Story

Severe pain, accompanied by a wretched cry.

He Qi's abdomen was visibly split open.

"His organs... have ruptured."

"How is this possible? I clearly wore a plague-prevention suit..."

He Qi gritted his teeth, his face full of disbelief.

At the same time,

the squad members behind him also opened their mouths.

They couldn't control themselves.

"Not good!"

He Qi's expression changed drastically, but it was already too late.

When these people sneezed for the first time, they were like human bombs. Something inside them seemed to gush out, and they shattered on the spot!

Tatata.

He Qi came to his senses and abruptly raised his scalpel,

only to see Qiu Ti slowly walking over.

In his hand, he carried a human head.

It belonged to another tall, slender Plague Exterminator!

"The advanced ability of [Influenza Plague]... You actually—!"

Fear flashed in He Qi's eyes.

Qiu Ti's face gradually twisted, but he still wore a smile, as if his ideal was about to come true.

"[Sneeze] causes [high abdominal pressure]. This is a power that isn't taught in Plague Extermination Art and exists only within Pestilence. It's precisely the power forbidden and feared by the Medical Department."

Qiu Ti's voice rang out loudly. Some substance seemed to be secreted within him, making him incredibly pleased.

"Plague Exterminators are aggregates of spiritual power. They're excellent energy sources."

"Though the power inside you isn't pure enough, it'll just barely do."

Qiu Ti wore a deranged expression.

"You...!"

Terrified beyond measure, He Qi tried to speak.

But in an instant,

the urge to sneeze came over him again.

The next second,

Bang!

He Qi's body exploded.

Mucus flowed out and gathered at Qiu Ti's feet.

Looking at the scene before him, Qiu Ti's face spread into an even more deranged smile.

"How interesting. How interesting."

"If I were still that useless fool who knew nothing but the study of plague extermination, I'd never have been able to wield such powerful strength."

The head of the Plague Exterminator He Qi rolled to Qiu Ti's feet.

His eyes remained open in death.

Qiu Ti casually tossed the other head onto the ground.

"Wu Ji."

"Pick up those two heads."

"It's a shame those two good-for-nothings can't produce [Spirit Remains]."

Wu Ji was completely dumbstruck.

He had never imagined that the Plague Extermination squad he'd brought in would be so utterly useless.

He stood there stiffly.

Qiu Ti was in a good mood now, and continued smiling. "Most incidents inside Xuanyuan involve Disease Seed-level Pestilence. Pathogen-level incidents are rare. After all, this is where humans live, and the Medical Department governs the center of Xuanyuan."

"And... this fellow's had things easy for far too long. I really want to know whether this squad leader has ever subdued a Pestilence incident on his own... He probably hasn't."

Qiu Ti walked forward.

Only then did Wu Ji come to his senses. He walked ahead, carrying the two heads.

The corpses scattered across the ground gradually turned into mucus,

which flowed toward the device at the very center.

[Great Sneeze—Qiu Ti].

The title faded before Zhou Zhi's eyes.

"The gap is this huge?"

Zhou Zhi pondered.

By rights, the outside Plague Exterminators and Qiu Ti should have been on the same level.

They should at least have been able to fight for a while.

Instead, they'd all been taken out in an instant.

"Is this what comes from obtaining the power of Pestilence?"

Zhou Zhi had a clearer picture now.

Drainage Art, lung removal... These medical techniques from his Past Life had become the Plague Extermination Arts of the Plague Exterminators here.

And the power of Pestilence...

It was obvious that the power of [Sneeze] Qiu Ti could wield came from Pestilence. It was so exaggerated that it could shatter internal organs.

"This is going to be troublesome."

Zhou Zhi thought this to himself.

Suddenly, a chill stirred behind his neck.

"Hmm, another little Insect?"

Qiu Ti's voice rang out, cold and distant.

In an instant, Zhou Zhi was lifted into the air.

A giant Mucus Man Vanguard raised Zhou Zhi over its head, then hurled him to the ground.

"How strange. I remember you. Why weren't you only not infected, but also able to break free?"

Qiu Ti stood on high ground, with Wu Ji behind him.

Wu Ji kept his head lowered, not daring to say a word.

"Forget it."

Qiu Ti waved his hand.

A little fellow who wasn't even a Plague Exterminator wasn't worth any more of his effort.

"Keep an eye on him for me."

Qiu Ti said softly.

"The surgery is about to begin."

Qiu Ti put on his gloves.

Zhou Zhi felt the temperature in the air plummet.

"Though it's not quite perfect yet... two Plague Exterminators from Changdu have already died. Changdu must know by now. I can't wait any longer."

Qiu Ti spoke calmly.

Countless streams of mucus began gathering toward the [Mucus Collection Device].

The smell grew stronger too. It wasn't exactly stench, but it made you feel sick all the same.

"I didn't study in Changdu. I went to a small school in one of the towns nearby."

Qiu Ti seemed to have nothing else to do. He stared at the device and began to speak.

He'd apparently left Wu Ji and Zhou Zhi there because he wanted someone to talk to.

He wanted someone to share his joy at succeeding.

"I was always first in my class."

"From the basic subjects at the very beginning to the study of plague extermination later on."

"I won a scholarship, supported my poor family, and even got to study at a Medical Academy."

"It wasn't a very good Medical Academy. There were only a handful of students in each year, and only a few managed to master a Plague Extermination Art and earn a practice license by the time they graduated."

Qiu Ti seemed to be reminiscing about something.

His gaze wandered back through the past.

"If I hadn't been recommended as the only student to go to the [Selection], perhaps I could have lived quietly in some corner of the world."

"Talent... is a fence."

"Those with talent can succeed without having to put in any effort."

Qiu Ti seemed to recall things he'd rather have forgotten.

His expression grew twisted.

Wu Ji grew frightened too, but he didn't dare move a muscle.

"Do you know? While I was working hard to graduate and earn my practice license, some people already had the ability to be full-fledged Plague Exterminators before they'd even enrolled."

"And even among full-fledged Plague Exterminators, the difference was beyond imagination."

"Without talent, you can do nothing. You can only be an ordinary doctor in a place like this, a place as worthless as this."

"Every day, you have to greet those ignorant fools and put on a friendly face."

"It's sickening. It's so sickening!!!"

As Qiu Ti spoke, his entire face contorted.

"Fortunately, that day..."

"the Messenger of God [descended]."

"That great lady..."

"brought me the method to control [Influenza]."

Qiu Ti was lost in his own world.

Zhou Zhi exchanged a glance with Wu Ji.

It was obvious that Wu Ji was scared witless.

Zhou Zhi shifted his gaze.

There was a small opening at the top of the collection device. From where Zhou Zhi stood, he could see the mucus inside gathering and forming something strange.

A shadow flickered and rolled through the mucus.

"That's... an organ?"

"No, it's a [lung]."

Zhou Zhi was certain. It was the shadowy outline of a lung.