Chapter 090: White Emperor Palace! 

The amethyst crystals shimmered beautifully.

Daphne stood in the room of the villa, her gaze fixated on the dazzling purple hue that filled the space. In her hand, she now held an amethyst dagger, entirely purple from hilt to blade.

The cold gleam that radiated from the dagger was sharp enough to pierce through anything!

Moments earlier, she had finally raised her level to Level 3, and with it, her spiritual power had reached 10 points!

Reaching 10 points in spiritual power allowed her to unlock the second innate ability of the Amethyst Eye!

And this slowly materializing amethyst dagger was clearly a result of Daphne's new power.

Eager to explore her new ability, she overexerted herself, causing her mind to spin. Just as she was about to faint, she fell backward into a familiar embrace, snapping her back to reality.

Novak's voice came from behind her, calm but firm:

"Don't push yourself too hard. With your new abilities, there's no need to use them so recklessly. You barely have enough mental strength to sustain it."

Daphne blinked and rubbed her temples, still feeling a slight headache. She quickly asked, concerned, "You're back! Are you alright?"

Novak shook his head, offering a small smile. There was no need for her to know about what he encountered in the sewers.

"Did you see the rewards for completing the mission?"

Daphne nodded. The rewards from the mission had caused her experience bar, which had been completely empty before, to fill up rapidly. She couldn't hide her excitement.

The joy was pure and simple.

But then, Novak's next words filled her with unease:

"I won't be staying in De M-anila for long. In a few days, I'll be leaving."

Though Daphne didn't want to admit it, the truth was that without Novak, all the progress she had made so far might have been for nothing, given the recent chaos.

Despite her desire to stand on her own, she had become reliant on the man standing before her.

Still, she said nothing more and simply nodded. She knew that no one could change the decisions made by Novak.

"I'll probably stay a few more days until the gathering place is more stable. Once we have the city wall up, it will provide solid protection for the settlement. During this time, I'll train you and your team to boost your strength. We can't afford to let another incident like today happen again."

Novak paused before continuing:

"Once the gathering place is established, with the city walls offering protection against the zombies, it will also begin collecting entry fees and tributes from those seeking safety."

"People will be free to leave as they wish, but anyone who wants to enter and stay will need to pay a copper coin to gain access to the gathering place's protection. For every extra day they stay, they'll have to pay an additional fee. Those who refuse to pay will be evicted unless they join the gathering place as guards or work for their exemption."

"Of course, those who own real estate within the gathering place will be exempt from these fees. You'll have control over the prices of these properties, but the core villa area cannot be sold so easily. You can deal with the mid-level residential areas or the properties around the outskirts, but the main villa area is off-limits."

Daphne nodded in understanding. She had a natural talent for management and knew this was the best course of action.

Novak continued, "And most importantly, remember that strength is the foundation of everything."

"In the few days I'm still here, I'll take you, Dane, Aria, Ruri, Lea, Nicole, and a few other trusted confidants to clear the secret realm we encountered in the previous dungeon. I'll make sure that you all have enough strength to maintain control over the entire gathering place."

"But after I leave, you mustn't slack off! I don't expect you to personally lead the team or fight bosses like the Plague Rat King, but at least make sure you're strong enough to take down some mutant giant rats. If needed, retreat before reaching the boss and exit the dungeon safely."

"Actually, I don't foresee any major issues. In fact, within the next few days, we'll see if you can push yourselves to Level 5. Once you reach that level, you'll be able to update your gear. And once you obtain equipment like the Faceless Skin, your strength will skyrocket, and everything will become much easier!"

Novak stretched, glancing at Daphne, who seemed lost in thought. He smiled softly and added, "Don't worry, there won't be any major problems. But by the way, there's something else I need to ask. What are the evolutionary numbers for you, Dane, Aria, Ruri, Lea, and Nicole?"

Daphne snapped out of her thoughts, surprised by the question. She quickly responded, "Mine is 562… I haven't asked them about theirs, but I can call them right now!"

Before she could get up, Novak pulled her gently back into his arms, wrapping her in an embrace that pressed against her delicate figure.

"Don't rush," he said with a knowing smile. "We have time to talk later tonight."

As her level increased, Daphne's appearance had gradually restored itself, making her even more attractive to Novak. Her beauty, combined with her now higher status, only amplified her allure.

But beneath the casual flirtation, Novak had a serious purpose for asking the question.

He spent 2 gold coins, and in return, he formed another group.

At the same time, he registered Daphne's six-digit evolutionary number—a number that, which, while not extraordinary, was still impressive.

It couldn't be helped—on Planet Kepler, with so many evolutionaries, only the first evolution had a simpler number. The rest were bound to be this inflated.

The Cosmic Will sent a message directly into Daphne's mind:

——

[Evolutionary Number 562... You have been invited by Evolutionary Number 001 to join the group: 'White Emperor Palace'!]

——

Daphne blinked in surprise.

A group invitation?

She had seen this function before, and she wasn't surprised that Novak could afford the one-gold-coin group creation fee.

But what shocked her was the number.

The number 001!

What could that possibly mean?

She turned her head toward Novak again, only to find him smiling faintly. His impossibly handsome face, combined with his immense strength, stirred something inside Daphne, a feeling she had not experienced even in her previous life as a modern woman.

Novak always seemed to be shrouded in endless mysteries.

001?

The first evolutionary chosen by the Cosmic Will?

The very first to transcend beyond ordinary existence?

Being first doesn't necessarily mean being the strongest, but it certainly marks someone as special enough to stand apart from everyone else.

What left Daphne even more speechless was the name of the group—White Emperor Palace.

And the ones joining this group? A collection of women!

Did this guy really think of himself as an Emperor?

Daphne cast a sideways glance at Novak. But after some thought, she realized... maybe she wasn't entirely wrong.

In just two days, she had witnessed countless human tragedies. In this apocalypse, for women, there were only two paths: be strong on their own, or become a commodity of hard currency.

In that moment, Daphne gained a crystal-clear understanding of her situation.

Throughout all of Faeloria and even across Planet Kepler, there were many mysterious powerhouses, some of whom had appeared in video guides. Women would line up to become their slaves, viewing it as their only chance for survival.

To put it bluntly, being accepted into this exclusive group was a stroke of luck for her.

With that in mind, a knowing smile curved across Daphne's lips. Her eyes gleamed with mischief as she turned toward Novak. In one smooth motion, she shifted onto his waist, her body brushing against his as she spoke playfully:

"My master truly is incredible! Now that we're in the White Emperor's Palace, who will you place in charge of the Phoenix Seal?"

Novak chuckled, his smile indulgent. The best thing about Daphne was her ability to read the situation.

His hand moved slowly to her cheek, gently squeezing her soft, pale skin. With a teasing grin, he replied, "That depends on how well you perform."

Daphne's smile widened. She leaned closer, her lips grazing Novak's ear before she whispered in a sultry voice meant for him alone:

"In that case, Master, do you plan to discipline your slave today? Or perhaps… should we invite Dane to call you Daddy?"

In an instant, Novak's breath grew heavier.