In the quarantine zone set up for the plague, rows of beds were arranged under white tents. The beds were filled with patients covered with blisters on their arms and faces. Dark specks were visible on their extremely dry skin, but regardless of how much water they drank, it did not provide relief to the pain they were experiencing. Instead, more unknown liquid burst out from the blisters.
The cries of agony rose one after another in the area. They consisted of the elderly, adults, and kids. The adults were immersed in fear of the unknown plague. They glanced at the Healers walking past them, hoping they would be treated. Unfortunately, even the experts were totally clueless about how they could help them. Meanwhile, the innocent kids were enjoying themselves playing chase between the beds. They clearly had no idea what was awaiting them.
Outside of the quarantine zone, several respectful people in the medical field were seated in a temporary meeting room made from tents. Instead of discussing how they could help the patients, they were actually counting down the time left for the infected people. They had never felt so helpless before.
"Mr. Lu, we only have three days left. The first batch of patients will end up just like the corpses we saw before. The total number is..." said a middle-aged man wearing a white coat.
Mr. Lu raised his hand, signaling him not to say any more. He knew better than anyone else the total of people who were infected the earliest. That alone was not the reason why he was feeling extremely uneasy. The main reason why it all felt like the apocalypse to him was that the number of patients in the second batch and third batch was still multiplying exponentially. The total had gone over the limit they could estimate, as the people were scattered across all corners of Hangzhou City.
"Mr. Lu, if we could find the source of the plague, we would be able to develop the serum to cure it. Everyone knows the gigantic snake is responsible for it, why aren't we hunting it down yet?" asked the man in the white coat.
As soon as he finished the sentence, the Head of the Magic Court, Tang Zhong entered the tent. Mr. Lu cast a glance at him without saying anything. Mr. Lu was well aware that the snake was not a demon beast. It was the guardian of their city!
Tang Zhong was followed by Councilman Zhu Meng. His expression was a lot more dignified than before, but his gaze was filled with a hint of fury, a clear indication that he had just argued with the Head of the Magic Court.
"Tang Zhong, are you seriously going to wait until the whole of Hangzhou is piled up with corpses!? If you continue to do nothing, your wish will be fulfilled very soon! When that happens, you will be condemned by every person in Hangzhou. I don't care about my Threat-Eliminating Strategy, I'm not ordering you as a Councilman, I'm just trying to save the people affected by the plague!" Zhu Meng slightly lowered his stance.
Tang Zhong did not seem relaxed at all. He desperately wanted to resolve the matter. His determination was swaying too.
Zhu Meng was about to say something when a Royal Guard quickly approached him and whispered in his ear.
His expression immediately changed as he blurted out in excitement, "Did you bring back the Totem Orb?"
The Royal Guard responded in a soft tone, "We've let you down. Please punish us!"
Councilman Zhu Meng almost lost his temper. They had sent out many interns, and yet they still failed to catch the two Magicians. A bunch of idiots!
The Royal Guard, Li Jin lowered his head further and added when Zhu Meng slightly calmed his anger, "We've brought Tangyue back, awaiting your order."
"Bring her here, now!"
However still on the hillside.
Mo Fan still laying there, his vision began to blur life force almost out. The world around him seemed to waver, the edges of reality dissolving like mist in the morning sun. His eyelids grew heavy, and he closed them, surrendering to the darkness.
Mo Fan's body lay motionless on the frozen ground. The Demon Element backlash had destroyed most of the strength inside his body. His veins had ruptured. His magic circuits were nearly burned out. Even breathing had become shallow and weak.
To anyone watching…
It would look like a man already standing at the gates of death. Tang Yue had already left with the Black Totem Snake. She had no choice. The shedding period of a Totem Beast was the most vulnerable moment of its life. If the Snake died now, Hangzhou would lose one of its ancient protectors forever. Mo Fan had forced her to go. Now he lay alone. The Sacred Azure Dragon watched silently from the depths of his soul. Even it could not intervene again. The laws of the world prevented it from directly interfering too many times. Mo Fan's life force continued to fade.
His heartbeat slowed.
Ba… thump…
Ba…
Thump…
Inside the depths of Mo Fan's spiritual world…
A small object trembled. It had been there since the very beginning. Since the day Mo Fan first awakened his Summoning magic.
The Lightning Calamity Fruit.
For years it had remained dormant.
A silent existence only every so often kicking on its shell trying to see the world and her father. It had watched everything. Watched Mo Fan grow stronger. Watched him fight. Watched him nearly die again and again.
Now—
The spiritual world trembled.
The fruit pulsed faintly.
A weak spark of lightning flickered across its surface.
Then another.
Then another.
Crack.
A thin line appeared across the surface of the fruit.
Inside—
Something moved.
Outside in the real world—
Mo Fan's body twitched faintly.
But the movement stopped almost immediately.
His life force continued fading.
Inside the fruit—
Something panicked.
A small consciousness stirred for the first time.
It did not understand the world.
It did not understand time.
But it understood one thing.
Danger.
Its father was dying.
The fruit shook violently.
More cracks spread across its shell.
Lightning began leaking out from inside.
Tiny arcs of electricity danced across the spiritual world.
The small consciousness struggled.
The shell was still too strong.
Too thick.
It wasn't time yet.
It wasn't supposed to hatch yet.
But it could feel Mo Fan slipping away.
The heartbeat was becoming slower.
Fainter.
The little consciousness became frantic.
A surge of lightning exploded inside the fruit.
CRACK!
The shell split open.
A burst of violet lightning erupted outward.
The spiritual world filled with electricity.
A small glowing figure emerged from the broken fruit.
Her body was made of crackling lightning energy.
Tiny arcs of electricity danced around her like living sparks.
Her eyes slowly opened.
They glowed bright purple.
The first thing she saw—
Was Mo Fan's fading spiritual core.
Her father.
He was collapsing.
His magic circuits were shattered.
The Demon Element had nearly destroyed him.
The little lightning spirit panicked.
Without hesitation—
She flew toward him.
Her small hands pressed against Mo Fan's fading spiritual core.
Lightning erupted from her body.
But it was different.
This lightning was not destructive.
It carried life.
It carried vitality.
Electric energy surged into Mo Fan's broken body.
Outside in the real world—
Mo Fan's body suddenly convulsed.
CRACK!!
Lightning exploded across his skin.
Purple electricity crawled over his body.
The snow around him shattered.
His back arched violently.
Electric currents surged through his bloodstream.
The lightning spirit inside his spiritual world continued pouring energy into him.
She was forcing life back into his body.
Mo Fan's destroyed magic circuits began slowly reconnecting.
The lightning stimulated his heart.
His stopped heartbeat suddenly slammed back into motion.
BA-THUMP!!!
His lungs violently pulled in air.
Mo Fan gasped.
Electricity continued dancing across his body.
The little lightning spirit trembled.
She had used nearly all of her newborn power.
But she refused to stop.
More lightning poured into Mo Fan's body.
Healing.
Stabilizing.
Reviving.
Finally—
Mo Fan's breathing steadied. The violent lightning around him slowly faded. His body collapsed back into the snow. Alive barely. Inside his spiritual world the small lightning spirit floated weakly beside him. Her tiny lightning body flickered faintly. She had exhausted almost everything to save him.
But when she looked at Mo Fan…
Her eyes softened.
She slowly drifted closer. Curling up beside his spiritual core. Like a small child protecting someone important. Outside the storm above the mountains rumbled softly. A distant bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. As if the heavens themselves had acknowledged her birth.