I've Become the King of Villains in the Game

Chapter 156 Plague Legend

Two days later.

Chen Lun once again received an invitation from the owner of the Mermaid's Song Fighting Club, also known as "Dark Knight" Bales.

But before he went to the club, he planned to stop by another place first.

A few days ago at the bar, encountering that type of black antiepidemic medicine had sparked Chen Lun's curiosity. He decided to visit the address provided by the old man to see who was posing as his believer and profiting from it.

So, after lunch, Chen Lun took a carriage to a neighborhood on the west side of the Inner City District.

Although close to Lona Port, because of the surrounding roads being long-neglected and uneven, there were few people, and the shops were in decline.

A store named "Robert and Jones's Herbal Room" was located on the street side.

The herb store was not large, roughly the size of an ordinary café. The few neighboring shops had their doors closed, looking as if no one had rented them for business.

As soon as Chen Lun drew back the carriage curtain, he saw a middle-aged man, resembling a butler, holding a paper bag, coming out of the herb room and then getting into a carriage, heading off into the distance.

"Hmm... this must be the place."

Chen Lun muttered to himself.

He got out of the carriage and walked directly into the herb shop.

Pushing open the wooden door.

Dingling...

Upon entering the shop, the first thing Chen Lun smelled was a strong scent of herbs. The smell was complex, neither stinky nor fragrant, but it reminded Chen Lun of some unpleasant memories from his past life.

He and his sister, due to a genetic illness, had also sought various "miracle doctors" and drank all kinds of nauseating concoctions.

That period of time was like a nightmare.

Chen Lun shook his head slightly.

"Oh, good day, sir. How may I assist you?"

At that moment, a middle-aged man wearing a brown leather apron came out from the back, fatigue showing on his face but a smile still present.

He wore glasses on his nose, but the lenses were smeared with some strange black liquid, making them look somewhat dirty.

"I heard that I can purchase 'special antiepidemic medicine' here?"

Chen Lun leaned on his Silver Staff and offered a faint smile.

He emphasized "special" purposefully, wanting to see how the other party would react.

"Oh no, sir, we don't have 'special antiepidemic medicine' here..."

The middle-aged man's smile was slightly bitter.

"Those are just herbal sugar cubes that my wife and I developed together. They do have some antiepidemic effects, but they're not at the 'special' level... If you need them, you might trial a bit."

"Oh? Well... since that's the case, please give me some. The epidemic is spreading outside the city, which is worrisome."

Chen Lun nodded, feigning disappointment.

The middle-aged man responded joyfully and immediately went into the back room. After a moment, he came back holding a small paper packet.

"Sir, these are 'Antiepidemic Sugar Cubes.' Please eat them with confidence. They are mainly made of black sugar, ginger, and herbs... Eating a small amount each day can warm the body and help resist the cold and disease."

[Medicine - Antiepidemic Sugar Cubes]

Item Description: An antiepidemic product developed by herbalists Robert and Jones, containing black sugar, ginger, and nineteen types of herbs, effective against cold and plague.

Taking a small amount each time can slightly enhance resistance to toxins, cold, and plague.

"How much?"

Chen Lun asked as he took it.

"Just 2 Silver Ducats, sir."

The man breathed out white air and chuckled lightly.

Chen Lun silently nodded.

The effects of this medicine were good, and in the Inner City District, the price was not exorbitant; even for the wealthy, it was quite cheap.

Chen Lun took out two silver coins, placing them in the man's palm. The man thanked him.

Then, Chen Lun asked:

"Are you a believer of the 'Black Messenger'?"

The man's expression briefly changed, but he quickly recovered.

"Yes, we are His believers."

Chen Lun could feel the momentary panic in the man, knowing he was lying.

But he did not directly expose the man; instead, he continued:

"That's wonderful, I also worship 'Black Messenger.' He is an angel of the 'Foreign Gods' and the guardian of Amber..."

Chen Lun's tone was solemn and earnest as he spoke, and he even improvised a praising gesture—

He pressed his index and middle finger together, drawing a circle counterclockwise at his forehead.

"Praise to the Foreign Black."

The middle-aged man watched him, stupefied.

Immediately, he snapped back to reality, smiled sheepishly, and performed the same praising gesture, saying:

"Praise to the Foreign Black."

Chen Lun silently watched the man, uttering not a word.

