It itches, it itches unbearably!
Aisoke couldn’t help but scratch his cheek, tearing off a piece of flesh. He stared blankly at his blood-soaked palm, yet felt no pain. The unbearable itch on his face vanished, replaced by an indescribable relief.
However, inside, he was terrified. The extreme disparity made Aisoke feel as if his thoughts had split into two. Another whisper from deep in his mind kept lauding the Father’s greatness, urging him to embrace this gift from the Father.
Become the son of the Father, and you’ll gain even more!
Another consciousness pulled Aisoke back to reality, but before that... he fiercely glared at the thug in the corner.
The thug looked at Aisoke’s current form and laughed, a schadenfreude smile, eyes widened as if wanting to witness Aisoke’s descent into hell.
Furiously, Aisoke wanted to aim the gun at him, but realized the pistol had somehow fallen to the ground. This subconscious action allowed him to notice his arms; his fingers had vanished, replaced by spiny appendages. These appendages were torn open, new flesh buds growing from the cracks.
Frightened by the scene, he screamed without reservation and almost without looking back, crashed through the door, sprinting down the path he came from.
Aisoke’s scream triggered a chain reaction, causing every investigator he encountered to shy away as if they had seen a ghost. Some were so frightened they stumbled and fell.
You... what are you doing?
Sooner or later, I’ll kill you all!
Aisoke didn’t stop. Before he dealt with these people, he must find a way to cure the Red Death Plague!
Yes, he needed to find that new investigator and order him to cure him.
If he can’t cure him, then kill him, and that strange cat too!
He ran to the bottom of the Reception Bureau building, encountering fewer and fewer people along the way. Finally, the ear-piercing screams died down, but the first floor of the hall was deserted. The sudden silence intensified Aisoke’s fear. He just stood at the substation entrance, met by countless gazes.
There weren’t only the Firearms Team he brought along but also investigators from the Reception Bureau, the Kingdom Army, and even priests from the Church. Everyone had the same look, including the Firearms Team. Out of reflex, all gun barrels and crossbows were aimed at him.
Ruffians, a bunch of ruffians! I am Aisoke!
He roared and stepped forward; gunshots rang almost instantly. Aisoke saw the barrel spew fire and saw the priests beginning a prayer, gathering silver-white energy.
Bullets hit him lightly, without much sensation.
In the crowd, Aisoke finally found the investigator with a cat on his shoulder. He saw the white cat’s expression; it squinted with a mocking smile, head tilted, watching the unfolding scene. By rights, he shouldn’t understand a cat’s expression!
Next, his gaze shifted to the face of the investigator with the cat.
He recklessly rushed to him, but the investigator’s lips moved, silently telling him, "No hope, can’t be cured, goodbye, Aisoke."
More gunshots sounded, and the silver-white light gathered by the priests struck Aisoke.
He still felt no pain, but his actions slowed.
You fools, haven’t you realized?
That new investigator is the Evil God’s follower!
Aisoke roared, but people only heard unintelligible whispers, clearly reaching everyone’s ears.
His forward steps finally halted, and he fell to the ground.
Aisoke saw that everyone’s faces showed genuine joy, the joy of having survived a great ordeal.
Before his vision plunged into endless darkness, Aisoke saw the Kingdom Army officer and the Church’s Chief Priest in Gear City express solemn gratitude to the new investigator. Thanks to this young investigator’s warning, they could shoot down the Evil God’s creation before it harmed anyone.
Aisoke seemed to see at the edge of the crowd, a woman in a black Magic Master’s robe with heavy makeup, felt his consciousness gradually dissipating. Before the last glimmer of light faded, he gazed at the woman.
Yet this time, the woman didn’t extend a helping hand as usual but instead smiled maliciously at him.
The last ray of light was extinguished.
The square-faced substation chief Gravedigger stood amid the crowd, observing Ethan chatting excitedly with the officer and Chief Priest. This was supposed to be his job, but at least regarding the Red Death Plague, the newcomer demonstrated more expertise than this A-level investigator.
It truly makes one feel inferior.
Gravedigger was quite pleased; ever since the Fallen War ended, everyone knew the Empire was getting worse. But fortunately, when disaster struck, there were always people like Ethan stepping forward.
Such young people, I really want to keep him in Gear City for training!
Unfortunately, it’s not feasible.
The night Ethan arrived in Gear City, the Margaret Clan’s young lady sent him a letter, praising Ethan’s work ability highly while subtly asking him not to have any designs on Ethan.
Ethan is destined to return to Ximu Town; for him, the trip to Gear City is just a field assignment.
Gravedigger saw through Ave’s little plan. Was this for training a newcomer for the Reception Bureau? Clearly, it was just using the bureau as a platform to train her own aide. When she one day returns to the imperial capital, she will surely take Ethan along.
He could only envy Ave’s discerning eye, managing to recruit such a newcomer from a border town.
The conversation between Ethan and others was also nearing the end. He fully utilized his understanding of the T-virus, from which he modified a Red Death Plague infection system, using Aisoke as an example, describing him as a second-stage infectee more infectious than a first-stage one, practically ensuring Red Death Plague transmission once a wound is ripped open by it.
However, second-stage infectees were also the key to overcoming the Red Death Plague. The cure likely lay hidden within the twisted flesh of the infectees.
It could be foreseen that in the coming long period, the Gear City substation would have work to do.
And regarding the prevention of the Red Death Plague, the Church and Kingdom Army in Gear City formed a strategic alliance.
Lin Dong, sitting on Ethan’s shoulder, silently observed everything happening, suddenly feeling Ethan to be much more terrifying than the Church or Judicial Court.
Those people only forged evidence, which often didn’t hold up to scrutiny, obvious to anyone with eyes.
But when Ethan accused someone of being the Evil God’s creation, that person really became the Evil God’s creation, witnessed by countless people in broad daylight, even without Ethan personally acting, others would eagerly destroy them.
Aisoke ultimately died under the gun barrel produced by the Imperial Military Industry.
Ethan fulfilled his promise, making him "parade" and then shot dead by people.
Even if she hadn’t known beforehand about Ethan’s ice element upgrade effects, she would likely have regarded Aisoke as a genuine creation of the Evil God.
Whether in appearance or maddened whispers, seemed akin to the old artist Bazatous.
This worries Lindong a bit; Ethan’s aesthetics seems to be assimilating by Bazatous.
In the future, I’ll have to use maid outfits more to counteract the Evil God’s aesthetics impact on Ethan.