Chapter 13: The Spreading [Disaster]

Hmm? These people…

Though it was just a fleeting glance, if Miss Vilyric wasn’t mistaken, one of them was indeed among the adventurers that had surrounded the three injured ones earlier.

So they’re really inside?

“Wait a minute, Miss Mier, what is this [Disaster]?”

Miss Vilyric clearly saw that despite the adventurers shouting before rushing back inside, for some reason, many people in the Adventurer’s Guild began to panic and flee desperately. Those who didn’t run were putting down their tasks, pulling out weapons, and looking very serious.

Their cautious target was obviously that back room, yet they didn’t dare enter, behaving as if they were terrified.

The Cat Daughter, who had already run out from the counter to help the staff evacuate the crowd, froze upon hearing Vilyric and the others, realizing they weren’t planning to move at all. She anxiously flailed her hands and tail, frantically gesturing toward the Priestess.

“Oh no! This is not the time for that, Miss Vilyric! That thing is no joke! Even if you’re legendary, getting touched by it could be a huge problem! We should avoid it instead!”

Mier tried to rush outside, but this time, Vilyric wasn’t going to let things unfold naturally. She simply tugged the Cat Daughter’s fluffy tail, making the little girl, who was no more than a level 10, let out a soft “Meow!” and immediately settle down.

“Don’t panic! Just look outside; it’s a mess. If you run out and get knocked down, that would be dangerous! It’s better to stay here. Staying by my side guarantees your safety, right?”

“No, no! Miss Vilyric has never seen what a disaster looks like and doesn’t know its power! We need the support of the Priest God’s acolytes to deal with those corrupted by the disaster! Big Brother Edgar went to the temple for help before, we should…”

Boom!

Just then, amidst the chaos, something within the hall crashed into the wall, creating a hole several meters wide. A deathly stillness, a pale gray mist that felt like all life withering, began to spread throughout the Adventurer’s Guild hall.

“It’s the disaster! Run! Run!!!”

“Ahhh!!! It’s getting into my body! Help! Someone save me!!!”

Those covered by the gray mist, the stronger adventurers were okay; they only looked a bit pale and showed no obvious changes.

But those low-level common folk who hadn’t managed to escape fell to the ground, panicking and screaming before they started emitting incomprehensible low growls. Their veins bulged, their eyes turned dead gray, and they began to thrash chaotically at the people and objects around them!

So this is the disaster?

That gray mist…

The mist also spread around Vilyric and her group. Although the Cat Daughter was crying, “Help me!” and wanted to flee, the Priestess was quicker to grab her, casually expanding a half-circle golden shield that perfectly covered their immediate area.

Despite the so-called [Disaster] mist seeming to seep in everywhere, it proved powerless against a level 110 player’s defense and was entirely kept out.

“I’m dead, I’m dead! This time it’s for real… eh? What’s this?”

The Cat Daughter, who had been closing her eyes and waiting for death, finally opened them to realize her body hadn’t changed as she expected. Staring at the dazzling golden barrier around her with a dazed expression, it seemed her cat brain had crashed.

Though Vilyric had saved Mier, she hadn’t helped the hundreds of other commoners in the guild hall. The Little Dragon Daughter and two Winged Sisters might not think much of it, but a certain Holy Knight who couldn’t stand seeing others hurt panicked.

“Miss Vilyric! There are many other innocent people! Please let me help!”

“Huh?”

The black-haired girl, who was just about to question the Cat Daughter about the [Disaster], tilted her head to look at the guild hall that hadn’t been fully evacuated and was in chaos.

To be honest, if it weren’t for Edwina’s reminder, Vilyric, who had been thinking about the [Disaster], wouldn’t have noticed those affected commoners at all.

It wasn’t about whether to help or not; the thought hadn’t even crossed her mind.

Is it… that kind of situation again?

However, since the Holy Knight wanted to help, Vilyric had no reason to stop her.

“Go ahead if you want, but be careful.”

Edwina was part of their group now, and since the Priestess still hadn’t figured out what this thing truly was, Vilyric had always treated uncertain matters with as much caution as possible.

“Yes! I’m going!”

The Holy Knight was worried about the innocents affected, but she wasn’t reckless enough to joke with her own safety, especially since Vilyric had specifically warned her.

First, within the barrier Vilyric had set up, she cast a faith-based defensive spell on herself. Once prepared, she charged through a small [Radiant Protection] barrier that only worked outward, diving into the chaotic crowd.

The gray mist in the air immediately began to envelop her.

The reason Vilyric sent Edwina to save people was also because she wanted to test the power of the [Disaster].

With Edwina’s legendary strength, she was among the best in a human group, and she was a true Holy Knight.

If even she struggled against the [Disaster], then Vilyric would have to reevaluate the power and the standard of its owner, [Southern Disaster].

“Still within… acceptable limits, huh?”

The Priestess clearly observed that as Edwina broke through her barrier, the golden defensive membrane on her body was quickly coated with a thin gray layer and was slowly being eroded inward.

Very slow. Even without any support, it would take at least over an hour to erode completely.

It looked like, just as Mier said, the power of the temple’s followers had a good resistance to the [Disaster]. If it was just this level, it shouldn’t be able to do anything to Edwina.

That should be enough.

The Holy Knight was currently helping the strong adventurers subdue and temporarily tie up those driven mad by the [Disaster].

It seemed the range of this [Disaster] had its limits, fading more and more as it spread outward, and covering the entire Adventurer’s Guild hall was already quite a stretch.

Since they had evacuated in advance, many people had actually already escaped. As long as nothing unexpected happened, the chaos should settle quickly.

Vilyric decided to leave those small matters for Edwina to handle; what she cared about more was that back room the men had run from, which should be the true source of this [Disaster].

Right behind that big hole.

“Let’s go, we’ll join the fun.”

“All right, Master./Yes, Miss Vilyric.”

Without question, Xiao Guang and Leila followed right away, while the signboard girl, Mier, seemed reluctant to go in. But now she was surrounded by the gray mist and had to rely on Vilyric’s golden barrier for protection, so she could only move along with a bitter expression.

“Miss Vilyric, are you planning to…?”

Vilyric didn’t explain anything to Mier. Although she initially wanted to gather more information about the [Disaster], seeing it for herself seemed more efficient than talking about it for ages, right?

Under the Priestess’s ingenious control, the barrier that should have been immobile around the girls extended and dissipated as they moved, always keeping its original size.

Vilyric didn’t want to stand out too much here; the previous disturbance had already been troublesome enough.

Soon, the group arrived at the entrance of the gaping hole.

“Mier, no matter what happens, stay close to me, understood? Also, stop clinging to my waist; it makes moving a bit difficult…”

“I-I’m so sorry!”

   

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