Chapter 273
Chapter 273
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 273
Chapter Title: Plague Purification Tank
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After finishing his conversation with the Demon Emperor, the next day.
The Demon Emperor's attitude toward Krash had completely changed.
Before, it had felt like he let Krash's words go in one ear and out the other.
Now, he was hanging on to every word Krash said.
"What did you do to him?"
Bioren looked at the wide-eyed Demon Emperor with disgust.
"Talked to him."
But that was all Krash would say.
Krash had lent his mouth to Crimson Garden, allowing her to engage in a deep discussion about magic with the Demon Emperor.
That was all Krash had done.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Yet for the Demon Emperor, who had craved conversation his entire life, nothing could have been sweeter.
'I never imagined I could pull the Demon Emperor in like this.'
Did Arthur know?
That it was possible to bring the Demon Emperor to their side, no less.
'Was he unaware, or did he never even dare to try?'
Arthur had kept his distance from the Demon Emperor.
He was far too unpredictable and erratic a figure.
Getting close might backfire more often than not.
'It wouldn't have been possible without Crimson Garden anyway.'
Without someone like her, who had amassed knowledge of magic over such a long time by her side, any half-baked attempt would have earned the Demon Emperor's wrath.
He never could have built a relationship like this.
"Lord Krash, look over there."
At that moment, Krash looked up at Bianca's words as she walked beside him.
Sure enough, deeper in the forest.
A village came into view.
The Giant's Forest was nearby, which explained it.
Under trees far larger than any others.
Small wooden buildings stood in a row.
Demoran Village.
The village Krash had come to for the Lion Group mission.
'No wonder.'
Krash now understood why Dorothy, Aslan's lover and a spirit, had said the World Erosion here was different.
The air reeked of World Erosion so strongly that even Krash, who wielded its power, wrinkled his nose.
Krash realized this was the process of creating a Worst Seed.
'Still, it's too early for seeds to form from regular World Erosion outside forbidden zones.'
Worst Seeds began in forbidden zones where World Erosion had persisted for long periods.
So Krash found it odd that a seed was forming from World Erosion outside a forbidden zone.
Even if the timing accelerated once seeds formed in forbidden zones, causing others to form faster.
Long-neglected erosions should take priority.
'Maybe it's influenced because the forbidden zone of the Giant's Forest is so close.'
With a vague sense of suspicion, Krash entered the village.
The village was quieter than expected.
Perhaps they had evacuated temporarily due to the nearby World Erosion.
There wasn't even the sound of children playing, which one would expect in a village.
"This place gives off a bad vibe."
Haring, who had sharp instincts, rubbed her goosebumped arms.
As Haring said, Krash felt a heavy ominous aura.
At that instant, just as Crimson Garden said, he sensed a presence.
Krash hurried there and opened the door without knocking.
Krash pinched his nose at the pungent smell wafting from inside the house.
He quickly stopped the others from following.
"No one come inside."
Everyone looked puzzled but stopped as Krash instructed.
"Bioren, can you put up barriers on each of us individually?"
"It's not hard. But what are we blocking?"
"Plague."
Bioren paled at Krash's answer.
She knew well how terrifying plagues could be.
Leaving her behind, Krash gazed into the room with troubled eyes.
Deep inside the room, a skeletal figure lay on the bed.
His arms and legs were rotting away, covered in black spots everywhere.
His pupils were massively dilated, turning his entire eyes pitch black.
Krash knew the name of this plague.
'Black Hand.'
Named for how the hands turned pitch black and necrotized at the initial outbreak.
It hadn't spread worldwide, but it ravaged the areas around Freya, giving the Empire a massive headache.
'Because they focused on containing the plague, the neglected Giant's Forest grew its Worst Seed unchecked.'
Eventually, the Giant's Forest transformed into a Worst zone, giants emerged on their own, and Mount Freya was doomed.
That was why Arshoulder, the child of Freya at the time, died.
He had rushed off to defend his hometown and fought the giants to the end.
'Thanks to him burning his own body to fight, the giants took heavy losses, and they managed to reclaim the Giant's Forest.'
But the Freyja Mountains were the world's largest range. Losing them meant losing vast resources and causing environmental issues.
It played a major role in the Empire's downfall.
'So the outbreak started now.'
He had suspected as much, but he hadn't expected it to begin this early.
'He's still breathing.'
Krash examined the Black Hand patient.
Onset about a week ago.
