Chapter 153
“That’s right. We already knew that the Nu clan was conducting research on the infected. I left them alone, thinking they might find a solution…”
Yasamin’s voice carried both regret and frustration.
Creativity was a unique talent possessed only by humans. From it, art and technology emerged.
But at the same time, malice was also something distinctly human.
And when those two combined… there was no answer.
“They must have been keeping the infected locked inside this cage.”
“I see.”
Thud!
When the last remaining one lunged at them, Yasamin dispatched it with ease.
She wondered why they had left just one behind, but the answer soon became clear.
“…Disgusting.”
Clatter.
A wooden sign hanging around the fallen infected’s neck made a sharp noise as it hit the ground.
With cold, unreadable eyes, Siren read the words inscribed on it.
I am in a place you cannot find.
So this was the clue Hies had left behind.
It made sense why Jin hadn’t been able to find him.
“Jin.”
“Yes, Master.”
At Yasamin’s brief call, smoke gathered, and Jin appeared.
He glanced around, then raised his eyebrows before letting out a sigh.
“So the clue was hidden here.”
“Go outside and find infected wearing wooden signs around their necks like this one.”
“Understood. I had already spotted a few.”
Siren looked down at the infected, its head completely crushed, then used the Raksha of Water to wash away the blood and brain matter.
There was nothing more to see here.
As they made their way back up, she finally voiced the thoughts that had been lingering in her mind.
“Are the infected alive or dead?”
“All of a sudden?”
“They move, don’t they? They seek out prey, they spread infection. In other words, they desire reproduction. If so, haven’t they simply become a different species rather than dying?”
Should the infected be regarded as the living, merely afflicted with an incurable disease? Or should they be seen as the dead?
The South had long chosen the latter.
They believed the infected were corpses resurrected after death—souls that had departed for the gods’ realm, leaving only their husks behind. That was why they had no hesitation in eliminating them.
But what if that wasn’t the case?
“If the infected are classified as people, things will get complicated… Even the South, for all its lack of morality and ethics.”
Yasamin exhaled a sigh and continued.
“It would mean they’ve been killing people who could have been ‘cured’ all this time. Some wouldn’t be able to bear it.”
“Hmm.”
It wasn’t wrong. The human heart was astonishingly strong, yet at the same time, so fragile that it could shatter with the slightest touch.
What the gods saw and what humans believed were entirely different things.
“There was no wrongdoing, considering that one had to kill in order to survive. The strong prey on the weak—that is the fundamental truth of the world, is it not?”
And yet, humans had the strange tendency to protect the weak.
They created laws and systems, cherished and nurtured, educated and provided a place for them.
Siren found such humans fascinating. And in truth… that was why she loved them.
They lived only about a hundred years. No, most didn’t even get to live that long.
Selfishness should have been expected—so how was it possible for them not to be?
“Even if healing is possible, it would be best to leave it as nothing more than a divine miracle. That way, they won’t have to think too deeply about it.”
As Siren murmured, Yasamin nodded.
Before long, the two of them exited the royal castle and climbed the fortress walls.
There were still infected who hadn’t managed to escape, but at Siren’s restraint, Yasamin ceased the slaughter.
“Do you think there are any survivors in the castle?”
“There might be.”
“Teach me the spell to detect presences using Raksha. You know how to do it.”
There was no way he couldn’t.
When she demanded it with certainty, Yasamin wore a caught-off-guard expression before flicking his fingers.
Siren observed the way Raksha’s flow was rearranged in his hand and mimicked it exactly.
By twisting together yellow light mixed with white, she formed it into the shape of a rope, completing a snake.
The snake slithered swiftly across the floor and ceiling before vanishing.
If it found the presence of any living people, she would naturally come to know as well.
“Until Jin arrives, we should secure a safe place and rescue the survivors.”
“Got it. Where should we gather them?”
“The audience chamber is best. It’s the largest space….”
“And where will you be?”
“I’ll be searching as well. I won’t just sit around.”
At her resolute words, Yasamin accepted with a mixture of dissatisfaction and admiration.
“Let’s move.”
Raksha surged fiercely around Siren.
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