Negotiation

[Pingchang Chen Family].

[A capricious dignitary].

The moment Zhou Zhi picked up on this information, the thought had already formed.

In Zhou Zhi's view, the enemies before him had now been identified.

The Disease Core behind the [Blue Stone Town Pestilence Zone] was none other than [Great Sneeze Doctor—Qiu Ti], along with his current sidekick, Medical Student [Wu Ji].

The two of them wielded the Plague Extermination Art, especially Qiu Ti.

They had to bring in outside help to resolve their current predicament.

Otherwise, even if he didn't die from pathogenization, Zhou Zhi wouldn't last another day.

"Quiet."

Zhou Zhi spoke in a low, icy voice.

He rose to his feet and felt his way toward the other side.

[Great Sneeze Operating Room].

The deathly pale curtain was right beside him, and the strange odor in the air had grown even stronger.

"The Communicator is supposedly in here. Wu Ji left it here, though it might already have been destroyed."

Zhou Zhi raised his head slightly.

In the distance.

Several Mucus Men with numb expressions moved through Great Sneeze Space.

They were carrying various items.

"Hmm..."

Zhou Zhi studied the scene ahead.

Although he couldn't tell what kind of power Qiu Ti possessed, judging from the situation, [controlling Mucus Men] was likely the power Qiu Ti had gained after embracing Pestilence.

That included the [Mucus Man Vanguard] created earlier using a Medical Student. With that in mind, the [Mucus Men] hanging above would immediately become Qiu Ti's soldiers if anything unexpected happened.

"A system completely different from the Plague Extermination Art."

Zhou Zhi could tell that Qiu Ti's power was entirely different from what Yu Jinhai had used before.

He slipped out of the Mucus Men's sight.

With steady steps, he entered the inner operating room.

The curtain shifted slightly as Zhou Zhi moved with even greater care.

Rather than an operating room, this place seemed more like a storeroom where Qiu Ti conducted human experiments.

Unlike the morgue beneath Bai Xiu Clinic, this place was even more chaotic.

Mucus ran down the walls, faintly streaked with blood.

Several Mucus Man corpses lay haphazardly to one side, a truly revolting sight.

"The Communicator..."

Zhou Zhi wanted to search the place and learn more about this world's Plague Extermination powers, but now wasn't the time.

The information flickered.

Right on time.

Zhou Zhi shifted his gaze. A nearby shelf was piled with all sorts of things.

[Musk Brand Special Communicator].

[A fourth-generation Medical Department anti-plague communicator, capable of effectively preventing abnormal pathogenization caused by signals, electric currents, and the like].

[Equipped with bidirectional individual positioning].

[Ordinary communicators can sometimes lead to death. Don't forget how that female Plague Exterminator died].

["This communicator is really good"].

Unlike Lin Rui's Communicator, the one before him was refined and elegant.

Sometimes, Zhou Zhi felt as though that inexplicable message was a part of him. At least, that was what he believed.

"Enter password."

Zhou Zhi carefully operated the Communicator.

Static crackled.

The sound brought back some unpleasant memories.

But this Communicator seemed to be one of those that didn't easily undergo pathogenization.

Zhou Zhi kept an eye on his surroundings as he held the Communicator, working with meticulous care.

Static crackled...

After a burst of noisy interference.

It seemed to connect.

Or maybe it hadn't. He could faintly hear a man's voice, but couldn't make out what he was saying.

"I'll keep it brief."

Zhou Zhi lowered his voice. "[Chen Yao] is in Blue Stone Town. This place has already become a Pestilence Zone."

Static crackled.

Zhou Zhi couldn't tell if his voice had gotten through. The communications were probably severely disrupted because the town had become a Pestilence Zone.

The Communicator fell deathly silent. Not another sound came from it.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Zhi put it back where he'd found it.

It'd be disastrous if it suddenly started making noise later.

Then, his gaze shifted.

He noticed several blades beside the Communicator.

There were three in all.

They lay side by side.

"Plague-Slaying Blades?"

Zhou Zhi recognized them. They looked like oversized scalpels, just a little larger than the scalpel he'd had from Bai Xiu.

These Plague-Slaying Blades were probably standard equipment for Plague Exterminators in this world.

He recognized one of them.

It had belonged to Yu Jinhai.

Wu Ji had obviously confiscated it.

That meant the remaining two belonged to the other two Medical Students in the five-person trainee group, apart from Lin Rui, who had just turned into a Mucus Man.

[Standard Scalpel Type II].

[Pathogenization Index: 10.82%].

[Marked with the insignia of Pingchang First Medical College. This is a third-category contribution exchange item from the college].

[Provides a small boost to (heart)-branch Plague Extermination Arts].

[Provides a slight boost to (heart-lung) category Plague Extermination Arts].

[Using this scalpel can slightly raise the heart rate and improve overall physical ability].

[This kind of common item has almost no chance of advancing to (Fine) rank on its own].

[This Plague-Slaying Blade is currently in good condition].

All three Medical Students' scalpels were the same model. They were far better than the one Zhou Zhi had used before it broke.

"Maybe..."

Zhou Zhi took one of the Plague-Slaying Blades in his hand and felt its weight.

It was much larger than Bai Xiu's scalpel and couldn't be slipped into his pocket with ease.

Even so, he took it without hesitation.

The Plague-Slaying Blade seemed to offer some kind of mysterious power.

Incidentally, the [Lung Resection] Zhou Zhi currently possessed should also count as a heart-lung category Plague Extermination Art.

He slowly raised his hand.

Footsteps sounded in the distance.

Zhou Zhi didn't change expression. He quickly put the Plague-Slaying Blade back, then crouched and blended into the Mucus Men's shadows.

It was Wu Ji.

The young man's expression was dreadful.

As a favored son of heaven, Wu Ji had been the envy of everyone at the Medical Academy.

He had also led this medical internship group.

His future should have been bright.

But now...

A nasty palm print marred Wu Ji's face, and a trace of blood clung to the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away lightly.

"[Three Vials of Mucus Man Essence]."

"One [Throat Beast Trachea]."

Wu Ji's eyes flickered as he searched for the things he needed to obtain.

After Qiu Ti had actively embraced Pestilence, he'd fallen into a state of confusion, and many special items had been left scattered about.

"Hmm..."

Wu Ji's expression shifted.

His gaze fell on a certain spot.

There were still three Plague-Slaying Blades. Three, just as before.

The matching Plague-Slaying Blade at Wu Ji's waist shifted slightly.

"Their positions are wrong... Someone's been here."

Wu Ji's expression darkened.

"Who?"

His gaze was icy.

"It's me."

To his surprise, someone actually answered.

In a corner he hadn't noticed, hidden in the shadows.

The young man appeared, his expression calm.

"Mr. Wu Ji."

"Perhaps we should think carefully about how to kill that monster outside."

"Don't you think?"

Zhou Zhi's voice was soft.

But to Wu Ji, it sounded like thunder.