"It's been five days! Why hasn't he come out yet?"
In White Emperor City, the entrance to the old sewer lay under tight watch. Every evolutionary had been cleared from the area, with the White Emperor City law enforcement team surrounding the sewer square. Daphne, Nicole, and others stood anxiously at the sewer's depths, disbelief clear in their expressions.
Many had seen Novak descend into the plague-ridden sewers, yet five whole days had passed, and there was still no sign of him. More unsettling, there had been no notification from the cosmic will that the plague sewer had been cleared.
Five days. Such a delay was enough to stir up anxious speculation.
This was no ordinary dungeon—it was hell-level, a high-stakes challenge designed for those between levels 15 and 35, and its difficulty could only be imagined. Yet now, it seemed that even the daunting reputation of this dungeon had been surpassed, becoming a true nightmare. Even White Emperor, powerful and enigmatic, had vanished for five days straight.
What kind of dungeon could take that long to clear?
Evolutionaries, especially those who had only experienced the doomsday period for a month, struggled to comprehend that in this apocalyptic age, countless secret realms existed, each filled with complex mysteries. Yet, a full five days was unheard of.
Rumors had already taken hold on the forums:
"Did White Emperor meet his end? Hell-level dungeon, level 15-35. Did White Emperor finally bite off more than he could chew?"
"The terrors of the hell-level dungeon! Even White Emperor might have been crushed by the horrors within…"
"I think White Emperor's fine. Has anyone noticed his level? He's Lvl 17 on the leaderboard."
"Level-ups happen in dungeons too. But given the time he's been in there, it makes sense to gain a few levels, right? White Emperor's strength is insane! The closest foreign opponent is only level 12!"
In White Emperor City, these rumors had sown panic. White Emperor wasn't just a powerful figure; he was a totem, the most formidable evolutionary in both the Faeloria Country and the entire apocalyptic landscape. Could such an invincible existence truly have perished?
The city even experienced minor unrest. Daphne had been guarding this entrance personally for days now. She found it hard to believe Novak had died so easily, but the situation felt eerily different from when he ventured into D-avao. Back then, she hadn't understood the stakes and wasn't so worried. But this time, he'd been in the secret realm for far longer—and still hadn't returned.
The strain of the wait showed; bloodshot eyes revealed her sleepless nights. Not only was she worried for Novak, but White Emperor City itself faced newly exposed vulnerabilities. With a growing number of evolutionaries, the city faced both new opportunities and new threats. Novak had been the anchor, the stabilizing force; with him around, none dared act against them.
Without him, however, her position was much less secure. Though she had recently attained the SS-ranked job of "Son of Doom," with formidable power, its abilities had limitations. In the event of an attack, her powers might not be enough to maintain control.
In White Emperor City, guild-like evolutionary organizations had begun to form, with leaders jockeying for influence. Despite her high authority within the city, Daphne couldn't ignore that without Novak's presence, even she felt exposed.
However, if these individuals harbored divided intentions...
Exhaling deeply, Daphne steadied herself. But before she could steady herself, an ominous vortex suddenly materialized before the dungeon door, pitch-black and filled with a suffocating aura so powerful it left her momentarily breathless. Nicole's eyes turned red as she gazed at the vortex—within it, she sensed the presence of something irresistibly alluring to her:
A demon.
But it wasn't a demon who emerged. Instead, Novak's figure appeared, and he, taking in the scene, looked slightly puzzled.
"What's going on here?" he asked, barely finishing the question before Daphne threw herself into his arms, clearly relieved.
Novak quickly grasped the situation. Having left the dungeon, he'd spent time discussing Abyss reforms with the true gods and later descended to the abyss's tenth layer, where he'd plundered and slain numerous demons. He had, admittedly, lost track of time.
Daphne, impressively poised despite her relief, quickly addressed him:
"Master, could we keep your return discreet for now? Word has spread that you might have encountered trouble, and some people seem ready to take advantage of it."
As White Emperor City was his own, Novak didn't hesitate to play along. If it had been before, he might have intervened directly to uphold the city's rules. But now, having acquired the power of the abyss, his priorities had shifted. The whole abyss was his domain, and White Emperor City served more as a foothold in the gods-and-demons trial ground.
Entrusting Daphne with this minor task would allow her to handle disruptions herself in the future, should he need to leave for any length of time.
"All right, you handle it. Is the open space I asked you to clear last time still set up?"
Disguised in a standard plague suit, Novak exited the sewer among a group of evolutionaries, while Daphne remained until nightfall, feigning disappointment as she waited to observe the reactions of White Emperor City's would-be schemers.
Meanwhile, Novak had already made his way to the peak of Ocean Blue Mountain—a secluded, desolate spot where sunlight barely touched.
The Ring of the Hell King activated, and a shadowy figure slowly appeared. It was none other than the sisters Yuzuru and Kaguya. As earth-bound spirits, the haunted house they were tied to materialized with them, slowly taking solid form on Ocean Blue Mountain, as if by the sheer magic of the gods-and-demons trial ground.
Originally a villa in D-avao, it had been transported to De M-anila through Novak's abilities. After entering the haunted house, Novak didn't immediately question the sisters about what they'd learned. His true purpose in summoning them was to converse with Satan himself.
As the king of hell and a figure known for his unparalleled wisdom, did Satan have any unique insights into the impending transformations within the abyss?