Rotten God Kingdom

These monsters, born from mutations, are called "Sick Demons" by the Sick City.

The only thing that could comfort Jiang Wang was that the sick person in front of him was not contagious.

Each sick ghost has different characteristics. Even those sick ghosts caused by the same disease are unlikely to have the same abilities.

But one thing is beyond doubt.

Disease exists because there are people and living things.

If possible, these disease demons will bring disease to everyone they see.

Jiang Wang took a deep breath, and a line of fire extended from his mouth, climbing all the way to the revolver in his hand.

What makes the Sick City special is that disease brings people suffering, but it also gives them strength. Only strength can allow the Sick City to survive in today's dangerous world.

Some people with mental illnesses may have clearer minds and higher IQs.

Some diseases can give people strength several times greater than that of ordinary people.

After the cataclysm, the number of diseases in the Sick City increased, and many diseases were left unnamed.

Jiang Wang's disease is a type of lung cancer. In its early stages, it was cancer, but now it has mutated into a special disease that even hospitals can't name.

The good news is that the special power brought about by this unknown disease allows Jiang Wang to be very competent in his job as a cleaner.

The bad news is that Jiang Wang may need to start counting down the days to his death.

The human skin emitted an even sharper hiss, sprang up like an enraged snake, and lunged at Jiang Wang's face. Its edges were as sharp as knives, instantly slicing through the skin, and the disease spread into Jiang Wang's body in an instant, trying to turn him into one of its kind.

Flames spreading from Jiang Wang's lungs scorched the torn wounds and burned the flesh, filling the air with the smell of burning.

Jiang Wang pulled the trigger, and the scorching bullet shot out from the barrel, tearing a fist-sized hole in the human skin. The flames from the bullet ignited the skin.

The human skin emitted a shriek and pounced on Jiang Wang without hesitation. With a loud bang, the entire human skin was set ablaze.

It began to panic, to feel fear, and it wanted to escape.

But its journey ended at the door of the rented house, where raging flames engulfed it, leaving only ashes on the ground, from which the outline of a person could be vaguely discerned.

Jiang Wang tucked the revolver into his waistband and carefully inspected every corner of the room to ensure that no potential hazards were left behind.

When Jiang Wang examined the body, he paused. Next to the body, in bloodstains, was a line of crooked words: "My name is Li Fengnian, and I want to live."

Jiang Wang was silent for two seconds, then turned and left.

It was almost dark when he walked out of the rented room.

Tian Ke stood at a distance, watching Jiang Wang emerge, and cautiously asked, "Is it all done?"

"Um."

"Then... the disinfection fee?"

Jiang Wang put the revolver back in his briefcase, took out a work log, and carefully wrote down his work process, especially focusing on the characteristics of the sick ghost. He finally wrote on the last line of the log: "Today's income: two thousand dollars."

Tian Ke breathed a sigh of relief.

Two thousand yuan is not expensive.

For just three months' rent for one room, it solves this problem quite well, which is a great deal.

Moreover, after the cleaning crew came today, he only needs to dispose of the body and clean up the bloodstains in the room. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after, he can find a new tenant.

Tian Ke handed Jiang Wang a cigarette, then hesitated before asking, "How...how did he die?"

"Psoriasis mutation." Jiang Wang refused the cigarette Tian Ke offered him. What was he thinking, offering a cigarette to a lung cancer patient?

"The skin came to life and skinned the host alive."

Tian Ke's face turned pale, and he gagged twice.

"The room has been disinfected. You can handle the body yourselves." Jiang Wang took the banknotes from Tian Ke, turned and walked into the dimly lit street. The lights in the center of the sick city were brighter and the air was fresher in the distance, but of course, it wasn't much cleaner.

Jiang Wang returned to the subway station, and luckily, the subway train he had come on had just finished disinfection, and it slowly started moving towards the city center.

The cleanup bureau is in the city center. It takes about 40 minutes to get to the Psoriasis Station by subway. The closer you get to the city center, the more passengers get on and off the subway.

There were plenty of empty seats on the subway, and everyone tacitly maintained a safe distance from those around them. Most people wore masks when they went out.

If conditions allowed, they might even go out wearing gas masks.

Living in a sick city, it's inevitable to contract one or more diseases, but most people clearly don't want to contract another one.

Maintaining the current state, avoiding unnecessary illness, and preventing the condition from worsening, with the aim of living two more years within an acceptable range, is the thought of most people in the sick city.

It sounds painful and frustrating.

But ignoring the suffering caused by the disease, the lives of the people in the sick city were not much different from those before the catastrophe.

There are subways and buses for transportation, most urban areas are electrified, and even people from other cities who would avoid living in the "sick city" can live there after undergoing certain screening and being willing to contract one or two diseases.

This place is already very good.

With these thoughts in mind, Jiang Wang stepped off the subway.

Slightly different from the skin disease station, the city center is also filled with unknown germs. After Jiang Wang inhales these germs, the flames in his lungs will burn these little cuties to ashes. However, the smell in the city center is not as unpleasant.

The smell of medicine permeates this place year-round.

The cleanup bureau occupied a prime location in the city center, with a prominent sign, right next to the city's largest hospital. The receptionist at the entrance, dressed in full protective gear, spoke in a muffled voice: "Mr. Jiang, you're back?"

"Okay, please arrange the examination for me as soon as possible."

"Okay, did you deal with the sick ghost this time?"

Jiang Wang nodded: "Yes."

The receptionist quickly scribbled: "What kind of sick person is this?"

