Plague Doctor - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: The Abomination Inside The Iron Cage
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

With the horrified audience suddenly losing their voices, the whole stadium went silent. Only the unpleasant screech of iron scraping across the ground could be heard.
The faces of the youths were all full of shock. Be it the students from Eastern University or Qingyun University, they all displayed symptoms of over-agitation. Panicked, their hands and feet felt numb and were trembling uncontrollably. Their entire bodies turned stiff. Even professors such as Yu Shaowei and Feng Jing were in a daze.
They understood most matters relating to science and medicine. Yet, they simply could not comprehend the existence of the thing in front of them.
By this time, everyone thoroughly realised that their previous understanding of the world was merely the tip of the iceberg. 1
“…” Gu Jun was also fixated at the stadium, watching as the staff struggled to move the giant iron cage.
The iron cage was more than three meters high. The measurement of its length and width were similar. It was shaped like a cube. The cage had steel rods densely packed together and painted in the same white colour similar to the storage tank. The bottom of the cage was equipped with pulleys. The abomination inside the cage weighed down the entire cage and made it hard to move.
As for the contents of the iron cage, there was one or perhaps a lump of something may be more appropriate.
Gu Jun was not someone lacking in the ability to express himself. He even won awards for writing essays before. Still, for him to describe that terrifying scene, it was a feat of unimaginable difficulty. 2
This was an abomination formed by a grotesque cluster of malformed bodies. 2
Perhaps they might once be humans, but all their limbs were malformed, and their abdomens were distorted as well. Only the heads retained its humanoid figure. Each face looked like they were still distinctly alive. The malformed bodies and limbs twisted and knotted together seamlessly. They were not simply entangled together but fused and merged into one single being. It was just like the radius of the previous corpse passing cleanly through the humerus. The palm of one passing through the calf of another, and a neck was passing through another’s belly. 5
Chaos, eeriness, and vile wickedness, all these elements combined to form this huge and imposing humanoid abomination.
The still-intact faces were interspersed amongst this repulsive agglomeration. A dozen faces and multitudes of eyes gloomily stared at their surroundings, and it seemed as though they were still alive.
They had distorted themselves, but they had also distorted the will of the hundreds of elite teachers and students here.
“Ah, HUUUURGGEHH…” a female student vomited and collapsed in the south where Jihua Medical University was seated. Her face was pale and blue, and her body was shaking uncontrollably. Everyone now understood why there were vomit bags situated beside each seat. The sound of the vomiting audience echoed in the air one after another. Both males and females were included within these numbers. 1
They, who were facing all kinds of corpses every day, could not hold themselves back from vomiting.
If it wasn’t for the fact that they had dissected malformed bodies before and had a bit of psychological preparation, perhaps they might have also been scared into insanity.
Some felt ashamed of their reactions, and others just wanted to disregard everything and flee. They only watched a few medical dramas and thought that the doctors were handsome, hence deciding to study medicine. Their ideal lifestyles were hanging around attractive doctors and beautiful nurses; not to come here and torment themselves. 3
At the same time, Professor Qin Chengye and the other judges had been observing the students’ reactions.
Seeing the adverse reactions of the audience, the faces of several judges fell and were filled with unconcealable disappointment. Was the number of talents just this much?
The talents they desired not only needed to possess an excellent foundation in medicine, but also a strong psychological fortitude.
“Gu, Professor Gu… Wh-what is THAT?” He Yuhan asked with a trembling voice. She was tightly clutching the vomit bag and seemed like she would vomit any time.
Wang Ruoxiang performed much better. She could still watch calmly, although her eyebrows were tightly scrunched together. 1
Xu Hai was about to vomit as well. Zhang Haoran lowered his head and looked away. Cai Zixuan frantically chanted Nanwu Amitabha. 1
“I know as much as you do.” Professor Gu was indeed an experienced professor after all. The shock in his heart did not make him panic, and he still retained enough presence of mind to comfort his students. “But you don’t have to be so afraid. Since the country had such arrangements, then everyone’s safety is guaranteed now. Even if it’s a disease, at the very least it’s not contagious.”
Gu Jun was not afraid, and he did not avoid his eyes either. The gears in his head churned quickly. If that is a disease, then the corpse we previously dissected is the initial symptom, and this… this may be the advanced stage of development.
“HURGHH!” Xu Hai suddenly vomited into the bag.
The number of people vomiting was gradually increasing, and the hopelessness pervading the atmosphere was getting stronger as well. 3
Everyone felt like they were sinking into a bottomless ocean. Wandering, struggling, shouting in despair, but all they faced was desolate darkness.
“Although I pray that not all of you will ever come into contact with this kind of abomination again, I sincerely hope that you will all be ready if that day comes.” Professor Qin spoke again, his wrinkled old face serene. “Now, I want to know your thoughts on this eldritch abomination. Remember, this thing is dead, but it may very well be alive.” 4
Could it still be alive? The students looked at each other.
Professor Qin naturally didn’t expect those who vomited to answer. As soon as they noticed many people at Eastern University spewing their guts out, he immediately looked towards the students seated in the front row of Qingyun University in the west. Some members of the staff walked over with microphones.
The youths of Qingyun University suddenly sat up with anticipation. Sun Yuheng, Zhang Wenyue, Yang Ming, these members of the school team were all eighth-year heavyweights.
“I think-” Sun Yuheng was the first to speak up. Although it seemed like he was winging it, he had already gone through some deliberation. “-they were infected by some sort of virus inducing their mutation. But how they were fused together and still remain alive, I do not understand at all. Would they not face a transplant rejection reaction?”
Yang Ming then took over the mic and said suspiciously, “Could it be that someone stitched together their bodies like this after death?” He spat out the idea with revulsion.
That very act was a crime against humanity, a vile depravity that cannot be described with words. 2
However, using conventional wisdom to think about it, it seemed that it was the only plausible explanation.
“No,” Professor Qin denied his answer. “I have already said it. This thing is still alive and can still continue to grow.” 1
The entire teacher and student body were dumbfounded. This abomination was not within their cognitive scope of knowledge at all.
Professor Qin then looked towards the Eastern University students seated on the right. The Eastern University who usually wanted to compete with Qingyun University about everything was silent. The staff swept the microphone across the front row, but the members of the school team just shook their heads one by one. “Sorry, I don’t know.”
“Please tell us the answer. ”
Eastern University was not conceding defeat. Rather than blindly throwing out wild guesses, it was better to confess ignorance. If you know it, say that you know. If you don’t know, just admit that you don’t know. 1
Especially regarding the matter in front of their eyes, not knowing anything was the most typical response.
In fact, the judges themselves didn’t expect to hear anything interesting from beginning to end. They were merely asking the students routine questions and observing the reactions of these students.
“This thing is…” Professor Qin said.
At this time, a male student sitting at the back row of Eastern University suddenly raised his hand and stood up. “Professor Qin, I want to share my views.”
Countless gazes from the audience immediately looked towards where the voice was coming from. The students of Eastern University were shocked and anxious when they saw who was speaking. Tycoon Jun, you bastard. Hurry and sit back down! 1