This is also the reason Gear City hasn’t come to reinforce and hesitated to send troops.
In a border city, a third-tier Transcendent is already considered a big figure. Regardless of the path, once reaching the third tier, they are regarded as a High-tier Transcendent. They often possess abilities beyond normal comprehension and become key to reversing the tide in a battle of hundreds.
Baron Gledin looked solemn, "He is a Hunter from the Wolf School. An attacked merchant caravan mentioned not only is he skilled in archery, but he can also summon wolf packs. The hired guards were completely wiped out in one encounter."
The unfortunate merchant was robbed of all his possessions, beaten badly, and then stripped naked. The only fortunate thing was he wasn’t traveling with family; the bandits of Wolf Head Castle would capture any women they encountered, who thereafter were never heard from again.
"You only need to mobilize the townspeople, making sure they’re in a state of readiness. Don’t forget, you’ve already upgraded their equipment."
Ave spoke, making it evident that Baron Gledin didn’t have a direct understanding of the products from Old Sen Magic Technology Store. Still, this couldn’t really be blamed on him. If not for knowing Ethan, she might also consider the Brown Egg a tough enemy. But in reality, factoring in Ethan and Lindong, the current power of Ximu Town was even capable of toppling a small nation.
In front of a Saint, numbers lose their significance like cannon fodder.
The Brown Egg, still savoring his drink, would hardly dream of attacking such a place.
Meanwhile, as Baron Gledin and Ave conversed, Old Ba’s chosen, the Plague Bringer, was relentlessly spreading a plague throughout the town.
Golden flames were transformed into tiny Sacred Beetles, dispersed across the town. These Sacred Beetles were given a singular command—to find those infected by the Scarlet Plague and burrow into their bodies, thereby infecting them.
Although Old Ba’s artistic taste was often scorned, he was an exceptional teacher, sharing forbidden knowledge without reservation and helping Ethan fully grasp the concept of plague, laying a solid foundation for him to become a Plague Bringer.
In "The Scarlet Plague," Old Ba demonstrated to Ethan two different forms of the same plague.
Ordinary infected individuals, like those from Riverside Town, would die from organ failure and massive bleeding. However, if they "open their hearts" to the great Father, they could be transformed into flesh-and-blood constructs with powerful life force, the manner of their existence depending on Old Ba’s aesthetic preference at that time.
This meant that the symptoms following the plague were entirely determined by those spreading it.
Old Ba could let individuals die painfully or allow them to "live forever."
After some adjustments with Mr. Evans, Ethan determined the symptoms of this Sacred Beetle Plague.
Their souls, twisted by the Scarlet Plague, would be repaired, rendering them immune to it.
Rowena thought Ethan was spouting nonsense because it didn’t sound at all like the result of a plague. Ethan’s theories always teetered between logical and illogical.
Initially, she was dismissive of Ave’s claims, but after listening to Ethan’s ramblings, she found herself reconsidering those statements.
Ethan was not human at all!
Regardless, she was a witness, so Rowena left the apartment, tracking the Sacred Beetles straight to Old Leicht’s farm.
Old Leicht’s condition deteriorated rapidly, his organs had long since decayed. It was sheer determination to rid his son of demons that kept him going until today. Last night, as Rowena left, Old Leicht was barely alive, lying on a haystack outside the barn.
He entrusted Rowena, if he died, to burn him with the hay.
According to Ethan’s knowledge from the study of the Scarlet Plague, no matter how strong a person, they couldn’t survive beyond the sixth day—tonight was Old Leicht’s last day.
Upon arriving at the farm, Old Leicht had lost consciousness, and the hay beneath him was stained with blood. His body continued bleeding, mouth, nose, ears, eyes... only the unconscious twitching of muscles indicated he wasn’t completely gone.
There were many like Old Leicht. Among the 74 refugees who sought refuge in Ximu Town, some exhibited similar symptoms; they bled profusely and quickly fell into comas. People were helpless until an unobtrusive beetle burrowed into them through their ears or noses.
Rowena saw a golden radiance emanating from Old Leicht, his body seemingly becoming a vessel for this brilliance. The unconscious body was lifted by an unseen force, and the bloodstains on him evaporated rapidly before her eyes.
At this moment, people in the Ximu Town hospital witnessed the onset of this plague. Their reactions were much stronger than Rowena’s; they prostrated themselves before the infected as if devoutly praying.
Rowena witnessed Old Leicht’s transformation and suddenly laughed in relief.
Only Ethan would call it a plague. In every other church-like organization, this phenomenon had but one explanation: it was the blessing of the rightful god. When humans were in dire straits, divine grace descended upon them to heal their suffering.