Chapter 1812 Changes in Windmill Town <TOC> Chapter 1814 The Puppet Hospital
Translator: SumTLMan
With the collective explanations and additions from the people around him, Angel gradually came to understand the overall situation of this matter.
For some unknown reason, a disease that turns people mad has been spreading rampantly in Windmill Town. This ailment possesses an extremely strong infectious nature. Anyone who has come into contact with an infected person stands a very high likelihood of contracting this Madness.
Moreover, even after alerting the wizards of the Savage Grottoes, this disease still hasn’t received effective treatment. The wizards’ ultimate solution was merely to quarantine the infected individuals within a specific hospital, preventing them from infecting others.
Gloria questioned, “So, you’re saying that Iva, whom you mentioned, has been confined to the hospital?”
The group nodded in agreement, “Yes, Iva was indeed confined to the hospital. We’re not sure what transpired, but he appeared in the cave.”
“Could it be,” one mused, “that Iva’s sister secretly released him from the hospital?” “Or perhaps there was some mishap within the hospital itself?” “What if all the patients have escaped? Is the entire Windmill Town on the verge of collapsing into chaos?”
They built upon each other’s speculations, painting an increasingly terrifying picture. They all looked up expectantly, hoping for the truth from the two wizards before them. Yet, both Gloria and Angel wore contemplative expressions, seemingly deep in thought.
“Have you ever heard of this contagious madness?” Angel inquired.
Gloria pondered and responded, “The term ‘madness’ usually refers to a mental disorder, either being out of control, or deviating from a predetermined path. Unless it’s due to a physical injury, most of these conditions pertain to an individual’s mental state.”
“Such disorders are not uncommon, but due to individual differences, the root causes vary. Therefore, there’s typically no issue of ‘contagion’.”
Angel nodded, understanding this point. From the basic perspective of pathogenic logic, madness is difficult to transmit.
Unless, the source of the illness is a form of collective psychological suggestion, or, put differently, mental contamination.
Like the worship of certain bizarre and malevolent deities, some patterns, or should he say runes, that carry distinct insinuations… and so forth. Long-term exposure to these elements might lead to a mental taint, culminating in a widespread outbreak of madness.
However, the situation in Windmill Town doesn’t seem to be of this psychological nature. After all, the Savage Grottoes are right next to Windmill Town. It’s improbable that any malevolent deity worship or overt mental contaminants could persist under the watchful eyes of wizards.
Moreover, even if madness arises due to such circumstances, it wouldn’t leave the wizards completely powerless.
Yet, according to what they’re implying, the wizards seem to be without a remedy for the patients in Windmill Town.
Setting these points aside, is there any other way for madness to spread?
On Earth, perhaps the answer would be no. But this is the Wizarding World, filled with incredible powers. There are countless possibilities that can create similar scenarios.
Therefore, the answer is yes. But knowing the answer, what use is it?
Gloria stated, “Based on the information we currently have, the appearance of this madness is certainly tied to extraordinary powers.”
Angel nodded. If conventional methods can’t explain the spread of madness and it’s not a psychological group suggestion, then extraordinary forces must be involved. Moreover, they had clearly sensed earlier that Iva, one of the patients from the cave, exhibited subtle extraordinary anomalies.
“But I don’t understand the motive behind expending energy to infect these mortals. What’s the significance?” Gloria, with a furrowed brow, questioned, “Is there some kind of conspiracy at play here? Was Sridhar’s previous insinuation referring to this situation?”
“I’ll go take a look,” Gloria remarked, immediately heading towards the cave entrance.
Angel followed closely, leaving only Azaz outside to guard the trembling mortals.
Inside, the cave was not dark. The smooth ceiling was illuminated by luminous plants acting as a light source. Thanks to this light, one could clearly see the floor cluttered with disarrayed boxes, along with some toppled mine carts.
Sanders stood ahead, gazing quietly at something in the distance.
Following Sanders’s gaze, Angel saw a man dressed in a white patient gown, spinning on the spot right in front of Sanders.
To the naked eye, there seemed to be nothing around the man. However, Angel could distinctly discern a dense network of illusion nodes surrounding him.
Clearly, Sanders had trapped him in an illusionary realm.
“Did you notice anything peculiar?” Gloria asked curiously.
Sanders didn’t respond directly. Instead, he whispered, “His movements, what do they remind you of?”
His movements? Both Angel and Gloria turned their attention to the man in the illusion——Iva.
After observing for a moment, Gloria remarked, “It doesn’t seem like anything special… Wait, something’s off.”
Gloria appeared to have noticed something, her brow furrowed in concentration.
On the other hand, Angel initially hadn’t noticed anything unusual about Iva aside from his facial expressions. But upon closer examination, Angel identified something distinctly unusual about him.
His movements, whether it’s the curve of his turn, the tilt of his head, the height at which he raises his hand, or the stride of his steps, are all somewhat larger than the average person’s. At first glance, it might seem inconspicuous, but upon closer examination, it almost feels as though it’s done with deliberate intent.
At this moment, Angel suddenly extended his index finger. A surge of Nightmare Aura shot forth from his fingertip.
This Nightmare Aura slowly coalesced near Iva, ultimately manifesting as an illusion. This illusion looked identical to Iva in every respect — from attire to general appearance, even down to their height.
It was as if a twin had appeared.
Initially, Gloria couldn’t comprehend why Angel suddenly created this illusion and what he intended with it, not until the illusion of Iva began to move, causing Gloria’s eyes to sharpen intently.
Angel was manipulating the illusion, mimicking Iva’s movements!
However, the actions of the illusory Iva were slowed down.
Ordinary people’s movements, even when slowed down, are typically smooth and coordinated. But when Iva’s actions were decelerated, distinct hitches became evident.
As his neck turned to a certain angle, there was a pause; when his foot lifted to a particular height, there was another pause… These hitches were reminiscent of the robotic dance that Angel had seen on the holographic tablet.
However, the robotic dance is a form of dance created by humans, driven by their subjective intention.
But this individual before them seemed to have lost all autonomous capabilities, as if manipulated by countless puppet strings, controlling every limb.
After discovering this detail, Iva’s previously comical circular motion now seemed eerie and unsettling.
It was as if behind Iva, there was a colossal figure cloaked in darkness, raising a sinister smile. This figure stretched out a hand so vast it could overshadow the sun. Attached to his hand were countless strings, and these strings were firmly binding Iva…
After a moment of silence, Gloria remarked, “I have a premonition that the underlying cause of this situation might not be so straightforward.”
Angel nodded in agreement, as these thoughts mirrored his current sentiments.
“How should we handle this matter?” Angel directed his gaze towards Sanders.
However, Sanders did not respond; instead, he turned to look behind them.
The man whom Iva had attacked earlier had been rescued by Sanders. Initially, he had been lying unconscious on the ground, but now he had suddenly awakened and was gradually getting to his feet…
Chapter 1812 Changes in Windmill Town <TOC> Chapter 1814 The Puppet Hospital