'Black Hand's incubation period is roughly a week.'
The World Erosion mission request had come two weeks prior.
The timing matched perfectly.
Krash pondered deeply as he absorbed the Black Hand afflicting the patient.
He then incinerated it completely with Ignis, erasing the disease itself.
The patient's face improved noticeably.
With proper nutrition now, he should pull through.
'This one's handled. The real problem is...'
Krash looked up with a grim expression.
Because, as he said, the real issue lay elsewhere.
'The village is practically deserted.'
Severely ill patients couldn't be moved, so they left them behind. The villagers must have all evacuated to the base of Mount Freya by now.
The problem was that carriers were surely mixed among them.
Black Hand could spread through the air.
'Those trained enough to handle advanced aura might resist.'
But ordinary folk would inevitably be in the incubation phase by now.
Krash burst out the door.
If Demoran's villagers mingled with imperial citizens, the plague would spread like wildfire.
The Empire had the densest population and the most active trade.
"Temarin!"
Krash had no choice but to play his trump card here.
Alias: Temarin Jeblam.
True name: Terasius Jeblam. The Demon Emperor turned to him.
"Find the Demoran villagers before they reach the Empire and stop them all."
Krash had his own Sixth Sense, so he could track them if he tried.
But it paled against Terasius's magic.
His magic was near-omnipotent.
"Twelve hours."
Krash knew what that time limit meant.
The moment he nodded, Terasius vanished in a whoosh.
Aslan's eyes widened at the sight.
He had cast high-level teleportation magic without any preparation.
Was he not even bothering to hide his identity?
Well, it didn't matter to those gathered here if his true nature was revealed.
"The villagers are carriers?"
"Yeah."
Krash answered Bianca while scanning the surroundings.
Now that he recognized it as Black Hand, the stinging smell was unmistakable.
"What's the plan? I've put up barriers for now."
Bioren pointed to the barriers she had cast on everyone.
Krash could eliminate Black Hand in the air.
Just ignite Ignis, and it would burn away.
He could cure it too.
Steal the disease with Black Hood and burn it with Ignis.
But that would take too long.
And without Krash, Black Hand would become an unsolvable problem.
"Haring."
So Krash decided to make medicine now.
Haring looked up in surprise at her name.
"You've studied both curses and poisons. You can develop a cure for this plague."
Before regression, a cure for Black Hand had indeed been developed.
But it had many flaws.
It only worked within a week of onset and came with numerous side effects.
The reason was simple.
Black Hand existed at the boundary between curse and disease.
Thus, curse specialists and pharmacists had to collaborate, but curses and medicines clashed constantly.
Causing all those side effects.
Of course, Staron had someone who researched curses and medicine together.
Alchemist Tower Lord Darling Danphelion.
But she belonged to Staron.
Relations between the Empire and Staron were at their worst then, leading to war.
Staron didn't dispatch their genius Alchemist Tower Lord to the self-destructing Empire.
'By the time a true cure was developed, too much time had passed.'
But now, there was one more who researched curses and medicine together.
Haring Lagren.
Haring replied cautiously, eyes wide with panic.
"Krash, I didn't do it alone."
Developing medicine wasn't easy.
She couldn't show undue confidence.
"I know. I'll ask Darling for help too."
Krash said that and glanced at Aslan.
His magic could contact Darling.
Aslan nodded immediately at Krash's instruction.
"But if we succeed, you'll be the sole developer, Haring."
"Me alone?"
"Darling's from Staron."
Thanks to Krash's recent efforts, bad blood between the Empire and Staron had lessened.
But the Empire still watched Staron warily, and vice versa.
The outbreak was near imperial territory.
Imperials would suffer most from Black Hand.
They'd suspect and avoid any medicine from Staron.
Hence, Haring's name was needed as the manufacturer.
Haring opened her mouth, then closed it.
She knew it meant taking credit from Darling.
But she was smart enough to grasp the full situation.
"...Got it. I'll do my best."
She vowed to pour all her knowledge into succeeding.
Her resolve was trustworthy.
"I'm counting on you."
If this worked, the Lagren family could regain prominence in the Empire.
They might even lead the treatment of increasingly rampant curse diseases.
"What about us?"
With roles assigned to everyone else.
Bianca eyed herself and Krash, who had none.
"It's already decided."
Krash looked up, lightly pressing down on Thunderclap.
"We seal the World Erosion."
That's what they had to do.