Dying Light: Volatile Virus

After a travel back to the Slums, you yell a loud growl, and slowly, the nearest infecteds, Biters, Virals, and Volatiles, reach you. As time passes, more infecteds appear.

After some time, all infecteds of the Slums reach you, and start following you to the countryside.

Your dominance was evident, as you leaded them to the countryside.

But you didn't stop there, you also took every infected and non-infected from Old Town. The non-infected didn't trust you, but they had to if they wanted to live, and by force, they followed you.

The Countryside of Harran was now holding every infected and non-infected from Harran.

Non-infected started to live in the village, while the infecteds were living in the caves.

As the days passed, people from outside the countryside started to arrive from the sewers, in search of shelter. Their desperation leaded them into you, and joining the cult.

You saw your cult, along the village, being expanded, growing bigger.

With your help, you managed to obtain alive animals before Crane spread the virus further.

The countryside became a complete village, under your protection, it was now known as the village under the eyes of the Sun.

While the population outside Harran was being reduced, the population in the countryside of Harran was increasing slightly.

Life in there was now much better, despite all the field infested with infecteds, the continuous work and help from your part allowed everything to change with time.

Slowly, the fields were being retrieved to how they should be. Crops growing, animals feeding and repopulating, non-infecteds living a life they gained, and infecteds being fed with meat of animals, while you continued making all Biters and Virals turn into Volatiles, and all Volatiles mutate in being capable of survive during daytime, and feed themselves from sunlight as you do.

Work wasn't going to be easy, but you wanted the hard way of doing things, making them yourself, and making sure everything was right.

Days passed, then weeks, and then months.

You lost the time after the last time anyone entered the sanctum through the sewers, and neither what GRE was up to, or how did Crane was or his ending.

So many things were going on outside Harran, but your duties were in the countryside.

Antizin stopped existing for you, it wasn't necessary anymore.

The God of the Sun's Realm: The Rise of Solara

Under Marco's guidance as the God of the Sun, the countryside of Harran transformed into a place of sanctuary, order, and an unorthodox harmony between infecteds and non-infecteds. The countryside, once a chaotic wasteland of overgrowth and roaming infected, was reborn as Solara, the Radiant Expanse. The village at its heart became the Sanctuary of the Sun, the focal point of Marco's cult and the center of life for both infecteds and non-infecteds alike.

Tasks and Challenges in Solara

The rebirth of the countryside was no small feat. It required tireless effort, cooperation, and Marco's unyielding leadership. Every task was grueling, but Marco took it upon himself to ensure progress.

1. Reconditioning the Infecteds: The Path to the Radiant Volatile

Marco's primary mission was to end the infecteds' dependency on human flesh and guide their mutation into a form that could thrive on sunlight, as he did.

The Process:

Pacification Through Golden Smoke: Marco regularly exhaled his blue-golden smoke into the caves where the Volatiles nested. The smoke calmed their hunger and allowed the virus within them to adapt to new sustenance—solar energy.

Controlled Feeding: Marco ensured a steady supply of animal meat from the expanding herds of cows, sheep, and goats. At first, it was difficult for Volatiles to transition, but Marco's influence compelled them to adapt.

Training Volatiles in Restraint: Marco created controlled zones where Volatiles and humans interacted under his supervision. Through this exposure, infecteds learned to resist their predatory urges, eventually becoming able to coexist peacefully with the non-infecteds.

Mutation Guidance: Using his radiant energy, Marco accelerated the Volatiles' evolution. Over months, they began developing traits similar to his own—golden veins, resistance to sunlight, and the ability to sustain themselves on solar energy.

Results:

By the end of the first year, nearly 80% of the Volatiles in Solara had successfully transitioned into Radiant Volatiles, immune to sunlight and no longer reliant on flesh. The remaining infecteds, particularly Biters and Virals, were slowly transitioning or being reconditioned.

2. Clearing the Fields of Solara

The vast fields of Solara, once overrun with hordes of infected, became a priority for Marco and his followers. To establish farmland and safe roads, every inch of the countryside had to be reclaimed.

The Cleansing Process:

Organized Sweeps: Marco led groups of Volatiles, using his control over them to push hordes of infecteds into designated containment zones.

Golden Smoke Zones: Marco created temporary zones of peace by exhaling his smoke, allowing non-infecteds to work alongside him without fear of attack.

