Episode 303
“What is this…?”
Rows of makeshift tents lined the village square, bustling with members of the Jo-in tribe dressed in white, carrying clean cloths and medicines into the tents.
Zeke was struck by a sense of déjà vu.
“This reminds me of the time the Red Flower Plague spread.”
In his previous life, the plague had wreaked havoc across the continent. But in this life, Zeke had developed a cure early on, containing the outbreak at the Alencia border before it could spread further.
Yet now, similar symptoms were appearing within the autonomous district.
As Zeke stood there, taken aback by the unexpected situation, a member of the Jo-in tribe approached him.
“Please, cover your mouth and nose with this.”
The Jo-in handed Zeke a clean cloth to use as a mask, then led him to a building on the outskirts of the district.
The Jo-in, with their white feathers, didn’t exude the same intimidating aura as the Blackwing tribe, known for their combat prowess.
The Jo-in bowed respectfully to Zeke.
“I regret that you have to see us like this. My name is White Moonlight.”
Zeke noticed the colorful strings and ornaments adorning White Moonlight’s feathers, recognizing him as the tribe’s leader.
He asked White Moonlight, “It looks like the Red Flower Plague has spread. Is that correct?”
White Moonlight nodded solemnly. “Yes. A few weeks ago, monsters appeared, and the disease began to spread within the city.”
Zeke pressed further, “If it’s the Red Flower Plague, Alencia should be distributing the cure as aid. Why has it spread so much here?”
White Moonlight clicked his beak in frustration. “We tried the cure sent by Alencia, but it was ineffective. Our healers believe the plague mutated when it spread to our people, rendering the existing medicine useless.”
Zeke’s expression grew serious. “A mutated plague… It might be more contagious than the original.”
“Indeed. While the mortality rate has decreased, the infection rate has increased, and more people are falling ill each day. Among the infected, the elderly and weak have started to die. Today, the number of deaths was particularly high. And to make matters worse…”
White Moonlight furrowed his brow. “Monsters have begun attacking us. We’ve fortified all possible entry points into the city, but we can’t determine where they’re coming from or what they are.”
Zeke realized the situation was more dire than he had anticipated.
“A plague and mysterious monsters…”
“Even the elders, who insisted we never accept help from humans, have fallen ill. Given the circumstances, we had no choice but to seek your assistance.”
White Moonlight, feeling the weight of his responsibility as a leader, set aside his pride to ask for help.
Zeke asked, “Do you mean the monsters are hiding somewhere in the city?”
“We suspect so, but with the number of patients increasing, we lack the manpower to form a search party.”
Zeke considered the possibility that the Empire might have deliberately spread the mutated plague and released monsters to pressure the ghetto.
If that were the case, the autonomous district, which had resisted for so long, might be forced to request aid.
The Empire likely had a cure for the mutated plague and could use it as a pretext to station troops inside the ghetto, preparing for a gradual invasion of the central continent.
“The Empire would do something like that.”
If this was happening here, other autonomous districts in the ghetto might be facing similar situations.
“I need to find a cure for the Red Flower Plague before things get worse.”
Zeke decided he needed to find out if the Empire’s garrison had the cure. But first, he had to deal with the monsters hiding in the city.
He agreed to White Moonlight’s request and set out to capture the monsters.
As night fell, Zeke discreetly positioned ghost soldiers throughout the autonomous district to monitor the movements of the hidden monsters.
Deep into the night, something caught the attention of one of the ghost soldiers.
“Are there really monsters hiding here?”
Zeke swiftly moved to the location where the ghost soldier had detected the anomaly.
The reason this barren wasteland could function as a city was because of the water source here.
And the movement of the monsters was detected near the most crucial spot in the district—the well.
Zeke drew his sword, Roland, and scanned the area around the well.
His keen eyes pierced through the darkness, revealing the mysterious creature lurking there.
Whoosh!
Zeke hurled Anexi’s dagger at the monster.
Clang!
The dagger, attached to a chain, flew towards the monster.
Surprisingly, the monster was caught by the dagger with little resistance.
Zeke, holding the monster with the chain, approached the well to confirm its identity and was shocked.
“A Jo-in?”
The creature bound by the chain was an elderly member of the Jo-in tribe.
Zeke quickly examined the Jo-in.
The captured Jo-in was clearly lifeless.
“How is it moving if it’s dead?”
Suddenly, the Jo-in bound by the chain opened its eyes and let out a terrifying scream.
Screeeech!
It was a scream mixed with the unique resonance of the Jo-in tribe.
Zeke suspected the creature might be an undead, but he didn’t sense the usual dark energy associated with them.
As he examined the situation with a grave expression, a thought flashed through Zeke’s mind.
“The plague from Mycenae…!”
Fifty years ago, a plague in Mycenae had claimed many lives.
His maternal grandfather, Rufus Agamemnon, a survivor of that time, had recounted how the dead would rise and move at night.
Zeke realized that the Jo-in’s behavior matched the phenomenon his grandfather had described.
Recognizing this, Zeke pulled out Agamemnon’s mask and used a purification skill.
Wooooong!
