Chapter 99 - 099: Close..
The main hall was already crowded when Anaria arrived.
Several guards stood near the entrance, while others were gathered around a group of people sitting against the wall. The atmosphere was tense, and quiet conversations moved through the room.
Rylan stood near the center, speaking to one of the council members.
He noticed Anaria almost immediately.
His expression changed with relief. "You’re back."
Anaria walked toward him with Kenai and Kai behind her "What happened?"
Rylan glanced toward the affected people. "Three people became sick this morning. Two more started showing symptoms a few hours later."
Anaria looked toward them. "Are they all from Wolfrine?"
"Yes."
"Did they become aggressive?"
"Not all of them."
Rylan lowered his voice. "One of them did."
Anaria looked at him carefully "Where is he?"
"In one of the side rooms. The guards restrained him when he tried to attack someone."
Anaria nodded and moved toward the affected people.
She crouched beside the nearest one.
The beastman looked weak, his breathing shallow. Anaria checked his pulse before examining his eyes and skin.
The symptoms were familiar.
The same strange weakness and behavior.
She quietly asked the system to scan him.
The response appeared before her.
[Corruption detected.]
Anaria’s expression remained calm.
She checked the others. The result was the same.
She stood and looked back at Rylan "It is the same condition."
Rylan’s expression became serious "You’re certain?"
"Yes."
He looked around the room "How do we stop it from spreading?"
Anaria glanced toward the affected people "They need to be separated from the others."
Rylan immediately turned to the guards "Clear one of the unused buildings."
One of the guards hesitated "Lord, that building isn’t ready."
"Then make it ready."
The guard bowed and left.
Rylan looked toward another council member "Bring clean bedding, water and food. No one enters without permission."
The council member nodded.
Anaria watched him as he directed his people.
Kai moved closer "Do you want us to help?"
Rylan nodded "Get the guards to move the sick people carefully."
Kenai stayed beside Anaria.
She looked at the affected beastmen again.
The system had confirmed what she already suspected. The corruption had reached Wolfrine.
But she still didn’t understand how.
For now, there was something more important.
The people needed somewhere safe.
Rylan looked at Anaria "Will the same kind of shelter you built at the settlement work here?"
"It should."
"Then we’ll build one."
Anaria nodded "We don’t need anything complicated. Just somewhere clean and separate."
Rylan turned toward the council member "Find workers."
The beastman bowed and hurried away.
Anaria looked at Rylan "You’re doing this quickly."
"They’re already sick. Waiting won’t help."
She nodded "That is probably the right decision."
Rylan gave her a tired look "Probably?"
Anaria almost smiled "It’s going to be alright."
For a moment, the tension eased.
Then a sound came from one of the side rooms.
A guard shouted.
Everyone turned.
Rylan’s expression hardened.
"Stay here."
Anaria immediately followed him.
"I want to see what’s happening."
Rylan didn’t argue.
They moved toward the room together.
The door opened just as the guards struggled to hold the affected beastman down.
He was much stronger than he had been moments earlier.
Two guards had their arms around him, but he kept fighting against them.
"Get back!" one of them shouted.
Rylan stepped forward.
"Don’t hurt him."
The beastman suddenly threw one of the guards aside.
The man crashed against the wall.
Kai immediately moved to help him while Kenai stood near Anaria.
Anaria watched the affected beastman carefully.
His eyes were unfocused.
His breathing had become heavier.
She had seen this before.
The three corrupted beastmen.
The same loss of control.
The same sudden strength.
But this was different.
The system appeared.
[Corruption activity increasing.]
Anaria’s eyes narrowed.
The beastman suddenly lunged toward Rylan.
Rylan moved aside.
The beastman struck the wall where he had been standing.
Rylan grabbed his arm and tried to hold him back.
"Easy."
The beastman growled and pulled against him.
"Rylan," Anaria warned.
"I have him."
The beastman suddenly twisted free.
Rylan stepped back.
The guards moved forward again, but Anaria raised her hand.
"Wait."
She approached slowly.
The beastman turned toward her.
His body remained tense, but he didn’t attack immediately.
Anaria kept her voice calm.
"Look at me."
The beastman stared at her.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then his breathing slowed slightly.
Anaria took another step.
"You’re safe."
His hands stopped shaking.
She reached toward him carefully and placed her palm against his arm.
The system immediately reacted.
[Corruption intensity: elevated.]
Anaria felt the strange energy beneath his skin.
It was stronger than what she had sensed in the settlement.
Much stronger.