The latter shuddered suddenly, unsure of what had happened. He was still secretly guessing whether he had done something inadequately, making the black-haired young man realize something was amiss, that he was not a believer of the "Black Messenger."

"Sir...?"

"I saw the sign for the herbal shop... Mr. Robert, correct? And your wife, Jones?"

Chen Lun spoke.

"Ah yes, Robert Corey... My wife Jones is inside brewing the medicine."

Robert wiped his sweat.

He felt unbearably hot; how could he be sweating profusely in the dead of winter?

Chen Lun nodded slightly with a smile.

"Mr. Robert, since we are both believers of the 'Black Messenger,' may I come in to take a look?"

"This..."

Robert hesitated.

Chen Lun's hands were clasped on his Silver Staff, ready to use "Mermaid's Song" for hypnosis.

"Sir, um, alright."

Robert struggled for a few seconds but finally nodded in agreement.

"Follow me."

He turned and led the way into the back room.

Chen Lun silently followed him inside.

Passing through two rows of wooden shelves stacked with various dried herbs and an assortment of jars and bottles, they arrived at the inner courtyard.

A middle-aged woman with crow's feet at her eyes was standing beside a baking clay pot on a fire rack, gripping a wooden stick and stirring inside the pot.

A strong sweet fragrance mixed with the complex scent of ginger and herbs wafted through the air.

"Robert, who is this?"

The woman looked up, her face puzzled.

"Ah Jones, this gentleman is also a believer of the 'Black Messenger,' and he has come to observe the process of making 'Antiepidemic Medicine'... perhaps out of concern for the health of others," said Robert, adding one last phrase.

He subtly turned his head to gauge the expression of the black-haired young man beside him, noticing no change, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

'It looks like it is just ordinary herbal sugar cubes, this couple is quite interesting...'

Seeing this, Chen Lun felt reassured.

His gaze inadvertently swept over a potted plant under a tree in the courtyard, which contained a small golden-yellow lemon tree.

"You two are believers of the 'Naturalist Sect,' aren't you?"

Chen Lun spoke softly.

Robert and his wife Jones were startled, their mouths slightly agape.

"Why do you still use the guise of the 'Black Messenger' if you aren't doing anything untoward...?"

A faint light radiated from the shell necklace on Chen Lun's chest.

"...Sir, we didn't want to do this either, but the 'Naturalist Sect' doesn't have a good reputation within the Empire, and selling homemade antiepidemic medicine outright makes it hard for people to believe," Robert said distractedly, then smiled bitterly.

"Jones's parents, as well as... our child, died in a plague outbreak five years ago... This left a deep impression on us and gave us some insights into the disease.

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We do not want an outbreak similar to what happened before, where so many lives were claimed... so we only resorted to using the recently emerged 'Black Messenger' to gain people's trust."

His wife Jones nodded and added:

"The rich in the Inner City District don't care about this small amount of money, but for the people in the Outer City District or even those outside the city, it's vital... We hope to earn some more money, then go beyond the city to treat those who need help."

Chen Lun got the answers he sought and sighed inwardly.

At the same time, he thought about the public beta-testing.

'Is this plague disaster affecting the storyline after the beta-testing?'

In his previous life during the public beta, he was born in a different State City area. At that time, in the grand city where he lived, a large sacrificial event occurred, concealed by a large group formed by several small evil forces.

This was the initial opposing force for the players in that region during the public beta, and it continued into the opening of the main storyline in version 1.0.

This was a plot phase to help players transition and adapt.

'I must say, it resembles it quite a bit...'

Chen Lun thought carefully.

[Trigger B-Level Quest: Plague Legend!]

Quest description: Cities, towns, and villages around Amber City are beginning to experience outbreaks of a strange plague, and the situation is getting worse.

Panic spreads, along with a chilling legend—the Red Dancer! In an era riddled with hunger, the red-garbed dancer was brutally cannibalized in a village, her resentful spirit lingering. She vows to bring calamities to the human world; the Black Death, Yellow Fever, and Red Dance Disease—three major plagues erupting concurrently, currently sweeping through the southern regions of Gem State!

Investigate the cause of the plague outbreak and find a solution to it.

Quest reward: 11000 Experience Points, 18 Gold Pounds, 5 Points in regional renown, and a Mystic Book of the Naturalist Sect (Advanced) *1