Virus King [Translation]

Originally, Novak believed it would take several more floors before encountering the next true god in the abyss.

However, on the 375th floor, he 'met' the next entity.

The God of Wolves and Assassins.

Yeenoghu.

Compared to the eerie Hydra Winifred from before, this beast-like creature resembling a wild jackal seemed much more straightforward.

The God of Assassination.

The title alone was enough to give away its nature.

This floor of the abyss was particularly terrifying—not just because of the unseen Assassin God, but also due to the numerous hidden weapons and traps that surrounded Novak at every turn. It made the danger even more overwhelming than the fiery depths ruled by the demon lord Balrog the Barlow Flame Demon on earlier levels.

Yeenoghu was even more formidable, not because of sheer presence, but because Novak never once saw him—at least not directly.

Or perhaps he did, in a way.

In his perception, a single red dot represented Yeenoghu's presence, a gift from the branch of the Blacklight Virus within him. Visually, though, there was nothing. Nothing at all.

At that moment, Novak was beyond grateful that his virus had evolved, particularly the "Heat Pursuit" ability. What he had once considered a weak enhancement was now his only lifeline.

Why? Because Yeenoghu, restricted by the will of the abyss, had most of his powers sealed. Yet, like Baphomet, he still retained a devastating ability: permanent invisibility. 

He was always hidden, perpetually in stealth.

What kind of nightmare was this?

Not only could Yeenoghu remain invisible, but he also had the power of teleportation, striking from the shadows with sudden lethal attacks from rifts in space.

It's no wonder Novak died multiple times.

With the relentless traps and Yeenoghu's stealthy, unpredictable strikes, even with the aid of "Heat Pursuit," Novak's nerves were pushed to the brink of collapse.

But, in the end, he triumphed.

The key to his victory was his ability to transmit the flu virus.

During one of Yeenoghu's assassination attempts, Novak managed to inject him with the virus. Though Yeenoghu killed him before the virus could fully take effect, Novak continued learning from his deaths. As he familiarized himself with the traps and better understood Yeenoghu's attack patterns, he found his opportunity.

There was no shortcut to defeating Yeenoghu, no glaring weakness like Baphomet's. The strength of the gods was clear from this battle.

What puzzled Novak most was the thought of Winifred's third head mentioning a battle between Baphomet and Yeenoghu. How could a maniac who loves direct combat and an assassin who thrives in stealth possibly fight each other?

He didn't know, but it made him realize that after reaching this depth of the abyss, the strength of its denizens wasn't necessarily defined by their floor level.

Even though the Abyssal Hydra Winifred never attacked him, its presence felt far more menacing than either Yeenoghu or Baphomet. In Novak's perception, Winifred's power was leagues more terrifying.

Yeenoghu's floor might have been higher, but in a fight, it wouldn't be so clear-cut.

Yeenoghu, the third true god he had defeated!

As for the fourth true god, Novak initially believed he would encounter it on the 437th floor. This was the entity the Dark Mother Goddess had mentioned—her sworn enemy in the abyss. However, to his surprise, before reaching that point, Novak encountered another existence on the 400th floor.

What truly shocked him was that this entity was something he had even heard about before. On the 400th floor of the abyss, a place that many evolutionaries in his previous life had potentially come into contact with, Novak stood face-to-face with something extraordinary.

It was a sea of the undead.

Skeletons, zombies, liches, and even bone dragons roamed this desolate land. The overwhelming aura of death seemed to meld perfectly with the abyss's despair.

[Current Abyss Lord of the 400th floor: Abyssal Demon God of the Underworld Gabul—Floor 400, manifesting a Level 10 Phantom. Prepare for the trial!]

[Special Environment: Find Gabul's true form within the undead army and slay him!]

This was a unique challenge. Among the four true gods Novak had encountered so far, Gabul was the only one whose trial came with such specific environmental conditions. But Novak wasn't deterred. 

Instead, his mind drifted back to the stories he'd heard about the Underworld. According to Hell Rose, the Dark Mother Goddess, there had been an ancient God of the Underworld, who ruled over all the dead with immense power and control over the undead. But at some point, for reasons unknown, this God of the Underworld fell.

After his fall, his followers vied for his power. One of them took a portion of his authority and became the most feared God of Death in the universe. Another inherited his kingdom and part of his strength, becoming the God of the Undead. However, this God of the Undead mysteriously vanished for millennia, along with his power.

Every so often, a few heirs to the undead would be granted access to the Underworld's legacy.

Novak never expected that Gabul, the God of the Undead, would appear in his path in such a state. Even more unexpected was the revelation that the 400th floor of the abyss was the transformed remains of that ancient Underworld.

This seemed like one of the most challenging levels yet. 

Gabul, as the God of the Undead, could assume the form of any undead creature, making him nearly impossible to pinpoint. Hidden within the vast sea of the undead, his presence was like a needle in a haystack.

Yet, despite the daunting task, Novak remained unshaken. In fact, he had a strong feeling that this floor, which posed an insurmountable challenge for most, might turn out to be the easiest one he'd encountered. Perhaps, it would even be simpler than the trial of the Abyssal Hydra, Winifred.

The reason was simple.

Novak had a special ability, a unique weapon from his biochemical evolution:

[Roshan's Core: Killing enemies triggers a bloodsucking effect that replenishes energy, heals injuries, and restores stamina. Each kill also increases all physical attributes (except mental power) by 1 point, with no limit to stacking. Status duration: 20 minutes.]

Every undead in this endless sea would only serve to fuel his strength, enhancing his attributes with every kill. 

For Novak, this sea of the undead was not a perilous obstacle—it was a boundless resource for growth!