Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: The Source of the Plague
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The Ritania Earldom was a territory known as the Empire's dew.
It boasted the finest public safety outside the capital and was remarkably hygienic.
This was all thanks to the count, who had been born with mysophobia.
As a result, the earldom became a truly livable place for the Empire's citizens.
But everything changed once the plague began to spread.
A plague that etched indelible green spots onto human skin.
If not treated early, it triggered a mutation.
Victims endured unimaginable agony before transforming into monstrosities indistinguishable from monsters.
"Even after mutating, those infected with the plague retain their consciousness."
Daehyeop Kim's eyes narrowed at the knight's despair-laden explanation.
"They retain their consciousness?"
"Yes. They scream nonstop."
Save me. No, kill me. Please, end this pain.
"I had to end my wife's suffering with my own hands."
"..."
Daehyeop Kim fell silent at the knight's sudden confession.
The situation in Ritania Earldom was far graver than he'd imagined.
"Mutants have appeared in massive numbers to the east. We desperately need the strength of those bearing the imperial crest. Please."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Source of the Plague (2/5)] You must uncover the source of the plague ravaging Ritania Earldom. ✓ Learned the earldom's situation from the knight Eliminate the mutant horde in the east (0/100) "Ignore everything the infected or mutants say. They're no longer human."
You have to believe they're no longer human.
Daehyeop Kim gritted his teeth and turned away at the knight's continued words.
"It's horrific. Truly."
"Yeah."
The situation in Ritania Earldom was utter despair.
Screams echoed from every direction. People writhed in agony.
Shadows hung over the faces of the clerics tending to them.
These spreaders of faith hadn't slept in days as they cared for the patients.
Yet they couldn't save everyone—they cremated the hopeless before they could mutate.
Whoosh!
Mages conjured flames that consumed the bodies of those without hope.
"They say the plague was the harbinger of doom."
"Harbinger of doom?"
The doom that Hero Aurora had averted—it had begun with the plague.
The Ancient Necromancer, freed from its seal, had unleashed it.
The corpses slain by the plague rose as undead, tearing into the living.
"The Raven Kingdom suffered the plague too."
"..."
It wasn't a pleasant story.
"Unforgivable. The Elder Lich. And those who revived it."
Raven's trembling voice carried a tangle of emotions.
But Daehyeop Kim's connection to her was too new for him to offer comfort.
"That the place?"
The boundary between central and east came into view.
Half-ruined walls. Mutants lurked beyond them.
Spider-like legs sprouted from dark green spots.
It was impossible to believe those horrors had once been human.
"I'm going first."
Spirit of the Martial Artist. The free wind infused his body.
Forward Leap. He scaled the building walls in alternation, closing in rapidly.
Combo: One Strike Annihilation.
Boom!
The ruined wall crumbled completely, debris raining down.
The mutants caught in One Strike Annihilation died on the spot.
But those crushed under the debris didn't.
Their spider legs sliced through the rubble like tofu, emerging unscathed.
Screeeeech!
The mutants leaped at Daehyeop Kim like mantises.
Slash!
Raven's belatedly arriving sword cleaved them in one go.
"Impressive? I've grown a lot too..."
"Be careful!"
At Raven's signal, Daehyeop Kim twisted and swung his fist.
A punch loaded with his full upper body weight pierced the mutant's body.
"Won't this infect me with the plague too?"
Both Raven and Daehyeop Kim wore plague masks from the knight.
They blocked respiratory infection, but direct contact with mutants made infection inevitable.
"Early plague can be swiftly cured with a cleric's holy power."
"That's a relief!"
Knowing it wasn't incurable, Daehyeop Kim hunted the mutants without hesitation.
He fought on, ensuring Raven took no harm.
Soon after, he felled them all.
Boom!
"What was that?"
Daehyeop Kim turned toward the sound.
Black smoke rose from the shelter—the place he'd come from.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Source of the Plague (3/5)] You must uncover the source of the plague ravaging Ritania Earldom. ✓ Learned the earldom's situation from the knight ✓ Eliminate the mutant horde in the east (100/100) Return to the shelter and eliminate the attacker (0/1) "You go first."
"It's dangerous."
Raven shook her head.
"There are so many people at the shelter. Save them, please."
He absolutely couldn't grant that request.
Raven was currently being hunted by heretics.
Her artifact had dropped during the previous battle, deactivating it.
Reactivating it required a 10-minute cooldown.
"...I can't leave you alone."
With Forward Leap, Daehyeop Kim could return to the shelter faster than Raven.
She knew that, which was why she'd asked him.
But he couldn't abandon Raven in her depowered state.
"But."
"No buts."
Disappointment flickered across Raven's face.
Ignoring it, Daehyeop Kim stepped in front of her and bent at the waist.
"Get on."
"Pardon?"
"Get on my back. We're going together."
Raven didn't grasp it at first.
But she soon flushed red and meekly climbed onto his back.
"Hold on tight so you don't fall."
"Y-Yes..."
Her flushed cheeks pressed against Daehyeop Kim's broad back.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Around the same time.
Sweet was progressing through the same quest as Daehyeop Kim.
