Virus King - Chapter 228

Chapter 228: The Power of Plague! The True Ability of Scourge of the Living!

TL: YYang

In the darkened world, a faint layer of mist seemed to drift.

Chen Bai was one hundred percent certain that if any other Evolver entered here, within less than a minute—even the most powerful among them—they would be completely infected and corroded by the fungal virus in the air.

If they failed to exit the Secret Realm Dungeon in time, the inevitable outcome would be their body reduced to nothing but a corpse and bare bones, utterly corroded by the numerous fungal viruses.

There was no other possibility.

The fungal virus in the air was far too potent.

This could only be described as a Hell-level Dungeon.

Compared to ordinary Secret Realm Dungeons, this one was unimaginably more dangerous. The threats didn’t just come from unknown enemies and opponents but also from the perilous and oppressive environment itself.

Every second here reduced 3 Constitution points. Without sufficient resistance, within a minute, even an Evolver with 180 Constitution points would weaken to the point of death.

What kind of concept was that!?

However, Chen Bai was unperturbed. The exaggerated effect of the fungal virus was primarily because he hadn’t yet equipped any resistance measures.

If he donned the Plague Set crafted from the Old Sewers and wore the Bird Beak Mask, the environmental hazards would likely be significantly diminished.

Analyzing strategies to clear this Plague Sewer, Chen Bai exhaled slightly and proceeded forward.

Within the dark sewer, green mist floated ominously. Occasionally, viscous green liquid could be seen on the ground, its fungal virus concentration beyond imagination.

If an ordinary Evolver accidentally stepped into this liquid, they might be afflicted with an intractable debuff, making their subsequent dungeon exploration even harder.

But for Chen Bai, merely approaching it was enough. The green plague underfoot would evaporate into mist and dissipate instantly, completely absorbed under his control.

Simultaneously, it provided him with a considerable amount of evolution points, further solidifying his Virus Sovereign Talent.

Wherever the plague existed, it was Chen Bai’s domain!

The scent of a human and the sound of Chen Bai’s unrestrained footsteps echoed crisply within the sewer. These sounds, left intentionally unhidden, finally drew the attention of the sovereign of this labyrinthine, kingdom-like sewer.

A shrill, sharp cry rang out.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak…”

The familiar noise made Chen Bai furrow his brows once again.

More rats!?

Couldn’t the Plague System summon something more impressive? Something that would truly allow him to test the power of the Plague Authority?

Otherwise, wouldn’t he really end up as nothing more than a bona fide Rat King?

Chen Bai sighed helplessly. However, as his gaze landed on the approaching creature, he couldn’t help but pause in surprise.

Calling it a rat wasn’t entirely inaccurate. But this rat…

It was a figure approximately 1.1 to 1.2 meters tall. Its enormous rodent head bore a pair of glowing green eyes. Yet, the rest of its body had little in common with a rat.

It stood upright, its hind legs resembling those of a human as it stood in the sewer. Its two drooping claws gleamed with a dangerous light.

The Eye of Secrets immediately provided Chen Bai with a straightforward analysis:

[Mutant Ratman (Level 17)]

[Description: A special rat mutated under the powerful influence of fungal plague. The power of the plague has granted it increasing intelligence, a humanoid form, and significantly enhanced strength.]

[Attributes: Omitted.]

[Skills: Plague Claw, Rapid Recovery, Enhanced Speed…]

“Huh?!”

Ratmen!? Among the countless worlds, there were many Beastmen races. The most renowned were undoubtedly the Goblins, the main race of the Goblin God of Trade, Redo, as well as Dwarves and Elves.

But what in the world were ratmen…?

“Squeak, squeak, squeak…”

Clearly, the mutant ratman before him had no intention of allowing Chen Bai time to think. It leapt toward him in an instant.

As the mutant ratman darted toward Chen Bai, closing the gap of three steps with lightning speed in the confined, cramped space of the sewer, something unexpected happened.

It froze abruptly.

Its menacing charge halted mid-motion, the ratman stood still as if an invisible force had taken hold of it.

Then, the same grotesque, ferocious ratman that had moments ago seemed determined to tear Chen Bai to shreds, dropped to its knees with a heavy thud.

Chen Bai paid it no heed, calmly continuing his journey into the depths of the sewer.

Behind him, the once-hostile mutant ratman now followed obediently, as tame and docile as a domesticated pet.

This was the power of “Plague Authority”!

The class ability of Scourge of the Living!

Any plague-based or poisonous lifeform—so long as its total attributes were inferior to Chen Bai’s—could be completely dominated and controlled by him. This was the essence of authority.

Even though this ratman was a Level 17 creature, what did it matter?

When it came to total attributes, Chen Bai had yet to encounter a single being that could make him flinch.

Of course, in the God and Devil Trial Grounds, the apocalyptic test where every 10 levels marked a major milestone, each threshold brought significant power differences.

While the Level 20 threshold wasn’t as game-changing as the Level 10 threshold, which unlocked class enhancements, it still represented a major leap that separated tiers of strength.

This was precisely why Chen Bai hadn’t yet ventured to the 10th Layer of the Abyss to challenge the Level 30 Demon Lord, Aodu, and conquer that layer.

At Level 20, the gap was already immense. At Level 30, after completing a Second Profession Transfer, the boost in power was even more pronounced. Chen Bai wasn’t afraid of death, but there was no need to seek it out unnecessarily, was there?

This was Chen Bai’s first time testing the Plague Authority.

Controlling the Plague Giant Rat earlier had required no expenditure of spirit strength or other resources.

It was entirely instinctual.

This meant that, as long as the conditions were met, Chen Bai could control an infinite number of plague-based lifeforms.

No restrictions whatsoever!

In this moment, Chen Bai finally began to grasp the true might of Scourge of the Living.

Moreover, after taking control of this mutant ratman, he could faintly sense that his Plague Sun and Black Death abilities had improved ever so slightly.

The enhancement was subtle, almost negligible. But the key lay in the fact that such control consumed absolutely nothing!

It was as if storing food for the winter, where each addition became a permanent stockpile.

This power, once exerted, wasn’t just a fleeting influence—it turned into an enduring resource under Chen Bai’s command.

Previously, Chen Bai had assumed this kind of control was time-limited, akin to the way Zombie Mutants could temporarily boost their leaders. Their strength increased only while under active command.

But now, it was clear that wasn’t the case at all!

Chen Bai turned back to observe the mutant ratman.

By instinctual authority alone, he allowed it to move freely. And it did just that—resuming its natural survival instincts and behaviors, guided by its newfound intelligence.

What did this signify?

Chen Bai understood it entirely.

In that instant, a bold idea struck him.