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Chapter 11: The Plague and the Temptation 2 in 1
Although it seemed as though the black goat was tempted, as a proud demon of principle, it chose silence, refusing to respond.
No matter what price Leon offered, the goat stubbornly kept its mouth shut, even closing its eyes as if to emphasize its indifference.
Concerned about the situation at the hospital and reassured by the bandaged woman’s decision to take action, Leon decided to stop wasting time trying to persuade the stubborn demon. He ignored the goat and hurried toward the hospital with the bandaged woman in tow.
However, as though something unusual was unfolding nearby. Despite the night having already fallen, the road was still frequented by people hurrying past.
Most of the passersby wore strange, oversized masks resembling the beaks of giant crows. They moved in small groups of twos or threes, carrying someone who lay face-down on a stretcher or litter fashioned from metal poles. Heads bowed, they marched forward briskly, speaking not a word.
Strangely, despite their apparent urgency, these masked individuals went out of their way to avoid Leon and the bandaged woman. They stepped aside at intersections and gestured for them to pass, as though deliberately avoiding any contact.
Leon was too preoccupied with thoughts of his sister to give these enigmatic figures much attention. He only briefly examined their souls, finding no apparent anomalies, and prepared to move on—until the bandaged woman stopped him.
"Wait." Her expression was solemn as she studied the masked figures. She opened her suitcase, rummaged through it, and retrieved a mask resembling theirs. She placed it on her face and instructed Leon in a muffled voice:
"Stay right here. Don’t approach them under any circumstances until I return."
What’s wrong? Are these people dangerous?
Leon met the bandaged woman’s gaze through the lenses of her mask and noted her visible unease. His own alertness heightened in response. Following her instructions, he stayed put, clutching the goat’s head tightly while keeping a close watch on the masked figures’ souls, ready to warn her of any danger.
Yet, despite their eerie appearances, the souls of these masked individuals showed no malice—only instability, brimming with anxiety and fear. After a brief exchange with the bandaged woman, one of them handed her a mask identical to theirs and pointed toward Leon, as if suggesting he wear one too.
And sure enough, when the bandaged woman returned, she handed the mask to Leon with a serious expression. "Something’s happened. Put this on, quickly."
Seeing her serious expression, Leon dared not hesitate. He quickly followed her instructions and pulled the mask, sewn onto the black hood, over his head. The already dim world before his eyes was instantly plunged into total darkness.
It was only then that Leon realized this leather bird-beak mask was completely sealed. The entire mask was pitch black, without a single trace of color. Even the two small lenses over the eyes were deliberately painted black, leaving only a single eyeball-like sphere in the center that allowed a faint trace of light to filter through from the outside.
During the day, it might not have been too bad, but now it was like wearing a pair of sunglasses at night. His vision was severely impaired, and he couldn’t even see the path beneath his feet.
"I can’t see—"
"Don’t move!"
Before Leon could explain his situation, the bandaged woman reached out and gave the bird-beak section of the mask a forceful slap. The mask, which had previously left some space between itself and Leon's face, was now pressed tightly against him, and the small, eye-like lens in the center was pushed directly onto his eye.
Startled, Leon instinctively tried to close his eyes, only to realize that his eyelid was being held open by the lens. A small amount of cold, pale-yellow oil oozed from one corner of the lens and, in the blink of an eye, spread across the surface of his eyeball.
Suddenly, the world came into focus—albeit bathed in an eerie yellow hue. The intricate patterns on the bandaged woman’s suitcase, the grooves in the cobblestones, and the details of nearby buildings all became unnervingly clear.
"I can see… everything?"
"This is a Night Crow Mask used by the Bureau of Epidemic Prevention," the bandaged woman explained briskly. "It lets you see clearly even in total darkness. Don’t use your bare eyes—keep your pupil pressed against the lens and observe through it."
She continued rapidly, "The mask also filters your breathing through the herbs, spices, and specially prepared salts inside the beak. This will protect you from most infectious diseases."
Leon listened intently as she explained the mask’s functions.
"I just spoke with those people. Last week's heavy rain caused the sewage river to overflow, and the dam built by the Department of Public Works was breached that very day, leading to the sewage river merging with the capital's water supply river.
"Normally, this wouldn’t be catastrophic, but the waterworks company cut corners. Instead of following the twelve-step purification process, they only filtered out debris and performed a basic disinfection to remove odors before pumping the water into the municipal pipes."
The bandaged woman gestured toward the masked figures.
"Those people they’re carrying all drank the contaminated water. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, and eventually dehydration-induced unconsciousness. Those exposed to their vomit are starting to show similar symptoms. Over five hundred cases have already been reported."