"Is that the attacker?"
⚔ BOSS DETECTED ⚔ Salvation Cult Priest Lv. 20 The shelter was a total wreck.
Thanks to that boss monster's rampage.
The boss wielded the plague at will, commanding the mutants.
Even a brief glimpse made it clear.
This boss was the root of the entire crisis.
"Hoh."
Did it sense their presence?
The boss stared directly at where Raven and Sweet were hiding.
"For a sacrifice the church overlooked to walk right in."
Judging further concealment pointless, Sweet stepped forward.
"Sacrifice?"
"You wouldn't know? Of course—ignorant inferiors blind to true salvation."
Raven, standing beside Sweet, murmured softly.
"That heretic's no pushover."
She was right.
The devastation wrought by the priest proved it—no easy foe.
The shelter was half-destroyed.
Patients had become plague bombs and mutants.
The earldom's mages and knights were on the defensive.
In this hopeless scenario, clerics cried out to their god for miracles.
"Haha! All of them crave salvation."
The heretics. The Salvation Cult.
Worshippers of the object of doom.
Believers that doom alone offered true salvation.
The Salvation Cult priest extended his hand forward.
"Then embrace your salvation."
An ominous green aura spread in all directions.
Everything it touched corroded, losing form.
A green energy that melted away anything it grazed.
"That's the source of the plague he wields."
At Raven's mutter, Sweet began chanting Fireball without hesitation.
Whoosh!
A massive fireball hurtled toward the priest and detonated.
Ferocious flames devoured the green aura.
"Trivial magic can't even scratch the grace bestowed by god."
As the flames cleared, the priest stood unscathed.
"Barrier, huh."
Sweet used Blink to gain distance, then analyzed the situation.
The spreading green aura consumed corpses, birthing mutants.
It mercilessly devoured the living, continuing the slaughter.
Amid it all, the priest remained still.
Channeling skill.
Sweet instantly recognized the phenomenon as the priest's channeling skill, racking his brain.
To interrupt a channeling skill, he had to breach that barrier.
A way to break the barrier...
As Sweet calmly sought a solution, he spotted the pattern.
The green aura corroded and melted everything it touched.
Except for one outlier: the mutants.
"Interesting."
Having found the method, Sweet devised a plan in his mind.
"Sacrifice? Fine, take it."
In the midst of this, the priest issued a command to the mutants.
Subdue the isolated Raven and drag her over.
The mutants obeyed instantly.
Crunch.
Sweet unconsciously gritted his teeth.
Raven, subdued by the mutants, was being dragged to the priest.
The moment he saw it, something snapped in his head.
"Freeze solid, Frost Burst."
He chanted Frost Burst.
From Sweet's feet to the standing mutants.
Everything froze—except Raven.
"You okay? Anywhere hurt?"
Sweet immediately checked on Raven.
"I'm fine, so please..."
"Got it. Just trust me and rest."
Haaa.
He exhaled deeply.
His breath frosted over.
Crack!
He grabbed a suitably frozen mutant and hoisted it with one hand.
Exposure to the plague applied debuffs, draining his HP steadily.
Akare felt almost no pain, but this stung.
Sweet ignored it.
More importantly, he had to fulfill Raven's request.
"Teleport. Blink."
In that state, he Blinked behind the priest.
Then swung the half-frozen mutant like a club.
As expected, the mutant passed right through the barrier.
It landed a perfect blow on the focused priest.
"Gaaah!"
The external impact broke the channeling skill.
With the plague-source green aura gone.
This was the golden chance to finish the defenseless boss in one strike.
"You should've quit while you were ahead."
You crossed the line.
Flames flickered in Sweet's eyes as he swallowed the rest.
"Burn."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ While browsing Mutube, I stumbled on an intriguing video.
It was a special broadcast from another game.
The director, CEO, and PD gathered at a set with a pool for a Q&A.
This special Q&A had unique rules.
Mention certain words, and you'd be forcibly dunked in the pool.
Do certain actions, and a deluge would pour from above.
"Being a director looks like such a tough job..."
The director danced, did physical comedy, sang songs.
Hard to tell if it was official or an old variety show.
But the entertainment value was top-notch—I couldn't stop watching.
"Great at communication too."
Pinpointing users' itches and scratching them perfectly.
That must be the essence of a director's role and skill.
Fun video, but plenty to learn.
"My first live..."
Excluding the Galdcup-scratch panic launch, it was dull.
Formal progression, communication efforts not particularly standout.
The tension of a debut naturally led to stiff delivery.
"Eating director. God-director. Director who beat user at rock-paper-scissors... What even is this."
What is the director job, really?
A question arose, but one commonality stood out.
Fun.
Whether the director was fun or the game was—didn't matter.
Having one was enough to deem their competence sufficient.
"Still, my concept's beautiful girl director, so I'll focus on excelling at game development..."
No need to force imitation just because others looked good.
I had my unique character, my VR identity.
"Can I really pull this off...?"
Self-esteem dipping—craving sugar.
Any sweet dessert around?
Something to give my brain just the right buzz.
In the end, I pulled out the macarons Aka-chan had hidden away for later and ate one.