MMORPG: I was BUGGED-Chapter 282: Fading Hope

Xin contemplated the necessity of explaining his crafting skills, but in the current chaos, everyone might deemed it unimportant.

Rather, he might even receive gratitude from the others once the crisis passed.

Furthermore, holding the cure granted him a bargaining advantage.

Thoughts of Victor crossed Xin’s mind. He wondered about Victor’s well-being. A mix of concern and uncertainty lingered in his thoughts.

While a part of him hoped that Victor hadn’t fallen victim to the sickness, another part wished for his safety.

What a weird feeling. Xin mused to himself and went over to Maya’s direction.

Meanwhile, down in the battlefield, Victor sneezed, a sensation that made him feel as if someone were talking about him. He chuckled at the idea before putting on his mask.

As a solo player who often undertook covert missions, having a mask to conceal his identity was a strategic necessity. Many solo players, including Victor, kept masks in their inventories for this reason.

Victor had equipped his [Ninja Mask], which filtered 50% of the smog. It wasn’t perfect, but it was the best he had.

Little did Victor expect that a cure for the pervasive sickness wasn’t in the market yet. He had brought many potions and antidote with him, but none worked on this type of ailment.

If a solution wasn’t found soon, he feared for his own fate.

Victor observed a fallen player, bloodshot eyes, veins bulging, and skin darkening — a gruesome spectacle that could become his reality if they didn’t discover a cure soon.

Utilizing the mask slowed down the progression of the ailment, but Victor remained uncertain about the duration it could offer him.

Aware that masks were being crafted by the Alchemist team, he harbored doubts about the willingness of the group to share resources with solo players like himself.

The prioritization, was most likely, would favor the core members over individuals like him.

Victor’s gaze then shifted to the surroundings. The entire field was shrouded in smog, but his Halfling eyes, adept in darkness, allowed him to navigate with ease.

The dissipation of the smog hinted at a potential reason — perhaps a boss.

But the question lingered was: Where was it?

No enemy attacks manifested except for the relentless spread of the sickness, threatening to claim the players one by one unless a cure emerged soon.

Victor’s instincts, however, hinted at an unseen force manipulating the smog, prompting him to investigate.

A sudden thud diverted Victor’s attention to Ragnarok Reaper’s direction, sprawling on the ground. Judging by the pattern of the affliction, he had succumbed to the ailment.

"Damn," Victor cursed under his breath. For him, facing death was one thing, but the leader’s demise could spell trouble for the entire team.

Quickly reaching Ragnarok Reaper, Victor found him still conscious, albeit with bloodshot eyes and darkening skin.

"Hey, hang in there," Victor urged, helping Ragnarok Reaper to his feet before others could witness his sorry state and the morale would plummet even further.

Ragnarok Reaper weakly gazed at Victor and uttered, "Grey Smoke, huh? You’re still fine?"

"It doesn’t matter. I have to get you back inside the castle," Victor replied.

Though Ragnarok Reaper had a mask on, Victor wondered if its properties could effectively filter out the smog.

"We can’t lose you here; hang on," Victor insisted as he guided Ragnarok Reaper through the smog back to the castle. "Drink HP potions to recover your health. You can’t die here."

Ragnarok Reaper chuckled faintly. "This might be our last day if we don’t find the cure soon."

"I’m not planning to die here," Victor stated coolly. "I still need that legendary-grade equipment you promised me."

Ragnarok Reaper laughed a little. "You really should just join my team, and you’ll be rewarded with whatever legend-grade equipment you want."

"I don’t want to be tied down to one guild."

Ragnarok sighed, a small smile on his lips. "That’s what they all say . . ." His bloodshot eyes focused on no particular spot, shaking like he remembered something. "Sometimes . . . I miss being a solo player too."

Victor didn’t hear him, but when he looked at Ragnarok Reaper again, he found him now unconscious, his HP dwindling slowly.

It was fortunate that the ailment progressed slowly, but Victor wasn’t complacent, tossing an HP potion to Ragnarok Reaper every now and then.

"Damn it," Victor gritted his teeth and dragged Ragnarok Reaper’s body toward the castle.

As he moved, he passed by numerous players unconscious on the ground, their HP steadily decreasing.

Victor could only clench his jaw, throwing potions at them, hoping that others would carry them back into the castle.

The healer and mage units were probably down too, rendering the support team helpless against the players falling unconscious left and right.

Moreover, the dense smog covered every area, reducing visibility to nearly zero. Even with his [Night Vision] ability, Victor could only cover a limited distance.

At this rate, healers wouldn’t be able to reach the fallen players since they couldn’t see them beyond a certain point.

For now, the only hope lay in able-bodied players carrying the fallen back to the castle for proper healing. Victor knew it would only delay the inevitable, but it was the best they could do at the moment.

As Victor hurried back to the castle, he heard cries from Doom Harbinger’s voice.

"Turn back! Return to the castle and regroup! Take all the unconscious players with you and make sure to restore their health!"

The command signaled a retreat, and Victor was relieved that not all the leaders had succumbed to the sickness.

But then, suddenly, he felt his legs shaking, and his vision turned red.

Shit!

Victor realized the sickness had gotten to him too, and there was a sinister icon beside his name, indicating the ailment had taken hold. His HP was dwindling slowly, and Victor quickened his pace.

Could this be any worse? Victor thought to himself while racing against time.

Then, he heard cries.

"The NPCs! The NPCs have been inflicted with the sickness too!"