[As the new pharmacist for the Imperial Military Academy, you have prepared a new potion for the masses: "Snowstorm Immunity."]
[This batch of cadets from the Imperial Military Academy has successfully obtained the power of "Snowstorm Immunity," completely evolving into Human · Pioneers and gaining various special traits.]
Looking at the text on the light screen, Natasha's face held a trace of joy. She was full of hope for this simulation's future.
After helping Ron conquer all of Belobog and establish the Jarilo-VI Second Empire, she had taken on the role of physician at the Imperial Military Academy, preparing potions for the first batch of students and treating the injuries they sustained during training.
The academy's requirements for its cadets were extremely demanding, and a great many students were injured during their training exercises.
As the academy's physician, treating these students' injuries gave Natasha a long-lost sense of the busyness she had felt back when she was the only doctor in the Underworld.
Such a tense and busy schedule was not a bad thing... After a year as the school doctor, Natasha's progress on the Path of The Abundance had advanced a considerable distance. If she were to continue for another two or three years, she could probably catch up to Ron, who was being closely watched by The Apothecary and given every advantage.
One had to remember that although Ron was tied down by the various miscellaneous duties of being an emperor and had no time to grind Path experience like before, he was still, in his own way, embodying the philosophy of "Salvation" as he developed the empire. This meant he was constantly gaining a small amount of experience across all his Paths.
While the experience gain was not large, it was constantly increasing.
Therefore, with the blessing of the bug-level experience-doubling trait, "The Apothecary's Mark," Ron's progress on the Path of The Abundance was advancing steadily. The fact that Natasha could even think of overtaking him showed just how much Path experience she was able to grind at the military academy.
However, even though her gains on the Path of The Abundance were significant, they were the least of her rewards.
The establishment of the new Imperial Second Pioneer Group, the mass cultivation of "Hope No. 1," the flourishing of the empire—each of these developments was far, far more important than Natasha's personal progress on her Path.
Each of these events was a small but crucial milestone for the empire, a solid step forward.
It was this past year in the simulation that filled Natasha with confidence. She knew that as long as they continued to develop step-by-step like this, her dream would inevitably be realized. Everyone would be able to run freely under the blue sky, to walk to any corner of this world...
Her heart filled with anticipation for what was to come, Natasha tapped the screen before her, letting the simulation continue:
[It is another ordinary day. You are sitting in the Imperial Military Academy's infirmary, preparing to start your work.]
[A student walks into your infirmary, holding a small wooden box with a puzzled expression.]
Reading the text, Natasha was slightly taken aback.
A wooden box? What's this?
If she were still practicing medicine in the Underworld, Natasha might have suspected it was a gift from a patient she had cured, and she would have been full of pleasant anticipation.
But the Imperial Military Academy was strictly managed; something like gift-giving had never occurred... What was in this box was definitely not a gift, but something that would confuse a cadet enough to bring it to her...
What could it be?
She continued to watch the screen as new text appeared:
[The student reports to you solemnly that this wooden box appeared on his dormitory bedside table when he woke up.]
[Such wooden boxes have suddenly appeared at the bedside of every student. No one knows who put them there.]
[The academy's leadership is highly vigilant. They have confiscated all the boxes for safekeeping and have given one to you, hoping you can extract some useful information from it.]
A wooden box that suddenly appeared on a dormitory bedside table?
Natasha's brow furrowed. The academy's defenses were extremely strong. As the reserve force for the Pioneer Group, every person here was a precious asset. They were the future heroes of Belobog; no one would want to see them die here.
That was why Ron had assigned five squads of Silvermane Guards to patrol the academy, along with a team of Pioneers from the First Pioneer Group to act as a rescue unit, completely eliminating any potential dangers.
Under their watch... no one should have been able to breach their blockade to deliver a small wooden box to these cadets.
In the current Belobog, no one should have this ability. Those who did weren't enemies. The most likely person who could do such a thing was Ron himself, and he was currently sitting on his throne in Qlipoth Fort.
So who delivered these boxes? And for what purpose?
Natasha looked at the screen thoughtfully and tapped it to let the simulation proceed.
Regardless, it was best to open the box first and see what was inside...
The text faded, and new lines appeared:
[You take the wooden box from the student. As you open it, your eyes fall upon a blood-red berry, glistening as if freshly picked, and a small slip of paper.]
[A strange and alluring fruity fragrance wafts into your nostrils. The sweet scent emanating from the red berry is so fresh, it was clearly picked not long ago...]
[You shift your gaze to the small slip of paper and see elegant, flowing script written upon it, dancing across the cardstock.]
["Immortality, immunity to the snowstorm... by eating this berry, you shall receive the above gifts."]
["To eat, or not to eat?"]
["Your answer will determine the ending. I await your decision."]
Seeing the text on the screen, Natasha's expression instantly froze.
A Blessed Berry?! The box contains one of those?!
That little card... seeing the familiar, taunting tone, Natasha was immediately reminded of a trouble she had long since put out of her mind.
Dammit, it's that Masked Fool Ron told me about...
He had done nothing after stealing the Blessed Berries before. To think he would cultivate so many of them and release them now...
Natasha harbored no illusions. Since every student in the military academy had received a box, there was no reason the other citizens of Belobog wouldn't also receive this "gift."
