Chapter 173: A Surprising Reward |
Following Sister Elizabeth into the Rune Mining Area, Levi was rather astonished by the scene before him.
Unlike other cities, almost all the houses in the Rune Mining Area were built inside caverns carved directly into the stone cliffs. The sheer scale of it reminded Levi of the fantasy novels he used to read. If other races existed in this world, it wouldn't feel out of place to call this a city of Dwarves.
Moreover, the ramps were much wider than they had appeared from the air. Looking down from the airship, Levi had imagined them as narrow, treacherous mountain paths where a person could only walk sideways, and where a single misstep would send someone plummeting. But now that he was actually here, he found these paths were incredibly broad, easily wide enough to park dozens of trains side by side.
The reason for using trains as a comparison was that these roads were lined with tracks. According to Elizabeth, these tracks were the absolute lifeline of the entire Rune Mining Area. The coal essence excavated by the workers was transported out via these mine carts, and external supplies were brought back in using the same system.
Those mine carts were massive, fundamentally no different from freight trains. This was a far cry from the tiny track carts that held only one or two people commonly seen in video games.
Currently, however, almost all of these trains were halted. The shutdown was a measure implemented to prevent the spread of the infection. Elizabeth mentioned that in the early stages, many miners from the lower depths had hijacked trains in an attempt to breach the blockade and escape the Rune Mining Area, but they had all been shot dead on the spot. As a result, the trains were now completely out of service.
As for how long the supplies on each layer would last, that depended entirely on when this crisis could be resolved.
If the plague could be handled in a timely manner, everything would be fine.
But if it couldn't be controlled, the Empire had already prepared its contingencies.
Yet Levi knew without guessing that unless things reached an absolute, uncontrollable worst-case scenario, this was definitely a last resort. After all, the Rune Mining Area produced over half of the coal essence required by the Empire. If they truly had to completely detonate this mining district, the negative impact on the Empire would be incalculable.
Not to mention, this place was effectively a city. According to Elizabeth, there were thirty-five thousand people working just below the 30th layer of the Rune Mining Area. And that was only counting those with official registration. Given that the lower levels were essentially a black box to the upper management, it was estimated that at least fifty thousand people were trapped down there.
Even the Queen did not possess the ruthless resolve to slaughter fifty thousand people all at once.
Therefore, the orders Levi and Elizabeth received were to find the source of the plague as quickly as possible, and then find a way to cure it. As long as it could be cured, the problems would be significantly reduced.
But...
"But it won't be easy."
Elizabeth looked rather exhausted.
"Those infected die quickly. The virus is highly active and can generate numerous variants in a short period. We haven't even had the chance to test a vaccine..."
"Miss Elizabeth, you seem to know a great deal about this."
Hearing Elizabeth use such professional terminology, Levi was somewhat surprised. The nun slowed her pace and glanced back at him.
"I studied diseases and modern therapies at the Holy Lord Medical College."
"Uh... meaning you're a doctor?"
"Yes, Mr. Levi."
Well, well, so the healing support of our team turns out to be you, Levi complained silently in his heart.
A nun who was also a doctor. Although in fantasy RPG games, nuns and priests were indeed mostly healing classes, isn't your version of healing a bit too scientific?
As they spoke, the two arrived in front of an iron door. Fully armed soldiers stood guard outside. Upon seeing Elizabeth, they quickly saluted her, and Elizabeth lowered her head to return the gesture.
"Open the door."
At Elizabeth's command, one of the soldiers pulled out a key and unlocked the heavy iron door. Elizabeth then produced two masks, putting one on herself and handing the other to Levi. The latter accepted and donned it before following her inside.
"Ugh... Ah...!"
The moment they stepped through the entrance, Levi heard a low, throaty growl, causing him to furrow his brows. The place looked like a prison carved out of the rock, with locked cells lining both sides. Levi glanced around and noticed that most of the cells were empty.
"We have already released most of the minor offenders and converted this place into a prison for those... Risen Dead."
"How did you catch them?"
"We didn't catch them." Elizabeth sighed as she spoke. "We simply placed the bodies of the patients who died from the illness in here, and they turned into that state on their own."
As they spoke, the two reached the end of the corridor. Several patients were locked inside the final cell. Externally, they looked no different from ordinary people, though they wore tattered clothes and stood there swaying unsteadily, motionless.
However, as Levi and Elizabeth drew closer, the creatures seemed to detect something. Low growls rumbled from their throats as they began walking slowly toward them, instinctively stretching out their hands to claw at the two newcomers, only to be blocked by the iron bars of the cell.
"As you can see, Mr. Levi."
At this moment, although Elizabeth was wearing her nun's habit, she gave Levi the impression of a researcher.
