Listening to the description of the secret medicine, Yi Chen fell into deep thought again.
However, this time, it wasn’t about the concept of the secret medicine or matters like doctors and clinics.
Instead, he combined the details and descriptions from this mission and found a peculiar point.
“Edmund, you said that the raw materials for the elixir are derived from the infected.
Could the 'False Moon Incident' in Vinal City be related to the development of the elixir?”
As soon as these words were spoken, Edmund froze, raising a finger to his lips.
“William~ Such words mustn’t be spoken lightly.
Besides, the information provided to us by the organization clearly states that the open source patients labeled as 'Moonscars', the infected, possess a concealment ability far surpassing those of the same level.
The False Moon Incident erupted suddenly, without the local gentlemen or the clinic noticing anything.”
‘The report from Zion should be accurate. The real culprit behind the 'False Moon Incident' is already dead, so we won’t encounter them... Besides, even if we did, would we survive?’
"With our current state, death is inevitable, and it will be a miserable one."
"Sigh~ You're such a buzzkill. I'm just fantasizing a little. For this mission trip, as long as I can eat some pathogenic grapes related to the open source patient, I'll be satisfied."
"Alright, during this mission, any infected individuals we kill, their grapes are yours.
Since the mission primarily involves searching, your visual assistance will be crucial, Little Grape. Don’t slack off when the time comes."
Three hours of travel later.
The carriage was about to arrive at the site of the False Moon Incident—"Vinal City" .
The front window of the carriage opened, and for the first time, the masked coachman spoke:
"As a protective measure for the newcomers, I will drive directly through Vinal City and drop you off right below the 'Twilight Clinic'.
Of course, you can also choose a safer route that detours through the suburbs."
"Let's go straight through the city," Edmund decided, and his reasoning was simple. This carriage could isolate pathogenic effects, so even if they encountered infected individuals hiding in the city, those beings would never catch up.
By passing through the city, they could also assess the level of danger for this mission.
"Just a heads-up, if we encounter an attack from the infected, the carriage will double its current speed. Don't get thrown off—I won’t stop to wait for any of you."
As he spoke, the carriage officially entered Vinal City.
This pitiful city, once ravaged by the "False Moon Incident," was now in ruins.
Nearly every building bore varying degrees of damage, with some entirely collapsed, cutting off city roads.
Even though two months had passed since the incident,
the air still carried a mix of rot and blood—complemented by stains on the ground, lamp posts, and buildings. It almost seemed as though the screams from that dreadful night still echoed in the alleys.
It was hard to imagine how a city with over ten thousand residents, watched over by gentlemen and monitored by clinics, could have turned into a hellscape in just one night.
At this moment, Yi Chen could taste the bitterness of the ‘disease’, the flavor of despair.
As he stared blankly at the moving scenery outside the window,
a sense of "being watched" came through the visual window provided by Little Grape.
"Oh, something in the shadows is watching us. It seems there really are grapes to be eaten… Though they didn’t pursue us, they’re just watching from the darkness. Such a shame," said Little Grape.
Yi Chen’s thoughts were pulled back by Little Grape.
"Perhaps these moon-born creatures only come out at night?"
"That’s possible. I’m looking forward to seeing if they change at night—might make the grapes tastier."
While conversing with Little Grape, Yi Chen also informed the team of the situation.
Edmund asked, "Can you confirm the number?"
"Alright. Our primary activity area is the 'clinic'. Let’s avoid contact with the city as much as possible afterward."
After half an hour of fast travel, the carriage successfully exited the city and followed a winding road into the countryside.
A small hospital-like building, resembling the architectural style of Zion, stood on a hill near Vinal City.
This elevation allowed the doctors and apprentices at the clinic to overlook the city’s general state.