Chapter 78: Turmoil! First Update
October 6, 2015
Author: Floating Tower
News quickly reached Soren.
The speed at which the plague spread was alarming; it not only invaded the Frozen Kingdom but also wreaked havoc on human settlements and the edges of the Elven Forest. This was definitely not a natural plague, as no natural affliction could simultaneously infect both humans and plants. Moreover, the rapid spread of this plague raised suspicions that someone was secretly controlling it.
“Has the Lady of Venom also fallen to the mortal realm?”
Soren muttered as he looked at the intelligence in his hand, “Besides the Lady of Venom, there shouldn’t be anyone capable of spreading a plague so quickly.”
The plague infected crops.
From the edges of the Elven Forest to the outskirts of the Frozen Kingdom, and then to the south of the Northern Tower, this dreadful plague affected all. Crops withered overnight, and even more frightening was that if the infected crops were consumed by anyone, new outbreaks would occur. Many who initially showed no signs of infection fell ill after consuming infected animals and plants. The only silver lining was that, while the outbreak was widespread, it hadn’t resulted in significant casualties.
During the infection period, those afflicted typically only experienced fever and did not d*e immediately.
This provided time for various responses. There were divine techniques in this world, and Priests could quickly treat the plague with the spell “Remove Disease.”
The only problem was that many individuals were reinfected even after being cured.
“It must be the work of the Plague Goddess!”
Soren couldn’t help but think of the God of the Hunt, Mara. The deity fell to the mortal realm with a significant loss of power, which was why the God of the Hunt caused considerable turmoil in the south. Predators constantly performed bloody rituals to appease the deity while attempting to restore the divine might that had been lost.
The actions of the Lady of Venom likely followed a similar logic.
She spread the plague to instill fear in mortals because the faith born from fear could also restore her lost divine power.
The plague was still under control.
It was estimated that the Lady of Venom did not dare to offend too many forces at once. Otherwise, numerous churches would likely unite against her.
Arendelle, Royal Palace.
At this moment, the Princess had regained her former majesty, facing a group of Arendelle’s court ministers. She scanned the surroundings and commanded in a deep voice, “Immediately seal off the passage to Icewind Valley.”
“Order the troops to garrison at the Coldwind Fortress in Ice River City, allowing no one to pass until the threat of the plague is resolved.”
“Mobilize physicians and priests.”
“Command the destruction of all crops in the plague-affected areas. The Royal Family of Arendelle will provide aid during the upcoming winter.”
One order after another was given.
Soon, Arendelle’s army was mobilized, directly cutting off the passage to Icewind Valley. At present, the plague was only ravaging the border, but if it spread into the city, the resulting disaster would be devastating.
Soren was equally vigilant.
He quickly contacted the intelligence network on the Southern Coast, issuing commands for everyone to be on high alert, with particular attention to anyone who might be a follower of the Plague Goddess.
Now, he could only hope that the Plague Goddess knew when to stop; otherwise, they would have to strike back collectively.
…………
City of Harvest.
Almost as soon as the plague appeared in the northern regions, the Agricultural Church sprang into action.
Speaking of the hatred between the Plague Goddess and the Agricultural Goddess, it all began with her mother, Mother Earth. This ancient deity had always intensely loathed the Lady of Venom because she would unleash terrible pestilence upon nature, destroying the beautiful natural environment. After entrusting her divine profession to her daughter, the current Agricultural Goddess, the latter inherited the adversarial relationship with the Lady of Venom. Their churches had been at odds for over a thousand years, often resulting in physical confrontations upon meeting.
At this moment.
Within a magnificent and splendid temple, a group of priests devoted to the Agricultural Goddess had gathered.
Looking around, it was almost entirely bishops, including many powerful figures above legendary rank. The faith in the Agricultural Goddess was widespread, and her church boasted a large Druid Order.
“Here, here, and here.”
A dignified middle-aged Druid pointed at the map in front of him and said solemnly, “There are traces of the Plague Church’s fallen activities here. The goddess has delivered the divine decree, ordering us to immediately stop the spread of this plague and to strike against the enemy’s strength.”
“This year’s harvest will likely be affected.”
“I hope each diocese can stock up on grain; if famine occurs, the church must provide immediate relief to the affected.”
…………
Similar scenes occurred in various places.
Basically, any church affected by the plague, regardless of whether they belonged to the Good Faction or Evil Faction, held animosity towards the Plague Goddess. Although she regained considerable power through the plague’s spread, it was likely that she also accumulated a great deal of hatred from this incident.
Perhaps she didn’t care at all.
Because throughout history, the Plague Goddess had always been feared, hated, and revered; even the gods held some trepidation towards her.
This was due to the fact that she inherited a portion of the power of the God of Decay.
The first generation of the Goddess of Fortune died due to the God of Decay, leading to the birth of the current Fate Twins. The divine profession of Decay had since fallen to others and was eventually partially inherited by the Plague Goddess.
This goddess, adept at using poison, commanded a large number of assassins as followers, and in mortal conflicts, she had never been at a disadvantage.
…………
South of Leaffall City.
A strong smell of bl**d filled the woods, and numerous corpses could be seen on the ground as predators were reaping the lives of their enemies.
“I believe our master will be pleased with the offerings we present!”
A one-eyed werewolf grinned wickedly as he waved a dagger to slit the throat of an Elven captive before him. In front of them lay a wounded black cheetah, this fierce beast had been severely injured and was easily captured by the predators.
Shadow Leopard.
A creature that possesses an astonishing agility of 25 points after reaching maturity, it is the favorite companion of Elven Rangers.
“Perhaps we should hunt a giant dragon.”
A robust ogre approached the one-eyed werewolf, his eyes shining with an intelligence unlike that of his kind. Suddenly, he threw his spiked club and roared angrily, “d*mn werewolf!”
“That was my prepared dinner!”
“Don’t touch that elf!… I want to take it back for a midnight snack!…”
…………
Chaos had begun to spread.
And the ones who initially incited all of this were the deities from the Chaotic Evil Faction. (To Be Continued ~^~)
