Arknightcraft Modpack

“Are you… really human?”

When Steven asked this question, Warfarin, who had been expecting some bizarre query, furrowed her brows.

No, this question went beyond whether he was human or not. After all, even the muscle-brained crocodile mans from Gavial’s homeland knew about the horrors of Oripathy. Yet this guy had the audacity to ask such a question?

It was hard for Warfarin not to start doubting Steven’s identity. She’d heard that the Abyssal Hunters weren’t affected by Oripathy. Could he be one of them?

But something didn’t add up.

“One hundred percent human. And what do you mean by that? Are you saying that not knowing about this means I’m not human? Is this supposed to be basic common knowledge or something?”

Steven shrugged. He could tolerate being mistaken for an Aegirian, but doubting his humanity? That was a first.

Blocky people are people too!

“It is indeed considered basic knowledge for the majority of species on this land.”

Muttering softly, Warfarin opted not to speak in riddles like Kal’tsit often did. For those living on this land, the knowledge of Originium and Oripathy was as fundamental as common sense.

“Then just think of me as a clueless outsider.”

The more Warfarin talked about it, the more intrigued Steven became. He’d never heard of a world where a type of mineral and a disease could hold such significance. Back in his time, even oil didn’t reach this level of importance.

“Tsk, Originium is… Well, to put it simply, it’s something akin to a universal fuel. All the industrial processes and various Originium arts on this continent are based on the application of this mineral.”

Warfarin provided a broad explanation of Originium’s function and status. Just as she was about to warn Steven about its dangers, he casually pulled an orange-yellow crystal out of his pocket.

“Is this the thing you’re talking about?”

“Are you kidding me? You just keep that in your pocket?!”

The curious Warfarin, who had been leaning closer to observe Steven, instantly pulled away. If she’d known he was carrying something like that, she wouldn’t have gotten close, no matter how curious she was.

The Originium crystal in Steven’s hand was clearly not the same as the kind found in mines or on the bodies of typical Oripathy carriers. It was the type of unstable Originium that appeared only on deceased Oripathy victims—a ticking time bomb.

Coming into contact with this could infect even a Sarkaz blood magic user like her.

How big must this guy’s heart be to casually carry around such a dangerous object in his pocket?

Did Kal’tsit not conduct any inspections before letting him on the island?

“Huh? Is this thing really that dangerous?”

Steven held the orange-yellow crystal up to his face, examining it. He couldn’t sense anything strange about it, and his buff bar was completely silent.

If it weren’t for the fact that it had dropped from those stitched-together monstrosities, he might have tried popping it into his mouth to see how it tasted.

After all, the thing even showed half a hunger bar’s worth of nutrition. How could any self-respecting blocky person resist the temptation to test if it was edible?

Spoiled potatoes, spider eyes, rotten flesh, pufferfish—those were nothing. If the Nether stars had hunger stats, he’d probably have tried them too.

“It’s not just dangerous; it’s a hazard to anyone nearby. Keep that thing away from me.”

Warfarin backed away further, putting at least two meters between herself and Steven. Better safe than sorry—no one could guarantee that thing wouldn’t blow up at any moment.

“Alright, I’ll put it away. Seems like it’s even scarier than what I’ve fought in the Nether.”

Shrugging, Steven stuffed the unstable Originium shard back into his inventory.

To Warfarin, though, it just looked like he had slipped it back into his pocket.

She had warned him about how dangerous it was, and he still did this? Was he fearless or just brainless?

“Fine. Let me make this clear for you. That thing could explode at any moment, and if you get scratched by its shards or if it comes into contact with an open wound, there’s a high chance you’ll be infected.”

Warfarin’s expression turned serious. The casual tone she had earlier was gone.

“The Oripathy you were wondering about? That’s what it is. Once infected, it’s essentially a death sentence. Not only do you have to endure the pain it causes, but you also risk infecting others if you die.”

Her gaze darkened with a hint of melancholy. One of her reasons for joining Rhodes Island was to find a cure for this affliction. But the road ahead still seemed long and arduous.

“Oh, so it’s essentially a contagious terminal illness?”

Steven scratched his head, piecing together what she was saying. Oripathy sounded like a cross between cancer and a mutated form of AIDS.

“Then why not just stop using it? Switch to another energy source.”

But unlike AIDS, which required fluid or intimate contact to spread, this disease seemed to require direct contact with Originium. Wouldn’t it be easy to control, theoretically?

“You make it sound so simple. On this continent, who could completely avoid Originium? Without it, how would people survive the Catastrophes? How would they produce goods or even sustain their livelihoods?”

Warfarin sighed deeply. Steven’s question hit at the heart of the issue, but the reality wasn’t so straightforward.

People knew about the dangers of Originium, but to survive in this harsh world, they had no choice but to rely on it—a poisoned chalice.

“Well, that wouldn’t be an issue for me.”

Steven muttered softly to himself. He figured he had the capability to solve this problem. If he wanted to, he could even make the entire continent free of Originium dependency.

From Warfarin’s description, Originium was just a downgraded, hazardous version of redstone.

He had endless redstone. How could anyone consider this rare?