Man on the ark, forced to become king

"They don't look alright... cough, I mean, are we here? We shouldn't be going the wrong way, right? We can already see the town ahead."

Lin Lu subconsciously wanted to complain, but after seeing the angel's eyelids droop slightly, she immediately changed her mind and changed the subject.

He wasn't just making things up; the outline of a small town was indeed faintly visible ahead. From here, one could see black stripes around the town's perimeter, which could be either low walls or some kind of defensive fortification.

To be honest, he didn't quite understand why there would be a small, immobile town in such a chaotic and disaster-prone place as Kazdel, but that didn't stop them from resupplying and resting there.

According to the information provided by the Emperor, this town has a history of several decades. Many mercenaries and scavengers are used to resting, exchanging goods, and replenishing supplies here, making it somewhat like a black market, and it is considered relatively stable.

According to the original plan, he and Mostima should have parted ways here. Mostima came out this time to go back to Laterano, not to participate in the escort mission, so he would be acting alone from now on.

"This is it, there's no mistake."

Mostima looked up at the town that was gradually coming into focus, and breathed a sigh of relief.

After traveling for so long, she had finally arrived. She had never experienced such a difficult journey in her life!

If we walk any further, I really don't know if I can keep going...

"Stop here. It's best not to ride a horse. Let's carry our things on our backs and walk across."

With the town in sight, Mostima warned them not to ride any further.

"Then I'll go down first, and then you can come down. That will be more convenient."

Torret stopped in place, and Lin Lu shrank back a little, about to jump off the horse. But as soon as he made a move, he noticed that Mostima's slightly hunched back straightened instantly, and the whole horse trembled slightly, which frightened him so much that he dared not move.

"You... stepped on my tail..."

Mostima's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between her teeth, and Lin Lu had every reason to suspect that her current emotions were probably far more manic than the expression on her face suggested.

"Ah, sorry sorry!"

Turning her gaze, Lin Lu saw that the black demon's tail was being slightly pressed down by the thigh. She quickly shrank back and jumped down.

"fine."

Miss Angel took a deep breath, first handing down the little doll she was holding, and then preparing to dismount herself.

Compared to Lin Lu's swift and decisive movements, her actions seemed much stranger, and she hesitated for a long time before finally landing on the ground.

"Are you... sure you're alright? Do you want to rest for a bit?"

Lin Lu took the storage bag off the horse's back and looked at the girl in a strange posture, so she couldn't help but ask a question.

"No, I'm fine."

The answer he received was Mostima's calm voice, tinged with a slight tremor. In Lin Lu's view, the angel had even forgotten to take her staff. Her long legs seemed to be unable to close properly as she walked forward with a pigeon-toed gait, her steps uneven and her gait somewhat reminiscent of an emperor.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Races and Nations with No Future

A low wall made of piled-up debris was erected around the town. If you got close, you could see the marks of impact and corrosion on it. The purpose of this defensive line was probably to block the Originium Bugs that could be found everywhere in the wilderness, and it was obviously quite effective.

Mostima walked ahead, while Lin Lu followed behind carrying the things. The two entered the town through a gap in the low wall that had been deliberately left open. As soon as they entered, Lin Lu felt that something was wrong.

There weren't many people in the town, but almost all of them looked travel-worn, wearing windproof cloaks that covered them from head to toe. Their attire, like his and Mostima's, stood out from the others, making them look like two tourists who had wandered into a military camp.

Moreover, everyone on the road was a Sarkaz, and Mostima, with her halo, stood out even more. Even though she couldn't see the faces behind their masks, Lin Lu could feel that every passerby's gaze lingered on her briefly.

Sarkaz and Sarkaz are sworn enemies...

If Sarkaz were all like the mercenaries we've encountered before, would anyone just take action without hesitation?

Feeling a little worried, Lin Lu quickly caught up with Mostima, whose walking posture had returned to normal, and whispered, "Won't you get into any trouble here?"

"No, in the eyes of the Sarkaz, the Fallen Angels are no longer Sarkaz."

When the topic came up with about himself, Mostima showed no change in expression, as if he were talking about a complete stranger.

"The Fallen and the Demons are no different."

As she was saying this, she suddenly reached out and stopped a passing mercenary.

"Excuse me, where is the inn in town now?"

"Ha, a fallen Sarkaz? That's quite a rare sight."

When stopped, the mercenary's hand instinctively went to his weapon. He glanced at Mostima, then relaxed and pointed to the intersection not far away.

“Over there, turn left, Kaufman’s shop.”

"They seem quite easy to talk to, unlike that group."

The mercenary pointed out the way and left. Lin Lu watched his retreating figure thoughtfully, wondering if it was just her imagination, but the Sarkaz mercenaries here didn't seem to be very aggressive.