"The Risen Dead move very slowly, and they seem to have lost their sight. They can only locate prey through sound, after which they will bite and devour their flesh. Curiously, however, they do not cannibalize each other. As you can see, these Risen Dead have been locked up for several days, yet they have not attacked their cellmates. I must say, it is a very strange phenomenon."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Survival is a biological instinct. Setting animals aside, even humans will resort to cannibalism if they have nothing to eat. I can only suspect that their attacks on humans are not driven by a desire for food."
"Then what is it?"
"To put it in religious terms, perhaps the hatred of the dead toward the living?"
Elizabeth made a comment that might have been a joke, then changed the subject.
"But the situation below does not seem to be the same. We previously sent a train with soldiers deep into the mine shaft to investigate. They sent back word that there seemed to be a much more ferocious monster lurking in the depths of the mine. Unfortunately, we ultimately lost contact with them, and the train never returned."
"What about the political situation here? The reaction of the rulers?"
"They are in a panic. I suppose it is because Her Majesty the Queen told them that if they cannot handle this incident properly, she will have them buried alongside this mine."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
As expected of Her Majesty the Queen. Come to think of it, that unfortunate governor back in Steel City probably met a similar fate.
"Is it necessary for me to meet with him?"
"No. The head of the mining area is currently refusing to see anyone. To avoid infection, he has completely sealed himself off. However, we have Her Majesty the Queen's permission to move freely throughout this mining district."
"Have you figured out the transmission route?"
"As of now, blood transmission and direct infection are confirmed. Secondly, it should be airborne, but it does not spread through water or food."
Elizabeth's explanation was exceptionally clear, possessing the air of a scholar. To be frank, Levi had not met her many times, but now it seemed this young lady of a nun was indeed clear-headed.
"So, what is your plan?"
"If you require it, we can dispatch another squad by train to the bottom of the mine shaft."
"Hmm... No, it's better not to do that. I'll go down alone first to check out the situation."
"Are you certain?"
Hearing Levi's response, Elizabeth widened her eyes, displaying obvious shock and astonishment.
"I'm certain. In this kind of situation, a large force will only be a liability unless they advance layer by layer."
Levi was absolutely certain of this. Narrow mine shafts were the worst possible places for group combat. Although a few people could completely seal off a passage, they couldn't secure every single corner of the mine. If someone happened to get infected and suddenly turned in the middle of the crowd, it would cause absolute chaos.
"If I go alone, it will be much easier to move back and forth. If anything goes wrong, it's also easier for me to escape."
Levi always prioritized his own safety above all else. If the enemy this time weren't some plague or zombies, he would definitely nod and demand a large group of people to act as his scapegoats to reduce his own chances of getting killed. But the problem with this thing was that if you brought a large group of people, they wouldn't be scapegoats; they would turn into vengeful ghosts coming back for you after they died. On the other hand, if Levi was alone, fighting or fleeing would be far more convenient.
"I understand. Since that is the case, I can grant you the authority to operate the lift. In exchange, however, you must report to me at every layer. If you judge the situation to be unfavorable, please retreat immediately."
"Don't worry, I value my own life very much. I haven't reached the point where I'm willing to sacrifice myself for the Empire."
Since the local ruler had isolated himself, Levi could naturally do whatever he pleased. After discussing it with Elizabeth, he decided to take the lift down first to inspect the lower conditions before deciding on the next step. After all, every layer had a communication device connected directly to the surface. Those devices should still be functional, provided they hadn't been destroyed.
Afterward, Levi went to the armory to replenish his ammunition. Of course, Elizabeth also warned him that these Risen Dead were extremely sensitive to sound. If he fired his gun, it would inevitably alert a vast horde of them. To this, Levi could only reply that he would cross that bridge when he came to it.
But before that...
'I might as well open this chest.'
Having finished restocking his ammunition in the armory, Levi looked around to ensure no one was present and decided to open the chest. Perhaps he could obtain something helpful for this investigation.
With this thought, Levi extended his hand and summoned the treasure chest. Then, he tapped it lightly.
With a click, the treasure chest opened right on cue, flashing with a brilliant golden light.
Oh, gold! In mobile gacha games, a golden pull usually meant something excellent!
Holding onto this expectation, Levi stared intently at the space before him. A moment later, the golden light dissipated, and a pitch-black coffin appeared right in front of him.
'...'
What did the System mean by this? Was it telling him to just lie down inside directly, skipping all the steps in between? He felt he could still struggle a bit more.
Scoffing inwardly, Levi curiously reached out and opened the coffin. Upon seeing the contents inside, his eyes instantly lit up.
'Now this is truly a fascinating piece of gear!'