Chapter 21
The Litania Count’s Territory was known as the Empire’s “dew,” a fertile land.
Its security was second only to the capital, and it was extremely clean.
This was largely due to the influence of the count, who had been born with a compulsive need for cleanliness.
As a result, the territory had become one of the best places for the Empire’s citizens to live.
But everything changed when the plague began to spread.
The plague left indelible green spots on the skin of those infected.
If the disease wasn’t treated early, mutations would occur.
The afflicted would suffer unspeakable pain and transform into monstrosities.
“Those infected with the plague retain their consciousness even after they mutate.”
Daehyeop Kim frowned at the knight’s despairing explanation.
“They remain conscious?”
“Yes. They continue to scream.”
They cry out for help. No, they beg to be killed. To end their unbearable suffering.
“I had to kill my own wife, who was in agony with my own hands.”
“…”
Daehyeop Kim fell silent at the knight’s sudden confession.
The situation in the Litania Count’s Territory was far worse than he had imagined.
“A large number of mutants have appeared in the east. We desperately need the help of those carrying the imperial insignia. Please.”
As the knight pleaded, the quest Daehyeop Kim had been pursuing updated.
―――
[Origin of the Plague (2/5)]
- Uncover the origin of the plague that has engulfed the Litania Count’s Territory.
- Speak with the knight to understand the situation in the territory.
- Eliminate the mutants that appeared in the east (0/100).
―――
“Ignore everything that the infected or the mutants say. They are no longer human.”
You must believe that they are no longer human.
With the knight’s words lingering, Daehyeop Kim clenched his teeth and turned away.
“Horrible, truly.”
“It really is.”
The situation in the Litania Count’s Territory was nothing short of despair.
Screams echoed everywhere. People in agony writhed in pain.
The faces of the priests who cared for them were shadowed with exhaustion.
They hadn’t slept for days, tending to the sick when they should’ve been spreading faith.
Yet they couldn’t save everyone. Some were cremated before they could even become mutants.
Whoosh—!
The bodies of those who had no hope were consumed by the flames cast by a mage.
“They say the plague was a harbinger of doom.”
“A harbinger of doom?”
The doom that Aurora, the hero, had once prevented. It had started with the plague.
An ancient necromancer, freed from a seal, had unleashed the plague.
The corpses of those who died from the plague had risen as undead and feasted on the living.
“The plague also struck the Raven Kingdom.”
“…”
It wasn’t a pleasant story to hear.
“I can’t forgive them. Not Elder Lich. Not the ones who resurrected him.”
Raven’s trembling voice was laden with emotions.
Daehyeop Kim hadn’t known her long enough to offer any words of comfort.
“Is that the place?”
The boundary between the central and eastern regions came into view.
A half-collapsed wall. Beyond it, the mutants were visible.
Their bodies were marked by sickly green spots, with spider-like legs protruding from them.
It was hard to believe that these creatures had once been human.
“I’ll go first.”
Martial Soul. The free wind wrapped around his body.
Forward Leap. He scaled the building’s walls in rapid succession, closing the distance.
Combo, Total Annihilation.
Boom—!!!
The shattered wall crumbled completely, sending debris flying.
The mutants caught in the explosion of Total Annihilation were instantly killed.
But the ones buried under the rubble didn’t die.
The spider-like legs of the mutants sliced through the debris like tofu and emerged.
Screech—!
Leaping like mantises, the mutants hurled themselves at Daehyeop Kim.
Swish—!
Raven’s sword arrived late but cleaved through the mutants in one stroke.
“Impressive. I’ve grown a lot too, but…”
“Be careful!”
At Raven’s warning, Daehyeop Kim twisted his body and swung his fist.
With all his weight behind it, his punch penetrated the mutant’s body.
“Am I going to catch the plague from this?”
Both Raven and Daehyeop Kim were wearing the plague masks given to them by the knight.
While the masks would prevent infection through the air, direct contact with the mutants meant they were likely to catch the plague.
“The plague can be quickly treated with divine power in its early stages.”
