Goddess Kaleidoscope

At this moment, Lu De asked the butler if he could take advantage of the early hour to conduct an on-site inspection of the quarantine area. The butler's expression immediately became somewhat troubled.

"Your Excellency, I strongly advise against entering the isolation area after sunset. There are over two thousand patients inside. If you just rush in and something happens, I can't bear the responsibility!"

"Do the infected people harbor hostility towards clergy?"

"Anyone would be unwilling to be thrown into that kind of hellhole to die."

"It sounds like the conditions in the quarantine area aren't very good."

"Alas! How could things possibly be good! Two-thirds of the people in the entire Viscount's territory rely on the sea for their livelihood, mainly fishing and trading, and their grain has to be transported from elsewhere. In winter, the sea is closed off, and they can't leave the port. They finally made it to spring when the ice thawed, and then this happened. How much surplus grain is left?"

The old steward didn't explicitly state the situation inside the quarantine zone, but instead explained to Ludwig the predicament the Viscount's territory was currently facing. The area was already experiencing a food crisis, making it impossible to provide sufficient food for a group of infected people who had already been decided to be abandoned.

A very real, but also very cruel reason!

At this moment, Lud suddenly remembered something. He had only seen local officials and priests from various religious sects in the Ministry of the Interior. He was curious to know where the ordinary medical workers were.

The answer they received left them speechless and furious.

As the first group to come into contact with patients, local pharmacists in Oyster Harbour were among the first to join the front line of the fight against the epidemic. However, due to their limited skills, they were clearly powerless to combat this terrible plague. Their medicines were completely useless, and a considerable number of pharmacists were infected after coming into contact with patients. In the end, because they failed to stop the outbreak, they became targets for the public to vent their anger.

Currently, the remaining pharmacists in Oyster Harbor, like the infected, are imprisoned in the quarantine area. But these doctors have not given up, even though all their efforts are ridiculed as "futile" by the noble priests, some still persist in "saving lives and healing the wounded."

Through conversation, Lude discovered that the old butler actually sympathized with these doctors. Although they were unable to prevent the outbreak, each doctor had done their best, and many of them had even sacrificed their lives.

However, the people's resentment always needed an object to bear it. They dared not provoke the lords and officials, let alone vent their anger on the priests who were backed by divine authority. Thus, the doctors became the "weaker ones" who had to be stabbed by the weak.

People cursed doctors without restraint, viciously calling them "incompetent," spitting on them and their families, and throwing filth at them, as if doctors were the embodiment of disease, and that they, as "innocent and weak," could avoid being infected by harming others.

When faced with the only priest in the city capable of curing the plague, these ignorant people went to great lengths to flatter him, only to be met with the priest's indifference or a few bland words of comfort.

After all, divine arts bestowed by the gods are a precious power, and naturally they would not be used on those lowly commoners who have little to gain.

After listening to the butler's story, Lud was filled with mixed emotions, but it also strengthened his resolve to go to the quarantine zone and see these pitiful yet respectable "incompetents".

End of this chapter

From the accommodation arranged by the butler, Ma Bo, to the quarantine area, it's less than a hundred meters on foot; just across a bridge is the entrance to East Street.

This place was originally one of the three slums in Oyster Harbor, and it was also the first place where the plague broke out. Originally, there were three or four thousand residents, but now only about two thousand infected people remain abandoned here.

Following the lord's orders, the city guards built walls to completely surround the area, using it as a concentration camp to isolate the infected. Archers on the watchtowers outside the walls would ensure that the patients inside could not escape alive.

The old butler wasn't worried about Lud being infected; after all, divine magic could cure all diseases, and he'd never heard of a priest risking his own life to save others. What the old butler feared was that if Lud entered the quarantine zone, the infected people trapped in despair might do something irrational.

Lu De simply smiled at the old steward's concerns, then lifted his robe to reveal the "Fire Qilin" he always carried.

"I went to save lives, so how could I have a conflict with the patient?"

"..."

Despite Lud's insistence, the old steward finally agreed, but still reminded him to bring plenty of guards and never venture out alone. So Lud summoned a dozen or so dwarves, who, armed with hammers and axes, went with him into the quarantine zone.

The group quickly arrived at the entrance to the quarantine zone, where they were stopped by the lord's guard stationed there. The leading officer initially did not want to open the gate for them, but they were finally allowed to pass only after the steward showed the lord's edict.