"Those before were truly special, truly insane."

Mostima shook his head slightly, lowering his voice considerably.

"To survive in Kazdel, you must remember two things—don't go looking for trouble, and don't meddle in other people's business, like them."

The two turned a corner along the street and entered a small alley. Because of the backlight, it was much darker than the main road. Perhaps it couldn't even be considered a road, but just a gap between buildings.

Several people, completely wrapped in cloaks, huddled together against the wall, their bodies trembling, seemingly in great pain.

"They are..."

"When Oripathy strikes, almost everyone in the Sarkaz is infected. These low-ranking mercenaries have to rely on the magic brought by Oripathy to fight in order to survive, but fighting will only worsen the Oripathy. They can't afford or buy expensive Oripathy inhibitors, so when it strikes, they can only endure it on their own. If they can't endure it, someone will come to collect their bodies tomorrow."

"..."

After listening to Mostima's explanation, Lin Lu fell silent.

He suddenly realized that Kazdel might be much worse than he had thought.

Everyone is infected... and they have to overdraw their lives to survive. The more they fight, the closer they get to death. How can people not go crazy?

Compared to the residents of Upper Lungmen, they were already doing their best just to survive. What's even more frightening is that such people are not isolated cases, but rather an entire country and race in this situation.

However, under such circumstances, their leaders were still fighting amongst themselves, and the war spread throughout Kazdel. What future could such a nation and race possibly have?

The entire Kazdel is drinking poison to quench its thirst!

"Let's go, rest here for the night, and continue our journey tomorrow."

Mostima walked ahead, and the two passed by the trembling infected. Hearing their painful groans, Lin Lu couldn't help but frown slightly. The state of these people reminded him of the immortals who had rotted into skeletons in the borderlands.

The difference is that the immortals cannot die, while the infected suffer because of their need to survive.

This world is, in some ways, as distorted as the boundary after the Law Ring was broken.

Fortunately, he was not without options in the face of the Originium catastrophe.

"Aren't you going to Laterano? Are you coming with me tomorrow?"

After crossing the alley, a three-story building appeared in front of you, much larger than the other houses around it. There was no sign at the entrance, and the door was wide open, revealing tables and chairs inside.

Lin Lu glanced inside and then remembered that Mostima had mentioned continuing their journey tomorrow? Did that mean they were going to continue traveling together?

Of course, he was very willing to travel with a beautiful girl, but he still had to ask her first.

"There's no rush in Laterano."

Mostima hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to be more explicit.

There are still more than two months until graduation from school in Laterano. Considering the travel time, she should have about a month to complete this mission with Lin Lu.

The flames that could burn life and source stones, the spirit horse whose principles were incomprehensible, and Lin Lu's mystery all intrigued her.

"I'm very interested in the kind of flame you used before. I wonder if I could learn how to use it?"

"Fire is not an option right now; it's not something you can learn easily."

Mostima's question startled Lin Lu slightly, and she immediately shook her head in refusal.

On one hand, he wasn't sure if the Terrans could learn the prayers from the borderlands. On the other hand... other prayers would be fine, but the evil god's flames and annihilation fire of the giant's prayers were very effective against the Golden Tree. He couldn't just let such power spread, even if he had a good relationship with Mostima.

I want to learn this... let's talk about it after we're truly a family.

"This won't work, so there are other things I can learn?"

Mostima was not surprised by Lin Lu's refusal. She knew that her relationship with Lin Lu was currently only that of friends, and they had not yet reached the point where they could share secrets with each other. Moreover, that flame was extremely powerful, and she couldn't possibly teach it to others casually.

But judging from Lin Lu's words, it seems there are other things she can learn?

“If you are interested in my magic, then there are indeed other things I can teach you. Let’s go inside and talk.”

Several thoughts raced through her mind, and Lin Lu nodded, acknowledging Mostima's guess.

If Mostima is really willing to learn, then he can indeed selectively teach some things, and he also has quite a few ideas that need to be verified.

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Madman from Laterano

Silence, still silence.

Upon entering the bar, Lin Lu's only feeling was that it was far too quiet.

The somewhat empty hall looked like a school cafeteria, only with the tables and chairs arranged more sparsely.

There was none of the usual hustle and bustle of a bar here; instead, it was eerily quiet. Fully armed mercenaries, in twos and threes, occupied different tables, eating and drinking in silence, creating an eerily eerie atmosphere.

Their weapons and clothes were still stained with blood that couldn't be washed off, and their bodies were tense, as if they might burst out at any moment. But they were all very quiet, and even when someone came, not one of them glanced in their direction.

The elderly Sarkaz, presumably the bar owner, sat silently behind the bar, wiping glasses, until Lin Lu approached before looking up.