According to experts, the outbreak was caused by a large accumulation of corpses in Hurtlepool that bred bacteria. There is a river in Hurtlepool, and the bacteria from the blood and floating bodies on its banks flowed downstream with the rainwater.
The river water then spread to other areas, causing the epidemic. The first person to be infected with this disease was an elderly man named Maurice, who was a fishing enthusiast. For over thirty years, he had been fishing at this river every day without fail.
On that fateful day, he caught seven or eight fish before noon – all of them big ones. This area was a popular spot for fishermen, but it was difficult to catch any fish because they were so smart.
Maurice attributed his good luck to catching so many fish that day and brought them home for his wife to cook into a feast for their family and neighbors – fifteen people in total.
Unfortunately, everyone except his healthy eighteen-year-old grandson died after eating the meal. Their bodies quickly decayed visibly before being sent off to hospitals where doctors discovered purple fungus growing on their skin.
Within an hour of cutting open these fungal growths with scalpels out of curiosity about what they contained; tiny purple flowers bloomed inside like cotton fluff which dispersed easily when touched by wind or movement around them!
One doctor who performed surgery on these patients collapsed from inhaling this purple fungus while others who came into contact with it also became infected – whether through direct contact with corpses or not.
Some speculate that these purple fungi enter human respiratory systems where they attach themselves onto blood vessels before expanding rapidly until absorbing all oxygen available leading to victims’ breathing stops abruptly and resulting in death!
The bacteria could thrive in the absence of oxygen, using the host’s body as a nutrient source to support their own growth. Once they had depleted all the nutrients within the human body, they reached a stage of “flowering and fruiting.”
The purple cotton-like fibers were their fruits, weighing lighter than air, allowing them to flow and spread freely like water. The growth and spread of these purple bacteria were incredibly rapid. From the moment a person came into contact with them to the point of respiratory failure and the bacteria taking root on the ground, germinating and growing, it only took about three hours.
With such a rapid rate of transmission, it was feared that within three days, the entire population of over thirty million in Onistead would succumb to a tragic fate.
What’s even more terrifying is that it’s winter and the wind is blowing from the Siberian plains in the north with no mountains to block it.
The strong winds are pushing these purple cotton-like substances all around.
In just 24 hours since Hurtlepool was affected, villages within a radius of ten miles have all reported cases of infection.
The situation was sudden and severe. The whole internet was reporting on it, causing frequent server breakdowns.
—
The Presidential Palace.
Normally at eight o’clock in the evening, everyone would have gone home and turned off their lights. But today was different; there were still many people sitting inside.
Doctors wearing white coats and officials dressed in suits were arguing loudly with each other.
President Abel had his hand on his forehead as he looked down at them helplessly while they argued like fishwives.
Kyson’s voice stood out among them; he couldn’t be ignored.
“You officials sit comfortably in your air-conditioned offices drinking wine and reading newspapers. Of course you won’t understand the suffering of ordinary people or care about their lives or deaths.”
All those officials who were pointed at by him looked at each other speechlessly with lowered heads.
Kyson held a high position within Onistead society. Everyone gets sick sometimes and they might need Kyson’s help someday, so there was no need to offend him.
But there were also those who weren’t afraid of the Owen family. Amidst silence, Elsa stood up from her seat directly facing Kyson with a slight glance from her almond-shaped eyes as she snorted,
“All those infected are just hundreds out of millions living here! Are we really going to sacrifice most people for just a few hundred?”
“Mr. Owen,” she continued,” I respect you as an elder due to my good relationship with Leah but I strongly disagree with opening up channels for them to come into our city for treatment.”
As soon as she finished speaking, others around her expressed agreement,
“That’s right! We all have families too! This virus is so dangerous – what if we get infected by them?”
“Yeah! Looks like I’ll have to book a flight overseas and hide away until this passes… my new project happens to be located in Metshire.”
“If you ask me, those poor people should just die. They don’t have the money for treatment, and even if they were cured, they wouldn’t be able to contribute anything to the country. It’s better to leave resources for useful people.”
“It sounds plausible, but in the face of illness, how can we distinguish between useful and useless? Although we can’t let them into the city, we can set up a temporary treatment area outside of it.”
The argument continued.
Kyson suggested bringing the patients into hospitals since they have advanced equipment that could monitor their condition at any time. However, most people opposed this idea because they were used to living in luxury and didn’t want to face life or death situations.
As time passed by quickly, wasting more time like this wasn’t an option.
Suddenly Abel stood up from his seat and slammed his hand on the table before announcing with authority.
“Alright everyone! Stop arguing! We must save lives! And cure illnesses!”
His voice was not loud but had great power that made everyone quiet down immediately as they listened attentively for what their president would say next.
Abel took a deep breath, then looked around at everyone seriously before speaking out loud.
“There is no distinction between high or low status when it comes to human life. As long as someone is from Chulae, then they are our fellow citizens. How could we push them away when they are in trouble?”
“Give orders now! Coordinate all forces together and do everything possible to save these patients’ lives! Even if some pass away during this process – bury them properly.”
“The Health, Finance and Military Department will work together on all rescue operations.”
“Yes!”
Kyson was filled with excitement, as if he had been transported back to his younger days, brimming with motivation.
Over twenty years ago, Onistead had faced a similar epidemic crisis. However, it was Selah, Cheyenne’s mother, who had discovered the cure.
Today, Onistead was once again confronted with the same challenges, but the brilliant Selah had long since passed away. It was a poignant realization that stirred emotions within.