However, before entering, the officer counted Lud and his group and asked them to remove their masks to show their true faces. He then had his soldiers stare at their faces one by one for a while before letting them through.

The officer did this because not long ago, a "stolen person" incident occurred in the quarantine zone. A convoy delivering supplies into the quarantine zone attempted to smuggle infected people out. Although it was unsuccessful, it still caused the lord's guards stationed there to raise their alert level.

And so, Ludwig and his group of seventeen finally entered the quarantine area. The butler, Marbo, did not accompany them for fear of contracting the disease, and Ludwig understood.

After passing through the gates of the quarantine zone, Ludwig and his group felt as if they had stepped into another world. If the main urban area of ​​Oyster Harbor, shrouded in the shadow of the pandemic, was merely a place of oppressive atmosphere and unease, then the abandoned East Street was a lifeless dead land, like a meeting point between the living and the dead.

Suddenly, noises came from the houses and alleys on both sides of the street, and some thin figures slowly moved towards them. This eerie and terrifying scene made Lud think of "Bio-Machine"!

Upon seeing this, the accompanying dwarven guards all raised their weapons, while Lud raised his hand and cast a Holy Light spell. A bright, dazzling milky-white orb of light flew to a height of more than three meters above the ground and hovered in mid-air, instantly dispelling the darkness with light.

"Master, these are..."

"Infected person".

The light revealed the approaching shadows, who were all emaciated infected patients. Abandoned in the quarantine zone, they were suffering from both illness and hunger due to insufficient food supplies, and were almost unrecognizable as human.

What left Lud and his group somewhat speechless was that these infected individuals, who were trying to approach them under the cover of darkness, were all carrying various kinds of "gadgets," and it was obvious what they wanted to do.

The sudden burst of holy light was too blinding, and the infected's sneak attack failed. Some shielded their eyes from the light, while others simply dropped their weapons and ran away. Just as Lud was about to explain that he had come to rescue people and meant no harm, he saw a group of people rushing towards them from not far away. The two sides froze upon seeing each other.

"These people are actually wearing masks!?"

Since arriving at Oyster Harbor, this is the second group of people Lud has seen who know how to wear masks; the other group consists of members of the War God Cult brought by the Urals.

Those wearing masks in the quarantine area were taken aback when they saw Lude and his group's attire, as they were even more covered up than they were. The man in charge first sized up Lude and his group, and then tentatively asked Lude a question.

"Excuse me... were you sent by the Ural Bishop of the Cult of the God of War?"

"No, we are from the Medicine God Cult, and we came from Pine Tree Town. Judging from your attire, you must be a doctor from the quarantine area. May I ask your name?"

"My name is Nan Ding, and I am a pharmacist."

The pharmacist, who identified himself as Nan Ding, took off his mask, revealing a weathered middle-aged face, and then quickly put the mask back on.

Seeing that the man was quite wary, Lud nodded, then introduced himself and said that he had brought a volunteer medical team of 500 people and a large amount of supplies. He had obtained the lord's consent and was preparing to treat the nearly 2,000 infected people in the quarantine area.

However, upon learning this, Nan Ding and the others did not show any joy as Lu De had expected; instead, their worries deepened.

“Master, thank you for your mercy, but there are nearly two thousand infected people in the quarantine area, and new patients are being brought in every day. Unless you can bring a hundred priests, or ask your goddess to descend to earth in person, it is impossible to save so many of our patients. How about this? Please use your divine magic to heal the children in the quarantine area, and then take them away from here. We will be eternally grateful!”

“You flatter me, Dr. Nanding! I know that divine magic alone cannot save so many patients, so I never intended to rely solely on it from the beginning. I worship the Goddess of Medicine, Evelina. We priests are both servants of the goddess and healers. Healing and saving lives is the duty and trial bestowed upon us by the goddess. I may not be able to guarantee that I can cure everyone, but I can swear to the goddess I believe in that I will do my utmost to save every patient! So, Dr. Nanding, we are colleagues, so let me tell you about the situation in the quarantine area first.”

Looking at Lu De, who had made his stance clear, Nan Ding and the other doctors present remained silent for a moment, and then bowed solemnly to Lu De and the others.

"Please come with me, Master. I will take you to the treatment center."

