Nero prided himself in being a glutton. Due to the food scarcity that Kolar often faced, anyone and everyone ate as much food as they were given, any time they were given. There were years where the food rations were increased, and years where it was very stringent.
Within such circles, being able to eat more than others was a matter of pride, and a great skill. Even so, the amount of food Nero had eaten that morning was alarming. It was more than enough food for Nero to normally consume over a period of several days, all consumed in one sitting.
That was immediately followed by an immense drowsiness and severe lack of energy. Iris had instructed a few nurses to carry Nero over to the wheelchair, but his pride would not allow it. Even if he was weakened, he would now allow himself to be carried while there were no injuries on his body?
Through sheer force of will, Nero picked up his body and walked to the wheelchair, yet even that small amount of exertion had him panting and sweating. As a result, he was already bobbing in and out of drowsiness before he arrived in the next room.
This time, Nero was not in the state of mind to get up himself, and instead was carried onto the bed where a drip was attached to each of his hands. Vaguely, Nero saw Iris approach him. She tapped on his forehead, after which Nero suddenly fell into a deep slumber, devoid of all dreams.
When Nero woke up, he clearly felt two things. First, he felt like a lot of time had gone by. Second, he felt like all his strength had returned completely. Just to be sure he did not jump up, but slowly got up and flexed his hands.
Strength flowed through his limbs, and as he slowly got up, he confirmed that he was back in his best state. But it was odd that there were no nurses or anyone else in his room.
He got off the bed and walked out, only to witness a chaotic scene.
Doctors were running left and right as countless wounded soldiers were being brought in, many of them dripping blood all over the floor. In the distance, Nero heard the sounds of explosions, as if there was fighting going on.
Wearing only his patient's robe and slippers Nero rushed out to see what was happening. The camp around the wooden tavern was not large, so in a single glance Nero could tell what was happening.
The walls around the camp were being manned by hundreds of soldiers who were fighting some enemy outside, while the two juggernauts could also be heard fighting from beyond the walls.
They were being attacked, though he wasn't sure by who or what. Considering the army remained unharmed on their journey here, the fact that soldiers were now suffering from injuries was a huge indicator of the strength of the enemy.
Nero was about to rush towards the armoury to grab some gear and join the fight, when unexpectedly a firm hand clamped onto his shoulder, holding him still.
"Your contribution is not required for this fight," said Dr. Iris. "All Neophytes have been forbidden from participating in protection duty. Perilith is your only concern. I don't have time to test your condition anymore, but if you feel good, go join the other Neophytes. That is where your strength is required."
"Who exactly is attacking?" Nero couldn't help but ask. This did not seem like a casual fight, or a small skirmish. This was a full on battle!
"A few hours ago, all three Neophyte teams exited Perilith because they encountered an unidentified treasure. That thing, whatever it is, began radiating the aura of a Sage. Since then, the camp has suffered a constant invasion. Whatever that thing is, it's valuable. Sage Triss is already on her way here. We will be able to hold off until then.
"You should focus on Perilith. That place is proving to be just as valuable as it is dangerous. There have been valuable discoveries, but there have also been some losses. Three Neophytes and a researcher died today."
Nero paused, and recollected himself. He was a mere Neophyte. He could make no difference in the defence of the base, but within Perilith his actions could make a huge difference. More importantly, he was driven by instinct when he was about to go up to the wall, but earlier during his examination, Nero had devised a plan for himself - the one that would benefit him the most.
Above everything else, he could not forget his short term and long term goals in the heat of passion. He glanced one more time at the wall, and from the distance felt like he heard someone screaming 'march', but then looked away.
"Where are the others?" he asked, and Iris pointed to a building very close to the tavern.
Even though he had a new ultimate destination now, Nero still went to the armoury first to get dressed. He couldn't just show up in a robe and slippers, though he only got the most basic protective gear, and no weapons at all.
His own belongings such as his card case and his beloved dagger were kept in his room, so he went and collected them first, before meeting up with the others.
As soon as he entered the building, Nero encountered the other Neophytes. But they did not have the aura of a group who had recently emerged with a prize. Instead, they all looked weary and defeated, carrying countless bruises on their body besides their bruised egos.
Some of them barely looked up to see Nero, before turning back to staring at their feet. It seemed like their recent loss had affected them a lot, or maybe the fight had just been so desperate that their will was broken.
Nero's expression turned solemn as he suddenly recognised their expressions. It was one he was all too familiar with. Many soldiers who returned from service had the same look in their eyes. It was the look of an unshakable trauma. It was the look of those who returned from battlefields as a former shell of themselves, destined to live a hollow life forever more.
What the hell had happened?
Not finding anyone he recognised, Nero moved further in until he finally came across Mel, who looked like she hadn't slept in days with deep, dark circles underneath her eyes.
"Ah, Nero! You've recovered!" she exclaimed in surprise. "That's- that's great! Things haven't exactly been the same without you."
"Sorry for missing out," Nero said. "But I'm fit to return to duty now. Can you tell me what happened? Everyone looks so… so worn out."
Mel shook her head.
"It was an Abstract curse," she said with a hint of fear in her voice. "During our latest entry into Perilith, it suddenly became overcast, and a thunderstorm started. We barely had any time to react. It started in a matter of minutes, and even from afar we could see only one region unaffected by the storm so we ran there.
"To be entirely honest, that was the scariest moment of my life. The rain was like needles, cutting into my body, while the winds were like battering rams slamming against us! If it hadn't been for Dave warning us before the storm even began, I don't think we could have made it.
"Turns out, the other teams suffered worse than us, since they took longer to reach the safe zone. That's when… that's when we found the sapling. It had created the safety zone, and once the storm finished, we brought it back. But who knew there was an Abstract curse attached to the sapling? Everyone close to it was affected.
"We don't know exactly what happened but… everyone who was affected by the curse slowly began to lose their sense of self. It was as if they started to turn into vegetables right before our eyes - the body living, but no soul within.
"Even after we came out and everyone was purified, not everyone has recovered. I don't know what's going to happen but… unless the others recover soon, I don't think we have enough people to form multiple teams anymore."
Nero frowned. He still remained cautious of curses, but with his Cryoflames and Virtuous Moonlight available to him, he had decent protection against them. But he wasn't sure he could protect others, especially a lot of them.
This Abstract curse sounded dangerous, and Nero wondered if using Virtuous Moonlight would help the others recover from their state. He doubted it, and even if it did, he would not have an easy way to explain how he did it without giving away his secrets.
No matter how cruel it was, Nero just had to let the others die or recover on their own. That's just the kind of world they were in, where anyone might just inexplicably face a lethal disaster without rhyme or reason.