Chapter 40 : The Deeply Hidden Parasitic Plague, Only the Sanctuary Is Safe!
Chapter 40: The Deeply Hidden Parasitic Plague, Only the Sanctuary Is Safe!
“Hiss—!”
“Damn filth!”
“Those damned undead! They won’t even spare the children!”
The crowd was both furious and terrified.
The power of the Undead Legion had already reached an unimaginable level.
Even if the entire Bromley Continent united against them, victory was far from guaranteed.
And yet, even so—
Their enemies still resorted to underhanded tricks!
Seeking to achieve the greatest gain with the smallest effort!
It had to be said—
In this regard, the undead were no different from humans.
Equally cunning! Sinister! And driven purely by profit!
Seeing Daniels struck as if by lightning, his anger was quickly drowned by an even deeper fear.
He grabbed Colin’s arm tightly. “Priest, please, save little Amy! Dig that damned thing out of her! I’ll pay whatever price you ask!!”
“Don’t panic, Mr. Daniels, please calm down.”
“This is precisely why the Angel Lord guided me here.”
Colin’s voice carried a mysterious, soothing power that calmed the soul.
Both Daniels and his wife Martha gradually regained their composure.
“Ulf.”
Colin gave another command. “Go and prepare a wooden cross as tall as a man.”
“It doesn’t need to be finely made, but its shape must be exact. I need it as a medium to perform the Divine Art.”
“Understood, I’ll get it right now!” Ulf didn’t hesitate.
He grabbed an axe and dashed toward the lumber pile at the edge of the camp.
Colin then turned back to Daniels, his tone growing heavier.
“Mr. Daniels, there’s one more thing I must tell you.”
“The thing inside little Amy’s heart is no ordinary parasite. It’s a... breeding, contagious abomination!”
“You may think of it as a malignant plague.”
“Silent and scentless, yet it infects those around it in secret!”
“What? It can spread?!”
Daniels and his wife Martha, who had been silently weeping beside him, both exclaimed in horror, their faces growing paler.
“That’s right.” Colin nodded gravely.
He addressed the exhausted couple solemnly.
“It spreads through means we do not yet fully understand. Its incubation is long, its concealment frighteningly strong.”
“So I advise that you two also undergo examination immediately.”
“You’ve been living side by side with little Amy—you’re the most likely to have been infected.”
“This… this can’t be!” Daniels instinctively refuted.
“My body is full of battle aura, my senses sharp. If there were a parasite within me, how could I not feel it?!”
As a Third-tier Earth Knight, he could not accept such a reality.
But as soon as the words left his mouth—
Daniels froze.
Thinking carefully—
He and Martha had indeed grown more easily fatigued in recent months.
He would break into cold sweat at night, and wake each morning with aching limbs.
He had always assumed it was from sleepless nights worrying over Amy’s illness.
A natural wear of body and spirit…
Could it really be as Priest Colin said?
Martha covered her mouth, eyes filled with terror.
She had noticed something wrong with her own body even earlier.
But maternal love made her focus all attention on her daughter, ignoring her own discomfort.
“Let’s… have it checked, Brother Daniels. It’s better for everyone…”
Reed, standing to the side, looked equally shaken, his voice trembling.
He had traveled with Daniels’ family for days, eating and sleeping alongside them.
If that damned thing was truly contagious… he dared not imagine!
Daniels let out a heavy sigh, as though all his strength had been drained away.
“All right, please, Priest Colin, examine us.”
He lowered all his defenses, withdrawing his battle aura completely.
Martha also nodded through tears.
Colin once again raised his hands, holy light blooming in his palms.
He held them above the couple’s chests.
Moments later—
Colin slowly withdrew his hands, his expression deeply grave.
“As expected, there are parasites near both of your hearts as well!”
“Though smaller and less active than the one in little Amy, they are undoubtedly there!”
“Oh no, gods above!” Martha’s legs gave way.
She nearly collapsed, barely supported by Daniels.
Yet even Daniels’ sturdy frame trembled violently, overcome by a sense of utter disbelief!
Even a Third-tier Knight like him couldn’t sense the parasite!
How terrifying was this thing?!
Witnessing the scene,
Reed was so frightened that he jumped up. “Priest Colin! Quick! Check me too!”
“I’ve been with Brother Daniels’ family for several days!”
Colin did as requested.
The Holy Light flowed through Reed’s body for a moment, then he exhaled in relief. “Captain Reed, you’re fine for now.”
“It seems this parasite requires prolonged close contact—or certain specific conditions—to infest a host.”
“Your body is currently clean.”
“Phew—thank the Angel Lord for that…”
Reed wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, still shaken.
Yet, despite this good news, no one felt truly relieved.
Because such infectious and concealed corruption—meant that once it spread among ordinary people, it would be unstoppable.
Daniels and Reed exchanged a look, and almost in unison, growled, “In that case, Lemon Port must already have fallen in secret!”
“That’s right—you’ve guessed it.”
“This was likely a premeditated, targeted conspiracy!”
Liz interjected at the right moment.
She crossed her arms, her expression cold and severe.
“This parasitic plague hides itself too well—even magic arrays can’t detect it. The chance of it forming naturally is extremely low.”
“It’s likely released by a high-tier undead creature operating in the shadows!”
“And Lemon Port, as one of the Empire’s key eastern seaports, is known as the ‘Never-Fallen City.’”
“The defensive magic arrays don’t just cover the town—they extend dozens of nautical miles beyond.”
“Ordinary undead legions could never take it by force. Even if they did, the cost would be immense.”
“But with this silent infiltration, planting traps within a dense population—”
“Once the time is right, when it all erupts at once…”
“It will be a catastrophe far worse than Florence!”
After hearing Liz’s logical deduction, everyone gasped sharply.
Cold dread ran from their soles straight to their skulls!
That bustling port city, guarded by a thousand magicians—had it already become the undead’s carefully cultivated breeding ground?
My Lord!
What a dark and perilous age this was!
Murder lurked in every shadow—terror in every step!
“Only here…”
Marianne clutched her child tightly, sobbing with relief.
“Only within the Sanctuary blessed by the Angel Lord… is truly safe!”
Everyone agreed wholeheartedly, their faces filled with pious devotion.
Indeed—
Only the opposite of darkness, the holy land blessed by the Light, was an Eden where people could live in peace, free from the Undead Scourge!
Just like that deeply hidden parasite—it had still been easily exposed by Priest Colin’s holy detection.
And the Angel Lord hadn’t even taken action yet.
Surely, all of this was already within His divine grasp!
While everyone was still moved by awe—
Ulf came running back, panting, carrying a human-sized wooden cross.
“Priest Colin, time was too tight—I could only make it this rough.”