Following Nan Ding and the others, Lu De and his group soon arrived at a two-story wooden building. From the wine glass pattern on the sign, it was easy to see that this used to be a tavern, but now it has become the only hospital in the quarantine zone.

As they walked, Nan Ding told Lu De that there were still nearly two thousand people alive in the entire quarantine zone, but due to a lack of medical supplies and food, hundreds of people were dying from the disease every day. If it weren't for the large number of new patients being brought in every day, the place would probably be almost completely wiped out by now.

This also confirms the old saying that wherever there are people, there is a world of conflict, and even patients who are about to die are no exception. There are several factions in the quarantine area, fighting over the limited supplies, and they don't really get along with each other.

The group of doctors from Nan Ding formed one faction, numbering over four hundred. The other two major forces were "Fat Snake" Abadon, who was based in the warehouse in the northern part of East Street, and "Skinny Monkey" Dilis, who was based in the brothels in the western district. These two were notorious gang leaders in Oyster Harbor, and they remained the bosses even after entering the quarantine zone. They fought over limited supplies and often bullied men and women. The patients deeply hated these villains, but were too weak to do anything about them.

Upon hearing this, Lu De suddenly felt puzzled. Logically, the quarantine area should be full of terminally ill patients; how did these two criminal gangs come to be? The answer he received, however, completely surprised him.

These two gang leaders were indeed infected with the disease before they came in, and like other patients, they were once in critical condition. However, the mortality rate of this plague was not 100%, and some people have special constitutions. So these two scumbags survived, proving what it means to "leave a bad legacy for a thousand years"!

However, the lord had decreed that entry into the quarantine zone was permitted, but exit was not. Just in case, once you entered this hellish place, even if you recovered, you were not allowed to leave. So, as soon as these two gang leaders recovered, they immediately gathered a group of other recovered individuals and established a gang in the quarantine zone.

It's worth mentioning that the nine doctors in the quarantine area, led by Nan Ding, were all recovered patients. Before the outbreak, Oyster Harbor had hundreds of doctors and its own regional association; now only these few remain.

End of this chapter

When Lude learned that there were already recovered patients in the quarantine area, and that these people had all developed antibodies, he immediately felt that this was a sure thing!

Based on the currently known information about the virus, the severity of this epidemic has not reached the level of the "Black Death." The current mortality rate is about 70% to 80%, and if modern prevention and control measures are implemented, it is entirely possible to reduce it to below 30%.

The prerequisite is that the entire city can have the cohesion of a united people and the ability to execute all orders from top to bottom.

However, if Oyster Harbour had truly possessed these resources back then, the pandemic wouldn't have been allowed to spread to its current state.

Therefore, Lud's plan is to first take over the quarantine zone, prove his ability with irrefutable results, and then persuade the lord to promote his epidemic prevention measures throughout the city, ultimately defeating the plague.

But Lud also knew that the other sects in the city would not stand idly by and let him stand out from the crowd, thus highlighting their incompetence. Lud had never hesitated to assume the worst of these charlatans, and even with Ural, with whom he had an alliance, Lud had always been wary of them.

Of course! Lud didn't intend to publicly target everyone and start by making enemies of all sects. These guys weren't all of one mind; he could easily win them over and divide them, uniting those who could be united.

That evening, Lud and his group did not leave the quarantine area, but instead set up their marching tents and camped out on the spot. Lud talked with Nandin for a long time and stayed up all night to write a detailed and thorough epidemic prevention plan, and then sent people to notify the volunteer team leader Charlotte, Ural, and the housekeeper Mabo.

So early the next morning, the dwarf volunteers who stayed at the dock began unloading the goods, pulling truckload after truckload of supplies into the quarantine zone.

Interestingly, a little "incident" occurred during this period.

The convoy carrying supplies was intercepted by local residents on the way. These residents had heard from somewhere that the supplies on the convoy were to be sent to the quarantine zone, which made them very unhappy.

These impassioned people were mostly "healthy" individuals who had not yet contracted the disease and did not have relatives in the quarantine area. In their view, the patients in the quarantine area were beyond saving, and it was better to use these precious resources to help themselves rather than waste them on those who were about to die.

So, incited by some "malicious individuals," these people flocked to the streets, attempting to intercept the convoy and loot the goods on board.

