Tristan stared at the transparent blue window floating in his view with an expressionless face. He was not surprised because he knew he had failed the emergency task and had been waiting for the punishment he would get.
"Nightmare for three days?" Tristan raised his eyebrows and folded his arms in front of his chest. "The system's penalty is easier for me to understand than the task from it."
Tristan stood under a tree near the fence of the house of a couple who were the first people to be infected by the plague in his kingdom. He watched the sacred ritual that was taking place silently and solemnly.
The high priest, ten nuns, and ten people from the Temple of the Goddess of Purity sprinkled water on the bodies of 34 people infected with the plague of purulent lumps and red eyes.
Many people stood before the house gate, and the soldiers prevented them from getting too close to see the sacred ritual.
Everyone was happy, and their hearts were peaceful as they watched the sacred ritual. Only Tristan wanted to go to a place immediately and let out the curses he had been holding back with difficulty since yesterday.
Heavy rain poured down on them after the sacred ritual was declared over. The soldiers hurriedly took the 34 people who were infected with purulent lumps and red eyes into the house and tent.
The people standing in front of the fence scattered to find shelter. Even the high priest, ten nuns, and ten people from the Temple of the God of Purity did not want their clothes to get soaked, so they stood on the terrace with Physician Joseph and Physician Jennifer.
Meanwhile, Tristan and his two knights were still standing under the tree. Tristan looked up at the clear sky and the bright sun. Finally, he met the rain.
"The rain here is the same as in my previous life. There is no difference." Tristan stretched out his hand and looked at the raindrops slapping his palm.
"Your Majesty, you must not stand under a tree when it is raining," said Knight Aiden, raising his voice slightly.
"You're right, but it's okay if I'm destined to die from being struck by lightning," Tristan said.
Tristan suddenly had no will to continue his life. He hadn't even found a reason to thank the God who had pulled him from death and put him in Tristan Madigan's body.
"Don't say that, Your Majesty," Knight Aiden said. "Everyone in the kingdom needs you. You are our leader."
Tristan looked at Knight Aiden, who reminded him he was a king with a heavy responsibility. He was also required to complete all his tasks and accept the system's penalties. His existence was far from free.
"Damn it." Tristan punched and kicked the tree next to him. "Fuck my life."
***
Everyone infected with the disease of purulent lump and red eyes was happy because God would cure them all. The rain after the sacred ritual was a good sign.
Tristan wondered if the sacred ritual would really cure them. If they were healed, why did the system give him an emergency task to stop the sacred ritual?
Tristan's heart was pounding as he waited for tomorrow. He wondered if the plague would disappear because of the sacred ritual or if they needed medicine.
"The medicine will arrive in the kingdom in 13 days." Tristan didn't really enjoy his dinner.
If he knew how to make a plane, he would teach the people in his kingdom to make planes. Everyone would praise him and call him a genius.
"I can't even make a boat out of wood, let alone a plane that big and sophisticated? How can that giant thing fly in the air?" Tristan muttered as he looked up at the moon and stars in the sky.
"Isn't there an animal that runs faster than a horse?" Tristan dug through his memories until his thick eyebrows knitted together.
"I've heard that cheetahs run very fast, but there's no way we're using cheetahs. We'll die before we even get on their backs."
Tristan shook his head to get rid of the cheetah from his mind.
"I can't wait for the three medicines and the plant to arrive in the kingdom."
Tristan clicked his tongue and ruffled his golden blond hair.
"Why is this world so vast? Why isn't this world modern?"
Tristan didn't know who he was blaming. He just couldn't wait to prove that the sacred ritual couldn't cure people infected with the plague. For some reason, he believed in the system.
"I would be so embarrassed if it turned out that the sacred ritual could cure them. Everyone knows I don't want the sacred ritual to be held."
Tristan wanted to hide until the three medicines from the Monette Kingdom arrived in his kingdom.
He also didn't want to hear news that the sacred ritual cured the people.
Tristan knew his thoughts were very evil, but it was the system that made him not believe in the sacred ritual.
***
"Where am I?" Tristan was shocked when he found himself in a forest with dense trees and no sound so that he could hear his heartbeat.
"I'm sure I was sitting by the window and looking at the moon." Tristan looked up but couldn't find the moon. The trees blocked the moonlight from illuminating the forest.
Fear gripped Tristan's chest tightly. He walked towards the tree and touched its thick and rough trunk. His left hand felt the ground and found a reasonably large tree branch.
Tristan observed his surroundings warily. His blue eyes caught sight of dozens of torches in the distance. As the group of fires grew clearer, people seemed to be approaching him.
Tristan swallowed his saliva and stepped back while feeling the trees beside him. He ensured his feet did not step on twigs or leaves or make any noise.
"Damn." Tristan decided to run because the people were walking very fast towards him. He was still holding the tree branch.
Tristan dashed through the trees and shrubs, ignoring his bare feet, which walked on twigs and rocks, and his hands and face, which branches and thorns had scratched.
Tristan's heart was beating very fast, like a drum. His breath raced with the speed of his run. He looked back and forth to find that all the hairs on his neck stood up, seeing a group of people carrying torches chasing him.
Tristan ran straight but did not find the end of this forest, as if the forest was as vast as the world.
He didn't even hear the sound of crickets and frogs. He only listened to his feet stepping on dry leaves and tree branches.
Tristan's eyes widened when he realized that he didn't hear the footsteps of the people chasing him.
"Ah." Tristan was horrified when his knee hit the large rock. In seconds, a wooden cage fell from the tree next to Tristan, trapping him.
Tristan froze, his eyes widened, and his heart stopped. He hadn't recovered from his consciousness yet, and he tended to give up when people with torches encircled him.
They wore terrifying masks, laughed, and pointed torches toward the wooden cage that imprisoned Tristan.