A golden aura seeped into the Jo-in’s body.
Only then did the dead Jo-in cease its screams and return to being a lifeless corpse.
Zeke released the chain and examined the Jo-in’s body.
Beneath the feathers, there were signs of the Red Flower Plague.
“It’s definitely the plague from Mycenae.”
Realizing this, Zeke’s expression hardened.
This meant that the corpses here would soon rise.
He recalled the chief’s words about the unusually high number of deaths today.
At that moment—
Screeeech!
A scream echoed from the central square of the autonomous district.
Initially, it was just one scream, but soon, others followed in a chain reaction.
It was proof that the dead were beginning to move again.
Zeke rushed towards the central square.
The square was already in chaos.
Jo-in who had died from the Red Flower Plague were rising, screaming, and attacking the living.
Screeeech!
The healers, overwhelmed by the sudden attack, seemed unable to comprehend the situation, let alone think of escaping.
At that moment, Zeke let out a powerful roar towards the central square.
Roooooar—
The Jo-in, who had been in a state of panic, finally regained their senses.
White Moonlight spotted Zeke and ran towards him.
“Sir Zeke! The dead have suddenly come back to life!”
“It seems the monsters you mentioned are actually them. It’s a curse where those who died from the plague rise and move at night!”
Hearing Zeke’s explanation, White Moonlight’s feathers trembled.
He clicked his beak and said to Zeke, “We must evacuate this place! Sir Zeke, please follow us!”
But Zeke replied, “There is a way to stop them.”
White Moonlight was taken aback. “A way to stop them? How?”
“First, you should lead the others to safety. I’ll try to hold them off.”
With a sense of desperation, White Moonlight nodded.
The chief led the Jo-in tribe members to the city’s assembly hall.
Meanwhile, Zeke, to lure the risen ones, cut his arm and scattered his blood.
“Come this way!”
The creatures, sensitive to the scent of living blood, began to chase after Zeke.
Zeke, recalling how Agamemnon’s patriarch had lured them fifty years ago, scattered as much blood as possible to draw them towards him.
Screeeech!
The undead Jo-in screamed as they pursued Zeke.
Leading them, Zeke sprinted towards the iron gate.
He shouted to those guarding the gate, “Open the gate now!”
One of his powers, Charisma, activated.
The gatekeepers, compelled by his command, hurriedly opened the iron gate.
Rumble!
With the gate open, Zeke led the undead Jo-in into the moat.
Screeeech!
The Jo-in in the moat screamed, and Zeke donned Agamemnon’s mask, raising Roland high.
He used a grand purification skill on the screaming Jo-in.
Wooooong!
A golden aura flowed from Zeke’s body like a wave.
The Jo-in watching from the ramparts, witnessing Zeke’s divine aura, instinctively knelt.
The golden aura Zeke emitted seeped into the bodies of the undead, purifying them and returning them to lifeless corpses.
The grand purification aura from Zeke’s body spread throughout the city.
Wooooong!
A golden wave of light burst forth, creating a stunning halo that enveloped the city, and the people within it witnessed a miracle.
The next day, as the sun rose, the autonomous district emerged from the terrifying night.
Thanks to Zeke’s power, the dead returned to their eternal rest, and those afflicted with the Red Plague found their illness halted in its tracks.
The medicine from Alensia was enough to ensure their recovery.
The people of White Moonlight regarded Zeke as a savior and welcomed him back with open arms.
“Thank you so much, Zeke Draker. Without you, who knows what horrors our city might have faced…”
Though Zeke was human, the divine light he had wielded the previous night transcended race, inspiring awe in all who witnessed it.
As a result, Zeke and the Black Sword Knights were granted entry into the autonomous district.
The people had a tradition of sky burial for their dead, but to prevent the spread of the plague, they broke with custom and cremated the bodies.
After the joint funeral, Zeke inquired about Helen and the others who were isolated in the old fortress.
“That place is one of the ancient relics. It’s a sacred neutral ground where tribes gather to make important decisions.”
The problem was that the old fortress had lost its function as an autonomous district, making it unsuitable for daily life.
If they were isolated due to monsters, they would soon run out of food and water, unable to hold out for long.
Zeke received a map from the leader of White Moonlight, showing the path to the old fortress.
The leader explained that monsters blocked the path through the canyon.
“We’ve tried before, but it’s impossible to get through that way.”
Without crossing the canyon, the only option was a long detour, which would take too much time.
‘If we take too long, those isolated won’t survive until we arrive.’
There was no choice but to break through the monster-infested path.
‘I can make it there alone, but the real challenge is the return journey.’
The question was whether he could lead the isolated group back safely, fending off monster attacks along the way.
Zeke left the field command to Decker and Farrell, and set out with Boris, Clonay, Felix, and Liam toward the canyon swarming with monsters.
As they crossed the wasteland on horseback, Zeke’s group gaped at the sight before them.
“Are all those monsters?”
An overwhelming number of monsters filled the canyon and blocked the path to the old fortress.
Surveying the canyon’s terrain, Zeke turned to his companions.
“We’ll need to set up camp here first. Let’s establish a base and scout the area.”