Virus King - Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Risk and Reward! Strategy Video!

TL: Yang

While all the Evolvers were baffled by the message they received, Chen Bai’s brows furrowed slightly.

Of course, he was a bit confused too.

Apart from the reputation gained from clearing this dungeon for the first time—which even boosted the entire Dragon Nation’s faction reputation—

What use did reputation have!?

The answer was simple: priority in civilization.

As always, the God and Devil Trial Grounds was also a proving ground for civilizations—nations, races, and all else!

And the most direct and effective benefit of increased reputation was clear:

It provided an additional boost to experience points and drop rates!

Every single reputation point offered a 1% bonus to both experience and drop rate!

This bonus might seem small, but when applied to such a vast base, the increase became unimaginably large!

Just imagine how great the boost was that Chen Bai received after clearing this secret realm dungeon?

Chen Bai quickly deduced the reason for this substantial boost. Besides being the first to complete it, there was another key factor:

Nightmare difficulty!

Dungeons came in different levels.

Normal, Hard, Nightmare, Hell!

Four levels, each more terrifying than the last!

But Chen Bai clearly remembered that, when he entered the Cold Furnace dungeon at level 28, there had been absolutely no indication of a difficulty level!

Moreover, the Bio-Mutant’s strength was certainly not something an ordinary Level 5-10 Evolver could handle.

The difficulty was exceedingly high—too high!

In that moment, Chen Bai suddenly understood what the God of Trades meant with those earlier words!

An Evolver’s growth required exploration and a spirit of adventure, but even more than that, it demanded caution and vigilance!

Of course, caution and vigilance could help one survive longer in the apocalypse, but excessive caution alone could never make someone truly powerful!

Only by venturing into danger and coming back alive could he be deemed worthy of investment with such precious resources!

Only now did Chen Bai truly realize the risk and terror that lay hidden behind this!

This was no different from commerce and investment!

Everyone wanted to take the bait, but if you wanted a taste, you had to be prepared to be reeled in!

And when faced with this kind of temptation, every challenge ahead was unknown. If you sought high rewards, then there would certainly be high risks!

This was the trading philosophy of the God of Trades! And in that instant, Chen Bai grasped an essential truth!

A Nightmare-level dungeon!?

So that was it!

It had to be said, the terrifying risks indeed brought equally terrifying rewards, just as the God of Trades had subtly suggested.

Five points of personal reputation, and one faction reputation point!

The first strategy video for this dungeon—a goldmine!

His fame would spread across the entirety of Blue Star!

And the most tangible benefits—experience points, two full levels of advancement, plus all the items that dropped, and the evolution of the Darklight Virus—

These were all solid, concrete gains!

Chen Bai didn’t rush to leave the incinerator.

For him, this eerie, cold, and terrifying incinerator had become his greatest treasure trove since his rebirth!

Now, he settled comfortably onto the floor, leisurely going over his spoils and gains!

Yet Chen Bai clearly hadn’t realized the huge sensation this was stirring up in the outside world!

At that moment, it was already night, deep into the night.

But on this first night truly marking the arrival of the apocalypse, in Dragon Nation and the Western morning, no one could sleep!

…

East Mountain Villa District

On top of East Mountain, Song Ziqiong stood, looking out over the distant river, her gaze sweeping across the vast expanse of East Mountain itself, and for a moment, she was filled with boundless ambition!

Indeed, a word often used to describe men now burned fiercely in this woman’s chest!

Back in Jiangcheng, she had indeed been the esteemed Queen Song. Even across Dragon Nation, she could be considered a figure of influence.

Many prominent figures had even tried to make her their personal possession, but she had avoided every one of them.

Yet, ironically, her first submission had been to a young man no older than her own daughter!

However, that man’s strength truly left Song Ziqiong with no thoughts of defying him.

Yet, after a day of familiarizing herself with her new abilities and feeling the true power of an Evolver, Song Ziqiong suddenly felt that perhaps… that man wasn’t invincible after all?

The future held endless possibilities!

Song Ziqiong believed that, with her abilities, she could reach the top of Dragon Nation’s hierarchy as she had done before, standing at the very peak of power. In this apocalyptic world, with such a strong starting point, she could ascend to the highest summit once more!

When that day arrived, Song Ziqiong was determined to make that man experience what it felt like to be suppressed under someone else.

Thinking this, she reined in her ambitions and gracefully returned to the villa. But just as she stepped inside, Leng Shuang approached her with a furrowed brow: “Sister Qiong, there have been a lot of rats in the woods! Those mutant rats have attacked quite a few of our people!”

Song Ziqiong’s brow creased as well: “Get the walls up as soon as possible. Those rats are coming in through the sewer pipes at the mountain base. Seal them off with concrete for now.”

“Understood…”

Just then, both of them froze for a moment, almost simultaneously.

Because, at the edge of their vision, a special notification suddenly appeared:

[Cosmic Will: Evolver “Bai” of the Dragon Nation faction has cleared the Nightmare-level dungeon “Cooling Incinerator (Level 5-10)”! The dungeon guide video has been permanently saved! Viewing price: 1 copper coin!]

[Cosmic Will: Evolver “Bai” of the Dragon Nation faction is the first to clear a Nightmare-level dungeon and upload a guide video. Reputation +5! Dragon Nation faction reputation +1!]

A secret realm dungeon!?

Hadn’t Chen Bai mentioned that before?

Song Ziqiong’s first thought was this.

However, her gaze gradually shifted to the details of the notification.

Dragon Nation!

Nightmare-level secret realm?

Level 5-10!?

Bai!?

This “Bai”…

Song Ziqiong’s eyes widened, and her heart began to race.

She suddenly had a feeling—a mix of dread and thrill.

The mutant rats, the sewer pipes—she forgot all of that in an instant!

All her focus turned to that suddenly-appearing strategy video.

And upon seeing the location details attached to the video, any last trace of hope left Song Ziqiong’s mind.

Dragon Nation—Yangtze River Basin—Jiangcheng

This was the area of the “Cold Furnace” dungeon!

And with this confirmation, she could now be absolutely certain just who this “Bai”—who appeared in front of all Evolvers on the very first day of the apocalypse—really was!

With that thought, Song Ziqiong swallowed, paid the single copper coin fee, and opened the strategy video.