Chapter 78 - THE ROTTEN SMELL

Despite being tired, all of them are waking up a bit early that day.  After having a simple breakfast, they now move in their respective groups which they discussed yesterday. 

Ray and Syaoran were the first group to move away because the area they had to monitor was the furthest and they might also have to climb a nearby mountain if necessary. After bringing all the equipment, they went straight out of the house, even though the sun was not yet appear.

Meanwhile, Ethan and Mia move into town to find groceries to store before the group led by Eun-Woo moves away from their mission.  So that, they are not leaving Jieun alone there even if she already that she is fine with it.

The first thing Jieun did after waking up was to see her patient.  The woman looks a bit better than yesterday, that's for sure.  Her face also looked as if the blood was already flowing there well. 

Jieun give her antibiotic shots for her ulcers suffered and also want to see if it is effective for the woman's skin.  She has also done a vitamin drips to boost the woman energy.  So far, her skin is still looking the same.  She need to find out more about that. 

"Jieun. I'm going now."  Eun-Woo calls out to her slowly. Just to announce that, as Ethan and Mia already come back with their food and necessities in one big trolley.  Luckily the shops in the city open so early in the morning.

Slowly Jieun get up there and give the man a hug.

"Be careful."  She said.

"You too."  Eun-Woo also said those to her while returning the gesture.

They are now part away, smile to each other while Eun-Woo finally gets out from the front door with Leo and Haru.  With Jieun watching him from behind.  She comes back inside only after she can't see him anymore.

"What do we need to do today?"  Ethan suddenly asks after he saw Jieun walking near him at the time.    While Mia is still busy arranging this and that in the kitchen.

"Come in first."  Jieun ask Ethan to follow her to the treatment room.  And the man just follows her instruction without asking further.

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:: Solitude Village::

Ray and Syaoran have now arrived in the village.  They try to disguise themselves as villagers and walk around it.  The stench there is getting worse now. Worse than yesterday made them both even with a face mask on their faces feel like throwing up at that time.

The two of them are now trying to observe the surroundings wanted to find out if there is anything they overlooked yesterday.  As they walked into the village yesterday in a state of exhaustion.

With a glove in his hand, Syaoran held the outside of the house that he pass by.  He could see the brown dust on his hand at that moment.  Ray also noticed it.  That thing raised a question in his mind.  Almost all the buildings there have such dust.  He took some of the dust, put inside the small plastic bag he was carrying for now even though he didn't know what he wanted to do with it.

Then they walked again.  Go towards the vegetable farm that Ben told them yesterday.  Once again, they found the vegetables there covered in that brown dust.  Clearly to the eyes that the dust making the vegetables there deteriorate, not fresh.

Syaoran then looked around.  What is strange is that the large trees nearby are not affected at all.  Why are only the village and vegetable areas affected by dust?  Are this village really been curse or else?

"Ray, the trees that surrounded this village are not affected at all."  Syaoran said.

"I do find it weird too."  Ray also actually noticed that.

"Let's climb the mountain now.  Who knows if we find something else."  He added as there is nothing more that they can find here.  Syaoran nodded.  He actually was ready for that. 

Yesterday, before they left Ben's house, he told them that the area was forbidden.  It's the mountain that they wanted to climb now.  No one dared to go up there on the advice of a shaman.  Only when a ritual takes place, the whole village gathers there because the shaman calls them.

"Give me the sleeping powder." Ray asking Syaoran now.

The powder actually is something that Mia provided to them.  It's also one of her heritage.  In close proxy with the enemy, they just need to blow a little of the powder into the enemy's face and they will fall asleep immediately after sniffing it.  It's not really practical, but it's good enough.

Syaoran then gives a small bottle of the sleeping powder to Ray now.  Slowly they climbed the mountain while alert to the surrounding situation.  They believe that if something bad is happening there, there must be enemies roaming around there as well.  So they must be careful while honing all their senses now.

They climbed for almost 30 minutes now, and the longer the stronger the stench they smelled in the village earlier.  They even are layering more of their face mask now so that they can move forward and endure this.  Their mind is telling them now that the cause must be there.

Then they arrived at a place crowded with large rocks there. They could see the presence of a large hut there along with materials as if to perform rituals there.

"This must be the place." Ray is whispering to Syaoran now.

They are on the move again.  Suddenly, their ears caught a noise not far from the place they are in.  Ray looked at Syaoran.  Ask him to approach the place in silence together.  And Syaoran knows the sign very well.

"Do the work a little faster! Don't you want to eat?!"  There was a sound of man voice directing there.

"If you are not finishing work, you all won't be able to eat!" The other man who also in there watching the kids said that in threatening voice.

Ray and Syaoran who were already there, watched the situation.  There were a lot of minors out there who looked like they were working.  But, clearly not willing.    The mans who directed this and that to them at that time also non-stop scolded and hit them if anyone made a mistake.

Syaoran couldn't bear to see the child treated like that almost got up from his hiding to teach the man, but Ray, in fast, held him there.  Shaking his head.  He knows well what Syaoran was feeling at the time.  In fact, he also feels like wanting to punch the man, but this is not the right time for them to attack.  They need to finish their investigation first.

While gritting his teeth, Syaoran holds his breath now tried to calm himself.

Ray looked back at the area.  In one corner a number of children were trying to pack something.  Ray tried to pay close attention to that and it was like the brown powder he had found in the village earlier.  He then pointed the corner to Syaoran.  Wanted to know if he was right. 

"Don't you think that the same dust that we find in the village before?"  Ray whispers now.

"Seem like it."  Syaoran does not deny it.  Syaoran also observed carefully the children in charge of the brown particles.  Their hands were red and flaky.  There were also wounded and pus there.  Just like what happen to Ben mother's body. 

Ray then pulls Syaoran to another corner. There, they could see a rather large building there like a closed cage.  Suddenly a boy came out of there carrying some large containers placed on a trolley. 

Syaoran managed to look into the barn before the door was closed and found that there were a lot of pigs inside.  What is happening here?  There's too weird to link everything now.  He just asks in his mind for now.

The boy then dumped the containers on a nearby slope.  As soon as he discarded the containers Ray and Ethan could see and hear the sound of flies there.  Imagine how many files there are, until they can even hear the sound of that little creature. 

Now, slowly after the boy moved from there, Ray and Syaoran looked at the slope and how surprised they were when they found a lot of garbage with traces of blood, carcasses and feces there.  The smell also stings here and there.  It is clear that that is the main source of the stench, but how can it reach the village? 

As if knowing what was nestled in Ray's mind, Syaoran used his power a little now.  Using a tree, roots there to see how far and how much the garbage is in there.

"This pile of garbage is too much so that it reaches the main river area of the villagers' water source.  It won't be surprised if the river is contaminated because of this."  Syaoran said after a while.

"What the hell is happening?"  Ray finally asked that while trying to restrain himself from vomiting there.