◈ Episode 164

The backlash was immediate.

"What, what did you say? Quarantine?"

Claire's face turned red and she shouted at the soldier.

"Is that what you're talking about!? You let everyone else die, and you're just hanging out in a safe place by yourself. You can't even help them, but you discriminate against them?"

"It's not discrimination. It's because the contamination level exceeded the standards…."

"What are the rules? You guys set those too."

She crossed her arms and laughed hysterically.

"Hey, you don't know who I am, so just bring me the higher-ups."

"yes?"

"Bring your superior. I can't communicate with the lower-ranking people."

She had no qualms about wielding her deceased father's authority. No, she didn't even completely believe the story of his death. She was suspicious of all the circumstances surrounding her at the moment.

It had to be that way.

'This is strange. This isn't right…'

Originally, Claire was supposed to have a smooth road to success.

The Dennis family is a prominent family that has long held a position in politics. His father is a city councilman, and his older brother, who is six years older, has been learning the job while assisting his father. They are a typical elite family.

A bright future has been thrown into the gutter.

Claire knew very well what life would be like from the moment you were branded as an infected person. The Harrenhal government claimed to provide 'humane treatment', but in her view, it was a life worse than that of livestock.

The infected contaminate the city simply by their presence. While the individual's impact on the contamination index is minimal, it is clear that they harm others. It cannot be handled well.

- Why do you keep alive those who will soon become monsters?

- It would be easier if we just shot them all dead.

The words I had blurted out came back to me like a boomerang.

'We have to get through this somehow.'

That was when Claire was chewing her lips.

"What's the fuss over there?"

Another soldier walked toward the barracks.

"Ah, Sergeant. There's a bit of trouble with quarantine…."

"Trouble?"

A soldier stood in front of Claire. He was wearing a military uniform, a mask, and a rifle on his shoulder. Although he looked like any other soldier, he seemed oppressive, perhaps because of his large build.

"Sergeant Owen Lott. Go ahead."

"…I'm Claire Dennis. Brittany City Councillor Jim Dennis is my father."

"Yes. And."

"And then you say? Can't you tell just by looking at it?"

Claire gestured in two directions with her chin.

First, the back. Students with high contamination levels, just like her. Next, in front, were students who had passed through quarantine without a hitch.

"We were together and they're okay, but we're not? What the heck is going on?"

Dozens of eyes were focused on Owen, but his expression did not change much. He simply glanced at a piece of paper handed to him by his subordinate and answered coldly.

"Claire Dennis, the contamination level measured was 113. Over the recommended limit. It looks like it was handled according to regulations. If you received special disaster training at school, you should know the standards."

"…The machine must have malfunctioned! Look at this, there's no damage!"

"Me too! I'm not hurt anywhere."

The students rolled up their sleeves and showed their arms. As expected, there were no bites or scratches on them. At least on the outside, they looked fine, but there was something else going on.

"What kind of zombie do you think a parasite is?"

Owen let out a tired sigh.

"You don't get infected just by being injured by a parasite. Usually, the level of contamination increases dramatically, but there are many cases where it doesn't cause any symptoms. On the other hand, you can get infected even if you don't have a wound."

In the early days of the virus outbreak, the confusion was even more intense than it is now, because the cases were so varied. In some places, it was thought to be an oral infection, while in others, it was confirmed to be a contact infection.

The criteria that were in disarray were organized by Cellbrox Lab and Ishrad.

The measuring instrument they developed can be used to check the 'pollution level'. There are two types of measuring instruments. One is for humans and the other is for the environment.

"The pollution index within the city is currently over 210. We have passed the green zone and entered the red zone. You have been exposed to pollution for too long."

Red Zone. A place where you can get infected just by breathing.

"So, why are they okay…!"

"Because everyone's immunity is different. Of course, we need to monitor the progress of students who passed as well…."

While Owen is being held captive by Claire.

Beep beep!

The meter the soldier held up blinked red.

"Uh, uh? Is this okay?"

Leone panicked and panicked, but she had already passed. As expected of a spellcaster with strong mutation resistance, she recorded a low score of 17p.

The problem was Kim Lee-Hyeon.

"2, 214?"

The soldier who saw the numbers was shocked. Kim Yi-Hyeon looked fine on the surface. However, in terms of numbers, he was already close to the intermediate stage where his entire body was covered in crystals.

"You have to go over there."

"Oh, wait a minute. Our team leader is a bit strange."

