Plague Doctor

Chapter 272: Eyes

“Why, why would you succumb to despicability…” Among the sea of darkness, the growl of the thousand-eyed worm was as loud as thunder. The limbs whipped at Gu Jun’s team. The giant monster applied great pressure on them but Gu Jun saw hope through the darkness. It was a pair of brilliant blue eyes, the one that belonged to the girl named Ellie. He gained mobility of his body again. Gu Jun picked up the two pistols that had fallen to the ground and pulled on the triggers.

Gunfire bloomed and bullets shot out from the barrels. They hit the worm’s head and lodged themselves around the pair of blue eyes. All 18 shots were fired, flesh and guts flew everywhere. The giant worm was stunned into temporary submission. At the same time, the damage caused the blue eyes to burn brighter. As the power of darkness receded, Ellie’s self-consciousness burned brighter.

“Ellie!” Gu Jun shouted, “Do not let that ugly thing control you!” The blue eyes blinked. The whole worm shivered like it was shocked. That small opening loosened the mental grip on the rest of Gu Jun’s team. Once they struggled free, they joined Gu Jun to draw out the Ancient Seal. Being tortured so long by the sense of powerlessness, they channelled their spirit into the drawing of the mental seal. The shimmering white light cut through the darkness. As it slammed into the giant worm, there was an explosion. The flailing limbs snipped and dropped to the ground as if they were sliced through by a thousand cuts.

“Despicable worms…” A strange voice that was mixed with the sounds of many different cultists began, “Such foolishness will bring you nowhere…”

Ellie’s awakening had exposed the worm’s weakness for it meant that the other consciousness could be awakened as well. The dark energy was a fatal bacterium when it was inside the human body but the souls that it had claimed could be awakened to weaken the worm in return. As more souls rose to consciousness, the faster the worm would crumble.

Gu Jun had no idea whom the eyes belonged to but he did know the names of those recently passed. He called out, “Huang Lin, Shen Haoxuan, Huang Zuoxin, Zhang Bo, Liu Hui…” Despite his hope, he even shouted out the following, “He Feng, Mr. He! Uncle Dan! Can you hear me?” Lou Xiaoning could see some of the eyes on the giant worm coming alive with humanity…

“Profound knowledge, benevolence for the world!” Suddenly inspired, Gu Jun shouted out the vision of Eastern State Medical University at the worm. “Senior Huang Lin, my name is Gu Jun.” The giant worm was once again shocked. A pair of black eyes blinked, “You are also from Eastern State University?” A blurred female voice asked.

“Yes, I’m from the 8 years clinical program.” Gu Jun said with excitement, “I finished the 3 years of theoretical study but am currently undertaking my field study, so it means that I’ve yet to graduate.”

“8 years program…” The female voice said with some complaint, “The ones who have stolen all the perks from us.”

“Ha ha!” Gu Jun laughed as he was reminded of the days from university. The students from the 5 years program viewed them as mortal enemies, claiming that they were given more resources and easier coursework by the university. Some of them were true, while others exaggerated. Back then, Gu Jun had no animosity towards the 5 years program students or rather he was too busy wasting his life away to care.

“Senior, but our overall exam score is higher than your batch so the resource is not wasted on us as you claimed.” He chuckled.

“That is because your batch has access to better lecturers, better labs…” The woman said, “And you were sent to the best hospitals for your internships…”

“I suppose you’re right.” Gu Jun smiled as tears threatened to flow out of his eyes.

“Junior, actually I still dream of returning to school one day to finish a degree in veterinary study.” The voice said with some melancholy. As Huang Lin awakened, another pair of eyes blinked. “Doctor Huang, is that you?! Mom, dad!” It was Shen Haoxuan, “What’s happening… Am… Am I dead?”

“This is all my fault, I’ve infected all of you…” Huang Guoxin said with regret but his voice was soon drowned out by the others. However, Gu Jun did not hear the voices of Uncle Dan’s team so this meant that they were probably still alive. As time progressed, more eyes blinked with consciousness. The surface of the thousand-eyed worm started to crack like it was about to explode. A voice cut through the rest with anger. “You bunch of idiots, idiots…” But it was now laced with pain.

“Senior Huang Lin,” Gu Jun said through the mist in his eyes, “I need a favor. Please help me slow it down! Do not let it take over your consciousness!”

In that moment, the eyes of Huang Lin, Shen Haoxuan and the rest shone with brilliance, determination and vehemence…

Gu Jun opened the medkit as fast as he could. He filled up with the syringes with different drugs, streptomycin for the black plague, dapsome for leprosy, cyclomycin for cholera, illotycin for legionella pneumonia, there was not specific drug for smallpox but Gu Jun mixed up a cocktail of penicillin, rifampin, and vacocin. With multiple syringes in each hand, Gu Jun lunged at the giant worm. He plunged the needles right into the giant worm!

“Ah!” Instantly, the cultists’ voice dissolved into screams. The skin of the giant worm cracked even further. The Zoog who was cowering in the corner tapped his body in awe. “I’ve not seen a battle like this before…”

“Damn, that’s gutsy!” Lou Xiaoning praised. Kathlyn’s group was stunned while the land’s travellers looked on with passion burning for their idol. The syringes injected the drugs into the giant worm’s body. Compared to its size, these dosages were small. However, they managed to bring life back to more eyes. A part of the worm’s flesh burst into pus. Gu Jun did not retreat even when the pus and blood splashed onto him. He held onto the syringes tightly and continued to push the drugs into the giant worm. Suppressed eruptions echoed inside the worm’s body. Its shell detonated. Some of the eyeballs closer to the surface blasted into the air.

“Junior.” Huang Lin’s voice rang out again. A pair of black eyes turned to look at Gu Jun as they arced through the air. The voice softened. “You’re from the 8 years program so I’m sure you can handle this and return safely. If my parents are still alive when you do, help me tell them, I love them and please remind them to take good care of Dou Dou…”

“Doctor, my name is Shen Haoxuan.” Another pair of eyes flew past. The voice was filled with the shyness of youth but it was also laced with some sadness and acceptance. “Can you do me a favor… I have a crush on a high school friend of mine by the name of Deng Ruotong… I was planning to confess my feelings to her after we start university…”

“Doctor…” Huang Guoxin’s eyes danced through the air. Then came Doctor Zhang Bo and the rest. With his jaws locked, Gu Jun nodded repeatedly. The eyes of humanity floated around the room and the pair on Gu Jun dampened with tears.

‘Yes, we are just meagre humans… But these despicable eyes can sometimes shine with the light of God, at times with vehemence, other times with gentleness.’

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