157. Radioactive Source

157. Radioactive Source

Frost crushed the skull of one of the boars, devouring its head with only the touch of her hands. She wanted to get away from tasting uncooked flesh now that she could consume raw material thanks to mastering [Punch].

“Question.” Jury began as Ber simultaneously eliminated the boars with an electrical pulse. “How are you supposed to prove that someone ‘tagged’ another group?”

“Justica Arms eventually figures it out. But someone needs to report it to a Peace Flock. You know, one of the Public Defenders? Heh. I’d love to see them try to fight without their walking sticks!” Cer answered, suddenly derailing the topic.

“As she was saying, Justica Arms will arrive at the truth in one way or another.” Res answered. “But in places without a Justica Arms Branch then you’re relying on witnesses. Power. Influence. Or the usual ‘the dead tell no tales’.”

“I can imagine. Are there any civilizations like the Nex Megalopolis?” Frost asked as she knelt beside a boar and closely inspected them.

“A good amount. But nothing’s perfect. Atlas and the Nexus are about as perfect as you can get.” Res answered.

“Unless you’re a drone for a bee queen. They don’t complain despite how bad things are.” Ber shrugged. “It’s crazy in the Gnawer Region. Ants kidnapping other Ants, Ants infiltrating other Ants. Ants eating Ants. They call it pheromones or something.”

“Never smelt anything from an insect before.” Cer said.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I’m sure your nose is working correctly.” Jury then jabbed as Frost noticed that these boars carried Emission stacks. “Did you find something?”

“Emission stacks. All of them have it.” Frost relayed. “They did say they found them close to a bright light. Know any magic that gives off Emission stacks?”

“No. But it’s the same thing that plagued the town’s people. The bright light’s suspiciously just like a Corrupted. There are lots of objects that glow. But I’ve never heard of one that makes people sick just by being around it.” Res answered as Frost marked the area with a thick, metal rope.

She then casted [Cleanse] on each boar, ridding them of their Emission stacks. She wondered if consuming animals with these stacks could transfer them to others. Frost was not afflicted since even the stacks itself were devoured by her all-consuming maw.

Then, they began retracing the devastative steps of the boar. The soil heaved like sand with each step, and the flora was reduced to a moist pile of plant matter.

“But that also reminds me. Galia has a similar coat as yours. The same goes for the 1st Apostle. I’m not trying to imply that they have a Coat of Prejudice, but it’s weird that they can fish out the truth.” Res then added. “One of these days you’ll get to meet her. I think you’ll get along.”

“I hope so.”

The group instinctively believed that they were encroaching on another Corrupted encounter. But Frost, Jury and Nav had a very different train of thought. On Earth, there were certain objects that could cause lesions and acute illness just by being exposed to them.

And being a nurse, Frost had seen such wounds and symptoms before. Radiation instantly became the primary suspect. The problem was how radioactive material even came to be in a fantasy world. But with the existence of technologies beyond imagination, who was to say that someone wasn’t toying around with nuclear power?

Still, that was farfetched. The likely answer was that it could be a byproduct of an unknown process that found its way to Wharftow. Whatever the case was, she was 90% certain that they were dealing with a radioactive object.

The gentle trickling of a slow stream could be heard just ahead. The forest floor was littered with rocks and cracked bricks. Evidence of buried ruins sprawled around them, overgrown with ivy, and penetrated by invasive roots. This section of the forest was eerily absent from all life.

The trees withered, and their leaves wilted the deeper they went. The tall oaks appeared like the depressed willows of a bog.

Suddenly, they were met with a soft glow of blue light. The rushing sound of water became stronger as they entered a small clearing where water rushed upwards from a small opening found amongst the rocks. This was the source of the stream, and as they approached, the light intensified.

“The water is humming.” Res whispered in disbelief as Ignis nodded.

Their ears twitched in unison. Frost could hear it too, as could Jury. The water glowed with an unnatural blue light, and when she went to scoop it into her hands she was met with a disturbing discovery.

