her charm. But upon learning that her daughter knew this young man, her interest was piqued.

From her perspective, it was clear the boy's skills were far from ordinary. He also seemed to be aware of the changes happening in the world—this keen insight was one of the reasons Daphne had successfully established herself in De M-anila, expanding her late husband's estate and positioning herself well for the potential chaos ahead.

"Has he changed recently?" Daphne asked, her voice sharp with interest.

Caught off guard, Dane hesitated for a moment before responding, "I haven't seen him much these past few days. But I did run into him this afternoon. He seemed different—changed somehow—but I can't put my finger on what exactly..." She trailed off, her thoughts drifting.

Recalling something Novak had said to her earlier, Dane hesitated, feeling a bit conflicted. But with her mother clearly intrigued by Novak, she gritted her teeth and decided to spill the truth.

"He... he said he wasn't interested in me, Mom. But... he did say he's very interested in you!"

Daphne blinked in surprise, her fox-like eyes flickering with amusement. She didn't seem to notice her daughter's embarrassment at all. Instead, she focused on the young figure in the video, a small, enigmatic smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

"Interested in me, is he? Well, in that case, I'd like to meet this intriguing young man myself."

Without paying much attention to Dane's astonished expression, Daphne, a woman with ambitions greater than most men, simply waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, go get some sleep. And remember, don't go out these next few days."

——

Morning.

After a night of rest, Novak felt the cells and viruses in his body had grown more stable. After showering, he stood in front of the mirror, observing the well-defined, cheetah-like muscles covering his body. Hidden beneath that lean frame was an immense reservoir of explosive power. 

Novak smiled, feeling the growing strength within him. His hand instinctively reached for the Time Hourglass hanging around his neck. He couldn't help but wonder if the hourglass would reveal its true powers when the Field of Gods and Demons trial officially began—when the apocalypse and the Cosmic Will collided.

He had a hunch that the hourglass held surprises beyond his imagination.

Glancing at the clock, he noted the date: June 8, 2023—8 AM. There were six days and sixteen hours left before the end of the world.

Taking a deep breath, Novak opened his phone.

In the Post Bar's private messaging section, there was a long string of messages from "I'm not a troll." It seemed that after Novak hadn't responded, this guy had sent another request:

[I'm not a troll: Hey, Brother White, why not add me on X-Ta! My handle is Ian Bark@—it'll be easier for us to communicate!]

Ian's persistence amused Novak, and he appreciated the initiative. However, he had no interest in adding another contact on X-Ta. Instead, he reopened the System Panel.

The Cosmic Will had a robust feature set for evolutionaries like Novak. Once the apocalyptic trial officially began, a wide array of tools would become available, including a forum and numerous other functions. But even now, as an early-stage pioneer, Novak had access to some key features—like the group chat function.

Creating a chat group cost only one gold coin. After setting up the group, evolutionaries could invite others to join using their unique ID numbers. Alternatively, members could also join by inputting other evolutionary numbers, subject to the group creator's approval.

With no network restrictions, this system was quite convenient.

After some thought, Novak decided to spend the gold coin and create his own group.

[Congratulations! You've successfully created an evolutionary group (Number: 001). Please name it.]

Novak blinked at the prompt. Despite all this time passing, he figured there were definitely other pioneers like Ian who had awakened, yet no one had created a group? Well, perhaps not everyone had a gold coin to spare just yet.

As he scrolled through the various name options, he decided to stick with something simple. What could be more impressive than the number one chat group?

[Confirmed!]

[Evolutionary Novak, you've successfully created Chat Group No. 001!]

A slight smile spread across Novak's face as he gazed at the new group on the interface. He was confident that this group would one day become the most elite circle in the entire apocalypse—a key pillar in his future communications and influence.

Just as he sent the group number to Ian via Post Bar, his phone rang unexpectedly.

Novak raised an eyebrow in surprise. In this digital age, most communication happened via X-Ta or messaging apps. Phone calls were typically from scammers, salespeople, couriers, or delivery services.

But as soon as he answered, a soft yet authoritative voice spoke on the other end.

"Hello, Student Novak, this is Song Daphne."

"???"