Chapter 98 - 098: It’s now here
Anaria spent the next morning checking the people who were still recovering.
The newly built shelter was already being used. The sick were resting inside while their families brought them food and water. The woman who had become aggressive the previous day was awake again and looked much calmer.
Anaria checked her condition carefully before moving to the others.
"She seems stable," Anaria said.
The woman’s husband nodded. "She slept through the night."
"That is good. Keep watching her. If she becomes confused, develops a fever, or starts behaving strangely again, send for me immediately."
The man nodded.
Anaria gave similar instructions to the others before stepping outside.
The settlement had returned to its usual activity.
Kenai and Kai were finishing the last few tasks around the shelter. They repaired one section of the wall and secured a loose piece of roofing that had been left unfinished.
Ana was with Kenai, sitting against his chest while he worked.
When he finally finished, he looked at Anaria. "That’s everything."
Anaria looked over the building. The shelter was complete. "We should leave today."
Kenai raised an eyebrow. "Already?"
"The settlement is stable for now. We can return if anything changes."
Kai looked toward the people. "And the sick?"
"I’ve already explained what they need to watch for." Anaria walked back toward the shelter and spoke with the beastwoman who had first supported her. "I have to leave, but you need to keep checking everyone."
The bunny beastwoman nodded. "We will."
"If anyone becomes aggressive again, separate them immediately. Don’t try to restrain them alone if they’re too strong."
The woman looked concerned. "Do you think it will happen again?"
Anaria hesitated. "I don’t know."
She didn’t want to frighten her. "But if anything changes, send someone to Wolfrine."
The woman nodded.
Anaria gave her the remaining healing supplies and explained how much should be used.
When everything was settled, she returned to Kenai and Kai.
They gathered what they needed for the journey.
Kenai secured Ana against himself while Kai checked their supplies.
The people of the settlement gathered to see them off.
Several thanked Anaria again, but she only reminded them to take care of one another.
Then they finally left.
The journey toward Wolfrine was quiet at first.
The path took them through a stretch of forest they had already crossed before.
Anaria kept looking around.
Something about the area felt different.
She couldn’t explain it.
Kenai noticed her expression. "What is it?"
"Nothing."
They continued walking.
A short while later, they found several broken branches across the path.
Kai stopped. "That’s strange."
Kenai looked around.
There were footprints in the dirt, but they didn’t belong to ordinary travelers. Some were deeper than others, as though whoever had passed through had been moving with unusual force.
Anaria crouched beside them.
The system appeared.
[Abnormal energy detected.]
Her expression changed. She remembered the task the system had given her. Investigate the corruption. These tracks might be the first clue.
She quietly asked for a scan.
The system confirmed the presence of traces similar to the corruption they had encountered at the settlement.
Anaria stood. "It happened here too."
Kenai looked at her. "What happened?"
She looked toward the forest. "Someone passed through here recently."
Kai examined the ground. "Do you think they’re connected to the sickness?"
"Probably"
Anaria kept walking.
But she was no longer as relaxed as before.
The corruption was not staying inside the settlements.
It was moving through the surrounding areas too.
And they were getting closer to Wolfrine.
They continued their journey with more caution.
The forest remained quiet, but Anaria kept scanning their surroundings.
Nothing else appeared for some time. Then they heard movement ahead.
Kenai immediately stopped. Kai moved slightly in front of Anaria.
Ana stirred against Kenai’s chest.
A few seconds passed.
Nothing came out of the trees.
Kai slowly moved forward to check.
He returned moments later. "There are tracks."
Anaria looked at him. "More?"
He nodded. "They lead toward Wolfrine."
That confirmed what she had been thinking.
The strange activity wasn’t limited to the southern settlements.
Something had moved in the direction of Wolfrine.
They continued without stopping.
By late afternoon, the forest began to thin.
The distant structures of Wolfrine eventually came into view.
Anaria felt some relief.
They had made it back.
But that feeling disappeared almost immediately.
Something was wrong.
The main road into Wolfrine was unusually quiet.
There were people around, but they weren’t moving normally. Groups stood together, speaking in low voices while guards moved between them.
Kenai noticed it too. "What’s happening?"
Anaria didn’t answer.
She watched the settlement carefully as they approached.
A beastman guard hurried past them without stopping.
Another beastman stood near the entrance, speaking urgently to someone.
Then a sudden cry came from deeper inside Wolfrine.
Several people turned toward the sound.
Anaria stopped walking.
That cry hadn’t sounded normal.
Kai looked at her. "Should we keep going?"
Anaria stared toward the main settlement. "Yes."
They entered Wolfrine.
The atmosphere was nothing like the place she had left.
People were gathered around one of the buildings, while several guards tried to keep them back.
Anaria could hear frightened voices. "What happened?"
"Someone suddenly attacked him."
"Move away from him!" Kenai tightened his hold on Ana.
Anaria’s eyes narrowed.
The system appeared before her.
[Abnormal energy detected.]
She dismissed it immediately.
Another beastman near the crowd suddenly stumbled.
A guard caught him before he fell.
Anaria looked at the man’s face.
His eyes were unfocused.
She recognized that look.
The same look from the settlement.
Her stomach tightened.
The corruption had reached Wolfrine.
Kai noticed the change in her expression. "You know something."
Anaria looked at him. "I’ve seen this before."
Kenai glanced toward the crowd. "Is it the same thing that happened at the settlement?"
Anaria nodded slowly. "I think so."
Before they could move closer, a familiar voice came from behind them. "My lady."
She turned.
One of Rylan’s attendants was approaching quickly. "My Lord has been looking for you."
Anaria’s expression remained serious.
"What happened?"
The attendant looked toward the crowd. "Another person became sick this morning. Then two more."
Anaria looked around Wolfrine.
This was supposed to be the safest place they had reached.
Instead, the same problem was already here. "Where is Rylan?"
"In the main hall."
Anaria looked toward the direction of the Lord’s residence.
She had expected to return and find Rylan dealing with the ordinary problems of Wolfrine.
She hadn’t expected to walk straight into another outbreak.
She adjusted Ana’s blanket while Kenai stood beside her. "Let’s go."
They moved toward the main hall.
Anaria kept looking around as they walked.
The corruption had started in the settlements. Then it had spread through the surrounding areas.
Now it had reached Wolfrine itself.
Whatever was causing it was no longer something they could treat as a distant problem.
It was already inside the heart of Wolfrine.