Chapter 13: The Blue Virus — Seed of the Cataclysm
(Few hours earlier)
Morik had gone to get the tournament passes from the Seekers.
"Morik of the Dreamoths," a figure cloaked in a dark robe called out to him — clearly, they were Seekers.
Not wanting to chit-chat, Morik turned to run back to the old tavern. But mysteriously, he was transported to a dark space where the only light came from above.
From the darkness, five cloaked beings emerged, ominous auras emanating from them.
"What do you want? I have nothing on me…" Morik didn't get to finish his words when the Seekers shushed him.
"We know you travel with a human — Li Fen by name. We need you to do something for us. Then you can keep living your immortal life." He paused for a bit, reading Morik's expression, letting what he had just said sink in, then continued.
"Our primal being foresaw a vision of that human wreaking havoc in the City Rings with all twelve laws, causing the Almighty Veythr Kealthorn to descend from his domains."
At the mention of Veythr Kealthorn's descent, the Seekers noticed Morik was unfazed and seemed to be trying to escape this world. Seeing this, they pinged their minds together and came up with an idea.
"I forgot to mention," the Seeker said, walking toward Morik, who was backing away slowly until his back hit a wall. Turns out the room wasn't really that big.
With a gentle touch on Morik's forehead, the Seeker sent blue energy into his eyes, putting him in a vegetative state.
Inside Morik's head, he saw visions of Li in a dark state — countless black holes eating everything in their path as they grew stronger. The three great races had fallen. Veythr now walked the earth, releasing countless energy waves, killing multiple beings in the Wild.
The seven monarchs of the Wild were watching from a distance, and Morik could see his own charred flesh — and that of Veyl as well. The Wild was collapsing. Countless creatures of different Daos filled Nexora; the Fate Disc could be faintly seen, spinning next to the sun.
All these visions and more flashed through Morik's mind, but they ended when he saw a humanoid leopard — feet tall, burning skin, hellish eyes, demonic claws, and a scar across his face.
This being sent shivers down Morik's spine, waking him up — only to find himself standing in the middle of the street where the Seekers had first approached him. It all felt real.
With the information already in his head, Morik looked at his right hand and saw a blue serum — a Seeker poison. One of the most lethal poisons in the Wilds.
The Blue Seeker Virus attacks its host's mental sea, consuming both mana and flesh until all that's left is just a vegetable.
On Morik's left were battle passes for the tournament, together with two other passes for both him and Veyl. All he had to do was make sure the virus got into Li.
After getting Li Fen and Veyl from the tavern, they all went together to the tournament. Morik's hand trembled as he chanted some spell into the virus, making it dissolve into mist and transfer into the disguise that Li Fen was wearing — letting it seep into his veins.
But the virus spread slower than it was supposed to — the death cells in his system tried to consume them before they reached his mental sea.
Knowing fully well that if the poison failed, his life would come to an end, Morik spilled the secret to Veyl, who refused and condemned Morik even after hearing about the vision.
After cursing Morik, Veyl stood up, heading toward the bench to warn Li Fen about the virus — but was held back by Morik, who now had the passes to enter the Third City Ring in his left hand.
It was as if the Seekers had foreseen this exact moment and planned everything ahead.
"What should I do?" Veyl asked in a low tone. But what choice did he have? The whole game had been rigged against Li Fen, who now had a virus in his bloodstream.
"The virus I sent into Li's veins is slow. At this rate, the death law in his cells will completely dominate it. Now, I need you to lend me the trust Li Fen has for you. That way, I can cast a spell to accelerate the virus in his stream. And I will be needing a new virus," Morik explained, leaving his seat to go get it.
After a few minutes of searching, Morik finally found a Seeker — though not one of the ones who had physically kidnapped him. Yet still, after Veyl explained himself to the Seeker, he was taken to a room where he was warned not to make any mistakes — and further threatened.
Morik felt a pang in his chest and found himself once more in that strange room, where the Seekers brought out a jar of blue worms and told him,
"If you come back for another virus, this is the one you'll be getting. And if you mess this up, we'll take you to hell."
After that, he regained consciousness and followed the Seeker out of the room.
Outside the room, he looked down and caught Li Fen watching him. He gave Li Fen a reassuring look and walked to his seat. There, he took the blood of Veyl, mixed it with the virus, and cast some spells.
Then he gave Veyl his passes and went on his way into the City Rings.
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(Brimel, Saerah, Seeker Elder)
Brimel sat on his throne, holy as ever. Saerah's statue, in her utmost majesty, shone with brilliant light. The Elder was busy ransacking Li's memory without his consent — looking through all the prodigies from the Li clan and even the memories of humans within Li Fen's mind. Indeed, a man one should fear.
"Brial, are you sure you saw all twelve laws inside this kid?" the Celestial God asked.
"For sure, I am certain," Brial replied, his blue eyes glowing more beautifully than ever.
"You say there is a ninety-nine percent chance that the war Gyreen foresaw will happen here, right?" Saerah asked Brial from her faceless statue.
"Yes, Mistress. Though it won't be as disastrous as in the vision," Brial replied.
"Good. Well, if that happens, I want you and Egoel to handle it. I have an old friend I want to see," Saerah said — as motionless as ever. "But first… let me see how this fight unveils."