"Rules are rules. Disease does not escape identity."

"That's not what I meant, um."

While Turkam was scratching his neck, Owen, who had been glancing at Kim Ihyeon while talking, came running.

"This person is fine. I'll let him pass."

"Are you okay? Isn't this the figure?"

"Didn't you get it? Dustborn's…."

"…Ah, ah! Excuse me."

The soldier who heard something whispered suddenly straightened his back in surprise. Only then did Owen breathe a sigh of relief and salute Kim I-hyeon.

"Thank you for your help."

"Thank you for your hard work every time."

Kim Yi-hyeon was able to pass through the quarantine without further restraint. Leone, who was watching the situation unfold, could not help but be amazed.

"Is this okay? Claire is glaring at me from behind."

"It was understandable that there would be misunderstandings. But it's not like I'm some great person who gets special treatment."

"sure?"

"Think of it as that kind of constitution."

The Cellbrox Lab has been secretly preparing for a catastrophe. The instrumentation is part of it. Since the incident in Howland two years ago, the lab has been checking the contamination levels of its agents regularly.

Kim Yi-Hyeon's figure has always been fixed at 214.

'Of course it's because of Helixivir.'

A mutation rate of 41 percent means a contamination level of 214. Fortunately, the surroundings were not affected. Even after three days in a cramped sterilization room, the contamination index did not change.

'My contamination level won't go up unless I use Helixivir.'

It is a level that surpasses the resistance that spellcasters usually have. While other agents had to receive care after entering and exiting the red zone, Kim Lee-Hyeon was able to move without rest.

'It's definitely a good talent.'

A talent that has been around since the 1st star.

The moment it became 5 stars, the 'unknown' label was removed.

[castaway]

[Description: Possesses strong resistance to the influence of foreign substances that do not correspond to 'Polaris'. It can fully maintain its sanity even in the 'mutant' state, and can remove the 'mutant' state at will.]

'It's a foreign substance, so it's strong against foreign substances. What does that mean?'

It was ironic. But there was no denying that it helped. If I hadn't had the talent to endure Helixivir, I would have died long ago.

"That's true. I've heard that when the condition worsens, you often lose consciousness, but you've never shown any signs of that. Those people probably don't do their jobs carelessly either."

Leone glanced at Claire. His expression was extremely grim, perhaps because he had realized the absurdity right before his eyes. The phrase "you reap what you sow" came to mind, but it wasn't all that satisfying.

Because Claire wasn't the only one infected.

"Don't you care, sir? You got it yourself."

"I told you, we'll never meet again. I did my best to save you without a single scratch. You can contact the client separately."

Their future cannot be said to be bright even in empty words.

But it wasn't a problem that others could take responsibility for.

There is no obligation or luxury to do so.

"Take care of yourselves first."

Kim Lee-hyun spoke to the students who still followed him around like baby birds.

"After staying in the refugee camp, you will be accepted into the city. You will be given psychiatric counseling and social rehabilitation programs to help you return to normal life. Ask the camp staff for more information."

He looked at Leone for a moment and then swallowed a sigh.

"That's it for you guys. I hope your families are safe."

"Go and get some rest, you bratty little brats."

Kim I-hyeon and Turkam started to leave.

Leone glanced around the camp. Soldiers wearing masks and guarding the area, medical personnel walking around in protective gear, refugees sitting in corners eating bread.

There was a gloomy atmosphere here, just like the school back then.

I stared at Kim Yi-Hyeon's back again.

The brightest light I've ever seen was fading away.

Knock, knock!

A strong impulse pushed her back.

"Wait a minute. Mister, no, Oppa!"

"Hey, cool! Hey Inma, how old are you, Team Leader?"

Kim Yi-hyeon ignored Turkam, who had suddenly burst out laughing, and looked down at Leone. He was faced with a face that was much younger than the illustration.

"I want to follow you. Can I?"

"Be specific. Are you interested in our company?"

Nod nod.

"Do you know what we're doing?"

"Things like this I saw yesterday and today."

"It's just part of the job. It's not what you think it is. We're not good volunteers or anything."

"Yes. I don't think so."

Fragmentary scenes flashed through Leone's mind.

Breaking a window and entering the school and firing a minigun. Teaching someone who is trying to bully you how spicy life is. Putting pressure on your colleagues by saying you will be kicked out of the bus if you are noisy.

He certainly didn't look all that kind.

