Chapter 11: The Plague and the True Scent (Two-in-One)
Chapter 11: The Plague and the True Scent (Two-in-One)
Despite what seemed like a declaration of surrender, as a devil with principles, the black sheep, true to its word, went silent and even closed its eyes, emphasizing its determination to remain unmoved.
No matter what price Leon offered, it stubbornly stayed quiet, even closing its eyes to emphasize its resolve.
Concerned about the situation at the hospital and with the Bandage Woman changing her mind and willing to help, Leon, seeing that he couldn't convince this troublesome sheep, decided to ignore it and headed towards the hospital with the Bandage Woman.
However, something strange was happening nearby. Although it was already night, they kept encountering people hurrying along the road.
Most of these pedestrians wore strange masks resembling giant raven beaks, and in groups of three or two, they carried someone face down on stretchers or sedan chairs, rushing with their heads covered.
Strangely, although they seemed to be in a hurry, when they met Leon and the Bandage Woman at intersections or narrow alleys, they quickly made way, waving their hands to let them pass first, as if they didn't want any contact.
Leon, eager to check on the situation at the hospital, didn't have the energy to pay attention to these mysterious pedestrians. He merely glanced at their souls, noticing they were not quite "stable," filled with anxiety and agitation, but seemingly without hostility.
After a quick conversation with the Bandage Woman, they even handed her a new mask, pointing towards Leon as if... wanting him to wear this strange mask too?
Indeed, when the Bandage Woman returned, she shoved the mask into Leon's hand and urged him seriously, "Something's happened! Put this on quickly!"
Seeing her solemn expression, Leon didn't dare delay. He followed her instructions, putting on the mask sewn onto the black hood, covering his entire head. The world, already dim, became even darker.
Leon then realized this leather bird beak mask was completely sealed, pitch-black without a trace of other colors. Even the two small lenses at the eye positions were painted black, with only a small eye-shaped lens in the middle allowing some outside light to penetrate.
It might be fine during the day, but now it was like wearing sunglasses, greatly obstructing his vision, making it hard to see the path beneath his feet.
"I can't see..."
"Don't move!"
Before Leon could explain his situation, the Bandage Woman reached out and smacked the beak part of the mask, forcing it tightly against Leon's face. The small lens directly touched his eye.
Startled, Leon instinctively wanted to close his eyes, but his eyelids were forced open by the lenses. A small amount of cold, pale yellow oil droplets squeezed out from one corner of the lens, instantly moistening his eyeball.
The patterns on the Bandage Woman's suitcase, the seams of the tiles underfoot, the textures of the street-side buildings—the entire world was forcibly coated with a strange, thin yellow layer...
Wait! I can see clearly now?!
...
"This is the Plague Prevention Bureau's night raven mask. Even at night, in places without streetlights, you can still see the road clearly. Remember, don't use your eyes to look outside; keep your pupil tightly against the small lens and learn to observe through it.
Also, make sure the mask is tightly secured, and breathe through the beak, where there are herbs, spices, and specially prepared scented salts to prevent most infections."
As the Bandage Woman instructed Leon on using the mask, she quickly explained, "I just asked those Plague Prevention Bureau people. Last week's heavy rain caused the sewage river to flood, and the dam built by the Road Management Bureau was washed away on the same day, connecting the sewage river's tributary to the capital's water supply river.
If that was all, it wouldn't be a problem. But the water company, to save costs, didn't follow the twelve-step purification process. After pumping water from the river, they only filtered out debris and silt, did a quick disinfection to remove odors, and directly filled the municipal water pipes.
These people being carried are those who drank the contaminated water. Their main symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, and then dehydration and unconsciousness. Those who came into contact with their vomit are also showing similar symptoms, and about 500 people have been affected so far."
The Plague Prevention Bureau suspects a potential plague outbreak, so they're sending patients in large numbers to the Red Brick Road Hospital, hoping to contain the situation."
Red Brick Road Hospital? Isn't that where Anna is staying?
"Are they crazy?"