She paused before adding grimly, "The Bureau suspects an epidemic outbreak. They’re transporting the infected to the Red Brick Road Hospital in hopes of containing the spread."
Leon’s heart sank. The Red Brick Road Hospital? That’s where Anna is!
"Are they insane?" he shouted, his anger boiling over. "What about the Central Hospital? The Royal First Hospital? Even the facilities on Church Street or at Mace University are much better choices! Each of those has over a thousand beds, while the Red Brick Road Hospital barely has a couple hundred—and it’s always full! Why send the sick there?"
"Because of the location." The bandaged woman’s tone was calm, as if she’d witnessed such injustices countless times.
"The Central Hospital is in the wealthy district, the Royal First Hospital serves nobles, Church Street houses clergy, and Mace University is surrounded by the kingdom’s future elites. The Bureau wouldn’t dare risk spreading disease there. The city’s Red Brick Road Hospital is the obvious choice."
She continued, "Besides, the contaminated water only affected the old city area. The new city area’s water supply comes from upstream and wasn’t polluted. So naturally, the old city area is left to deal with its own problems."
"How can they do that!"
"Blame economics. Residents in the new city area pay five times the water fees."
Money! Money! Money! It all boils down to money in the end! Damn it! Leon clenched his fists, his fury mounting.
“Stop thinking about it,” the bandaged woman quickly urged when she noticed Leon’s emotions were clearly out of control. “Even if those hospitals accepted the sick, people from the old city area couldn’t afford their fees.”
Hearing this, Leon gritted his teeth and asked: “What about the Department of Public Works and the waterworks company? The dam built by the Department of Public Works collapsed after just one rainstorm, and the waterworks company also violated regulations. According to the kingdom’s laws, shouldn’t they be the ones held accountable for this... damn it!”
This time, before the bandaged woman could respond, Leon stopped himself from asking any further questions. He realized how foolish his question was.
Forget natural disasters like this caused by heavy rain—even when the alchemical factory built in a residential area leaked toxic fumes and caused Anna to develop lung disease, didn’t the Department of Public Works still find excuses to avoid compensation?
As for the waterworks Company cutting corners, they’d simply distribute dividends, sell off their equipment, then claim operational difficulties and massive losses, declaring bankruptcy to wash their hands of everything.
Even the little remaining assets would probably be snatched up by upstream and downstream companies and shareholders as compensation for breach of contract and losses. What would be left for the victims? Likely not even a crumb!
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
Leon felt as though a burning coal was lodged in his chest. Clenching his teeth, he was about to say something, but the bandaged woman gently tugged his arm. “Let’s go. We’ve been blocking the way long enough. Let’s not delay their work any further.”
Pointing toward the corner where the “Crow People” were gathered, the bandaged woman spoke softly: “Their job is to treat the sick and prevent a large-scale outbreak of the plague. Our job, on the other hand, is to deal with the abnormalities that arise and prevent the ordinary world from being contaminated.
“If I’m not mistaken, the out-of-control, contaminated individual you discovered is likely tied to this. If these people keep moving forward, they’re probably heading into danger.
“So, if you hate this kind of thing and want to do something for them, then it’s time for us to get moving.”
Leon took a deep, steadying breath, the sharp scent of the herbs in his mask grounding him.
"Fine," he muttered, falling in step behind her as they rushed toward the hospital.
But as they ran, the goat in Leon’s arms stirred, nudging his chest with its horn.
"Hey," the goat whispered.
Leon raised an eyebrow.
"Don’t speak," the goat hissed. "Just listen. I’ll ask questions, and your soul will answer. No need to say a word."
Leon understood immediately: the goat demon was trying to strike a clandestine deal without the bandaged woman—or her Bureau—finding out.
Is this what they call temptation from a demon? At that thought, Leon’s expression stiffened. Instinctively, he wanted to speak up and report this to the bandaged woman, so she and the Cleansing Bureau behind her could keep an eye on this trouble-stirring demon. However...
"Relax," the goat cooed. "I won’t ask for anything in return.”
Glancing at Leon’s soul, which shone with a dazzling brilliance yet concealed a raging inferno of darkness beneath, the black goat—who had just been sulking moments ago—smiled slyly and said: "Once we find a suitable target, I’ll teach you how to guide human malice and tempt them into slaughtering each other. How about it? Interested?"
Didn’t you just say that even if you were thrown back into that sheep pen in Wales, you’d never teach me another thing? Leon was suspicious.
"That was then, this is now." Noticing the doubt in Leon’s soul, the black goat grinned cheerfully, shamelessly adding: "Just say whether you want to learn or not!"
