Dusk was like congealed blood, slowly seeping into the horizon.
Ansu’s convoy drove into the forest on the outskirts of Nitre Town before night fell. The tall branches of the trees interlaced, casting hideous silhouettes in the deepening gloom.
Entering the town was not as smooth as imagined. From the scouting party, an executor rushed back and reported to the two of them:
“Cult Leader, Elder, the gates of Nitre Town have been completely sealed, and a large number of... people have gathered outside the walls.”
“People?” Celia raised an eyebrow slightly. “Refugees have been along the road the whole time. Is there something strange about them?”
The executor’s expression was solemn. “These people... I’m afraid they are all madmen.”
Ansu listened quietly to the report and soon learned that the vast majority of the refugees gathered outside Nitre Town were infected with the mana plague. These ‘unclean’ tainted ones were each extremely dangerous.
“What is the situation inside the town?” he asked.
“Elder Hermit, we cannot establish contact with the town,” the executor lowered his head. “Before you headed south, we arranged for two executors to arrive at Nitre Town in advance to meet the convoy. But this afternoon, they suddenly lost contact. The situation inside the town now, I fear...”
Elder Barnes stepped forward quickly. “Those two executors are senior members known for their steady work. I didn’t expect they wouldn't even be able to send word out... This indicates the situation in the town may have already spiraled out of control.”
“The mana plague must have broken out inside!” Altina gazed into the distance. Beneath her hood, her emerald eyes narrowed slightly. “Even before reaching that town, I can sense the rotting aura drifting from within... It’s nauseating. My senses won’t be wrong.”
She had spent half her life fighting the mana plague, and her perception of such anomalies was deep in her bones. As early as when they found the refugees behaving strangely along the way, she had already raised her guard to the highest level.
As if confirming her judgment, figures began to emerge from various parts of the forest, staggering as they surrounded the group.
The swaying figures looked no different from normal people on the outside, but twisted, overgrown flesh was visible through the tears in their robes. Their hollow eyes locked onto the direction of the convoy, exuding an unsettling and eerie aura.
“Don’t let them get close!” Feeling the increasingly urgent threat, Altina quickly took down her longbow and immediately looked toward Ansu.
Their eyes met briefly. Ansu nodded and commanded the team: “Everyone, pay attention! Do not come into physical contact with these infected. Maintain long-range combat throughout!”
Before his voice had even faded, Altina had already notched an arrow. Natural magic condensed at her fingertips, transforming into three fluorescent arrows.
She held her breath and aimed for a moment, but suddenly noticed something wrong... because this batch of infected patients was completely different from those she had seen before.
The tainted ones lunging from the forest were all shrouded in a faint layer of scarlet mist, and a thick scent of blood permeated the air.
“What is this!?”
The heart of a nearby executor skipped a beat. While backing away, a pitch-black 【Shadow Bolt】 slowly took shape.
But the infected one’s speed was beyond imagination. It suddenly let out a screeching roar and pounced like a bloody afterimage. In the blink of an eye, the executor could see its hideous appearance—covered in tumors with exposed bone claws. This thing was still humanoid, but its ferocity was no less than that of a true monster.
The Shadow Bolt accurately pierced the infected’s chest, the impact pinning it firmly to an ancient tree trunk. The executor was about to breathe a sigh of relief.
However, the creature ignored its injuries. Its body twisted and struggled frantically, literally tearing through the flesh and bone of its own chest. Dragging its mangled body, it continued to lunge at the crowd like a madman.
“Damn, they really are crazy...”
Several executors quickly exchanged glances, dispersed into positions, and fired several low-circle spells in succession, finally killing the crazed monster with concentrated fire.
“I’ve seen many mana plague patients...” the executor from before said, his face full of suspicion. “But I’ve never seen a kind so sinister and mad... Also, what exactly was that scarlet mist?”
“Watch out! There are more ahead!”
Roars echoed one after another from deep within the dense forest as more twisted figures emerged from the shadows.
At that moment, several emerald arrows whistled past the crowd, drawing bright trails in the gloom and accurately piercing the heads of all the infected in the front.
