Chapter 101: Lower-Class Disappearance Case 6
“Simply put, the Blood Contamination Zone has spread to the lower levels, so we need your cooperation, as residents of the lower realms.”
People, if possible, are more convincing when they speak the truth as it appears.
“…….”
Of course, that’s not always the case.
Dusty and his subordinates continued to glare at me with faces that made it clear they still wanted to tear me apart.
-Clank.
“Urgh!?”
Before I could press for an answer, Doll 11 grabbed Dusty’s wrist and pointed a skewer at his throat.
Oh dear, I told you not to do that.
Maybe because they were designed precisely to suit the Mega Corp board’s tastes, they tended to resort to threats and physical means for every little thing.
“Alice desires your answer. Please respond promptly.”
“Alright, alright! I get it!”
“Boss!”
“Boss! Are you going to surrender to the pigs from the upper levels?”
“Shut up, all of you. It’s already a known fact that the contamination zone is spreading… Eliminating it is better for us anyway.”
Right, right.
Of course, that’s the logical choice.
I came here to lend a hand to the lower levels too, so it’s mutually beneficial if we cooperate, isn’t it?
Besides, blood contamination is said to differ fundamentally from ordinary diseases…
Hmm, but what exactly is blood contamination?
【It is a mutated substance born when the Progenitor Virus erodes other bacteria and viruses.】
Theresa, who had quickly accessed Ark’s internet and the Overseer intranet, whispered the information to me.
At this rate, she might as well be a real-time *** wiki.
According to the internal Overseer network data that Theresa had searched, blood contamination is one of Ark’s severe diseases, spreading via blood as its medium.
However, not all diseases are the same.
As the name “Blood Contamination” suggests, you can roughly infer its nature—it originates when the Progenitor Virus erodes bacteria or ordinary cold viruses, granting them exceptional survival power, lethality, and mutability.
Ordinary viruses usually cannot survive beyond 24 hours once they fall into dirt, but bacteria causing blood contamination have been observed to sustain biological activity for up to two weeks without a food source.
Moreover, once infected with this disease, it’s not just about pain and an eventual end—you start to drift further away from being human.
Symptoms of blood contamination initially involve parts of the body mutating like a monster.
At first, it’s as simple as fingernails sharpening like a vampire’s or growing fangs akin to a bat’s.
The infected individuals themselves hardly notice any changes in their daily lives, but the real problem arises the moment their bodies sustain a minor “wound.”
When a wound occurs, the affected area fills with a semi-solid, semi-liquid state of blood.
The area where flesh should regenerate coagulates with blood, and the infected individual’s blood possesses a certain level of hardness and sharpness, gradually burrowing into their own flesh.
The torn and split flesh is once again replaced by hard and sharp blood, which eventually penetrates their fingers, limbs, and even the brain.
This phenomenon of blood replacing body tissue is generally referred to as the “vampirization process.”
If the process blocks an artery, the affected area necrotizes.
The necrotized portions are replaced by semi-solid blood, and when 30% of the body has been substituted with blood, the individual is classified as a Stage 1 Blood Mutation.
At this stage, the infected experience extreme thirst and hunger.
When the substitution exceeds 40%, they enter Stage 2, characterized by a frenzy that drives them to crave the blood and flesh of others.
Once the blood replacement reaches 50%, the infected are classified as Stage 3 Blood Mutants, at which point they are deemed beyond healing, and orders for their eradication are issued.
At this stage, any remaining trace of reason vanishes completely.
They fail to recognize the faces of friends, parents, or children and instead lust after their blood and flesh.
From Stage 3 onwards, infected individuals are no longer considered human.
They are regarded as monsters with bounties on their heads and as resources that expel byproducts—containing trace amounts of Progenitor’s Blood—used in equipment or potion manufacturing.
When blood replacement exceeds 60%, they are classified as Stage 4 or in a state of “Blooming,” and the danger level of the infected skyrockets exponentially.
The degree of mutation varies among individuals.
However, Stage 4 mutants typically spew blood contamination viruses indiscriminately, affecting both organic and inorganic substances around them, drastically elevating their threat level to the extent that Hunters below Rank B are forbidden from engaging with them.
If the body reaches 100% blood substitution, there is a possibility of them transforming entirely into Progenitors.