Hearing this, Leon couldn’t help but furrow his brows.
Of course I want to learn—after all, if there’s no price to pay, why not agree? But... would a demon really be this kind-hearted?
……
Kind-hearted? No freaking way... not in the past, not in the present, and certainly not in the future. When a demon offers help without asking for anything in return, it can only mean one thing: it wants something more!
Looking at Leon, whose eyes were filled with suspicion, but who didn’t report her to Emma, the black goat couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
My judgment is indeed sharp! Though the kid can barely be called a “good person” and his sense of morality is stronger than most, perhaps due to his naivety, or perhaps because the world is so dark, or maybe both—he has accumulated a lot of significant emotions within him. People like him are practically born to fall into the abyss.
Pressing itself against Leon’s chest, trying to suppress the distasteful morality and kindness, the black goat inhaled deeply, feeling the boundless fury hidden under the light, mingled with an overwhelming madness that longed to destroy everything and start anew. It couldn’t help but close its eyes, intoxicated.
With a blade in hand, the urge to kill arises.
Right now, you’re able to endure because you’re still weak. But once you’ve gained enough power, will you still let your anger burn your soul like this?
You can do it, kid! I’ll be sure to help you! I’ll help you get rid of those annoying obstacles, help you harvest those sinful souls, even help you fulfill that ridiculous dream of yours.
But when you think you've accomplished your ideal, basking in the satisfaction of a job well done, only to realize everything is back to square one, and the world still looks the same—or even worse…
The abyss welcomes your arrival.
---
"Cough, cough... Could you help me ask?" Through the glass door of the intensive care unit, seeing the crowded hallway with many people lying on the ground, the young girl on the bed couldn’t help but pull at the sleeve of the nurse beside her, her face filled with worry as she asked:
"Has my brother come back? Also, what’s happening outside? Why are so many people lying in the hallway?"
"Uh... I think it is best if we don’t go out there."
The young nurse, who was quite attractive, looked nervously at the increasing number of patients, almost spilling into the ICU, and said in a low voice: "When so many patients come at once, it’s either large-scale poisoning, or there’s some kind of acute infectious disease. If it’s the former, it’s okay, but if it’s the latter..."
"If it’s the latter, then it’s already too late." Looking out toward the hallway, the middle-aged nurse sighed as she saw a puddle of vomit already spilling to the ICU door, shaking her head: "If patients are already being laid out outside the ICU, it means our hospital is at its limit. If it’s an infectious disease, we won’t be able to avoid it even if we stay in the ICU. We might have already been infected."
"In that case… since it’s unavoidable, should we just open the door and let them in?" Looking at the patients convulsing on the cold floor, some even crying out in pain as they clutched their stomachs, Anna bit her pale lips, her expression filled with sympathy:
"Even though there’s only one bed here, there’s also a sofa, and the floor is carpeted. It’s definitely better than lying on cold stone tiles... Is that okay?"
"Of course!" The older nurse, surprised at Anna’s request, looked at her warmly before smiling kindly: "This is your room. As long as you’re willing, it’s no problem."
She then called over the young nurse, who had a pale face, and opened the ICU door, bending down to help a nearby patient inside. However…
"Huh?" The two nurses couldn't help feeling surprised as they stared at the little boy, whose tiny frame betrayed an unexpected weight that seemed as if his body were firmly anchored to the ground.
Although they were both female nurses, working in a hospital often meant lifting heavy objects, and neither of them lacked strength. If it had been a strong man, it would have been understandable if they couldn't lift him, but this was clearly a child barely over ten years old. How could this be- Oh my god!
As the boy screamed in pain, the two nurses froze in terror. Their earlier "feeling" wasn’t a mistake—the boy was truly stuck to the floor!
"Th-this..."
The young nurse, seeing the boy's arm sunk deep into the floor tile, immediately collapsed to the ground, trembling as she tried to speak. But before she could, the middle-aged nurse’s expression changed drastically. She yanked the young nurse back into the room with extreme force.
"Riiip!"
"Ah!!!"
The sound of tearing fabric and the young nurse’s scream echoed through the room. She fell to the carpet, clutching her bloody right hand. Her nurse uniform was torn, and the remnants left behind revealed a bloody and mangled piece of skin, the size of her palm—clearly ripped straight from her hand!
Seeing the patients in the hallway gradually sinking into the hospital floor tiles, the older nurse, who had swiftly pulled her colleague to safety, crumpled to the carpet as her legs gave way beneath her. Trembling, she muttered in terror, "Wh-what's happening?!"
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