Chapter 95: Ebet's Condition

Wu Chang’s face showed surprise; he didn't even have time to appreciate the nurse’s well-fitting uniform before hurriedly saying:

"Professor Ebet is failing? Quick, take me to him."

This old geezer, he’s finally about to kick the bucket; he’s certainly held on long enough.

If he’d held on for another two or three days, he would have cleared the dungeon.

The town hospital was built not far from the church; usually, dying townspeople were taken directly to the church for last rites.

The town of Briver was not large, and the number of townspeople was small; whenever a resident reached the end of their life, the Bishop generally presided over their last rites in person.

But this time, it was impossible.

As the human key to entering the Jealousy Church, the moment Wu Chang cleared the inner world, the Bishop was eroded by jealousy and turned into charcoal.

Now, let alone last rites, even entering the cathedral was impossible.

The Bishop was currently lying inside the cathedral, receiving mourning and blessings, while other townspeople preparing to depart had to queue outside.

Of course, if they couldn't wait, they could head off first; perhaps they might catch up to the Bishop ahead and make up for the missed last rites.

Because of the Bishop’s death, the entire town had become lifeless.

The townspeople had just felt peaceful and calm yesterday due to the prayers led by the Bishop, but waking up this morning, their negative emotions had returned with interest.

The square in front of the cathedral was filled with kneeling townspeople; they were surrounded by candles, praying loudly toward the cathedral.

But no matter how loud the prayers were, they could not mask the sorrow and panic on everyone’s faces.

Ling Hu, along with other nuns, was taking care of the townspeople at the scene; seeing Wu Chang pass by, she trotted over to meet him.

Wu Chang waved for the nurse leading the way to leave first, then asked Ling Hu: "How is the situation at the church?"

Ling Hu shook her head; dark circles had appeared under her eyes again, clearly having not slept well last night.

"It’s terrible. The Bishop was everyone’s spiritual leader; the Bishop’s death is like the sky collapsing for the cathedral. Everyone’s negative emotions are very heavy. The usually steady head nun was smashing everything in her room like a madwoman yesterday."

Speaking of this, Ling Hu’s expression was somewhat nervous as she whispered: "I can feel that with the Bishop’s death, something in the cathedral has been released and is starting to affect everyone."

"I’m a little scared..."

Wu Chang stuffed a key into Ling Hu’s hand and comforted her: "The chaos is only temporary. Trust Xiao En; he definitely has a way. Since the cathedral is no longer safe, you go stay at the post office for two days. Once the situation stabilizes, you can decide whether to come back."

Just as the townspeople felt no fear when encountering difficulties after hearing the Bishop’s prayers.

At this moment, hearing Wu Chang’s voice, Ling Hu also felt inexplicably at ease.

Her face flushed slightly, and she said with some hesitation: "Is it appropriate for me to go to the post office? Will it cause you trouble?"

She had been to the town’s post office; the lounge was a single room that wasn't very spacious. Would it be inappropriate for two people to be together? Wu Chang smiled and said: "It’s fine. The town council is very busy these two days, and I likely won't be going back, so you don't need to worry about me affecting you."

Ling Hu: "Ah? No... that’s not..."

Wu Chang saw the little nurse waving anxiously at him and, unable to wait for Ling Hu to finish, interrupted: "Remember to lock the door when you’re alone. I still have things to do at the hospital; let’s talk later."

The little nurse waiting in the distance had originally been composed, but after one of her colleagues ran over and said something to her, she became anxious.

Seeing him run over, the nurse hurriedly said: "Councilor Xiao En, please hurry. Professor Ebet has fallen into a coma again and is almost at his limit."

Wu Chang followed the little nurse to Ebet’s ward. Upon approaching and taking a look, he instantly frowned and pulled the nurse, who was about to leave, back.

"Miss, you’ve brought me to the wrong ward, haven't you? Who is this?"

The little nurse confirmed: "He is Professor Ebet. It is the sickness that has turned him into this state."

Wu Chang took another look at Professor Ebet on the bed. This time he looked more carefully and finally managed to make out a few traces of Ebet’s appearance.

