After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World-Chapter 1840: The Ill in Alterra (Part 2)

Other than the more common type of deliveries, there were also welfare deliveries, sent to those who really could not help themselves in their situation.

Of course, they would not be entirely for free, lest the citizens take things for granted. If they were ill and could really not work, they could apply for grants and get the resources on loan, and they’d receive very humane payment terms with basically no interest for the first few years.

This was already very kind, and the charging was just there to make sure people appreciated what they had. The territory actually didn’t make any money from these. It just made sure not to lose money.

Another thing people discovered after a while was that water elementalists were immune.

Before, there simply weren’t enough elementalists to draw this conclusion. After all, elementalists just had better immunity in general, especially at higher levels, not to mention that elementalists weren’t exactly overflowing in numbers back then, so it was difficult to ascertain this.

They discovered this when they were checking some of the first people to have been openly touched by the smoke. I.e., someone who showed symptoms and the people next to them.

Even if there were no symptoms, those who were felt by the demon smoke would still have it (and would react to their tests), and would become carriers. It would just show that their bodies were pushing these things away like a proper immune system.

Water users, on the other hand, literally kill them off automatically.

Fire plague and water. Well, it made sense.

If only the cure were so straightforward. This was still a lead they were indeed studying, though.

...

A week after Flaret’s Post, every Alterran had been tested to check if they were carriers or afflicted, and had already been divided into their respective zones.

Among those who were afflicted in Alterra was Mamu, Jane Yu’s adoptive son, though his symptoms had yet to show, so there was a possibility of him being asymptomatic. Jane herself was immune because she was a water user, though her level was before awakening.

When the masked guards took everyone to test, both Jane and her son were taken for quarantine, though Jane voluntarily went to the danger zone, which the guards allowed since everyone knew her mental state.

It wasn’t an easy decision, though, because even if Jane was a water user, her level was low, and they did not know how the virus affected people in that case.

Still, the woman looked like she was going into shock to be apart from her new son, so they ultimately succumbed to her pleas.

They were taken to one of the zones in the newly-built mid-rise buildings, and they was staying there with another family.

Many people were uncomfortable with the arrangement, but many of them also survived the Fire Plague. They didn’t want this to last for more than a decade like the one before, so they were—at least for now—cooperative.

For the next week, it was fine. They lived in their own bunk beds, and every day, there was someone making rounds and asking if there was anyone showing symptoms, and it was imperative to take them away before they started smoldering.

One of the initial symptoms was a very high fever. The patient would start literally burning from the inside after this; their skin might crack, and their internal organs would be damaged.

When the virus caused enough internal damage, the victims’ mouths, noses, eyes, or ears would emit smoke. This smoke could practically guarantee an effect on everyone who directly inhaled it, especially if their levels were low and their immunity was weak.

A report must be done the moment it appeared. There was a bell on each floor, and someone would swiftly take away whoever showed symptoms, no matter what. If they were lucky, they could even get the inhibitors being developed.

Janu Yu and Mamu stayed silent in their rooms for the first few days. It was a lockdown, so they could only stay within the complex. They could still go around the building and its amenities, fortunately, otherwise things would be too difficult after a week. They hadn’t had enough breather from the lockdown from the Great Cold, after all.

Interestingly, there were people selling books and board games around, so they did have a few things to pass the time. The Bookstore hired some level 20s to act like hawkers, going from floor to floor to sell this stuff for a profitable (but still humane) price. They even had commissions.

Of course, after deliveries, each deliveryman would have to take deep baths and disinfection before going back to the safe zones and/or evacuation centers.

"We’ll play Jengga today, mother," the child said with a warm smile, and set it up so the two of them could play on the floor.

By this time, thanks to the child’s kindness, Jane Yu had slowly recovered from the loss of both her sons, at least to a degree. She could now smile and laugh, though they would both dedicate a day of the month to honor the brothers, visiting their graves that day and eating their favorite food.

"Here!"

The woman tensely took a piece, slowly taking it away and staring at the rest of the pieces, asking them to remain stable and not fall over.

She tersely pulled it, and the tower shook a little. "Ah!" she gasped. Fortunately, it stabilized after a second, letting her take a breath.

Mamu chuckled. "That was a good one, Mother."

She smiled, and the two continued to play their increasingly ’dangerous’ tower game.

But then, on the 11th layer down, when Mamu was about to take his piece...he froze and shook.

He gasped and then fell down, completely unconscious.

"MAMU!! MY SON!!"

Jane screamed, scrambling to the boy. "HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!!" She yelled as she touched his face and neck, feeling the temperature.

Her heart dropped and tears formed in her eyes. The boy was burning.