Yet, he never once scolded the students. He planned thoroughly. He did not gamble with civilian lives. He was the first to face danger.

He was the only person who ran to the danger zone and rescued him.

I was able to fully understand the person named Kim Lee-Hyeon.

Leone took a breath and paused to consider his words.

"…If this continues, I will rot."

She grabbed Kim Hyun's sleeve.

"Wherever I go, I'll have to beg the kids from rich families just like I did at school, and I'll probably suffer from delusions and depression because I don't know when something like this will happen again. I don't want to be called a crazy bitch and I don't want to worry other people, so I'll pretend to be normal and pretend like nothing's wrong."

"...."

"I want to live a better life than that."

Turkam blew his whistle.

"Your will is firm. What are you going to do?"

Kim Yi-hyeon did not respond right away. They just exchanged glances without saying a word. Without avoiding the orange eyes staring straight at him, Kim Yi-hyeon was lost in thought.

'How do I do this?'

Leone Ryan.

A six-star agent from the Harrenhal Guard.

'At first, I was going to take you no matter what.'

He may not be a corrupt person, but he can be called a high-performance character. Above all, the timing was right. Normally, he would have joined the guards right after graduating, but since we met while he was a student, I thought it would be easy to recruit him.

But the early timing wasn't all it's cracked up to be.

"Aren't you too young?"

"I just turned 19. Legally, I'm an adult now."

"The world calls that childish."

Lack of experience is not a problem. The number of parasites is increasing day by day. It is an environment where you have no choice but to roll, and as you roll, you will learn the techniques on your own.

However, I was hesitant mentally.

Is it right to take students and turn them into fighters?

"What does age mean in this world?"

Surprisingly, Turkam solved my worries.

"If you're capable, smart, and lucky, that's all that matters. I don't know about your abilities, but from what I've heard, you seem pretty smart. And since you're alive and well, there's no need to talk about luck."

Then he burst into laughter.

"In the first place, there's no need to worry about age. Look at the time when the team leader first met Princess Ainoa. She was 20 years old at the time. What are you talking about now after making her do all sorts of things?"

Now that I hear it, that's true.

Even if Leone had suffered, he would never have suffered as much as Ainoa did at the time… .

"Okay, I got it. Follow me."

"Thank you, thank you!"

Kim Lee-hyun smiled bitterly.

'It's bright.'

* * *

An apartment rooftop in a collapsed city.

A head covered in pink hair was poking out over the railing. Chelsea, who had been observing the distance with binoculars for a while, carefully lowered her posture.

"Oh, my hands are itchy. I'm going to just shoot it, for real."

"Don't do it. I'll run away by myself."

"If you want to get shot by the boss, then do it. The boss cares about me so much. Huh?"

"I guess the one you're saving is Asterique."

"I get paid more, don't I?"

"Because I have more work to do."

"Fuck!"

Chelsea swore in a restrained tone. It was as Edwin had said. She had been working for thirty-three days without a day off.

"Ugh. It's a problem if the company is doing too well."

When the request is finished, the next request comes. Another task comes up while you are finishing up. Although Asterike is busy, the combination of Chelsea and Edwin is preferred due to the versatility of the spell.

Kim Lee-hyun went without saying.

"The boss is the busiest person, so it's hard for me to say anything."

"You used to be happy about escaping from the common people. Are you sick of it now?"

"You can't get tired of money. But the world is like this, money seems to be becoming less and less useful."

"Then I guess I should work to get things back to how they were."

"I'm so tired, I'm so tired. I have to rest when I'm done with this."

Chelsea handed over the binoculars.

Edwin, looking down equally, said:

"How are you going to deal with that?"

A giant egg was lying in the middle of the road. Instead of a shell, it was covered in mucus membrane. The entity was named Egg, and it was the main culprit in exponentially increasing the pollution index in this area.

"If Mr. Asterique sets fire to it, it'll be gone in no time."

"I can't do that."

"I didn't even tell you to do it. Who else can I ask to do something that I can't do myself…."

Thump!

The ground shook with a thud.

"Oh my, crazy!"

Chelsea tugged at the back of Edwin's neck in shock. A black streak passed through his hair just in time. Edwin checked the egg while being held by Chelsea.

Dozens of stems stretched out indiscriminately in all directions. Every time the egg pulsed, vibrations were transmitted through the stems connected to the building.

Chelsea, who realized the situation, frowned.

"Oh, what unlucky luck. Please help me."

It was a sign of hatching.