"Psoriasis".

The receptionist asked in surprise, "Can psoriasis really turn into a disease demon?"

"Yes." Jiang Wang glanced sideways at the receptionist.

"Sorry, I spoke out of turn. Dermatology department, second floor of the hospital next door." The receptionist stamped the receipt in front of her and handed it to Jiang Wang.

The job of a cleaner is dangerous. Almost no one wants to face the disease demons. Only a small number of people have the ability to deal with them and are willing to do so. The Cleaning Bureau will do its best to maintain their lives.

The price for treating a sick person is two thousand yuan, which is actually quite low. The bulk of the cleaner's salary is actually paid directly by the hospital, and most of the salary is sent to the hospital by the cleaner.

One free check-up after a mission is one of the benefits provided by the Cleanup Bureau to its cleaners. If a cleaner contracts another pathogen during a mission and wants to be cured, the Cleanup Bureau will reimburse most of the cost.

Jiang Wang arrived at the dermatology department with practiced ease.

The person examining Jiang Wang was an acquaintance, an old man over sixty years old.

In the Sick City, or rather, in the post-apocalyptic world, living to sixty is considered a very long life.

"You've arrived?" Old Wei said with a smile.

"They're here."

"What's the trouble this time?"

"A person whose skin has been peeled off by psoriasis."

Old Wei sighed, "This world is getting more and more bizarre; it's not as good as it was when I was young."

The old man had lived since before the catastrophe and was very knowledgeable, but unfortunately, whenever Jiang Wang asked about things before the catastrophe, the old man always remained silent.

He always said that the world is bad enough, but what's worse is giving someone a dream that can't be realized.

The examination went smoothly. Thanks to Jiang Wang's special talent, it would be almost impossible for him to contract another disease if he wanted to.

Considering the rapid pace of disease progression in the city, Jiang Wang still went to the hospital for a check-up despite the inconvenience.

It's always good to be safe.

"Alright, it's nothing. Let's go. Welcome back next time."

"it is good."

Jiang Wang left the hospital and collected his payment from the cleanup bureau. He had been paid 30,000 yuan for the past few days, and his salary depended on how quickly he handled the incidents.

At this rate of earning money, Jiang Wang will soon be able to buy his own house in the center of the sick city.

He shook his head, went to the nearest market to buy two pounds of pork ribs, and took the bus back to his rented room.

Rental apartments in the city center have a better environment, with private toilets, making life more convenient.

Push open the door.

The strong smell of medicine almost overwhelmed him.

"Sis, I'm back. I bought your favorite pork ribs. Do you want them braised or stewed?"

No one responded from inside the room.

Only the dull clanging of metal could be heard.

The rented apartment was a classic two-bedroom, one-living room apartment. The sofa in the living room was laid flat with blankets and pillows on it. Jiang Wang usually slept in the living room, while Jiang Xin slept in the bedroom.

The other bedroom was converted into a storage room.

"sister?"

Jiang Wang opened the door to the storage room, and Jiang Xin was squatting on the ground, fiddling with parts.

The cramped room was crammed with things, with two rows of wooden shelves on either side, and a half-assembled motorcycle placed in the main part of the bedroom.

"Ah, brother, you're back? Look, I've tweaked the engine a bit. I just need to buy some parts and install it, and it'll be ready to use." Jiang Xin pulled two wires from the motorcycle, fiddled with them for a while, and the motorcycle engine roared into the room.

Jiang Wang was silent for a while, then stepped forward and patted Jiang Xin's head.

"When are we leaving?" Jiang Xin tilted her head, dodging Jiang Wang's clutches. "I'm all grown up now, don't touch my head."

Jiang Wang withdrew his hand, no longer insisting on touching Jiang Xin's head, but simply gently wiped the engine oil off Jiang Xin's face.

"Wait until you get better."

Jiang Xin was somewhat angry.

"Cure me! Cure me! Haven't you noticed how strange this city is? We've been to so many cities, but which one is as eerie as this Sick City, where everyone follows the city's rules? You came here to cure me, but now you've caught the disease too." The girl rolled up her sleeve and raised her hand, revealing almost transparent skin on her arm, through which the blood vessels were clearly visible. She then lifted her coat, revealing her internal organs clearly visible beneath her belly.

"This city has no ability to cure diseases; it only has the ability to infect healthy people with illnesses. If we stay any longer, we will all die."

Jiang Wang became even more silent: "Give me a little more time."

"Hmph!" Jiang Xin was so angry that her teeth itched.

"I braised the pork ribs."

Jiang Wang turned and walked into the kitchen, the knife striking the cutting board with a rhythmic thud.

My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket.

Jiang Wang wiped his hands, picked up his phone, and saw a message from the Cleanup Bureau on the screen, consisting of two pictures.

The first image is a scanned copy of a medical record. The header reads "First Hospital of Bingcheng," and the patient's name is blacked out, but the age is listed as seventeen and the gender as female.

The second picture is a full-body photo of the patient. The patient's facial skin and muscles are almost completely transparent, and the pale skull can be clearly seen.

Jiang Wang's phone vibrated again; it was a message from the Cleanup Bureau. It was short, but enough to excite him.

"Jiang Wang, come to the bureau tomorrow. I have a task for you. We have some leads regarding your sister's illness."

Jiang Wang put his phone back in his pocket and continued cutting the ribs.

This damn world has taken away so much from him; he only has one sister left, and he must protect her no matter what.

The knife fell even faster.