Disaster of the Plague

Notes?

These insect-like alien races even have the habit of keeping diaries.

Linsey was a little curious, and he took the notebook from the other man's hairy arms and legs.

But as soon as Linsey got her hands on the notebook, she realized something was wrong.

The notes did not appear to have any special characteristics.

But the moment her fingers touched it, Linsey sensed a powerful Essence residing within the notebook.

Linsey has dealt with this type of Essence before.

Therefore, he immediately recognized where he came from:

"This is... the explorer's Source Material Skill?"

Hilude, standing behind Linsey, smiled slightly:

"Explorer, then this matter makes sense."

"This desolate and lifeless world is exactly what explorers want, and some people might even be thinking about coming here to explore right now."

"..."

Linsey's gaze was grave.

He didn't respond to Hilude's remark, but instead opened his notebook and began to examine it.

Upon opening it, Linsey discovered that the notebook was incomplete; it appeared to be a few pages torn out and temporarily bound together.

July 6th

Today, as I stepped into the Moon Weeping Mountain Range, the sky was overcast, an ominous gloom filled the air, and the breath of life was thin.

What exactly happened in the world affected by war?

Objective: To uncover the mystery of the depletion of Life Force.

Whether it's to save or to record, I will do my best.

August 1st

After the disaster, the epidemic followed like a shadow.

Amid the village ruins, infected individuals can be seen struggling in agony, their life force flickering and on the verge of being extinguished.

Witnessing this scene...

We must collect samples, record them, find the cause of the disease, and stop its spread.

The starry sky remains the same tonight, but I cannot sleep, my mind is filled with countless thoughts. Tomorrow I will continue to delve deeper, searching for clues.

[August 4th]

The attack came from humans...

In such a devastated world, they are simply trying to survive.

Sigh, I can understand.

[August 20th]

Did the epidemic initially appear in the southern part of the world?

Early symptoms included mental paralysis and a degree of physical loss of control. Its powerful transmissibility appears to have evolved later.

Is this related to the depletion of the world's Life Force?

Keep going.

September 2nd

Entering the southern mountains.

The forest was filled with strange plants, some of which released hallucinogenic gases that could disorient people; there were also giant carnivorous plants, requiring constant vigilance. Relying on my keen observation and survival skills, I managed to avoid these natural traps.

At night, the low growls of an unknown creature echoed through the forest; danger lurked everywhere.

[September 7th]

We encountered Insectoid Tribe whose social structure was unique and who lived in harmony with nature.

The insect-man had a strange appearance but a pure heart, and he showed me incredible friendliness.

Communication may be difficult, but smiles and dance are enough to overcome language barriers.

I've decided to stay here.

Learn more about their lifestyle and wisdom, and understand the situation of the epidemic.

September 10th

Why is this happening?

The plague had already invaded the Insectoid Tribe, tearing the peace apart.

They began to show symptoms of infection, gradually losing their vitality, their eyes filled with confusion and fear.

I... cannot stand idly by.

Using their medical knowledge and limited resources, they did their best to treat the patients.

Working day and night, racing against time.

September 24th

Uncontrollable.

Infection with the disease drastically shortens their lifespan; the species' normal lifespan may be reduced from twenty or thirty years to half, or even a third, of that.

We can only temporarily cope with this using our skills.

Transform the canyon into an adventure zone and suppress their damaged state.

To truly solve this problem, we must find the root cause.

September 30th

It was a success.

They survived the epidemic, but they were never able to leave this canyon for the rest of their lives.

I must continue my journey.

The parting with the Insectfolk was filled with reluctance.

They expressed their gratitude in the simplest way; that necklace made of colorful pebbles was the most precious gift I received on this trip.

I promise to bring more help.

Snap—

Linsey closed her notebook.

His past encounter with Reze taught him that explorers always keep an exploration notebook as the foundation of all their skills.

And this notebook is just such a thing.

The explorer who came into this world in the past did not even leave his name.

He incorporated his Source Material Skill into this notebook, helping the Insectoid Tribe maintain a semblance of life, and then continued south in search of a way to save everything.

But now, the other party has not returned.

Linsey handed the notebook back, feeling somewhat downcast.

He silently paid tribute to the explorer, then turned to look at the Sand Dune:

"Sand Dune, do you know anything about the spread of the epidemic? It must have been a long time ago?"

The Wilderness Hunter looked bewildered:

"Plague?"

"I've never heard of such a thing since I was born. In fact, you can hardly find any living people in this Wasteland, let alone such a contagious disease!"

Linsey pressed on, asking:

How old are you this year?

Sand Dune immediately replied:

"27!"

Excluding his childhood, the epidemic recorded in the notes had not appeared in the vicinity for at least 20 years.

Linsey turned to look at the leader of the Insectfolk:

"Sir... may I ask your age?"

"Seven years." The insectoid leader shook his head. "According to the human way of counting years, the average lifespan of our race is only about eight years. If you want to know what happened in the past, we are afraid we cannot answer."

The insectoid leader retrieved the explorer's notebook.

Linsey's actions earned him a lot of goodwill, and the leader of the Insectfolk even took the initiative to introduce himself:

"My name is Yeyedar."

"Esteemed human powerhouse, is there anything else you wish to ask?"

Linsey noticed the change in the other person's tone.

But he knew this matter couldn't be rushed, so he quickly changed his approach:

"Mr. Yeyedar, I have a general understanding of your current situation."

"And coincidentally—our camp has a dedicated medical research station. If you don't mind, I'd like to take some herbal and soil samples back from here. Perhaps in a while, we can develop a solution to this epidemic?"

"At that time, you will be able to see what the situation is like outside, and then we may be able to reach a cooperation agreement."

"..."

The Insectfolk was somewhat bewildered upon hearing this answer.

Their lifespan is shorter than that of humans, and they are limited by disease, so they can only live in this canyon for their entire lives, with almost no knowledge of the outside world.

All they did was follow their ancestral Ancestral Teachings and prevent the disease from spreading to the outside world.

Linsey's sudden introduction of this possibility naturally left them somewhat bewildered.

Just as these insectoids were hesitating...

Linsey continued speaking:

"I may not be able to guarantee other things."

"But if this disease can be cured, your average life expectancy should be 2 to 3 times higher than it is now."

"Therefore, I believe that cooperation is a very good approach."