Yeshiya had seen her uncle. He was a survivor and he was like a corpse. At 50 years old, he was incredibly weak and had lost most of his level due to the disease. Now, he looked thirty years older.
But at least he was alive, and this was because he was level 20 when he contracted it. She was only level 15. What would happen to her?!
She had taken the inhibitor, but it seemed like its effectiveness had worn out. She heard that it significantly slowed down the disease, but she realized she had been afflicted long ago; the onset had been delayed. If there was any comfort, the inhibitor guaranteed she would not go past level 2.
It was still so painful. So very painful.
Even if it was not as bad as those who had been completely afflicted, it still felt like she was burning from the inside. If she were to touch water now, she felt it would let out some steam.
"No, I’m going to die... wuuu," she cried. She wanted to buy some food, but now she was rolling around the grass and the branches of shrubs poking against her skin.
Was she going to die in this humiliating position?!
Unexpectedly, she felt large, strong hands wrap around her arm. She felt the weightless sensation and the next thing she knew, she was already standing up, supported by an arm behind her back.
She looked up to see a man with dark hair and a cool expression on his face. Immediately, Yeshiya’s face flushed red, and her heart beat even louder.
Combined with the current symptoms, all of her senses were now overwhelmed.
"I..."
"You have a heavy fever," he said, looking at her arm which had a simple colored bracelet. "You’ve taken an inhibitor."
She nodded. This meant that she could stay in this zone, as only the smoke from those in the last phase was truly poisonous. Otherwise, she’d have been thrown out to another zone by now and might’ve even received some punishment for going around on her own.
"What are you doing outside?" he asked. He used his usual deadpan and bored tone of voice, but Yeshiya found it absolutely sexy.
Was the fever making her delusional? Who knew...
"...I’m buying food."
"Why not get a delivery?"
"I...I feel like the disease would get worse if I don’t move."
Crow looked at her, nodding, and then he took her to the nearest grocery store. Most of the smaller food stores were self-service. They just had to pay at a designated slot.
The rules were active anyway and it could count as theft if they left the premises without paying for it properly.
Crow, donning a handsome guard uniform nodded, and gestured to walk away. However, how could Yeshiya just let him go?
"What’s your name?" she asked. She knew he had a job to do, so she couldn’t keep him for long. But she at least had to know his name!
Of course, this wasn’t the case a hundred percent of the time, especially for those around level 10 and below. For those who were in critical condition, they placed them in an instantaneous cryogenic state, courtesy of Garan.
There were also those who had been afflicted very early on, without people knowing.
Like Mauru, one of the first aborigines, and one of the territory’s best guards.
It seemed like he had escorted a few people from the outside, specifically from Flaret, while the illness was early in its incubation stage.
As such, although his level was slightly above average in the territory, he was still one of the first to be afflicted. He already entered stage 2 shortly after Alterra received the news from Flaret Town, when he was still in the other town.
The improved inhibitor came a bit too late when he was already in stage 3, and he had just returned to Alterra. Judging from his state when he arrived, he had a high chance of dying from it, so the doctors had to find unconventional ways to keep his life.
Otherwise, he would’ve been the first fire plague death among Alterran citizens.
While this was handled, progress was finally made!
One day, nearly two months after the first case reached Alterra, a resounding announcement—one that they had been hoping for—reached the ears of the town’s leaders.
"The cure has been found!!"

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