Chapter 0036: Demon Hunter and Apostle of Desire! (5/5)

June 12, 7:30 AM.

There were still 2 days, 16 hours, and 30 minutes until the full outbreak of the doomsday crisis.

"De M-anila TV station reminds you that a special virus has been spreading globally, resembling the rabies virus in its symptoms. Infected individuals are highly contagious! The virus is transmitted through blood and wounds. If you encounter someone behaving abnormally, quickly distance yourself and report it to the authorities using your phone to ensure the safety of yourself, your family, and your property! If you are scratched or bitten, don't panic—call the hospital immediately or contact the authorities!"

The voice of the news anchor was crisp and clear as Novak lounged on the couch, one hand fondling the nurse's chest while the other toyed with Dane's pale, delicate feet. He watched the famous De M-anila TV host, who was attempting to maintain her calm demeanor on-screen, and couldn't help but smile.

By the time they were broadcasting these warnings, the outbreak had already been all over the internet.

Indeed, just a day later, the attempts to cover up the crisis were futile. The internet was flooded with news about the Resident Evil-like virus and the release of zombies. Chat groups were buzzing with rumors, shared images—some censored, others not—of terrifying scenes.

And it wasn't just local. 

The panic had spread across the entire planet Kepler. Anywhere there were people, there was fear.

Dane shot Novak a sarcastic look. "Seems like you fancy her. Want me to ask Mom to bring that pretty news anchor over as your mistress?"

Novak glanced at the screen, where Ruri, the new De M-anila anchor, delivered the news. She wasn't as voluptuous as the Song family women or Aria, but her looks rivaled any current internet celebrity. Her long legs and reserved demeanor made her stand out.

Novak gave it some thought and nodded. "Sure, she can be a mistress. Or perhaps just a maid."

Dane rolled her eyes dramatically. On the other side of the room, Daphne walked over with a glass of red wine and chimed in with a sly smile. "It's not impossible. That girl lives in the Ocean Blue area, though only on the outskirts. I doubt she'd refuse. I've met her a few times—she's quite ambitious."

Novak wasn't particularly interested. In the early stages of the apocalypse, his priority was survival, not distractions. Daphne and the nurse were tied to him now—they were the only women he had relations with at the moment. He didn't have time to go hunting for new playthings.

"Let's leave it for now. Maybe later. I'm more surprised by how much influence Queen Song has. Why not bring some celebrities for fun while we're at it?"

Daphne wrinkled her nose in disdain. "Most of the girls you see on-screen—unless they've got solid backgrounds—are disgusting. I only mentioned Ruri because she's a local girl. The others? Forget it."

Novak chuckled, then switched gears. "How's everything going?"

"The security department has about 500 personnel, and yesterday we relocated their families to the surrounding areas of the villa."

In the Ocean Blue Villa Area, it wasn't just villas. There were small six-story buildings and expensive office spaces. Over the last few days, Daphne had bought up as much as possible to house the security team's families. By securing their loved ones, Novak ensured loyalty and control, creating a foundation to cultivate them further.

Nicole, Daphne's elite bodyguard, along with a few others from Daphne's personal guard, were also included—though there were only around 20 to 30 of them. These trusted individuals, all ex-military, had proven their reliability. 

For now, their task was simple: they were divided into teams to take on zombies—each group working together to kill one. By overcoming the challenge, the Cosmic Will would judge them, slightly increasing their potential to become evolutionaries.

"However, things are getting tense. It's becoming harder to get that many zombies," Daphne added, her brow furrowed.

Novak nodded, his gaze flicking back to the TV. "It's fine. In the early stages, securing control over a key group is enough to take root in this city."

He fell into deep thought. It wasn't the establishment of their base or safe zone that preoccupied him. Daphne's influence would be enough to handle that in De M-anila. Novak was thinking about something more personal—his future.

When reaching level 10, evolutionaries face their first major hurdle: a job change. Without selecting a profession, leveling up from killing zombies or mutant creatures would become impossible. For every evolutionary, this was the first threshold to cross.

Novak was only at level 2, still far from level 10, but S-level professions and above were rare and unique. He had to be prepared if he wanted to avoid being outpaced by others.

When the apocalypse struck, secret realms and dungeons would emerge in and around De M-anila. Many of these would hold hidden paths and opportunities for job changes.

He remembered his past life, where his profession had been an S-class one: 'Devil Hunter'.

It was this very profession that had brought Novak, who wasn't naturally talented, to the attention of the Dark Mother Goddess. At level 30, during his second job change, she had forcibly switched his profession to SS-class 'Apostle of Desire'.

But despite the SS rating, the name alone spoke volumes about how unreliable that profession had been.

Novak clenched his fists as memories of his previous life's humiliating choices surfaced. But this time... this time it would be different.

Still, thinking about his past profession triggered something in Novak's mind. He remembered something significant from his last life, something that had haunted him—a rare opportunity he had missed out on.

One of the rarest SSS-level professions available across all of planet Kepler!