Fortunately, Lud had anticipated this, so he notified Ural and his steward Mabo in advance. As a result, the lord's guards and several priests of the Cult of War arrived at the scene in time to disperse the mob.

Lude has not made any public statement regarding this matter. He has a vague idea of ​​who is behind it all, but now is not the time to rush into a fight.

In the quarantine area, the continuous stream of convoys entering East Street naturally attracted the attention of the patients, including the henchmen of Fat Snake and Skinny Monkey. These thugs had been staking out the buildings near the entrance, keeping a close eye on the supplies delivered in every morning.

Before this, the vast isolation ward, with nearly two thousand patients, received only a very small, symbolic amount of food each day, which was delivered by guards outside the walls in huge wicker baskets via pre-laid ziplines. Although the amount was small, theoretically, if it could be distributed evenly, no one would starve to death.

But not everyone was willing to share the hardship. The main activity of the Fat Snake and Skinny Monkey gang was to fight over these limited supplies every day. Thanks to their evil deeds, the situation of the patients in the quarantine area deteriorated further.

However, this time the situation was clearly different, far exceeding the expectations of these thugs. From early morning, convoys of vehicles kept entering the quarantine zone, their trucks loaded with boxes and boxes. Some sharp-eyed individuals immediately spotted the food—not the rotten vegetables and fish that were about to rot or had already rotted, but fresh, edible food!

Seeing food in the car, the thugs who had been stalking them became very excited. Don't be fooled by their gang membership; following the boss doesn't guarantee a full stomach. They still got hungry, only slightly better off than ordinary patients who were being bullied.

Driven by hunger, some people only had eyes for the food on the cart and didn't notice who the guards were. They rushed forward to try and steal it, but were knocked to the ground by a single punch from a dwarf guard with the strength of an ox, and immediately passed out.

Soon, news of a large number of supply trucks entering the quarantine area reached the ears of gang leader "Fat Snake" Abadong through his escaped underlings, catching the eye of this quarantine area tyrant who had "sweeped through the ICU with his iron fist".

According to his underlings' reports, the supplies delivered amounted to at least thirty or forty large carts, and the guards were mostly strong and robust dwarves. However, this did not deter Abadon. Having been a pickpocket in Oyster Harbor for over a decade, he always believed that he was someone who made a living with his brains, so he planned to outsmart them.

If robbing doesn't work, can't we at least steal?

Having made up his mind on this "good idea," Abadon waited for nightfall. But less than five minutes after the thought popped into his head, the earthen wall in front of him suddenly burst open with a loud "boom," and a group of heavily armed dwarves carrying their signature warhammers filed in. The leader of the group roared at the top of his lungs.

"Which bastard is named Abadong? Show yourself!"

"..."xN

Without even a token resistance, the moment the dwarf warriors charged in, Abadon and his men immediately responded with a perfect French military salute, as if afraid that if they were too slow, these brutal dwarves would smash them to the ground, man and testicles alike.

Under the orders of the dwarven warriors, forty-three people, including Abadon, obediently squatted in the courtyard. After a simple check to confirm their identities, they were tied together with hemp rope and escorted away.

Interestingly, on the way to his arrest, Abadon unexpectedly ran into his nemesis, "Skinny Monkey" Dilis.

Unlike the uninjured Abadon, Dilis had clearly been given a severe beating, with most of his face bruised and battered. He was also tied up with rope, looking like a flock of lambs about to be led to the slaughterhouse.

Seeing this, Abadon secretly rejoiced at his "wiseness," but at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of monster had come to this quarantine zone, that had wiped out his and Skinny Monkey's gang in less than a morning.

Looking at the dwarven warriors escorting him, Abadon couldn't help but think of the Golden Axe Merchant Guild in Oyster Harbor. But he clearly remembered that the dwarves had already moved to the Golden Axe Manor in the south of the city and stayed there before he contracted the disease and was thrown into the quarantine zone. There was no reason for them to come to the quarantine zone to crack down on organized crime.

Filled with questions, Abadon and Dilis were quickly led to the gate of a camp under construction. The two gang leaders exchanged a silent glance; they both knew this place—it was Nanding's territory, and in a sense, the third force in the quarantine zone.

Unlike the two who bully men and women, this group of doctors, who are cursed as incompetent, are the only "lawful faction" in this abandoned land. Abadon and Dilis are used to bullying the weak and fearing the strong, so they generally do not provoke them.