Alan leaves the mushroom garden.

Fly back to Gquint Island aboard a griffin summoned by a feather charm.

In real time, summer goes to autumn, and only two months have passed.

Converted to the time in the secret realm, it is a whole year.

Today, Alan is sixteen years old.

A few days after arriving home, he received a letter from Fei Lin and learned that the college had sent an investigation team for the second time.

This time, it was indeed led by Vice President Russell himself.

Ferrin and his cousin Julie are exploring with the team for the second time.

The siblings, plus Tauna, serve as guides.

After a hard battle, he finally seized control of the secret realm from the cult.

Felin, Julie, and Tauna made meritorious contributions and were allowed to practice in the mushroom garden for six years.

At the end of this letter, Ferrin couldn't help but feel sorry for Alan:

"If you don't leave, you can still get a place to practice."

The joys and sorrows of the world are not the same.

When he received Felin's letter, Alan was in the cemetery, attending the funeral.

The funeral of an old classmate.

The portrait of the girl, pursed her lips and smiled, beautiful and quiet.

Just two days before Allen returned to his hometown, Beatrice, the squad leader, died of the plague.

The innocent and kind girl, who was only fifteen years old, was killed by a merciless disease.

From the onset of illness to the death, it was only three days.

Amid the suppressed sobs of the deceased's parents, the burial ceremony proceeded in an orderly manner.

When it was Ellen's turn, he stepped forward to offer flowers.

A bouquet of white chrysanthemums, placed on the coffin that is about to be buried.

Alan put down the bouquet, but couldn't let go of the regret in his heart.

If he comes back a few days early, even if it's just two days, he still has a chance to cure Beatrice.

However, fate is impermanent, life and death, how can there be any "if".

……

After the funeral, Alan leaves the cemetery.

Put on a bird's beak mask and dress up as the plague doctor.

Aunt Sola is the president of the Quint Town Physicians' Guild.

Under her introduction, Alan also joined the Physicians' Guild.

Alan was not afraid of the plague, but he still wore a mask, not wanting people to know that he was immune to the plague.

……

August 15.

The full moon is in the sky.

At night, the streets are very bright.

A group of black-robed men wearing bird's beak masks, patrolling the streets.

Each man has a slingshot and a pocket full of thumb-sized stone bullets.

They are not doctors, but volunteers in the town.

The town council, which accepted Ms. Sora's suggestion.

Call on the townspeople to form a "rodent extermination team" and use their spare time in the evening to search for and kill the rats that spread the plague.

A group of cats, leading the way.

The rat catcher team follows the cat and searches around.

If you find a rat, shoot it with a slingshot!

The rat carcasses were piled up, poured with lamp oil, and set on fire.

Alan walked along the street, along the way, and saw a lot of corpses that were burned intensively.

There was a pungent smell of mushy in the air.

However, in the gutter on the side of the road, rats can be seen from time to time, scurrying unscrupulously.

In this human-rat war, humans are on the lonely side.

With this inefficient method of exterminating rodents, there is little hope of defeating the plague.

Alan considered using poison against rats.

But he knew one thing very well, the poison that could stabilize the rats could definitely poison the town's cats, dogs and livestock, as well as the homeless and scavenging children.

What's more, Alan already had a hunch......

This sudden plague storm that quickly swept through the entire Quint Island is probably not a pure natural disaster, and there is also the shadow of a cult behind it.

Turning the corner, there is a mansion on the side of the road.

In the inner courtyard of the high wall, the cry of a woman could be faintly heard.

The mayor of the town is dead, orphaned and widowed, and is on a wake.

Alan stopped and sighed.

Mayor Mare, who fell ill on the same day as Beatrice, died the same day.

In the face of the plague, everyone is equal.

On the way home, Alan took a trip to Robin's house.

To Robin's mother, to treat the plague.

A drop of Eren's blood can cure the plague.

However, if you want to cure tens of thousands of sick people, you will have to draw all your blood.

This kind of therapy hurts him too much and does not solve the fundamental problem.

For example, at Hunter's house, as soon as Alan entered the door, he detected a strong germ reaction.

Father and son Hunter and Robin, who are still in good health, will be infected with plague after being exposed to this harmful environment for a long time.

Most families in the town, especially those with poor sanitation and lower middle classes, have such hidden dangers.

It's not sick yet, it's just a fluke.

If the toxic environment is not thoroughly purified, sooner or later it will be infected.

Taking the opportunity to treat Robin's mother, Alan quietly popped out the bone spur in the palm of his left hand.

