Chapter 322


    Austin had seen so many high societydies like this, and he wasn''t one to be easily impressed. A


    few pleasantries were usually all it took to send them on their way.


    Every week, Ste made her way to the serene town of Swan Hill. If Collin was too tied up to


    apany her, she''d seek out Hugh. She never showed up empty-handed, sometimes bringing a


    bag of cornmeal, other times a sack of stale bread—gifts for whoever could spare the time to


    mentor her, a sort of tuition fee.


    After several visits without a glimpse of Collin, Ste couldn''t help but ask, "Hugh, what''s been


    keeping Dr. Collin so busy these days?"


    "Word has it that the eternal night might be drawing to a close. There''s been a catastrophe up north,


    and it might just ripple down here. Dr. Collin''s been run ragged these days, working closely with Dr.


    Garcia—sometimes they barely have time for a meal."


    Dr. Garcia? That must be the old professor who cracked the smog virus.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Feigning nosy, Ste prodded further, "What kind of disaster struck up north?"


    Hugh, with a gifted and alert apprentice like Ste, had no reason to hide the truth. "It hasn''t been


    announced yet, but the news leaked from the capital. That cursed ce, notorious for its nuclear


    waste mismanagement, was hit by the strongest earthquake in a millennium. An undersea volcano


    erupted, swallowing the entire country in no time."


    To obliterate a nation, the volcanic eruption had to be colossal, and unimaginable amounts of ash


    must have been spewed into the air.


    Ste felt a cold shiver run down her spine. The smog wasing. The sudden demise of that


    nation was the harsh reality behind the smog disaster.


    Growing anxious, Ste asked, "Is there any way to predict what sort of virus the smog might


    carry?"


    Hugh''s expression was one of concern as he exined, "The finer the volcanic ash particles, the


    deeper they prate the respiratory tract. Once inhaled, they umte in the respiratory


    system, leading to numerous diseases. Exposure to coarse particles can harm the respiratory


    system and trigger asthma. Fine particles may cause heart and lung diseases, respiratory


    infections, reduced lung function, and pose significant risks to the elderly, children, and those with


    preexisting heart and lung conditions."


    These were merely the physical damages; the environmental impact was obvious. Besides creating


    smog, the ash caused severe damage to building exteriors. If a storm or rain came, the wet, heavy


    ash could copse roofs.


    Hugh tried to reassure her while continuing the lesson, "Don''t worry too much. The research


    institute has been cultivating medicinal herbs for such events for years now. You''ve got to have faith


    in our doctors—they''ll ovee this challenge."


    Ste nodded, "Yeah, I believe you guys can pull it off."


    After the session, she packed her things and left.


    Reaching the ground floor, she saw Collin emerging from the sshouse, apanied by a few


    students and a septuagenarian. He was lean, with graying hair but appeared lively and robust.


    Ste greeted him, "Dr. Collin, it''s been a while."


    Collin was pleased to see her, "Ste, good to see you. Just a moment, I have something to discuss


    with you."


    After seeing Dr. Garcia upstairs and instructing his assistants, Collin finally approached her. "I''m


    sorry, I''ve been swampedtely. I haven''t even had time to see you when you visited."


    "It''s alright, I can figure things out on my own. Don''t let me hold you up from important matters,"


    Ste replied understandingly.


    Collin, still pressed for time, got straight to the point. "I heard about the volcanic eruption in the


    ind nation. The ash could spread our way, and although we''re far, we might face a smog disaster.


    We don''t know what diseases the smog will bring, but we''re in for a tough fight—it''s time to test our


    mettle as medical professionals. After years of cmities, we''ve lost many great talents. Our


    mission is daunting. News has reached every city, and they''re gathering medical staff urgently.


    Soon, the remaining medics from Phoenix Bay, Raven Port, and Mount Barker will converge on


    Swan Hill to face this battle together. We must win, or the disaster will be unimaginable. Ste, are


    you interested in joining us?"


    Ste''s mind buzzed, and it took her a moment to find her voice. "Yes, I am."


    She had been looking for a reason to get involved. To win this battle, she had been preparing for


    years.


    "Good, you need to be ready at all times. As soon as the smog hits and we see clinical cases, we''ll


    be racing against time."


    Ste was about to ask about the institute''s preparations, but the words caught in her throat. The


    disasters destroyed most of the diagnostic equipment, and even basic protective gear like masks


    might not be avable.


    Driving back to Griffith, her heart was heavy. That night, after much thought, she approached


    Austin, "Austin, is there any way to get hold of some protective gear, masks, or alcohol?"


    "Ste, it''s been years since the disasters. Even if we did have those supplies, they''d be expired by


    now."


    Ste realized the truth in his words. With the harsh climate cycles, even well-preserved items


    would be useless. She pondered her stockpile of medicinal herbs, thankful for the abundant


    mugwort she had grown. Turned into moxa, it could serve as an antimicrobial agent.


    "I saw Dr. Garcia today," Ste said, describing the old man to Jasper. "Is that him?"


    Jasper nodded, "Yes, that''s Dr. Garcia."


    Ste also mentioned Collin''s invitation for her to join the research team but expressed concern for


    Jasper, Rosie and the dog. "Maybe we could all go together when the timees?"


    If the smog virus remained unchanged and the two crucial herbs were prepared, this battle might


    not be as hard as thest.


    Jasper didn''t object. "Sure, we''ll decide when the timees."


    The eternal night persisted, and half a month passed in a blur. One day, Ste was jolted awake by


    an unfamiliar brightness. Opening her eyes, she saw sunlight filtering through the window—not


    blinding, but dim and dusty, as if veiled by countless particles.


    Realizing the significance, Ste reached for the curtains.


    Daybreak hade. The eternal night was over.


    She saw the sun, a sun obscured by smog, dimmed to a mere shadow of itself, as if shrouded in a


    thickyer of dust.


    She had anticipated the butterfly effect but hadn''t foreseen itspounded damages. ording to


    Jasper''s memory, the smog had arrived about half a month after the end of the eternal night. With


    no wind, it spread slowly. At first, it was just a light haze, mistaken for fog, until people began


    coughing and those who stayed out long enough found their faces covered in ash. Visibility


    eventually dropped to less than five meters in the thick smog.


    The eternal night had barely lifted its shroud when the smog rolled in, relentless, offering no quarter


    to those who had weathered the darkness.


    No, the smog was there before the night even had a chance to retreat, its presence masked by the


    pervasive darkness, invisible and insidious.


    Ste''s heart raced with sudden anxiety. She checked her pulse quickly, taking deep breaths and


    holding them to test her lung capacity. All seemed well for the moment.


    Jasper stirred awake at her movement, his eyes widening as he peered through the window at the


    thick fog outside. It took him a moment to gather his wits, and he couldn''t help coughing twice, the


    air already feeling heavy on his chest.