Chapter 50: The Plague Curse

Gettari did not speak directly; instead, he introduced the two dwarves standing beside him.

First, he introduced the grey-bearded dwarf wearing half-plate armor over a greyish-white tunic.

"This is Yata of the Grey Mountains."

Hearing this title, Kana was somewhat surprised and performed a dwarven salute. "A pleasure to meet you, Sage of the Grey Mountains."

The meaning of "Yata" translated roughly to "Sage," and such a title was highly significant among dwarves. Essentially, it represented the leadership class within a faction or tribe.

If Kana remembered correctly, among the Grey Mountain tribe, a Sage would be one of the members of the Triumvirate.

For such an important figure to come and see him, there was clearly something significant at stake. However, after searching his memory, Kana couldn't recall any major events currently unfolding among the Grey Mountain dwarves.

After introducing the Sage, Gettari did not introduce the other individual. Judging by the dwarf's attire, he appeared to be a guard, much like Gettari.

However, this guard looked somewhat impatient, displaying an unusual sense of irritability.

"You saved Gettari's life; you saved one of our kin, and you deserve our respect. Just call me by my name, friend."

The voice of the dwarven Sage was deep and carried a hint of tranquility. It stood in stark contrast to the loud, boisterous voices typical of other dwarves. He possessed the kind of temperament and voice that immediately signaled a wisdom distinct from the usual dwarven recklessness and coarseness.

"You can just call me Lurik, Kana."

Kana nodded and smiled. "Let's get down to business. You can clearly see the urgency written all over your faces."

Gettari and Lurik turned their heads together to look at the other dwarf.

The dwarf's emotions finally boiled over. "Do we absolutely have to come find this human? Our kin are falling! And you know the state of this country—it's a miracle he even knows what magic is. If you ask me, we're completely wasting our time. Damn it!"

"Hey, Toric, you'd better shut your foul mouth. Are you insulting my friend?" Gettari instantly grew displeased and shouted at the dwarf.

Kana and his companions had saved his life, after all.

"You're the one who should shut up, you idiot, you slag who can get kidnapped by goblins while drunk!"

"What! How did you know that? You'd better shut up, damn it!"

Kana and the people behind him experienced firsthand the true volume of a dwarf. When these two started arguing, it was like two gongs being struck frantically against one another, each trying to drown the other out with sheer noise.

The shouting made their heads buzz.

"Enough!"

The dwarven Sage finally reached his limit and let out a roar.

His voice instantly cut through the bickering, forcing the two to fall silent. However, judging by their muttering, it was clear they were not truly submissive.

Lurik looked at Kana, lowered his head slightly, and said, "My apologies, Kana. He is irritable for a reason; please do not mind his foolish words."

Hearing this assessment, the dwarf named Toric could only cross his arms and sulk, making it obvious that he distrusted the humans.

Kana waved his hand, indicating he didn't mind. It was understandable.

"Tell me what help you need."

Lurik nodded. "In several of our tribe's watchtowers, some sentinels have been infected with the same ailment as Gettari. Furthermore, their condition is much more severe than his, and it cannot be cured by the method Gettari used. We learned from Gettari that you might be familiar with this affliction, so we hope to learn from you how to dispel it."

*Is there such a thing?*

Kana was puzzled. He hadn't heard of this event in the game.

Of course, it might be because he never played as a dwarf. In the game, he never chose races like dwarves, halflings, or gnomes. But that didn't mean he lacked knowledge of their lore; after all, when the servers first opened, the three selectable races were Human, Elf, and Dwarf.

And the starting location for dwarves was Greyforge in the Grey Mountains.

If this were a major plot point, he certainly would have known about it. Since he didn't, it meant the matter likely wasn't considered a massive event for the people of the Grey Mountains.

Because Kana could say with confidence: among technical players, he was the most knowledgeable about the plot; and among plot players, he was the most technically skilled.

Kana did not give a direct guarantee, but instead asked, "Tell me, what are their symptoms? I cannot guarantee that my knowledge will be of use."

"They vomit frequently. While they often vomit when drunk, this is clearly different. Their vomit contains a green liquid and carries a putrid, rotting stench. Furthermore, pustules similar to those on Gettari's face are breaking out on their skin, and they are not limited to the face. They are much larger than Gettari's."

Green vomit, a rotting stench, and pustules.

A classic symptom of the disease spread by the "Rotting Lord."

It seemed the dwarves of the Grey Mountains had been targeted by the "Rotting Lord."

"Wait, are you saying the dwarves infected with this disease are all stationed in the various outposts?"

Lurik nodded. "That's right. Even within the mountains, it is not entirely safe. We must remain vigilant regarding the situation around our home. We already have thirty-six warriors infected, and we are helpless against it."

Kana could understand Lurik's desperation. The Grey Mountain dwarves, at most, numbered fewer than two thousand. Every single loss was fatal, let alone thirty-six at once, all of whom were warriors.

In the game, the early-game dwarven warriors of Greyforge were at least Level 3 Copper-rimmed elites, and Level 4s were common. One had to remember that dwarven lifespans were long, at least compared to humans, and their population growth was slow, measured in centuries.

If this problem could not be solved, the dark cloud of this disease would hang over the Grey Mountain dwarves indefinitely, potentially slowly eroding the tribe until they vanished.

"From what I know, the thing you call a disease isn't actually a disease; it just manifests that way. I would prefer to call this so-called disease a curse: the [Plague Curse]."

"Plague Curse?"

Aside from Lurik, Bobot also repeated the name. Clearly, neither had heard it before.

Kana nodded. "It is an evil power originating from an evil god. I believe Gettari has experienced it firsthand."

As soon as Kana said this, Gettari understood instantly and nodded. He explained to the dwarven Sage, "It's like that group of goblins that were all rotted away—didn't I take you to see them last night?"

Hearing this, Kana realized they must have checked the traces of the previous battle in that cave before coming to him. Clearly, Lurik hadn't fully believed Kana could solve this and was merely trying a desperate measure.

Lurik nodded in understanding and looked at Kana with a solemn expression. "Since you know this, do you have a way to solve the problem?"

Kana smiled and said casually, "It isn't difficult. I can think of roughly three ways to help you solve it."

"Three!" the dwarf who had been sulking and acting insolent cried out in shock.

Kana nodded with a smile. "That's right, three. However, I suspect that only one of them might actually be useful to you. So, you shouldn't be too happy just yet."

"One is fine, one is fine," the dwarven Sage muttered. As long as it could be solved, that was enough.