The contained natural magic erupted, blowing the mutated heads to pieces.
Altina, clad in her ranger cloak, leaped down from a high spot and shouted a reminder: “Elder Hermit wants everyone to fall back! Do not get tangled with these infected!”
The executors nodded one after another. After they quickly withdrew, twenty fully armed battle mages arrived at the battlefield.
Altina had intended to stay on the front lines, using her centuries of experience in fighting the mana plague to stop the spread of contamination. But she soon realized...
Her worries were entirely unnecessary.
The battle mages, wearing the latest model of magic armor and holding ‘Magitech Power Warhammers,’ deployed in an orderly tactical formation. Like a precision-engineered war machine, they slowly pushed deep into the forest.
What followed was a complete sweep.
The heavy thuds of warhammers breaking the air and the booms of magic explosions were continuous. The infected simply couldn't withstand such dense firepower, and the forest floor was soon covered in mangled remains.
Several 【Annihilation Grenades】 were thrown from a distance. Terrifying red energy vortices erupted one by one, annihilating the threats in the entire area.
The unrest in the forest completely subsided.
Altina had only heard rumors of this team’s combat capabilities. Seeing it with her own eyes today, her heart was filled with shock.
The efficiency... was so fast!
...
After eliminating all threats, the elders were summoned to the center of the convoy.
Celia and Ansu discussed in low voices for a moment, then issued orders to the cult. The convoy obviously could not continue to Nitre Town, so everyone retreated three kilometers outside the town to a high ground they had passed earlier to set up camp and rest.
Ansu gazed at the deathly silent town in the distance, then turned to her and said, “We should head into the town to see the specific situation.”
Celia nodded gently.
“Please, you must take me with you!” Altina, who had returned, proactively suggested. Her expression was firm as she said, “I will go with you!”
Ansu nodded, scanned his surroundings, and quickly made arrangements: “David and Elder Matthew will enter the town with me. Elder Barnes will stay behind to command the camp.”
“Yes—!”
Finally, Ansu’s gaze fell on Vera, who had been quietly following by his side.
Vera’s eyes were full of anticipation, but she also obediently restrained her emotions.
She knew in her heart that for such a dangerous mission, her brother would most likely not let her go along.
But unexpectedly—
Ansu thought for a moment, a slight smile appearing on his face. “Hmm... Vera, you come along too.”
Vera’s eyes widened in disbelief, and then she nodded her little head repeatedly. “Mm! Okay!!”
The team wasted no more time and began organizing the gear they would carry for the infiltration.
In a corner, Altina carefully tucked her amulet back under her collar. Then, she looked at the excited Vera beside her with a puzzled gaze.
“Why are you so happy?”
“Because I finally get to go on a mission with Brother!” Vera said with a beaming smile.
“Your brother was probably just worried about your safety, which is why he didn't let you come before.” Altina still knew of Vera’s strength. Although the young girl had good talent and had heard she was being taught by a famous master, she lacked real combat experience. To Altina, she was basically all flash and no substance.
Vera seemed to think of something and shook her head somewhat dejectedly. “You don’t understand...”
“Hmm?”
“I want to be able to help Brother...” Vera pursed her lips, rarely revealing her true feelings to the elf she had not known for long. “If one day, he no longer sees me just as a little sister who needs protection, but as a reliable backup who can fight alongside him... that would be great...”
“Oh, is that so...” Altina frowned, still somewhat confused.
“I don’t quite understand you humans’ ways...” She thought of when her own family members were still alive and said softly, “Actually... as a sister, being protected and cherished by a brother is also a very happy thing. Vera, don’t wait until you lose it to regret it...”
“I told you, you don’t understand...” Vera carefully glanced at Ansu, who was busy nearby.
“I don’t want to be a little sister forever...!”
She murmured softly, with a hint of stubbornness and unwillingness, then let out a light sigh.
“Huh?” Altina was even more confused. “If you don't want to be a sister, then what do you want to be?”
Vera looked at this elf lady with zero emotional intelligence and didn't want to answer anymore.
...
Rate on N.U.
