Chapter 443
Upon hearing that Shaer needed the pathogen for "dehydration syndrome," Adele didn't hesitate for a moment. She handed it over to Shaer without asking what he intended to do with it, simply trusting that he wouldn't use it for any nefarious purposes.
"Most doctors are good people..." At least that's what Adele, who came from the Redemption Society, believed.
Unfortunately, this time, Shaer was about to betray her trust.
After obtaining the virus from Adele, Shaer bid her farewell and headed to the Church of the Savior Goddess, where he found Adele's sister, Yulis.
Easily gaining Yulis's trust with a "safe word," Shaer acquired the "detonator"—the Eye of Death's Reflection.
This was a sealed object Shaer had obtained from Xie Lun, and he had traded its location for a potion from the Church of the Savior Goddess. At that time, this sealed object was in the hands of High Priestess Yulis, who presided over the Bell Tower Church in Boren City.
Now, this sealed object would once again serve its purpose in Shaer's hands.
Before heading to the East District, Shaer spent a considerable amount of pounds on supplies, primarily purchasing food for distribution.
To facilitate this, he rented nearly ten public carriages, loading them with food and other supplies, and then began distributing the virus-laden food.
The choice of the East District was strategic; it had fewer extraordinary beings compared to the West District, and their quality was lower. The chances of a ritual failure here were minimal.
The replication ritual for the "Plague Bearer" required far fewer victims than the ten thousand needed for the "Cholera Source." A few hundred would suffice for a minimal replication, while achieving two to three thousand would be considered a perfect replication.
With a mature plan in place, this number was child's play for Shaer.
In fact, the virus limited Shaer's potential.
As the vehicles entered the slums of the East District, Shaer began releasing the virus. Under his orders, the members of the Holy Church continuously threw food from the carriages.
The food attracted a frenzy of scavengers. After passing through a few main streets, the food was completely distributed, and the streets were already packed with people.
Many starving residents followed the slowly moving convoy, eagerly picking up the discarded food while expressing their gratitude for the "master's" generosity from the carriage.
In the midst of the chaos, Shaer sat in the carriage, a hint of sorrow on his face, and slowly took out the potion from his pocket.
The dark purple chaotic crystal clashed within the vial, emitting a sound akin to a shrill scream. Shaer carefully uncorked the bottle and downed the potion in one gulp.
The jagged crystal pierced through Shaer's oral mucosa, burrowing deep inside, continuously breaking down and merging into his bloodstream, causing a sensation of being pierced throughout his body.
This pain culminated in an explosion at his heart, while his brain erupted in a buzzing sound.
The potion was rapidly eroding his body.
Shaer gritted his teeth against the pain and pulled out the green ring with a black core, resembling a human pupil. He sliced his finger and activated the Eye of Death.
"Turn around, Perci."
Upon hearing Shaer's voice, Perci, who was controlling the horses ahead, immediately halted the carriage. She maneuvered the vehicle to turn back, racing down the path they had come.
The buzzing in Shaer's head began to subside, but the metabolic rate of his body was accelerated by the Eye of Death. His organs were rapidly deteriorating, though the "doctor's" abilities could somewhat suppress these side effects.
However, the side effects still manifested.
The pressure in his skull caused Shaer's eyes to become bloodshot, and the forced reversal of the still undigested "doctor's" potion made the backlash from the "Plague Bearer" more pronounced.
His eyeballs were quickly corroding, turning into a bloody liquid that streamed down his cheeks, leaving permanent marks on his face, as if he had been tattooed with tears of blood.
The whispers of the potion and the screams from outside the carriage intertwined, plunging Shaer into a surreal state.
The backlash from the potion began in Shaer's eye sockets, where dark green and dark purple, barnacle-like bony shells started to spread within his hollow eye sockets. Fortunately, by the time it reached the corners of his eyes, the signs began to fade.
And before Shaer, there was no light to be seen.
"Ha..." Shaer threw the ring out of the window and said, "Perci, let's get out of the city..."
With one or two hours left until the simulation ended, the viral slaughter here would surely attract investigation. Shaer didn't want to encounter any other extraordinary organizations during the remaining time.
Perci urged the horses onward, racing toward the city outskirts. Only after leaving Ansu City did the carriage gradually slow down.
At that moment, Tara, sitting across from Shaer, looked at his face with a hint of fear...
Though she often gazed into the eyes of the Mother Goddess, she had never felt such a clear and intense fear as she did now.
Shaer's face, unusually pale and gaunt due to the side effects, with hollow, terrifying eye sockets and crimson tear stains... was far more shocking than any description in a horror novel.
"Sha... Shaer, are you okay?" Tara stammered, her heart racing at the sight of the calm Shaer, which only heightened her unease.
"Mm?"
Shaer turned his gaze toward Tara.
"Me?"
"I feel great."
"It's just that this virus from Adele... clearly has room for improvement..."
"In this regard, she's not very capable."
"The insertion of bacterial genes into the virus is a brilliant idea, but it should have a greater effect. If I were to..."
Shaer, who had been speaking like a research fanatic, suddenly stopped. She raised her hand and touched her eye sockets.
She felt the hollowness and the hard, dense holes within that could induce a sense of claustrophobia.
Like a pomegranate with its red seeds exposed, only the chambers separated by thin membranes remained.
Shaer said, "Do you have any cloth strips?"
"Yes... I do." Tara quickly grabbed the ritual knife, cutting a strip from her black robe and handing it to Shaer.
After receiving the strip, Shaer tied it around her eyes, covering her hollow sockets.
"Now, it's not so scary, is it?" Shaer looked at Tara and asked, "Do you want to hear more of my thoughts? My... new artwork."
...
"Saved."
"No.10: 'Doctor' Shaer."
"No.11: 'Plague Bearer' Shaer."
"Reality."
"Year 741 of the Holy Era, July 18, 13:45."
"Evaluation: Wow! A horror movie ghost!"
"You've found a way to kill the strong sound. Now... all that's left is to put it into practice. This is something that can only be tested in reality... Killing the strong sound in the simulation would trigger a backlash, leaving more information behind."
"You've encountered a new otherworldly creature, but... it seems to have talked a bit too much ^^_"
"Take this; it's well-deserved based on your performance."
"Reward: Destiny Points *41, [Precognitive Vision Lv.3]."
"Destiny Points: 581."
"Precognitive Vision Lv.3: Passive skill. Allows you to see the state of all things 1.5 seconds into the future. A complete overhead view of the future within a 15-meter radius will form in your mind."
"Ha..."
Shaer slowly exhaled and opened his eyes.
Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow in the room, causing Shaer's eyes to feel a slight sting. Tara, upon seeing Shaer open his eyes, straightened her back in fright, her gaze shifting nervously to the side.
She had saved two save files at once...
The enhancement of Precognitive Vision to Lv.3 was significant. Now, Shaer had a 3D map encompassing a 15-meter radius in her mind, and she could easily know everything happening within that range 1.5 seconds into the future.
This was undoubtedly a tremendous boost for Shaer.
Though the time remained 1.5 seconds, it was as if Shaer possessed a 15-meter field of vision with no blind spots; no action within this range could escape her control.
Rubbing her slightly aching temples, Shaer looked at Tara, who seemed to be acting a bit off.
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