The sickness had tortured the old professor severely. He still remembered the day he first met Ebet; although Ebet was thin, he was full of vigor, his eyes clear and bright, filled with the wisdom unique to a scholar.

His hair and clothes were neat and appropriate, his attire refined—a standard old gentleman. Yet, in just three short days, Professor Ebet had turned into a human skeleton.

The frantic diarrhea had left him severely dehydrated; his full lips had become dry and pale, his mouth chapped.

The continuous high fever had left his spirit incredibly haggard; his hair was greasy and matted, his eye bags sunken, his complexion dull.

His eyes, once full of wisdom, were now filled with murky gray, from which only thick deathly aura could be seen.

Even in his near-death coma, he still hadn't escaped his nightmares, muttering intermittent words that no one could understand.

Wu Chang sighed, wiped away non-existent tears from the corner of his eye, and said to the little nurse: "The sickness is truly hateful. Such a wise scholar, how did he end up in this state?"

The little nurse comforted him: "Councilor Xiao En, please grieve in moderation. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the way of the world. Professor Ebet is old; at this age, it is easy for an old man to take a fall and have his bodily functions suddenly decline."

Wu Chang said sadly: "I need a little comfort."

The little nurse’s face flushed slightly. She looked left and right, and seeing no one was paying attention, she leaned in and gave Wu Chang a hug.

Wu Chang hugged the little nurse back tightly until she struggled for the third time, only then reluctantly letting go.

"Councilor Xiao En, we’re still in the ward." After escaping his clutches, the little nurse complained in a low voice and immediately ran out of the room, shy.

Wu Chang smiled and waved at the little nurse, who was looking back to peek; the little nurse ran further away, shy again.

Young girls are better; they hide away shyly over the smallest thing. If it were Mo Leina, she would probably drag him to the next ward for some direct, in-depth interaction.

He lowered his waving hand, exhaled a breath of turbid air, and looked at Ebet on the hospital bed.

Now, no one would come to disturb them for a short while.

He used his ability to manipulate calamities to adjust the effects of "Plague-Spreading" and "Calamity-Descending" in Ebet’s body to a dormant state.

Without "Plague-Spreading" and "Calamity-Descending," a few minutes later, Ebet relied on his strong willpower to wake up from his coma.

Ebet woke up. The first thing he saw was Wu Chang, and realizing he had escaped the nightmare, he was as excited as if he had seen a relative.

It seems this old geezer didn't torture his own conscience any less in the nightmare.

"Professor Ebet, how did you become like this?" Wu Chang leaned in, surprised, his eyes full of disbelief.

Ebet coughed twice. He couldn't bother to explain; he grabbed Wu Chang’s sleeve and asked with all his might: "Are you sent by the church?"

Wu Chang was silent for a moment and confessed: "Archbishop Gilman entrusted me to come to Briver to find you, wanting you to help me investigate some things."

The hand Ebet used to grab Wu Chang’s sleeve began to exert force: "I can help you, but you must agree to one condition."

"Go ahead."

"You must promise me to enter the Count’s manor and destroy me—destroy the ritual prepared by Count Germain!" Ebet said with great effort.

Wu Chang curled his lips. You just said "me," right?

You old geezer, I knew you hadn't been doing anything good in the dungeon.

Good heavens, so you didn't just betray the church; you even served as a technical consultant for Count Germain, and even the arrays in the Count’s manor were prepared by you.

Wu Chang pretended not to hear Ebet’s slip of the tongue and said with a troubled expression: "I have explored the Count’s manor; it is surrounded by a layer of mysterious power, and I could not enter no matter what method I used. And even if I could get in, I wouldn't know how to destroy the ritual."

Ebet: "Help me get my clothes."

Wu Chang brought over Ebet’s clothes from not far away. Ebet dismantled several inconspicuous decorations from the clothes and inserted them together, piecing them into a key.

"Take this and go to the lighthouse by the sea. On the top floor of the lighthouse, there is everything you need. Once you destroy the ritual, come back and I will tell you the answer Gilman wants."

(End of chapter)