Chapter 562: Plague Disaster
Chapter 562: Plague Disaster
Exploration Log?
These insect-like creatures actually have the habit of keeping diaries.
Lindsey was curious, and he took the log from the creature's hairy limb.
But as he held the log, Lindsey immediately sensed something amiss.
The log appeared unremarkable, with no apparent anomalies.
Yet, the moment his fingers touched it, he felt a powerful essence dwelling within, which Lindsey instantly perceived.
Lindsey had encountered this type of essence before.
He immediately recognized its origin:
"This is... the Explorer's Quintessence Technique?"
Silude, standing behind Lindsey, smiled slightly:
"Explorer, then this makes sense."
"This desolate and silent world perfectly fits the goals of those explorers. Perhaps there are still people out there thinking of coming to explore."
"..."
Lindsey's gaze turned serious.
He didn't respond to Silude's sentiment but instead opened the log and began reading.
Upon opening it, Lindsey discovered that the log was incomplete, appearing to be a few pages torn out and hastily bound together.
[July 6th]
Today, I entered the Moon Crying Ridge. The sky was overcast, and an ominous gloom permeated the air, with life's essence barely detectable.
What has happened to this war-torn world?
Goal: Uncover the mystery of vitality depletion.
I will do my utmost to save or record.
[August 1st]
After the disaster, the plague follows like a shadow.
In the ruins of the village, the infected struggle in agony, their life flames flickering.
Witnessing this...
Collect samples, record, and find the cause of the disease to stop its rampage.
...
Tonight, the stars remain the same, but I cannot sleep, my thoughts racing. Tomorrow, I will delve deeper, searching for clues.
[August 4th]
Attack, from humans...
In this devastated world, they are merely struggling to survive.
Alas, I can understand.
[August 20th]
The plague seemed to have initially appeared in the south of the world?
Early symptoms included mental paralysis and a degree of physical discontrol. Its powerful contagious nature seems to have evolved later.
Is this related to the world's vitality depletion?
Continuing onward...
[September 2nd]
Entering the southern mountains.
The forest is filled with bizarre plants, some releasing hallucinogenic gases, causing disorientation. There are also giant carnivorous plants, so one must remain vigilant. Relying on keen observation and survival skills, I managed to avoid these natural traps.
At night, the forest echoes with the low roars of unknown creatures, danger lurking everywhere.
[September 10th]
Encountered an insectoid tribe, their social structure unique, living in harmony with nature.
The insectoids have a strange appearance, but their minds are pure, showing me an unbelievable level of friendliness.
Communication is difficult, but smiles and dances are enough to overcome language barriers.
Decided to stay here.
Learning more about their way of life and wisdom, I will understand the situation with the plague.
[September 10th]
Why has it come to this?
The plague has already infiltrated the insectoid tribe, tearing apart their peace.
They begin to exhibit symptoms of infection, their vitality fading, their eyes filled with confusion and fear.
I... cannot stand by and do nothing.
Using my medical knowledge and limited resources, I strive to provide treatment.
Day and night, I race against time.
[September 24th]
Uncontrollable.
The infection has drastically reduced their lifespans. The normal lifespan of this species, which could have been two to three decades, has been cut down to half or even a third.
I can only temporarily manage with my skills.
Transforming the canyon into an adventure sanctuary, I suppress their damaged state.
To find a real solution, I must uncover the root cause.
【September 30th】
Success.
They had survived the plague, but were forever confined to this canyon.
I must continue my journey.
Parting with the Insectoid Tribe was filled with reluctance.
They expressed their gratitude in the simplest way, a necklace made of colorful pebbles, which was the most precious gift I received on this trip.
I promised to bring more help.
...
Thud—
Lindsey closed his exploration log.
His encounter with Leize had taught him that all explorers had an exploration log, the foundation for all their skills.
And this log was just that.
The previous explorer who had come to this world hadn't even left their name.
They had infused their quintessence technique into this log, helping the Insectoid Tribe maintain a sliver of vitality, and then continued south, seeking a solution to save everything.
But now, they hadn't returned.
Lindsey returned the log, feeling a bit down.
He silently paid his respects to this explorer, then turned to look at Dune:
"Dune, do you know about the spread of the plague? It must have been a long time ago, right?"
The wildland hunter looked perplexed:
"Plague?"
"At the very least, I haven't heard of such a thing since I was born. To be honest, there are barely any living people on the wasteland, let alone a contagious disease!"
Lindsey continued to ask:
"How old are you this year?"
Dune immediately replied:
"27!"
Excluding his childhood, the plague mentioned in the log hadn't appeared in the vicinity for at least 20 years.
Lindsey turned to look at the Insectoid Tribe's leader:
"This... sir? May I dare ask your age?"
"7 years." The Insectoid leader shook his head, "According to human years. Our tribe's average lifespan is only around 8 years. If you wish to know about past events, I'm afraid we can't answer."
The Insectoid leader took back the explorer's log.
Lindsey's action earned him a lot of goodwill, and the Insectoid leader even introduced himself:
"My name is Yeyedar."
"Respected human warrior, is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
Lindsey sensed a shift in his tone.
But he knew this matter couldn't be rushed, and with a quick change of thought, he switched to a different approach:
"Mr. Yeyedar, I think I understand your current situation."
"And coincidentally—our camp has a specialized medical research facility. If you don't mind, I'd like to take back some medicinal herbs and soil samples. Perhaps after some time, we can develop a solution for this plague?"
"At that time, you can see what the outside world is like, and we might be able to cooperate then."
"..."
Hearing this response, the Insectoids were all a bit perplexed.
Their lifespan was even shorter than humans, and limited by the plague, they could only survive within this canyon, with almost no knowledge of the outside world.
The only thing they did was follow their ancestral teachings, preventing the plague from spreading to the outside world.
Lindsey's sudden proposal naturally left them at a loss.
Just as the Insectoids were hesitating.
Lindsey continued, "As for other matters, I might not be able to guarantee them."
"But as long as this disease can be resolved, your average lifespan should be 2 to 3 times what it is now."
"So I believe, cooperation is a very good solution."
(End of Chapter)
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