Chapter 0052: Devour! Terrible Black Light Virus! (1/5)

The unconscious twitching of Novak's fingers signaled the gradual recovery of his spiritual energy from deep slumber.

That night was still and silent, with the curtains drawn tight, allowing no light to enter the room.

When Novak finally opened his eyes, he instinctively assumed he had only been asleep for a short while.

However, when he glanced at his phone, the bright screen and the clear time displayed jolted him to reality:

"June 14, 17:02!"

Only then did Novak exhale slowly, feeling a bit more at ease. 

There were still 6 hours and 58 minutes left before the complete outbreak of doomsday.

The timing was just right.

Setting the phone down, Novak remained lying on the bed. The darkness around him didn't hinder his vision in the slightest.

He could see every detail of the large room clearly.

And as the virus coursed through his body, Novak finally shook off the long-lasting lethargy and regained full awareness of his inner state.

His heart and emotions, both stagnant for so long, began to stir once more.

Power.

In this moment, Novak felt only one thing: power.

An overwhelming sense of strength surged within him.

Every muscle, every cell, every drop of blood—it all felt exponentially more refined and potent than before.

The change was profound, and the most direct result of it was sheer power.

Unimaginable power.

After a brief moment of wonder, Novak collected himself, calming his thoughts, and then brought up his talent list.

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[Black Light Virus: Initial awakening, current awakening level: 1%! Evolve further to increase awakening progress by 1%. Evolution points required for the next level: 5 points! Evolution points can also be used to unlock other evolutionary branches of the Black Light Virus!]

[Strength +50, Agility +50, Constitution +50, Spirit +40, Life recovery +200%!]

[Initial Ability Unlocked: Devour]

[Phagocytosis (Virus King—Innate Ability of the Black Light Virus): Can devour all virus progenitors and life forms without resistance. After consuming them, certain memories of the target may be accessed! There is also a small chance of acquiring one of their mastered skills! Additionally, evolution points specific to the 'Black Light Virus' will be obtained, and any injuries will be healed!]

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Devour!

In the darkness, Novak's pupils gleamed with a faint scarlet light.

Even the shadows couldn't conceal the excitement blazing in his eyes.

While the boost to his attributes was impressive, what thrilled Novak the most was undoubtedly the ability to devour.

Among all the powers of the Black Light Virus, the ability to devour was its true core feature.

It held the key to glimpsing conspiracy-laden memories, gaining the ability to mimic his foes, and obtaining skills from those he consumed.

Many of the Black Light Virus's capabilities were founded on this basic, yet essential, devouring ability.

And under the influence of the Virus King's power, this effect was even more enhanced.

What made it truly remarkable was the chance to acquire the skills of his victims. 

Though rare—described as an "extremely small" chance in the ability's description—there was no doubt that, once activated, this could become one of the most godlike abilities in the chaos of doomsday.

Now that Novak had reached this level of awakening with the Black Light Virus, the magnitude of the change and its potential was beyond anything he could have imagined.

It was a complete transformation.

With a mere thought, Novak extended his hand, watching as streaks of black and red enveloped his palm.

If he wished, this virus could consume any living being, converting and absorbing them in an instant to complete the devouring process.

After testing the ability for a moment, Novak smiled in satisfaction and turned his attention back to the talent branch of the Virus King—Black Light Virus.

Evolution points could unlock other branches of the virus's abilities.

Naturally, the talent tree had several branches, each one an extension of the Black Light Virus's potential.

Sure enough, as Novak focused on the virus, several lines of evolution became visible on the talent tree, marking different paths he could take.

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[Spirit Speed: Enhances your body's streamlining, greatly increasing your speed and agility. Evolution points required: 10.]

[Wall Running: Allows you to walk or climb on vertical surfaces by condensing the Black Light Virus around your body. Evolution points required: 10.]

[Combat Intuition: Significantly improves muscle control and flexibility, enhancing your combat abilities. Evolution points required: 10.]

---

Three natural abilities lay before him.

For a moment, Novak could hardly contain his greed.

"Spirit Speed" was fairly standard—after all, as his agility increased, his movement speed would naturally improve.

But Wall Running? That was an incredibly powerful ability. He would be able to walk on walls as though they were flat ground!

He remembered that the original host of the Black Light Virus in the source material possessed similar abilities.

However, unlike the original host who had access to these powers from the start, Novak had to unlock and evolve them slowly.

Yet Novak wasn't the least bit dissatisfied.

He was fundamentally different from that host.

He controlled the virus—it didn't control him.

As his own abilities continued to grow, the Virus King's power would become even more formidable.

For now, Novak could only gaze longingly at these abilities.

To unlock all three would require 30 evolution points, an amount that felt astronomical to him at the moment.

If he wanted to unlock these skills and accelerate the Black Light Virus's awakening and evolution, he needed to see how effective the virus's devouring ability was.

If devouring could yield a significant number of evolution points, Novak was eager to experience the incredible boosts these abilities would provide once activated.

With that thought in mind, Novak shook his head, causing the Black Light Virus within him to fall silent once again.

But the immense power contained within didn't disappear.

Instead, it lay dormant, ready to erupt with terrifying force like an ancient beast whenever Novak willed it.

Exhaling slowly, Novak opened Chat Group No. 001—and was immediately taken aback.

In just two days, there were so many familiar names.

Good grief, he thought, so many 'acquaintances' have joined the group!