“That’s a relief!”
With the knowledge that it wasn’t an incurable disease, Daehyeop Kim hunted the mutants without hesitation.
He continued fighting, ensuring Raven wouldn’t be injured in the process.
Before long, they managed to defeat all the mutants.
Boom—!
“What’s that sound?”
Daehyeop Kim turned toward the direction of the noise.
Black smoke was rising from where the refugee shelter in the Litania Count’s Territory was located.
―――
[Origin of the Plague (3/5)]
- Uncover the origin of the plague that has engulfed the Litania Count’s Territory.
- Speak with the knight to understand the situation in the territory.
- Eliminate the mutants that appeared in the east (100/100).
- Return to the refugee shelter and eliminate the assailant (0/1).
―――
“Go ahead.”
“It’s dangerous.”
Raven shook her head.
“There are many people in the shelter. Please, save them.”
It was an impossible request to grant.
Raven was currently being hunted by the heretics.
In the previous battle, Raven’s artifact had fallen and deactivated.
To reactivate the artifact, they would need to wait for a 10-minute cooldown.
“I can’t just leave you behind.”
With Forward Leap, Daehyeop Kim could return to the shelter faster than Raven.
Raven knew this and had asked for his help.
But Daehyeop Kim couldn’t leave Raven behind in her current vulnerable state.
“But—”
“No buts.”
A look of disappointment flashed across Raven’s face.
Regardless, Daehyeop Kim walked up to her and bent his back.
“Get on.”
“What?”
“I said, get on. We’re going together.”
Raven didn’t immediately understand Daehyeop Kim’s words, but after a moment, her face turned red, and she obediently climbed onto his back.
“Hold on tight so you don’t fall.”
“Okay…”
With her cheeks flushed, Raven rested her face against Daehyeop Kim’s broad back.
* * *
At around the same time…
Sweet was also progressing through the same quest as Daehyeop Kim.
“Is that the assailant?”
[BOSS: Disciple of Salvation Lv. 20]
The refugee shelter was in complete disarray.
It was the result of that boss monster wreaking havoc.
The boss freely controlled the plague, manipulating the mutants.
Even with a brief glance, it was clear.
The cause of this entire disaster was that boss.
“Hoo.”
Had the boss sensed his presence?
The boss looked directly at where Raven and Sweet were hiding.
“A sacrificial offering that the Church lost has come walking right to me.”
Sweet judged that hiding was now pointless and stepped forward.
“Sacrificial offering?”
“You don’t know? Well, it’s no surprise. What would inferior beings like you understand about true salvation?”
Raven, standing next to Sweet, whispered softly.
“That heretic… they’re no easy opponent.”
Indeed, Raven’s words were true.
The atrocities committed by the Disciple of Salvation were enough to prove that.
The shelter was already half-destroyed.
Patients had been turned into plague bombs and mutants.
The mages and knights of the Litania Count’s Territory were being overwhelmed.
In this despairing situation, the priests cried out to God, hoping for a miracle.
“Haha! Everyone is crying out for salvation.”
Heretic. Church of Salvation.
They worshiped the Object of Destruction.
They believed that destruction was the only true form of salvation.
The Disciple of Salvation extended his hand forward.
“Well then, accept your salvation.”
A sinister green aura spread in all directions.
Anything the aura touched began to corrode, losing its shape entirely.
Just by touching it, the green aura would corrode and melt everything.
“The power he wields is the source of the plague.”
Raven muttered to herself, and without hesitation, Sweet began chanting Fireball.
Whoosh—!
A massive fireball shot towards the Disciple of Salvation and exploded.
The intense flames devoured the green aura.
“Such lowly magic can’t even leave a scratch on the blessing given by God.”
When the flames subsided, the Disciple of Salvation stood there unharmed.
“A barrier, huh?”
Sweet used Blink to create distance and began analyzing the situation.
The green aura spread in all directions, engulfing corpses and turning them into mutants.
It also consumed the living, continuing its merciless slaughter.
