Chapter 49
Aivina took a deep breath. Soon, she reached down and lifted the hem of her skirt, revealing the black straps wrapped around her thigh, adorned with tiny vials and syringes.
She pulled out a few of the vials, uncorked them, and downed their contents in one go. Then, she took a miniature syringe and plunged it directly into her heart, slowly injecting the glowing green liquid.
"What are you doing?" Shaer heard the commotion behind her. When she turned around, Aivina's lips were pale, and her face was drenched in cold sweat.
Her dark purple eyes sparkled with faint stars, while the ends of her long black hair began to be tinged with white.
"Come here, Miss Shaer." Aivina grabbed Shaer's arm and pulled her to the edge of the bed. She pushed open the window. "Climb out and run... Thank you for the information, but I can't repay this favor."
"And what about you?" Shaer asked.
"I have to help." Aivina glanced toward the door, her expression faltering. The pain coursing through her body made her facial muscles twitch, blood trickling from her eyes. "We can't let the 'Source of Cholera' leave this estate."
Bang—!
The manor trembled slightly again, and Aivina dashed toward the study door. At that moment, she heard footsteps following her from behind.
"Miss Shaer?" Aivina's hand gripped the doorknob as she turned to look at Shaer, her voice trembling with uncertainty.
"I won't let him leave this estate either," Shaer replied, smiling at Aivina. "Besides, I still have many stories to tell you."
Shaer couldn't leave; she had to stay and witness how things unfolded.
If Aivina and the family guards survived, she would choose to save Aivina in reality.
But if everyone perished here and the 'Source of Cholera' escaped, Shaer would unhesitatingly flee with her sister to the Church of the Redeemer.
At that moment, Aivina couldn't hear Shaer's thoughts. Upon hearing Shaer's words, her heart trembled slightly, and Shaer's figure gradually became clearer in her eyes, dispelling some of the blood-red haze before her.
Aivina didn't say anything more. She suddenly yanked out the diamond crystal embedded in the wooden door and flung it open.
"Swish—"
A viscous green-purple liquid, as if alive, spread rapidly across the floor, the wooden door, the ceiling, and the walls. For a moment, Shaer felt a wave of suffocation wash over her.
Everything outside the door had already changed.
The once opulent corridor was now covered in an unknown purple-green slime. The ceiling was filled with grotesque barnacle-like growths, their holes oozing the same viscous substance that seemed to writhe with life.
"Drink this." Aivina handed a vial of potion to Shaer.
Without hesitation, Shaer took the vial and gulped it down.
She felt her body growing restless, but her breathing gradually calmed.
"Go!" Aivina stepped over the puddles of pus and ran toward the stairs.
Shaer followed closely behind.
---
Chapter 53: Real Action (Part Three)
Shaer felt the toxic liquid corroding her thigh, but she hardly felt any pain, just a slight burning sensation in her lungs.
The potion must be working.
The two of them dashed to the middle of the corridor, stopping at the staircase, gazing down at the scene below.
The marble steps had been severed in half, and kneeling amidst the rubble was a knight clad in silver armor.
The knight's spear was corroded and pitted, as if it could snap with a little force, but his massive tower shield remained intact—though it was covered in barnacle-like holes.
Before the knight lay a terrifying figure riddled with holes.
It was draped in tattered black robes, the hem neatly severed, as if it had been cut in half.
From beneath the shortened black robe sprouted four curved limbs, their surfaces covered in dense purple-green barnacles, with thin tendrils weakly waving from the hollow spaces, slowly ceasing their struggle.
The beaked mask was nowhere to be found, and on its face was a blood-red circular pit, devoid of features, brain, only a gory cavity filled with jagged teeth.
It had completely transformed.
"He's dead." Aivina let out a sigh of relief and leaped down from the broken stairs, rushing to the knight's side.
"Miss Shaer, help me out. We need to get out of here quickly." Aivina urged Shaer to assist her. Shaer used the shadow to leap down, and together they dragged the kneeling knight out of the estate.
Once they pulled the knight into the garden, Aivina finally collapsed onto the ground, utterly exhausted.
Shaer turned back to look at the massive manor.
The top of the estate resembled a meteor strike, leaving a gaping hole, nearly half of the manor had collapsed, and flames were beginning to spread within.
"It's okay now." Aivina took a moment to catch her breath, suppressing the side effects of the potion. "Once the reinforcements arrive, they'll help us figure out what poison we've been exposed to... My strong antidote should alleviate it; it shouldn't be a new strain of bacteria."
"I recognized the few infectious agents I saw earlier; Sheren hasn't been immersed in the virus for long."
They had survived.
Shaer felt a slight sense of relief.
She inquired about her sister's whereabouts and learned that Aivina had placed her in the jewelry area, finally easing her worries.
Due to the need to investigate the infectious disease in the Bell Tower Alley, Aivina hadn't brought her sister to No. 15, Duke's Bridge. Given that she had given the servants the day off, it made sense for her to arrange things this way—kind-hearted yet meticulous.
After the side effects of the potion had subsided somewhat, Shaer re-entered the manor.
She approached Sheren's horrific corpse, instructing the shadow to search him for anything useful.
Shaer hoped to find his spiritual notes or any records related to the antidote.
Fortunately, she discovered a notebook. After bringing it to Aivina, she used a crystal to break the seal, revealing detailed records of the virus research inside.
Though Sheren had intended to kill, he didn't want to go mad; he had still documented his findings, including his obsession and pride in developing the virus.
With this, if handed over to the Redemption Society, they could quickly deduce the antidote. As long as there were no triggering seals, this dehydration syndrome wouldn't be fatal for the time being.
Aivina, overwhelmed by the potion's side effects, collapsed beside Shaer, drenched in sweat, her body twitching, occasionally mumbling incoherently.
Shaer didn't rush to end the simulation; the event wasn't truly over yet.
She stayed by Aivina's side, waiting for nearly four and a half hours. Finally, after midnight, the reinforcements Aivina had mentioned arrived.
They quickly treated Aivina's and Shaer's wounds and began clearing the knight's shield.
When they lifted the knight's helmet, Shaer noticed it was completely empty inside.
A chill ran down her arm.
What kind of third-tier being was this? Where had its body gone? All that remained was this suit of armor?
Once she confirmed that the outcome was entirely safe, Shaer took the now unsealed spiritual notes and ended the simulation.
She was exhausted, too drained to do anything else.
---
**Reality**
**June 18, Year 741, 18:32**
**Evaluation: You found one of the surviving paths and successfully resolved the danger.**
**Considering the vast power gap with the opponent, this was indeed a high-quality and lower-risk solution.**
**Accept this; it is what you deserve based on your performance.**
**Reward: Destiny Points *34, [Calm Thinking Lv.2], [Art of Conversation Lv.2]**
**Destiny Points: 50**
"Haah..."
Shaer let out a long sigh, slowly opening her eyes.
After several simulations, along with peering into the other realm and using [Death Reversal], her mind was utterly fatigued.
She no longer had the energy to simulate a better solution. If she tried again, she feared she would faint upon returning to reality, missing any opportunities that might arise.
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