Irradiated Water

Nav. Can healing magic fix people affected by radiation?

“You mean genetically? It is possible with your magic. Grand Healing restores the body to its ‘normal’ state. Alterations in physiology should not change this normal state. With what we currently know about the relationship with the body and soul, healing magic repairs the body according to a person’s soul in its most pristine state. Think of it like a template. However, weaker healing magic will have a considerably troublesome time.” Nav explained as Cer casually dipped her hand into the stream, plucking out the glowing object which was, much to their surprise, a metallic bracelet.

Ancient Irradiated Bracelet

“I thought it was a stone.” Res said. “It’s not a Corrupted either. Weird. How did a bracelet end up here?”

“I don’t think they can look at it directly for too long. Unlike us. Our RESIST is high enough to stop whatever those Emission stacks are… but where have I…” Cer fell into a deep train of thought, waving the item around as Frost dipped her hand into the steam.

She cast [Cleanse] several times, purifying the stream from several stacks. As polluted as it was, Frost was determined to cleanse the source completely. How radiation suddenly vanished without a trace boggled her mind, but she wasn’t complaining.

If this was a game, then Frost had just found the equivalent of an EXP farm. She planned to use this to rack up as many [Cleanse] levels, and simply sat there as the group fawned over the incandescent bracelet.

What about tumors? Cancers? Frost suddenly asked.

“Those would be considered foreign bodies. Your Healing magic will not remove them. Low levelled healing magic will heal them however.”

Because it can’t differentiate them from normal body cells I’m guessing, huh. And since they’re made in the body, they can be healed. That’s interesting. High levelled healing magic has its own flaws.

Frost enjoyed her train of thought, right until a certain wolfwoman shouted:

“I remember this humming now! Isn’t this what they have in those anti-healing weapons?” Cer pointed out, causing both Ber and Res to rear their heads in realization.

“That’s Cer for you!” Ber applauded.

“Now that you mention it… You’re right.” Res was bewildered by the discovery. “… They’re supposed to be decommissioned. If you’re wondering what anti-healing weapons were used for, then don’t worry. They don’t exist anymore. To our knowledge that is.” She nodded at the fact that they were all in the dark about what truly goes on behind closed doors.

Anti-healing weaponry utilized these humming, radioactive objects to neutralize the abilities of most healers. Only the strongest were capable of overruling its effects, and this was apparently used to lure them out many years ago when they were still being persecuted.

And this was not the only form of anti-healing weaponry… and neither was it the most sinister. Due to the fact that healing magic couldn’t remove foreign objects, the most devastative kind of anti-healing weapon was none other than weapons that caused fragmentation to riddle a person’s body.

Or in Earthly terms, something akin to a fragmentation grenade, or flechette rounds.

How could someone possibly remove thousands of tiny metal shards from a person’s face? Healing would only prolong their suffering. The past was beyond brutal, and it wasn’t even that far back.

Frost therefore had to wonder just how something like this appeared here in the first place.

“A component of anti-healing weapons. It’s ancient as well. Cer. Can I please have it?” Frost kindly asked as she dragged her hand along the stream, constantly cleansing it.

Cer’s grin manifested almost immediately as she looked down at the bracelet, then at Frost with an air of superiority. She folded her arms, puffed her chest, and peered down at her with a single, mischievous eye.

“Only if you say ‘aaaah~’.” Cer said, knowing exactly why Frost wanted the object.

With no point in arguing, and with a pride she didn’t really care about in the first place, Frost went along and opened her mouth.

“Aaaah.”

“A-Ah… S-Shit. No way.” Cer didn’t expect this development and panicked momentarially before she placed the bracelet into Frost’s mouth. “I-It’s like…” She dropped to her knees, slowly feeding Frost as her slit pupils somehow turned into hearts.

But Frost was probably just seeing things.

With an exasperated pant, Cer dipped into the shallow stream, hypnotized by Frost’s maw and her judging eyes. It was made all the better by a Jury who had to wonder what sort of illness had befallen her.

“It’s like I’m being eaten~”