I didn't expect such an absurd thing. Leon couldn't help but exclaim angrily, "What about the Central Hospital? The Royal First Hospital? If those aren't available, the Cathedral Street Hospital or the Mese University Hospital would do too!"
Those hospitals have over a thousand beds each, while the Red Brick Road Hospital only has a couple hundred, and it's always packed. Sometimes, patients even lie in the corridors. Why are they sending people here?"
"Because of location."
Having witnessed similar situations, the Bandage Goddess calmly replied, "The Central Hospital is surrounded by the wealthy district, and the Royal First Hospital is near the noble quarter. Cathedral Street is where the clerics reside, and Mese University is surrounded by the kingdom's future elite. The Plague Prevention Bureau wouldn't dare send patients to those areas. The Red Brick Street Hospital in the old town is the obvious choice."
Moreover, this time, the problem only occurred in the old town. The water intake point of the New City's Water Company is upstream and hasn't been affected by the sewage river's pollution. Of course, the old town should handle its own issues."
"Why?!"
"Because they pay five times more in water fees than the old town."
"..."
Money! Money! Money! It all comes down to money! Damn it!
"Don't think about it anymore."
Noticing Leon's obvious agitation, the Bandage Woman hurriedly advised, "Even if those hospitals agree to accept patients, the people from the old town won't go. They can't afford the fees there."
"What about the Road Management Department and the Water Company?"
Upon hearing this, Leon clenched his teeth and said, "The Road Management Department's dam collapses with every rain, and the Water Company has been operating illegally. According to the kingdom's laws, they shouldn't be responsible for this..."
This time, before the Bandage Woman could respond, Leon stopped himself from asking further because he realized how foolish the question was.
Not only in this heavy rain-induced 'natural disaster,' but even when the residents' area was affected by the leaked alchemical fumes from the nearby factory, causing Anna to develop lung disease, the Road Management Department still found excuses to avoid compensation. As for the Water Company, they just sell off equipment, declare a large loss due to poor management, and file for bankruptcy.
Even the little property they have will likely be claimed by the upstream and downstream companies and shareholders as compensation for breach of contract and losses. In the end, these victims might not even get a penny!
Damn it!
Feeling like a burning charcoal was scorching his chest, Leon clenched his teeth, wanting to say something, but the Bandage Woman gently tugged at his arm.
"Let's go! We've been blocking their way for too long. Let's not delay their work any further."
Pointing at the 'Raven People' at the corner, the Bandage Woman whispered, "Their job is to treat patients and prevent a large-scale plague outbreak. Our job is to clean up anomalies and protect the ordinary world from erosion.
If I'm not mistaken, the out-of-control Infector you found might be related to this incident. Even if there's no connection, these people might encounter danger if they continue forward.
So, if you can't stand seeing this and feel sympathy for them, we should get moving now."
"..."
"Hmm..."
Taking a deep breath of the pungent spice from his bird's beak, Leon nodded and followed the Bandage Woman, jogging towards the Red Brick Road Hospital.
Just then, the previously silent ram suddenly stirred, using its horn to gently nudge Leon's chest.
'Hey!'
"Hmm?"
'Shh! Shh! Don't speak!'
Seeing that Leon wanted to ask something, the ram said, 'Just listen to me; you don't need to answer my questions. I can tell from your soul whether you agree or not!'
"..."
Glancing at the Bandage Woman's back, Leon immediately understood that this ram, who called itself a devil, wanted to make a secret deal with him without the Cleanup Bureau noticing.
Is this a temptation from the devil? Leon's expression turned stern, and instinctively, he wanted to report this to the Bandage Woman and the Cleanup Bureau behind her, but...
'Don't worry, I won't make any demands, and you don't have to do anything for me.'
After looking at Leon's soul, which was surprisingly bright yet held an immense dark flame beneath, the ram, who had just been sulking, now grinned and said, 'Once we find a suitable target, I'll teach you how to guide human malice and make them kill each other. Are you interested?'
"..."
???
You just said that even if you were thrown back into the sheep pen in Wales, you wouldn't teach me anything more?
'Then was then, and now is now.'
Noticing the confusion in Leon's soul, the ram chuckled and shamelessly said, 'Just say if you want to learn or not!'
