Spirit Game

Rain and Druger went to one of the empty houses they had set up as a temporary lab for the healers and herbalists. The elders, healers, and herbalists inside were studying the disease nonstop.

Rain and Druger explained the situation.

The elder immediately tested the beetle and had a few volunteers get bitten by the bug. Within minutes, the volunteers fell to the ground, coughing and burning with fever.

"Without a doubt . . . this is the cause of the pandemic," one of them said.

"Then can you make a cure out of it?" Rain asked, hopeful.

However, the elders and the rest wore grim expressions. "We can . . . but concocting the cure will take time."

"Take time?" Rain echoed, not liking the sound of it. Time wasn\'t on their side. The pandemic was relentless, and the Hobgoblins were just days away, knocking on their doors.

One of the elders, a wizened man with a long gray beard, spoke up, his voice steady yet tinged with concern. "The reason the cure will take time is multifaceted," he began.

Rain\'s impatience was evident. "What do you mean, Elder Keldar? We need it now. Lives depend on it."

Elder Keldar nodded solemnly. "I understand, but listen carefully. First, we need to thoroughly analyze the beetle\'s properties. This involves isolating the toxins and identifying how they interact with everyone\'s physiology."

Another elder, a woman named Elara, interjected. "This is no simple task, my Lord. The beetle\'s venom is complex. It\'s not just a single toxin but a combination of several, each affecting the body in different ways."

Rain frowned. "But we know it\'s the cause. Can\'t we just create an antidote from that?"

Elder Elara shook her head. "If only it were that simple. We must understand each component to ensure the antidote targets the correct aspects of the venom without causing additional harm."

Druger, standing nearby, added, "Rain, they need to be thorough. A rushed cure could be just as deadly as the disease itself."

Rain clenched his fists. "How long are we talking?"

Elder Keldar sighed. "It could take several days just to isolate the components and begin formulating a potential antidote. Then, we need to test it to ensure it\'s safe and effective. That process alone could take weeks."

Rain\'s shoulders sagged under the weight of this news. "Weeks? We might not have that long."

Elara\'s eyes softened with empathy. "We understand the urgency, my Lord. We\'ll work tirelessly, day and night, to speed up the process. But science and nature cannot be rushed. We must do this right to save lives, not risk more."

Rain nodded slowly, swallowing his frustration. "Alright. Do whatever you can. Just . . .

hurry."

The elders exchanged glances, and Elder Keldar spoke with a resolve that mirrored Rain\'s. "We will, my Lord. We will work as fast as we can. For everyone in this village."

"Let\'s go, lad . . . we have nothing more to do here. We still have to evacuate everyone to the warship," Druger said and chugged another drink to soothe the itching in his throat.

The disease had different rates of severity. Some affected might die from coughing or fever as early as one day, while others had more resistance and continued to fight the disease for days. Druger was in the latter group.

But he knew that he had to isolate himself soon, after he had evacuated everyone. The mask over his mouth would have to do for now until he completed his task.

Rain, on the other hand, remained quiet at the side. He was deep in thought, and despite the tight circumstances they found themselves in, something clicked in his mind.

His brain was working in overdrive, and desperation called for desperate measures.

"Druger . . .," Rain started.

"Huh? What is it?"

"I\'m thinking . . . this beetle could infect anyone, right?"

"That\'s right. It\'s evident that everyone got sick despite our different races. This virus is so potent that I\'m wondering where it came from. That beetle was so strange, and in all my life, I have never come across something like that. It might be some kind of ancient bug from thousands of years ago."

Druger began a coughing fit, and that\'s when Rain noticed.

"Druger, you . . ."

"I\'m fine, lad. You don\'t have to worry."

"But . . . you have to go to quarantine!" Rain felt like his stomach was turning. Everyone he knew was succumbing to the virus.

"Enough. I\'m no good in quarantine. This mask will prevent me from spreading the virus. Until I see that everyone is on the warship, I will not rest . . ."

Druger fell to the ground, panting and coughing nonstop.

Rain felt like his whole world was turning upside down.

"Lord Rain! Druger!" Lyncon shouted and came running to where Druger was.

"Will you please take him to the quarantine area?" Rain asked Lyncon in a strangely calm voice.

Lyncon nodded, but Druger tried to get up.

"I can still move. We still have to evacuate everyone. Until that task is over, I will not move from here."

"Don\'t be so stubborn! What can you do in your current state?!" Lyncon yelled at him. "You\'re only a burden this way. Leave the evacuation to us and get yourself to quarantine now!"

With Lyncon\'s insistence, Druger had no choice but to follow his lead. The virus was already overcoming him, and he had no more strength to argue.

While everyone was busy evacuating, Rain called for Pup.

The little guy might be small, but he was extremely fast. He had the same speed as Chi if he really exerted effort.

Pup appeared before him, curious and defensive about what he wanted to say.

"I know that you\'re not my troop, Pup, but I can only rely on you right now. Will you do me a favor?"

Sensing the seriousness in Rain\'s face, Pup howled and nodded his head. Rain had saved his life and taken care of him until now. This was the least he could do.

Pup was prepared to do anything.