Communication

BOOM!

After crossing a bridge, Yu Jinhai swung his Plague-Slaying Blade.

The blade danced through the air, leaving a trail in its wake.

The small bridge snapped completely, exposing the steel reinforcements beneath.

"What terrifying destructive power, and to think it's merely..."

Lei Heng's frame trembled.

"Infusing spiritual power into clinical weapons—just some trivial little tricks."

Yu Jinhai let out a cold snort, stealing a glance at Xia Yu.

In the distance, an explosive roar echoed, causing Yu Jinhai's expression to shift slightly.

Lin Rui spoke up to break the tension: "Let's leave this place quickly. If the Throat Beast catches up, they won't be able to escape."

This time, Yu Jinhai nodded readily.

He took the lead at the very front of the group.

Zhou Zhi and Xiao Nan remained at the very back.

Xia Yu's face looked ghastly.

After the incident with the Throat Beast, the group was now reduced to only ten people, including those two Plague Exterminators.

Death had become all too easy.

"In the face of disease, any existence is nothing but despair."

Xia Yu's beautiful eyes flickered, a look of guilt crossing her face.

"Sister Xia Yu..."

"So many people have died."

Xiao Nan lowered her head, her face covered in fine lacerations.

Zhou Zhi observed the world as it stood.

He also observed the two of them.

The two Plague Exterminators.

Individuals who used spiritual power as a medium and wielded Plague-Slaying Blades to eradicate diseases.

They possessed some medical techniques from his past life, but here, they had all been transformed into maneuvers to combat physical manifestations of disease.

Stepping across the relatively clean ground, they had now reached the center of Blue Stone Town.

Unlike the outskirts, there wasn't much white fur on the ground here.

Likewise, there were almost no Mucus Men here either.

All that remained were scattered, broken corpses.

Yet, the oppressive, pitch-black miasma of disease in the sky above had only intensified.

"A-Duo..."

Xiao Nan spotted the corpse of a young girl on the ground.

That familiar shirt.

She looked exceptionally cute.

But now, she lay dead in a deserted corner, her face frozen in terror.

"She died before she could undergo pathological transformation; she was quite lucky," Yu Jinhai said indifferently. He didn't care about such sights at all, merely looking toward Lin Rui: "It would be troublesome if we encountered a disease that could animate corpses."

The center of Blue Stone Town was indeed much cleaner than the surrounding areas.

Blue stone tiles, empty streets—aside from the scattered corpses that appeared from time to time, there was nothing.

There were no living things.

It was abnormally quiet.

But now, the group felt much more at ease.

With two bona fide Plague Exterminators leading the way, it seemed there would be no problems.

Not to mention, Yu Jinhai had just demonstrated his transcendent Plague Extermination Art.

"How is it? Is the communicator receiving any signal?"

Reaching a crossroads, Yu Jinhai stopped, and the rest of the group followed suit.

"The signal is intermittent, but it's basically there... it's pointing toward the very center, over there."

Lin Rui looked toward the front.

In the distance.

A pitch-black silhouette, a building crouching upon the ground like a small giant.

Even from such a distance, Zhou Zhi could discern the emblem within the gloomy light.

[Lion Emblem].

"The emblem of Xuanyuan... no matter how many times I see it, it fills one with longing."

Xia Yu whispered.

Zhou Zhi stood to the side, his gaze sweeping over Xia Yu once more.

"So the Captain and the others really are there."

Joy appeared on Yu Jinhai's face.

"Blue Stone Town Central Hospital!"

"I heard the Plague Exterminator there participated in the Grand Selection and is a fully licensed Plague Exterminator."

This Plague Exterminator was originally the person Yu Jinhai and the others were meant to assist during their internship.

Yet, they never expected things to turn out like this.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

"Can you... hear me?"

"Can you hear me?"

"...If you can hear me... answer..."

Abruptly, the sound of crackling electricity.

A hoarse male voice rang out.

It came from the communicator in Lin Rui's hand.

"That's the Captain's voice!!"

Lin Rui looked delighted: "Captain, it's me!"

"Where are you?"

"Chen Yao... is Chen Yao with you?"

Shhh-shhh-shhh.

The sound of electricity, more like the grinding of sand and stone.

There was no response to Lin Rui from the communicator.

Instead, it emitted intermittent sounds.

"Blue Stone..."

"Central Hospital..."

"I... am at..."

The electrical current flickered and fluctuated.

Then, it fell silent.

Confirming that the communicator was no longer making any sound, Yu Jinhai lowered his head slightly: "They are indeed at Blue Stone Town Central Hospital."

"This confirms it."

"Although I don't know the specifics, I trust in the Captain's ability."

"Let's go."

Yu Jinhai did not pause for even a moment, turning to leave.

"My Lord! My Lord!"

"We've been walking for so long, could we... could we take a rest?"

Lei Heng panted.

"If you don't want to follow, you don't have to."

Yu Jinhai said coldly.

He truly did not want these burdens; if not for Xia Yu, he would have thrown these fellows into the gullet of a Throat Beast long ago.

Upon hearing this, Lei Heng immediately lowered his head and said nothing more.

Lin Rui tucked the communicator into her waist pocket and hoisted her Plague-Slaying Blade.

As a member at the tail end of the group, Zhou Zhi had no authority to decide the plans of the two Plague Exterminators.

However, in Zhou Zhi's eyes, he saw something unusual.

[Pathogenized Object: Lin Rui's Simple Communicator].

[Pathogenization Index: 62.8%].

[The owner who uses it will carry the following effects].

[1. Slightly exacerbate the pathogenization index with recessive traits].

[2. Using the communicator to communicate has a chance of resulting in (erroneous communication)].

[3. Using the communicator to communicate has a chance of contracting (the communication target's plague)].

[4. Before the communicator is completely pathogenized, the user will not perceive the fluctuations in the pathogenization index brought about by this Pathogenized Object].

[A communicator that Lin Rui liked very much; unfortunately, after days of running about outside, it had become contaminated with a plague, the source of which was the communicator of the person she harbored a secret crush on].

["The sound from the communicator is, of course, also a means of transmission."]

The message appeared just a moment ago.

It was when Zhou Zhi heard the voice of the so-called [Captain] emanate from the communicator.

Sure enough, in this world, it is not just living things that can be pathogenized.

Even communicators can be.

And...

These two Plague Exterminators did not seem to have noticed this.

In Zhou Zhi's line of sight, Lin Rui's degree of pathogenization was already in a very stable state.

It was only for a brief instant just now that it had fluctuated violently.

Zhou Zhi did not speak up.

He passed by calmly, following behind Yu Jinhai.

"Kid, you're not bad."

Seeing Zhou Zhi silently keeping up, Yu Jinhai finally spoke a few words: "You know a few [folk remedies] and [outer-gate techniques], and you've mastered a bit of spiritual power... If you can be of help later on, I will help you find a good job in Pingchang."

"As it happens, I still have an extra-budgetary spot for the Pingchang [Disease Prevention and Control Center] in my hands..."

Zhou Zhi nodded, his footsteps quickening slightly to express a certain level of excitement.

Behind him, Lin Rui suppressed the joy of being about to see her captain.

She did not notice that, at the back of her neck, a tiny maggot crawled past.