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Epidemic Prevention Center.

Zhou Zhi stepped inside, carrying his Blade Case.

"Zhou Zhi..."

Sun Shun's face was deathly pale, and faint, strange circular granules were visible on the skin of his body.

There was some fluid inside his nasal cavity, but he was suppressing it with his own strength.

Le Wei was dead.

The message had been sent by Sun Shun.

Clearly, Sun Shun was in a wretched state.

The lower half of his standard-issue Plague Armor was shattered, torn into strips. His Plague-Slaying Blade, lacking a sheath, was exposed; like his skin, it bore small, circular phantom images resembling spots.

Zhou Zhi did not ask what had happened, for Sun Shun would speak on his own.

It was simple: Sun Shun and Le Wei had teamed up, and their efficiency had been quite good. They had quickly suppressed a second [Strange Incident], gaining an increase in spiritual power and a considerable amount of contribution points.

Success breeds ambition; this was hardly a surprise.

Sun Shun soon set his sights on the [Suhui Central Academy - Strange Incident].

This incident had reached the [Disease Seed - Advanced] level.

According to standard classifications, this was not an event that an Apprentice Plague Exterminator was completely incapable of handling; it was merely more troublesome and dangerous.

Precisely because of this, Sun Shun did not intend to go and suppress it with only Le Wei.

In other sectors of Suhui Town, there were other epidemic prevention personnel just like Sun Shun, including some of his own classmates.

After spending an afternoon making contacts, Sun Shun assembled an eight-person team... In Xuanyuan, a standard epidemic-fighting squad usually consisted of five people, and Sun Shun felt this team was quite impressive.

They were all Apprentice Plague Exterminators... individuals among the epidemic prevention personnel who were ambitious and eager to grow.

They set off.

And then...

"Only I and one other person, my classmate... managed to run out."

Sun Shun's face remained pale, his brow furrowed, and he seemed to be suffering from a headache. "It's... nauseating..."

Zhou Zhi's gaze flickered.

[Sun Shun].

[Combat Level: Apprentice Plague Exterminator].

[Degree of Pathogenization: 36.8%].

[Status: Weakened].

[Source of Pathogenization: Chickenpox Plague].

[A young man with strong self-confidence should always pay a price... but the price, it seems, was not paid by himself. What a truly sorrowful thing].

"Starting a few days ago, an epidemic appeared inside Suhui Central Academy. Some teachers and students in one of the classes developed high fevers, nausea, and tiny white swellings spreading across their bodies."

Sun Shun gasped for air, his head bowed. "Currently, the information provided by the Epidemic Prevention Center is that this epidemic belongs to the [Infectious Disease] category, but the specific type requires further research... or direct suppression."

"But..."

Zhou Zhi shook his head. "If a Formal-level Plague Exterminator doesn't take action, the higher-ups' intention is... if it can't be solved, just wait a week and let the Formal-level personnel from the outside handle it?"

Sun Shun did not speak; he could not forget that horrific scene.

Zhou Zhi's eyes were cold.

Indeed, in this world of plagues, death was a truly easy thing.

Although he did not have a deep impression of Le Wei, the thought of such a girl dying without warning caused his emotions to fluctuate.

"The students and teachers in that class have already fully pathogenized and are being contained inside the school. An epidemic of this level won't spread any further, so... the higher-ups are just planning to wait."

Zhou Zhi held his Blade Case and crouched down slightly.

"Classmate Sun Shun."

"You must still have something to tell me."

"For instance, you are so eager to suppress this epidemic—is there some inside information you have?"

"Or... are you planning to go back to the academy and want to drag me along?"

Upon hearing Zhou Zhi's words, Sun Shun's expression changed, as if he were struggling with something.

Then, he let out a long sigh.

"Fine, I can tell you. It's not really a secret."

"For Professor Jin Pingyang's promotion banquet, the Changdu Government will be pulling a large number of personnel from the outer city into the inner city for rewards and honors..."

"The standard for this is the contribution points earned from suppressing Strange Incidents in the outer city."

"As the banquet begins, an [Auction] sponsored by the inner city will be held simultaneously. As long as one has made some achievements in suppressing Strange Incidents—even just a little—and can obtain an invitation to the banquet, they will be able to secure a place for themselves in Changdu..."

"There is one more thing, and it is very important."

Sun Shun raised his head. "Any Disease Seed of high rank or above will inevitably have a Pathogenized Object."

"If you join me in suppressing this pestilence, the Pathogenized Object is yours, and I will only take half of the contribution points."

Zhou Zhi did not respond, merely lost in thought.

This Sun Shun, his obsession runs so deep.

Or perhaps...

"I do not believe that with just the two of us, plus a few survivors, we can suppress this incident."

Zhou Zhi looked up slightly.

According to the information he possessed, of the eight Plague Exterminators sent, only Sun Shun and one other had returned.

That other person was currently lying in the hospital, unconscious; if not for his family's wealth, he would likely have already succumbed to pathogenization and died.

In that case, was Sun Shun the only one who had truly returned alive?

"We can find others!"

Sun Shun lowered his voice. "Su Xing of the Su Family Clinic—he is a formal-rank Plague Exterminator!"

"Even if he lacks clinical experience, he is more than enough to suppress this incident."

"Zhou Zhi, I heard you have a good relationship with Su Xing's daughter, Su Rongrong. Perhaps..."

Zhou Zhi cut Sun Shun off. "Very well, your suggestion is sound. I will consider it."

He waved his hand and turned to leave.

Behind him, a flicker of resentment crossed Sun Shun's eyes.

Outside.

As soon as Zhou Zhi stepped out, he saw Le Wei's corpse, covered in a white sheet, being claimed by others.

Judging by their appearance, they must have been the girl's parents.

They had cried until they had little strength left, whispering to the body beneath the sheet.

The mother's words were mostly about why she had to become a Plague Exterminator... and how they should have known better than to let her come here.

Zhou Zhi felt that the poor mother was right, and he shook his head.

Changdu had been peaceful for a long time; with so many deaths occurring at once, the entire Epidemic Prevention Center felt exceptionally silent and cold.

Suhui Central Academy.

A school for basic education.

Zhou Zhi stood outside, clad in his Plague Armor.

He gazed at the strange mist appearing above the school.

Inside, it seemed that fungal colonies were spreading.

The entire perimeter of the school had been placed under martial law.

"An ultra-small Pestilence Zone... that should be an accurate description."

Zhou Zhi stared ahead.

The pathogenized area of a pestilence had its limits, generally spreading outward from the center of the disease core.

The surrounding civilians had already been evacuated, and the area ahead stretched out, appearing exceptionally gloomy.

"My Lord Plague Exterminator... this... when will these days ever end!"

At the school gate, an old man in a security guard's uniform—evidently the school's gatekeeper—began to complain upon seeing Zhou Zhi's attire.

"I'm guarding this place, but I'm terrified. If those diseases get out... an old bag of bones like me..."

"They won't."

Zhou Zhi said calmly.

The old man seemed to be calmed down, and he coughed twice. "It's truly a pity, though. An entire class of people... by the time they were diagnosed, one of them had already pathogenized, and as a result..."