However, within Ark, Blood Contamination is treated as one of the highest-priority diseases for eradication.
In the upper strata, the substitution rarely exceeds 10% as Ark dispatches healers or simple potions sold on the streets effectively mitigate and heal the symptoms.
With Blood Contamination spreading in the lower strata, the central leadership must find it particularly troublesome.
Yet, it seems that the lower-class residents harbor greater envy and resentment towards the upper classes than expected.
‘Ha, look at those eyes.’
Even with Dusty being an exception, the rest of the Hush Gang’s members lost their fighting spirit after witnessing that I remained fine even with a knife lodged in my head.
That didn’t mean their resolve was broken.
The way they still looked at me suggested they were waiting for an opportunity to stab me.
Even now, despite being subdued by a mere Stage 3 Doll, their gazes were anything but ordinary.
If I were even slightly weaker or gave them an opening, they’d surely stab me without hesitation.
Still, they weren’t stupid.
It was clear at a glance that I was stronger than them, yet they persisted with such defiant eyes, which was quite unexpected.
“So, what will you do? Shall we settle this peacefully?”
“…I’ll cooperate. But I need a promise.”
Dusty looked straight at me as he spoke.
Though his strength was somewhat lacking, being the boss of an organization must have instilled in him a steady gaze, as he sought to secure the maximum benefit for himself and his group even at this moment.
“First, Alice. Yes, you said your name was Alice.”
“That’s right. No last name. I’m a Returnee. Just call me Alice.”
“…A Returnee. Are you a Hunter? Were you hired for a commission?”
“I do have a Hunter license, but I came here as a Third-Class Overseer.”
“Th-Third-Class Overseer…?!”
Dusty and the other gang members widened their eyes at my words.
It felt like their shock had grown into heightened wariness.
“So, are you saying you’ve come to the lower realms under direct orders from Ark Central to eliminate the Blood Contamination Zone?”
“That’s not the ultimate goal, but let’s just say it’s part of the plan.”
“If we cooperate, what do we get in return?”
-Clank!
“Ugh!?”
“B-Boss!”
At that moment, Doll 11’s skewer dug into Dusty’s neck.
Just slightly.
The skewer sank in delicately enough not to pierce the artery but deep enough that a mere flick of Doll 11’s hand could end Dusty’s life instantly.
“You damned machine…!”
Anis attempted to summon blood spikes from her body, but Doll 31 seized the back of her neck with lightning speed.
If she moved further, her neck would be broken.
Understanding this, Anis froze in place as if time had stopped.
Other gang members who tried to resist found themselves restrained by Doll 21, whose sheer strength crushed their shoulders and forced them down.
Those who attempted to rise felt their shoulders dislocate and had no choice but to sit back down.
It was no surprise—after all, the dolls were designed as weapons to suppress rebellion against Ark Central, far beyond the abilities of a mere lower-realm gang.
“Do you think you’re in any position to make demands?”
“Alice is graciously granting you the mercy to let your pathetic lives be of use to Ark.”
“If you don’t comply quietly, you’ll all be dealt with—”
“Doll 11. Stop.”
“Yes.”
The doll obediently followed my order and withdrew its skewer.
Still, if I wanted their cooperation, I needed to persuade them with words, not bloodshed.
“Well, I’ll apologize on their behalf.”
I shrugged as I examined Dusty’s neck.
It wasn’t too deep.
The doll likely hadn’t intended to kill him.
“Our child hasn’t been exposed to the world for long, so they’re a bit clumsy when it comes to dealing with people.”
“Clumsy? They almost pierced my throat…?”
“I said I’m sorry, didn’t I?”
Dusty gritted his teeth as he clutched the hole in his neck with his hand.
“Boss, those arrogant pigs from Central couldn’t care less about how many of us die!”
“They never even responded when we starved to death en masse because one of our zones lacked food! And now, they’re throwing a tantrum over one contamination zone—how shameless can they get?”
“Are they dealing with Blood Contamination now? You didn’t come here to save us—you came to eliminate anything that threatens your authority!”
“That’s right! If the Blood Contamination gets worse, monsters that threaten Central will appear. You came down here not to save us but because Central is in danger!”
Judging by the Hush Gang members’ remarks, it was clear the so-called lower realms were Ark’s dark side, a place Central didn’t bother with unless absolutely necessary.
