Virus King [Translation]

'Resurrection?!'

Staring into the encroaching darkness, Novak found himself sinking into doubt once more.

That's right—he had died again.

For the sixth time.

Facing Baphomet, the Beast Lord, he had already been killed six times.

What made Novak truly despair was that Baphomet hadn't displayed any new abilities or skills during these repeated encounters. Yet, the beast's unrelenting resilience left Novak questioning whether he could ever find a way out of this seemingly endless cycle of death and resurrection.

'No!'

Because he saw no hope. 

The previous Abyss Lords had wielded bizarre abilities, but they could still be killed if injured badly enough. Some, at most, could regenerate quickly, but they could still be overwhelmed eventually.

But Baphomet was an exception.

Novak had tried everything. Decapitation, crushing the heart, dismemberment—he had torn the creature apart countless times, reducing it to tiny shreds of flesh. 

Yet, no matter how thorough the destruction, Baphomet—this level 10 god—resurrected again and again. And each time, his power, speed, and constitution doubled, becoming more monstrous than before.

Novak's best record was killing Baphomet three times in a row, and that had already been his limit.

In Baphomet's initial life, Novak's strength was overwhelming enough to crush it with ease. After the first resurrection, although Baphomet's attributes increased dramatically, Novak had managed to drag the fight out, utilizing his flu virus strategy to weaken the Beast Lord.

But after the second resurrection, things changed. The boost in Baphomet's attributes was so vast that Novak couldn't even make proper contact anymore. The Beast Lord's increased strength and speed allowed him to dominate the battlefield completely. Novak could only rely on the flu virus to slowly chip away at his opponent's vitality.

By the third resurrection, nothing Novak tried had any effect.

He estimated that after the third revival, Baphomet's attributes—particularly Constitution and Agility—had broken through at least 800 points! His speed and power had doubled compared to Novak's, making the fight utterly one-sided!

Even though the flu virus remained a tool in Novak's arsenal, the gap in Constitution between the two was now so immense that its effectiveness was almost negligible. And worse, there was no telling how many times Baphomet could resurrect.

Even if Novak tried running away to stall for time, Baphomet would quickly chase him down and finish him off with a single, devastating punch.

'Calm down!'

Novak forced himself into a state of focus, urging his mind to find a new solution. 

Clearly, a straightforward battle wasn't going to cut it anymore. If defeating Baphomet through sheer force wasn't an option, perhaps it was time to change tactics.

His eyes lit up as he realized something.

In the darkness, Novak focused on the latent potential of his abilities. The evolution points he had accumulated—ones he had overlooked during previous battles—might finally prove useful here.

A thought struck him as he scanned through his talents. One in particular caught his attention:

---

[Spiritual Infection: Allows large-scale or targeted infection using mental power. The infection period is extremely brief, with power determined by the user's mental strength versus the opponent's. Potential effects include anxiety, schizophrenia, and mental breakdown. Unlocking this ability requires sufficient mental strength and costs 10 evolution points.]

---

After upgrading the T-virus earlier, Novak still had 22 evolution points left.

---

Novak hadn't even considered it—ten evolution points vanished like running water. Along with the spiritual infection, a special ability had also been unlocked:

[Depression: The infected person enters a deep state of depression, their spirit weakened, greatly reducing the effects of all meditation-related spells and abilities. At the same time, there may be a tendency toward self-harm or even suicide, depending on the difference in mental strength between the two parties!]

Although Novak couldn't imagine what Baphomet would look like in a state of depression, at this moment, he had no choice but to try—like a last-ditch effort to save a dying horse!

After a long, grueling fight and a series of warnings, Novak finally reached this point again.

"Hearing the feedback from the will of the abyss, I even thought I heard it wrong! There are really people who can pass the trial of the abyss…"

In front of him, Baphomet continued his usual rambling.

But this time, Novak already started his attack.

His spiritual energy, like a weak but invisible virus, silently infected Baphomet's psyche, penetrated his being, and reached the core of his soul. Even gods were not invincible!

Baphomet's power, including his ability to resurrect and grow stronger with each rebirth, was already overwhelming. If his mental strength was as monstrous as his physical power, then Novak would truly be in trouble.

But the good news? Novak's spiritual strength was currently his strongest attribute!

——

As he finished speaking, Baphomet hesitated, suddenly feeling as if everything in front of him had lost its appeal.

"Stop a human from passing through the Abyss?" 

What did it matter to him? Did it really concern him whether a human passed or not? 

Well, perhaps it did—none of the Abyss lords wanted a new overlord looming over them.

Seeing Baphomet's resigned expression, Novak knew his plan was working. But then, Baphomet threw a powerful punch straight at him, reminding Novak that this effect was far from foolproof!

Novak flew backward, skillfully controlling his descent, gritting his teeth against the blow. At the same time, the flu virus began to take effect.

As Baphomet entered a state of mental "asthma," his overall attributes began to drop, including his mental strength, which helped maximize the effects of the depression.

Novak couldn't afford to kill Baphomet. If the demon lord resurrected at full strength, it would be a nightmare.

Instead, he kept his distance, avoiding direct combat. After delaying for ten minutes, both the depression and the flu had fully set in, and Baphomet slumped to the ground.

"Why? Done fighting?" Novak's eyes gleamed with hope.

"Yeah, I'm done. This is boring. Fighting is so tedious..."

Novak's eyelids twitched. He could barely believe that this was the same violent creature that had been raging just moments ago.

"Then why don't you just commit suicide? You can't possibly be my match anymore," Novak ventured cautiously.

"I don't want to fight you," Baphomet said lazily. "But I can't commit suicide either. The Will of the Abyss has stripped us of professional skill blessings, but we still retain part of our divine authority. In this arena, I can resurrect infinitely—even if I die by my own hand."

What?! And there's more?!

"So, to defeat you completely, I just need to get you out of this arena?" Novak's eyes lit up.

Baphomet, sitting there with his bull's head raised, thought for a moment before nodding. "That's right, but the 279th floor of the Abyss is my arena..."

Novak pursed his lips, holding back the words he almost let slip.

"Fuck, then what should I do?!"