Destruction of Nest Sites: Old infected nests in abandoned houses and barns were systematically destroyed. Marco personally led these efforts, often using his strength and radiant powers to collapse structures or clear infestations.

Infrastructure Building:

Roads and paths were cleared of debris and corpses, with Marco's Volatiles doing much of the heavy lifting. Bridges and makeshift infrastructure were built to connect the village with outlying areas, making travel and trade easier. A Sunlit Beacon was constructed at the heart of the village—a large tower with reflective panels designed to capture and radiate sunlight across the fields, symbolizing hope and guidance.

3. Establishing Livelihoods for Non-Infecteds

The non-infecteds needed purpose and stability to rebuild their lives. Marco worked closely with the cult and survivors to organize the village and ensure its prosperity.

Village Life:

Agriculture: The fertile soil of Solara was put to use. Fields were cleared and crops like wheat, corn, and vegetables were planted. Animals, including cows, chickens, and goats, were brought in to provide milk, meat, and eggs.

Shelter: Abandoned buildings were repurposed into homes, while new houses were constructed using materials scavenged from Harran.

Community Roles: Survivors were assigned roles based on their skills—farmers, builders, hunters, medics, and teachers. Marco's cult members helped oversee operations, ensuring that order was maintained.

Trade and Expansion:

As word spread of Solara's safety, refugees began arriving. They brought skills, supplies, and knowledge that enriched the community. Marco established safe trade routes between Solara and nearby regions, using his influence to protect traders from infecteds.

Life in Solara: A Day in the Sanctuary of the Sun

By the end of the first year, Solara had become a thriving haven. The village bustled with activity:

Morning: The day began with the rising sun, its rays blessing the fields and empowering the Radiant Volatiles. Survivors worked the fields, while Volatiles patrolled the outskirts.

Midday: Non-infecteds gathered at the Sunlit Beacon for communal meals and prayer, led by Marco's cult.

Evening: The village was bathed in golden light from reflective panels. Marco would often exhale his blue-golden smoke across the fields, ensuring peace and harmony during the night.

The Growth of the Cult of the Sun

The cult, once a small and isolated group, became the spiritual and administrative backbone of Solara.

Core Beliefs:

Marco was revered as the God of the Sun, the bridge between infecteds and non-infecteds. The blue-golden smoke was seen as a divine blessing, capable of uniting humanity and infected. The sun was worshiped as the source of all life, with Marco as its chosen representative.

Rituals and Ceremonies:

Sunrise Blessing: Every morning, Marco blessed the fields and villagers by spreading his golden smoke. Transformation Rites: New Volatiles were ceremonially inducted into their Radiant forms, symbolizing their acceptance of sunlight and peace.

Unity Celebrations: Regular festivals celebrated the harmony between infecteds and non-infecteds, fostering a sense of community.

Solara's Legacy

The countryside, once a place of despair, became a symbol of hope and resilience. Under Marco's guidance:

Non-infecteds found safety, purpose, and prosperity. Infecteds were no longer mindless hunters but part of a structured and thriving community. The virus itself was evolving into a new form, one that coexisted with humanity rather than destroying it.

Countryside Name: Solara, the Radiant Expanse

(The countryside as a whole, symbolizing light, hope, and the rebirth of the region under Marco's guidance.)

Village Name: Aurenshaven

(Derived from "Aurens," meaning "golden" or "radiant," and "haven," signifying refuge or safety. It represents the heart of Solara and the harmonious coexistence of non-infecteds and Radiant Volatiles.)

Central Shrine Name: Sanctuary of the Sun

(The ceremonial hub of the cult, located in the heart of Aurenshaven, where Marco spreads his blue-golden smoke, holds rituals, and where the Sunlit Beacon is built.)

Aurenshaven: The village where survivors and cult members thrive. It's a community where homes, farmlands, and the Sunlit Beacon coexist. Non-infecteds live peacefully here, protected by Marco's presence and the Radiant Volatiles who patrol the outskirts.

Sanctuary of the Sun: Located at the center of Aurenshaven, this is the spiritual and administrative heart of the cult. It's where Marco performs rituals, blesses the village with his smoke, and holds transformations for newly evolved Volatiles.

Marco's reign as the God of the Sun marked a new chapter for Harran, proving that even in the darkest of times, there is light. Solara became a beacon for survivors far and wide, a testament to the power of unity, evolution, and hope.