All filth, problems, taboos, crimes, and matters related to the lower-class were sealed beneath a massive lid called the sluice, ensuring they wouldn’t spill out.
Of course, it would be great if Central managed and cared for the lower realms as attentively as their own backyard.
But the origin of the lower realms stemmed from unauthorized settlers who snuck in without Ark’s permission.
Central’s official stance was, “Though we should expel you, we will generously allow your settlement in the lower realms.”
This initial rationale persisted over the years, and now, the relationship between the upper and lower realms was filled with an irreparable gulf of animosity, surpassing mere regionalism or class discrimination.
Sigh, there’s no helping it.
Honestly, the one who needs this more is me.
Torturing and killing people just because they annoy me isn’t my style. Even though I lived as the Demon King, there are lines I won’t cross.
“So, tell me what you want.”
“What could an organization like ours want? Ultimately, it’s money. We’ll cooperate with you to explore the Blood Contamination Zone, and no one knows the lower realms better than us.”
“So, how much will it take?”
“One sheet will do.”
One sheet?
How much is that?
“Would $100,000 do?”
“Tha… What?”
According to the standards of Ark’s upper realms, the monthly living expenses for a family of four are around $1,000.
Considering I’m essentially hiring the entire Hush Gang, $100,000 seems reasonable.
Closing my eyes, I accessed Dusty’s bank account code through Theresa.
With my vision glowing yellow as I connected to Ark Central Bank, I saw the shares from the Saya Guild continuously flowing into my account—amounting to several million dollars by now.
$100,000 isn’t a big deal for me right now.
-Beep.
“Alright, it’s done. Check your account.”
I immediately transferred $100,000 to Dusty.
By now, he should see five separate transfers of $20,000 each in his account.
It wasn’t laundered or dirty money; it was clean, legitimate funds owned by a Third-Class Overseer.
However, Alice was unaware of one thing.
In criminal circles, “one sheet” typically refers to $1,000.
While in the upper realms, inflation makes goods absurdly expensive—like $10 for a carton of milk—the situation in the lower realms is different.
Price variations are extreme, but generally, milk that costs $10 in the upper realms would be $1 in the lower realms—50 cents if bought cheaply.
If a family of four needs $1,000 a month to live in the upper realms, a lower-realm family would get by on around $100.
Alice’s perspective, shaped by living in Ark’s most expensive regions like the Kowloon Residential Zone and her experiences with the Barrier Agency, naturally didn’t account for the economic conditions of the lower realms.
“If things go well, I’ll give you another $100,000 as a bonus. Is that enough?”
“W-What!?”
While it’s true that Overseers often rely on sponsors or Mega Corp collaborations to address financial issues, I’ve been receiving shares from the Saya Guild, bringing in several million dollars two to three times a month.
I don’t need to scrape by like I did in the early days of my return, especially when I’m unaware of how far the Blood Contamination has spread and still need to save the Academy cadets.
There’s no reason to hold back here.
“B-Boss?”
One of the gang members looked at Dusty.
Was it real?
Had $100,000 really been deposited?
Dusty carefully checked his smartwatch, confirming the $100,000 deposit, and swallowed hard.
“…Gulp.”
$100,000.
It was no small amount of money.
For the gang as a whole, it wasn’t just a windfall—it was life-changing.
“…..”
Gulp.
The very people who were grumbling moments ago about how untrustworthy the upper realms were and cursing their “pig overlords” fell silent in the face of $100,000.
Meanwhile, the dolls, equipped with basic economic knowledge and administrative skills from Earnest Rail, recognized the value of the money.
They slightly furrowed their brows, realizing Alice had spent far too much on the lower-realm rabble.
Still, it was Alice’s decision.
She was their sole master, and the dolls knew that without Alice, they would have been disposed of.
There was no room to question their master’s choices.
“So, what’s it going to be? Should I just leave? I can always cooperate with another guide.”
“We’ll do it!”
“Please, let us handle it!”
“We’ll serve you diligently.”
“Please, let us crawl under your legs!”
“Please, let us lick your toes!”
The Hush Gang’s attitude did a complete 180, making Alice chuckle.
Oh, wait.
That woman, Anis, is actually trying to lick my feet.
Stop it, damn it.