After all, secretly breaking into a civilian's house was far easier than infiltrating the Imperial Military Academy. Since this Masked Fool had already gone to such lengths, he clearly intended to distribute the Blessed Berries to every single person in Belobog...
The thought gave Natasha a headache.
This simulation had progressed so well, it was practically a guaranteed win. Why did something like this have to happen now...?
The Jarilo-VI Second Empire feared nothing, except for internal division.
If too many citizens consumed the Blessed Berries and received the blessing, then just as Ron had predicted, they would eventually start a war with ordinary people over the lack of food.
Ultimately, due to their biological differences, they would fight to the death in a war of racial extermination. In this post-apocalyptic world, neither side would back down, because to back down would mean to give up their own lives.
And at that point, no matter who won, the result would be the collapse of the Jarilo-VI Second Empire.
The exhausted remnants would have no strength left to fight the snowstorms and the Fragmentum. The flame of civilization would be extinguished on Jarilo-VI, and the entire civilization would perish in this terrifying internal conflict...
No, it hasn't reached that point yet.
Natasha shook her head, forcing herself back to the present, and looked at the screen.
The text faded, and new options appeared:
[Seeing the crimson berry in the box, which was clearly just picked, your familiarity with the Blessed Berries allows you to immediately identify it as a product of the Apothecary's blessing.]
[Your expression turns grave, and various thoughts flash through your mind—]
[1. "The Masked Fool must have malicious intent..." You do not trust that the Masked Fool has simply delivered the Blessed Berries. You suspect that they may have been altered by him in some way. You decide to study these berries carefully to see if their medicinal properties are the same as the original ones.]
[2. "This must be dealt with quickly. It's time to ask Ron for help." You know that the faster this matter is resolved, the better. There can be no delays, or the consequences will be unimaginable. You decide to find Ron, hoping he can provide guidance and lead you in dealing with this sudden, massive problem.]
Looking at the two options, Natasha frowned slightly and unhesitatingly chose the first one.
Such a worry was perfectly reasonable. No one knew if a person capable of such an act would tamper with the berries they were distributing. If there was a problem, identifying it immediately was clearly the best way to avoid all sorts of trouble.
Natasha wasn't going to seek out Ron—not because she didn't want him to know, but because she was certain he already did.
An event that swept the entire empire, a Blessed Berry for every person—as the ruler of the Jarilo-VI Second Empire, there was no way Ron would hear the news later than she did.
Even if she did go to him, his orders would likely just be to study the berries provided by the Masked Fool. After all, with her abilities, that was the most she could do.
If that was the case, it was better to understand the berries first and then go to Ron with her findings.
With this thought, Natasha watched as the option box faded and new text appeared on the screen...
---o---
[You have requested that your aide, Cocolia Rand, help you call upon all citizens to not eat the Blessed Berries.]
[As the previous Supreme Guardian who abdicated her position, Cocolia's prestige has not diminished even after a year. The love the people of the Overworld have for her has not waned in the slightest. At least half of the populace has heeded her words and handed the Blessed Berries over to the Silvermane Guards you sent to collect them.]
[Because of your call, the people of the Underworld are stirred. Almost all of them have followed your command and refrained from consuming the berries. Many berries have been turned over to the Wildfire Guard to be confiscated and stored in the national treasury...]
Looking at the text, Ron let out a small sigh of relief.
His damage control measures had some effect... At least the vast majority of the Underworld's population and more than half of the Overworld's had not eaten the berries. This meant that the number of people who might have consumed them was at most one-third of Belobog's population.
One-third... Although it still seemed like a lot of people, surviving one harvest season wouldn't be too difficult. If he implemented a rationing system for a while and tapped into the grain that had just been stored in the granaries, they should be able to make it through.
However... despite this, Ron could not rest easy.
He had already issued an order for the geniuses at the Belobog Academy of Sciences to study these new berries and see if there was any difference from the previous ones, but he had yet to receive a response. This task was still too difficult for them.
But until he knew for sure whether there was a difference, Ron could absolutely not relax.
No one could say what tricks Sampo might have up his sleeve. A man who used human dignity as a component of his "fun" was the one who respected it the least...
He had already turned Belobog into his stage and all its people into his actors. What wouldn't he do?
Ron had no intention of gambling on a Masked Fool's moral character, betting that he wouldn't tamper with the Blessed Berries.
Just as Ron was getting a headache over this, the text on the screen faded and new lines appeared:
[You have requested that the Belobog Academy of Sciences study the Blessed Berries. They accepted the task seriously but have yet to provide a response.]
[Just as you are at your wit's end, Natasha, her face slightly pale and her expression extremely grim, rushes into Qlipoth Fort and enters your office.]
The text faded and was replaced by a new image:
Natasha was pale. In her hand, she held a sheet of paper covered in dense experiment notes, as well as a Rock-Dweller Crab, a creature unique to the Underworld, its entire body encased in a stone shell.
But now, fine, tendril-like vines had sprouted from the crab's shell, coiling around it and its pincers like engraved patterns, giving it a grotesque and extraordinary appearance.
Natasha looked at Ron, her expression grave.
"I've conducted some experiments. These Blessed Berries that have suddenly appeared are different from the ones we know..."
As she spoke, Natasha swallowed, a lingering fear in her eyes.
"I don't know why, but..."
"This blessing... it feels like it can devour everything."