Hearing this, Leon couldn't help but furrow his brows.
Of course, I want to learn, especially since there's no cost. But... why would a devil be so kind?
Good intentions are impossible, this life will never have good intentions. When a demon doesn’t talk about a deal but instead is abnormally generous and wants to help you...
Haha, that can only prove it wants something even more!
Looking at Leon, who was clearly full of caution but didn’t report him to Emma (the Bandage Woman), Black Sheep couldn’t help but show a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.
H
He pressed his hand against Leon’s chest as he ran, enduring the moral values and benevolence that demons despise, and deeply inhaled the boundless rage hidden beneath the light, along with the extreme madness that yearns to destroy everything and start anew. Black Sheep couldn’t help but close his eyes in deep intoxication.
Holding a sharp blade, the intent to kill arises on its own.
Now, you can barely endure it, only because you are still weak. Once you gain enough power, will you still be willing to let your anger scorch your soul like this?
Cheer up, boy! I’ll definitely help you! I’ll help you get rid of those annoying trash, help you harvest those sinful souls, and even help you achieve that absurd vision in your heart.
However, once you think you’ve completed your ideal and are basking in happiness, if you discover that everything is reverting to its old state, that the world’s essence is still the same, or even worse...
The abyss welcomes your joining.
……
“Cough... Can you help me ask?”
Through the glass door of the Intensive Care Unit, the young girl on the bed couldn’t help but pull at the sleeve of the nurse beside her, her face full of worry as she asked:
“Has my brother come back? And, is something happening outside? Why are there so many people lying in the hallway?”
“This... maybe it’s best not to go out?”
Looking at the increasing number of patients, some of whom were almost piling up at the door of the ICU, the young and handsome nurse said with some fear:
“If so many patients come at once, it’s either a large-scale poisoning or an acute infectious disease. If it’s the former, it’s still manageable, but if it’s the latter...”
“If it’s the latter, it’s already too late.”
Looking outside, the older middle-aged nurse saw a pool of vomit that had reached the door and sighed, shaking her head:
“To have patients lined up at the ICU door means our hospital is at its limit. If it’s an infectious disease, we won’t be safe even inside the ICU, and we might already be infected.”
“In that case... since it can’t be avoided, why not open the door and let them in?”
Seeing the patients lying on the cold floor tiles, convulsing and even screaming in pain, Anna bit her lip, which had little color, and said with a hint of compassion:
“Although there’s only one bed here, there’s a row of sofas, and the floor is carpeted. It’s at least more comfortable than lying on the stone tiles... Can we?”
“Of course!”
Surprised, the older nurse’s eyes showed a warm glow as she smiled kindly and said softly:
“This is your room. If you’re willing, there’s no problem.”
After that, she called the young nurse, whose face was somewhat pale, and opened the ICU door, bending down to help a nearby patient inside. However...
“Huh?”
Seeing the boy, who was very thin but felt as if he was welded to the ground, both nurses couldn’t help but widen their eyes.
Although they were both female nurses, working in a hospital often required them to lift heavy objects, so they weren’t weak.
If it were a strong man, it would be understandable that they couldn’t lift him, but this was just a boy around ten years old. How could he be so heavy? Oh, our god protect us!
As the boy cried out in pain, the two nurses were horrified to realize that their initial “feeling” wasn’t a mistake. The thin, small boy was indeed “welded” to the ground!
“This... this...”
Seeing the boy’s arm that was already sunken into the tiles, the young nurse fell to the ground, her lips trembling as she tried to say something. But then, the older nurse’s expression suddenly changed, and she roughly pulled the young nurse off the ground, dragging her back into the ICU.
“Rip!” “Ah!!!”
T
Where she had fallen, besides a piece of the white nurse’s uniform, there was a layer of bloody, torn skin, the size of her palm, clearly just ripped from her hand!
Seeing the patients in the hallway, who had started to sink into the hospital floor tiles, the older nurse, who had quickly saved her colleague, felt her legs give out, and she too fell onto the carpet, her eyes full of terror as she muttered:
“What... what is going on?”
(End of Chapter)
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