Virus King [Translation]

"Move—move!" Aria's mind raced, filled with cold terror. 

The creature before her looked human, but it was far from it. Its pupils were a lifeless gray, with bloodshot, congested eyes. Veins, dark and violet, bulged grotesquely under its skin, and its mouth hung open, showing coagulated, dark red blood. Sharp, canine teeth glistened in the dim hospital light, sending shivers down her spine.

This thing can't be human.

Her mind flashed back to the zombie TV series she had watched the night before. This figure in front of her—this terrifying, decayed figure—looked exactly like the zombies from the movies.

I don't want to die! 

I've never even been in a relationship! 

I still want to experience love!

Despite her mental screams, her legs—clad in white stockings under her nurse's uniform—refused to move. Paralyzed with fear, all she could do was watch the creature rush toward her.

At the last moment, when Aria had already closed her eyes, bracing for the worst, she felt a presence—someone standing in front of her. Could it be? 

She opened her eyes cautiously. 

Not just her—everyone in the hospital's waiting area looked in shock and disbelief. There, between her and the zombie, was a tall figure. Hands still in his pockets, the stranger had kicked the crazed creature square in the stomach, sending it flying backward. Then, with startling speed, he appeared behind it, locking the writhing zombie in an iron grip.

The sudden turn of events left the room in stunned silence. People instinctively backed away.

Aria, however, could see everything clearly. The mysterious figure, who had appeared like a hero from the skies, grabbed the zombie by the neck with one hand. In the other, he brandished a knife, and with one swift motion, he brought it down hard.

Amid the panicked noise, there was a brief, unmistakable sound—the sharp crack of bones breaking. The zombie's body went limp, dropping lifelessly to the floor. The whole event unfolded so quickly and efficiently that not even the most elite special forces could have matched the precision of his movements.

Aria's eyes widened, frozen in place, her mind overwhelmed by the shock.

But then, something even stranger happened. The figure—her savior—crouched down next to the fallen zombie and appeared to take something from it. A faint, obscure light flickered for a moment before vanishing, but Aria couldn't see clearly from her angle.

Not that it mattered. At this point, the shock was too much for her, and she felt herself growing faint. She collapsed to the floor, unable to stay upright any longer.

Before she hit the ground, however, a warm hand caught her.

Aria looked up to find a good looking face smiling kindly down at her. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

It felt like lightning had struck her heart.

At that moment, all the fear she had felt evaporated. This man was so handsome, so cool, and his presence was overwhelmingly comforting. For the first time in her life, Aria truly understood what the novels meant when they talked about a heart pounding like a deer.

As she stood there, speechless and starstruck, Novak—the mysterious figure—offered a small smile. What a joke, he thought to himself. Even the Dark Mother Goddess had favored his face, so winning over a nurse who looked like an innocent rabbit was easy.

He took a quick glance at the nurse in front of him. She was around 1.6 meters tall, not particularly tall, but her figure—despite the loose nurse's uniform—was striking. Her long legs, barely visible beneath her white stockings, were proportionate and graceful. Though the mask on her face concealed most of her features, her wide, round eyes, whether from fear or awe, were undeniably captivating.

Not bad. Novak made a mental note.

Just then, applause broke out around them. The elderly patients, who had been watching the scene unfold in shock, now cheered for the young man they had previously dismissed as a bit odd.

"Bravo!" 

Seeing Novak's bravery and skill, the crowd applauded enthusiastically. One of the elderly bystanders, smiling, called out, "Don't worry, young man! We've already called the authorities. We'll vouch for you with the police!"

Novak laughed quietly. He hoped these people would still say that once the authorities arrived.

But for now, Novak had other things on his mind—he wanted to see what rewards awaited him.

- [You have slain a low-level evolutionary virus transformation failure body! Experience gained: 1'10=10 points! Currency gained: 1'10=10 copper coins! As a reward for your first zombie kill, you receive: 1 gold coin!]

- [Title acquired: Zombie Slayer!]

- [Zombie Slayer (F-level title): All attributes +1. Facing zombie creatures, your chance of landing a fatal blow increases by 1%!]

(Note: Killing 100 zombies will upgrade this title to the E-level title, "Zombie Hunter.")

——

A few moments later, several police officers arrived at the hospital, moving with surprising urgency. However, before the elderly witnesses could fully explain what had happened, their voices trailed off into silence.

A grim piece of news swept through the hall like a chilling breeze.

"The patient who attacked the nurse... is dead."