Chapter 260: Sharon and the Plague

Sharon of the Dogkin tribe.

As a Magi-Control League investigator during the ritual to counter the magical disaster in the Cutting Maze.

An accident occurred, pulling Sharon, Pavla, Vernon, and Leon—the four interns—into the Fear Beast's mental dimension: the Fear Field.

When Luo De entered deeply to rescue the four, he discovered Sharon had been attacked by an unknown creature from the Fear Field's botanical garden.

Due to soul damage, all her accumulated mana had dissipated.

She is currently under the care of the witch Dimia.

Her condition has never improved; for the past month, Luo De rarely visited Shi Ying Town and did not know the extent of her decline.

But now, he sees her from afar.

Sharon walks toward him with a brisk step; though still thin, her body seems to have recovered well.

"Mr. Luo De."

She ignores Kalist, fixing her gaze tightly on Luo De.

On her face is a confident smile he has never seen before.

"How is your health?"

Luo De smiles.

He immediately notices she is wearing a white home robe—thin and comfortable.

But being outdoors in November weather is clearly unreasonable.

Interestingly, she holds a magical satchel.

Did she sneak out?

He uses 【Far-Link Speech】 to contact the witch Dimia.

He receives no immediate response.

He pulls a thick coat from the magical satchel, stepping forward—until Kalist takes it first and drapes it over Sharon.

"What happened?"

Facing his concern,

Sharon shakes her head with a smile.

Without warning, she raises her hand toward the elf beside her and swiftly utters several syllables.

Magic surges.

Kalist reacts with astonishing speed, aided by 【Dual-Hand Casting】, and a pale white square field appears instantly between her and Sharon.

But the distance is far too close.

The elf lets out a muffled grunt, her expression twisting.

Luo De frowns and immediately casts 【Repulsion Spell】 at Sharon.

With a thud, grass and soil scatter.

Sharon's spherical field flickers and vanishes as she is flung backward by the force, dragging a long furrow across the ground.

She stands firm, brushes off the dust, and seems unconcerned.

Luo De steps between her and Kalist.

"Are you alright?"

"Stone Gaze, Shadow Shift, Command Blindness—three spells combined. She's seventh-rank."

The elf keeps her eyes shut, face grim:

"I dispelled Stone Gaze, but the other two came too fast—I'll be teleported away by Shadow Shift. Be careful. Sharon isn't right."

Before she finishes speaking,

The ground's shadow blooms into five giant petals, engulfing her completely.

The next instant, shadow and she vanish together.

Luo De immediately uses 【Far-Link Speech】 to notify Xiao Ke and Bond to find Kalist.

Then he summons the female beastman Amy, the ghoul Pan Ni, the zombie Selina, Vivian, and Tally to this location.

Fighting alone is fine.

But not using available allies seems foolish.

Besides, this Sharon is still a friend—better to capture her alive if possible. Vivian has strong control via 【Shapechanging Spell】.

After receiving affirmative responses from the girls,

Luo De turns to Sharon.

Only then does he notice her pale golden fur gradually shifting toward green.

There's a hint of the Plague Domain's aura—but strangely, he senses no trace of accumulated mana on her.

"Sharon, I thought we were friends."

Sharon didn't kill Kalist—that's why Luo De is willing to talk.

"Of course, Mr. Luo De. We are certainly friends. You rescued me from the Fear Field—not just a friend, but my savior."

She still smiles confidently, with a hint of madness: "So, to repay you, I've come to invite you to destroy the Botanical Garden."

"The Botanical Garden inside the Fear Field? Why are you fixated on it? And when did you switch to becoming a Plague Mage?"

She walks slowly toward him.

Shakes her head, offering no answer to Luo De's questions.

"We've always misunderstood. Plague is benevolent—it always embraces. All resistance has ever done is waste time and bring pain. This time has shown me how closely life and destruction are linked. Only by accepting destruction can you truly understand. Only by welcoming the Plague's baptism can you truly feel the mystery of magic."

Luo De: "I don't understand."

He flashes forward with 【Swift Shadow】, swings his sword, and strikes.

With 【Dragon Power】, 【Tidal Might】, 【Dragon Heart】, and other enhancements, his strength has exploded—his normal strike is now a devastating blow.

Sharon's spherical field shatters instantly—but Luo De holds back, so the blade does not wound her.

Her face first registers shock, then erupts into ecstatic joy.

"I can feel the Plague Domain on you! You've also undergone the Plague's baptism?!"

"You're seriously ill, Sharon. Did that Amel fellow do something to you?"

Before the campaign against the Plague Mage Amel, the witch Dimia had found Amel's 【Brittley's Ceramic Plate】 in Sharon's recovery cottage.

At the time, they suspected Amel had done something to her.

But no spells detected any anomaly, and Sharon herself denied it.

After Amel's death, the matter was dropped.

But now, it clearly wasn't that simple.

"Amel? That fool who tried to escape the Plague's favor? He did show me a few things—but for someone like him to have done anything to me? You're imagining things."

Sharon stands still.

She shows no sign of casting.

Luo De steps forward, intending to restrain her hands and pin her down.

"I've planted seventy-two delayed rituals for Rot Sacs across Shi Ying Town. When they detonate, the entire town will be engulfed in plague virus. Mr. Luo De—if you help me destroy the Botanical Garden, I'll cancel them."

His steps freeze.

His expression turns icy.

"Are you threatening me?"

"You could call it negotiation."

He silently continues using 【Far-Link Speech】 to contact Dimia—but still no reply.

Clearly, Dimia is in trouble.

The situation seems dire.

But Shi Ying Town still has a central-town-level guardian array.

With an array of that caliber, even when the demon Atlu invaded, the fungus Toru dared place his array only beyond the town's outskirts.

He immediately uses 【Far-Link Speech】 to send the zombie Selina to check the town.

"You should know I reject threats."

I'm straightforward—I don't bend to pressure.

Sharon smiles seductively and presses herself against Luo De.

"I guessed that. So what I just said was all lies." She pulls open her collar, revealing most of her pale, modest chest.

She presses it against his abs, molding and shifting.

(End of Chapter)