It uses the newly evolved "absorption" function of the toxin gland to absorb free plague germs in the air.

In the blink of an eye, Hunter's home became a sterile space.

However, it doesn't take long for germs from outside the house to infiltrate and pollute the indoor air.

Rats are running around with diseases, and the germs are inexhaustible.

If this situation is not solved, disinfection is also a symptom rather than a cure.

In fact, Hunter and Robin, father and son, also know in their hearts that as long as they stay in the town, the father and son will also get sick sooner or later.

"Alan, when my mother is better, our family plans to move to the mountains."

Robin worriedly told his friend.

"The air in the mountains is good, and there are few germs."

"We are a family of three, and we plan to hide in the mountains until this wave of epidemic is over and then come back."

"What do you think of this idea?"

Alan was silent.

Robin's family plans to take refuge in the mountains, which cannot be said to be a bad idea.

However, if there are rats carrying germs deep in the mountains, or in the middle of winter, when the mountains are covered with heavy snow, they encounter fierce beasts......

What are the three strengths and weaknesses, and how to seek help from the outside world?

Just as I was thinking about it, there was a sudden exclamation on the street outside the door!

Immediately after, Alan heard the familiar squeak again.

Sounds like a rat barking ten times louder!

Well?!

Allen's face changed slightly, and he turned and rushed out the door.

"Alan—wait a minute!"

Robin hurriedly chased after him.

Hunter also sensed that the situation was not good, and hurriedly grabbed his bow and sword, followed by Alan and his son, and rushed out the door.

Under the full moon, the stone streets glow pale.

In the alley, there was the sound of messy footsteps.

The four rat catchers ran out in a panic.

The mask on his face had slipped off, revealing a pale face that was frightened.

Behind them, a group of giant rats resembling wolves were chasing.

Shaking whiskers, red eyes, squeaking.

The stones fired by the slingshot hit the giant rat without pain.

The rat catchers, after all, are just ordinary people, and they don't dare to step forward to fight this group of monsters.

What else can be done but to run away?

It's a tanuki cat, which seems more courageous.

Alone at the entrance of the alley, hunched over, roaring at the giant rat.

It's like a frenzied little tiger!

Unfortunately, cats are not tigers after all.

Giant rats aren't just huge.

As the flesh mutates, the temperament also becomes brutal and bloodthirsty.

In the face of the cat, after only two seconds of hesitation, he overcame the fear that originated from the nature of the race.

Grinning the foul-smelling mouth, revealing two pairs of yellowed teeth, and frantically pounced on the cat!

I'm going to bite this arrogant little thing to death!

Swish!

A twinkle in the figure!

A tall and sturdy boy stood in front of the giant rat.

Bang!

A "snap of the finger wave" knocks the giant rat away.

The skull exploded on the spot!

Alan picked up the frightened cat and stroked the cat's head.

Soon, the cat was quiet in his arms, purring in his throat.

Creak!

Creak!

Two giant rats, side by side, rushed out of the alley, from the left and right, flanking Allen.

Alan hugged the cat and kicked his feet in a row.

With two thuds, the two giant rats flew back upside down.

The bones all over the body were shattered, the skin was punctured, and the blood was dripping.

Like two fresh hamburger embryos, they are slapped flat against the wall.

Accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps.

Hunter and Robin arrive at the scene.

Father and son draw their bows and arrows to help Alan shoot the giant rat.

Immediately afterward, the town's vigilante arrived.

Alan didn't make another move, holding the cat, and watching everyone hunt the giant rat.

Within half an hour, the rats in the dark alley were littered.

The battle was over, but the mood of the crowd could not be relaxed.

"Strange, where did these big rats come from?"

"It's the first time this kind of strange thing has happened in our town!"

"Could it be the plague that mutates ordinary rats into giant rats?"

"Who knows! When will this unlucky year be the end?! ”

Alan didn't participate in the discussion, but he knew it in his heart......

Ordinary rats carrying plagues can be naturally generated, but giant rats are not created by nature!

There are signs that the plague magicians of the Beast Cult have arrived in the town.

Plague magicians, mostly rat people.

These rats not only spread the plague, but also infected with even more terrible bestiosis.

Even more troublesome......

In Eren's hand, there is also a statue of the plague god that the plague sorcerers are pursuing.

Now that the tentacles of the Beast Worship Sect have reached Quint Island, Alan has to worry that his secret hiding of the plague god statue may have been exposed.

(End of chapter)