And yet, the Disciple of Salvation remained still.
‘A channeling skill.’
Sweet quickly realized that the current phenomenon was the result of the Disciple’s channeling skill.
To stop the channeling, they would have to break through the barrier.
‘How do I break the barrier…?’
As Sweet calmly searched for a solution, a pattern emerged in her vision.
The green aura corroded and melted everything it touched.
But there was one exception: the mutants.
“Interesting.”
Having found the answer, Sweet formulated a plan.
“I’ll take this offering.”
At that moment, the Disciple commanded the mutants.
The order was clear: subdue and bring Raven, who was isolated.
The mutants immediately followed the command and sprang into action.
Grit—
Sweet clenched her teeth without realizing it.
Raven, subdued by the mutants, was being dragged towards the Disciple of Salvation.
At that sight, something snapped in Sweet’s mind.
“Freeze everything, Frostbite.”
Frostbite was chanted.
From beneath Sweet’s feet to the mutants standing around, everything froze—everything except Raven.
“Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”
Sweet immediately checked on Raven’s condition.
“I’m fine, please just….”
“Alright. Trust me and rest.”
Huff—
Sweet exhaled deeply.
Her breath turned into visible frost.
Crunch—!
Sweet picked up one of the moderately frozen mutants with one hand.
Exposed to the plague, a debuff appeared, and her health began to drain rapidly.
Though Akare dulled most physical sensations, this still stung a bit.
But Sweet didn’t care.
There was something far more important—fulfilling Raven’s request.
“Movement skill, Blink.”
With the frozen mutant in hand, Sweet used Blink to teleport behind the Disciple of Salvation.
Then, wielding the half-frozen mutant like a club, Sweet swung it.
Just as she had predicted, the mutant passed through the barrier without resistance.
The blow landed perfectly on the Disciple of Salvation, who was focused on channeling.
“Gahhh!”
The channeling skill was broken by the external shock.
With the source of the plague—the green aura—now gone, the Disciple was left vulnerable.
This was the perfect opportunity to end the boss in a single strike.
“You should’ve known when to stop.”
You crossed the line.
Sweet swallowed the rest of her words as her eyes blazed with determination.
“Burn.”
Fireball.
A massive fireball exploded towards the Disciple of Salvation.
***
I came across an interesting video while browsing MoTube.
It was a special broadcast from another game.
The Director, CEO, and PD had gathered at a set with a swimming pool to hold a Q&A session.
This special Q&A had unique rules.
If someone mentioned a specific word, they’d be thrown into the pool.
And if they performed a specific action, water would pour down on them from above.
“Being a Director is a really tough job…”
The Director danced, performed slapstick comedy, and even sang.
It was hard to tell if this was an official broadcast or an old variety show.
But it was undeniably fun, and I couldn’t stop watching.
“They’re great at communication too.”
They pinpointed exactly what the users wanted and addressed it.
This is the attitude and skill a Director should have.
It was an entertaining video, but there was a lot to learn from it too.
“My first live broadcast…”
If you ignore the sudden outburst over the Schrödinger’s Cup incident, it wasn’t fun at all.
The process was too formal, and my efforts to communicate didn’t really stand out.
The stiffness of the broadcast was due to the nerves of doing a first live show, so it was understandable.
“A Director doing mukbang. A Director becoming a god. A Director challenging players to a character deletion match and winning… what is all this?”
What exactly is the role of a Director?
I wondered, but there was one common factor.
Fun.
Whether the Director was fun or the game itself was fun, it didn’t matter.
As long as one of them was entertaining, the Director’s ability could be considered good enough.
“Well, my concept is that of a cute girl Director, so I’ll focus on developing the game well…”
There was no need to force myself to follow others just because they seemed impressive.
I had my own unique character and the identity of being in virtual reality.
“Will I be able to do well…”
Perhaps because of low self-esteem, I was craving something sweet.
I wondered if there was any dessert that could give my brain the right amount of stimulation.
After some thought, I grabbed the macarons Aka-chan had hidden for later and ate them.
—
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