She quietly used her healing ability.
𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
The beastman’s body relaxed.
His eyes slowly returned to normal.
He dropped to his knees.
The guards moved closer, but Rylan stopped them.
"Give him space."
The beastman looked around in confusion.
"What happened?"
"You lost control," Rylan said.
The beastman looked frightened.
"I don’t remember."
Anaria crouched beside him.
"You don’t have to remember everything right now. Just rest."
The guards helped him sit against the wall.
Rylan looked at Anaria.
"You’ve seen this before."
She nodded.
"At the settlement."
"And it was the same?"
"Similar."
Rylan waited.
Anaria looked toward the beastman.
"The behavior is similar, but this one was stronger."
Rylan’s expression darkened.
"How much stronger?"
"I don’t know yet."
That answer clearly bothered him.
He looked around the room.
"Then we need to keep the others separated."
"Yes."
Rylan turned to the guards.
"Move the remaining affected people to the empty building when it’s ready."
The guards nodded.
"And no one is to hurt them unless they become dangerous."
One guard looked uncertain.
Rylan’s voice became firmer.
"They are sick. They are not criminals."
The guard bowed.
"Yes, Lord."
Anaria watched Rylan as he gave the order.
He had understood something important.
If they treated the sick as enemies, fear would spread faster than the illness.
She looked back at the affected beastman.
The system appeared again.
[Corruption remains active.]
Anaria dismissed it.
There was still something she didn’t understand.
Why was it becoming stronger?
By evening, the empty building had been cleared.
Workers had started preparing it for the affected beastmen, while guards kept watch around the area.
Rylan remained involved in every decision.
He checked the building himself before allowing anyone inside.
Anaria helped arrange the sick people once they were moved.
The first beastman who had lost control was resting quietly now.
His condition had stabilized, but Anaria continued watching him.
Kenai approached her while carrying Ana.
"She hasn’t slept much."
Anaria looked at the baby.
Ana blinked up at her before resting her head against Kenai’s chest.
"She probably wants to know what’s happening."
Kenai smiled.
"She has been watching everyone all day."
Anaria touched Ana’s cheek.
"At least someone is enjoying herself."
Kenai laughed quietly.
Nearby, Kai was helping the guards move another bed into the building.
Rylan walked over after checking the last room.
"We have enough space for now."
Anaria nodded.
"That should be enough."
Rylan looked toward the sick beastmen.
"Do you think they’ll recover?"
"Some of them should."
"And the others?"
Anaria hesitated.
"I don’t know yet."
Rylan didn’t push her.
He simply looked toward the building.
"Then we’ll keep watching them."
Anaria glanced at him.
"You’re already acting like Lord."
Rylan sighed.
"I don’t know if that’s supposed to be a compliment."
"It wasn’t."
He gave her an annoyed look.
Anaria smiled slightly.
The moment passed quickly.
Inside the building, one of the affected beastmen shifted in his sleep.
Anaria immediately noticed.
She stepped closer.
His breathing had changed.
She quietly checked him again.
The system appeared.
[Warning.]
Anaria’s expression became serious.
[Corruption activity increasing.]
She looked at the beastman.
The energy was stronger than before.
Much stronger.
Anaria remembered the corrupted beastmen they had found before reaching Wolfrine. At that time, she had thought the corruption was something that affected them only after they came into contact with whatever had caused their condition.
Now she wasn’t so sure.
The corruption had spread from one settlement to another.
It had appeared on the road.
And now it was inside Wolfrine.
She looked toward the sleeping beastman.
His body suddenly twitched.
Anaria stepped back.
His eyes opened.
For a moment, he stared blankly at the ceiling.
Then his fingers tightened against the bedding.
Anaria immediately called for the guards.
"Stay back."
Rylan turned toward her.
"What is it?"
Anaria didn’t answer immediately.
The beastman sat up.
His breathing became rough.
The guards moved closer.
Rylan raised his hand.
"Wait."
The beastman’s eyes slowly changed.
Anaria recognized the expression.
It was happening again.
But this time, she could feel something different.
The corruption wasn’t simply appearing.
It was becoming stronger.
Anaria looked at Rylan.
"Get everyone outside."
Rylan immediately understood the seriousness in her voice.
"Everyone, move."
The guards began clearing the room.
Anaria remained near the doorway, watching the beastman as the strange energy continued to rise.
She had treated corrupted beastmen before.
She knew how dangerous they could become.
But whatever was happening now was no longer the same as before.
And Anaria knew they had only just begun to see what the corruption could do. :::