I read the ritual again just to confirm it really said that it needed 100 sacrifices. It didn't specify what kind, but with the proper ingredients this ritual will give me what I need.

A weapon of immense power. The kingdom is under threat and the capital must be defended. In desperation the king called on me to help.

I dug through my books for days as the army approached us. People would have evacuated, they would have ran, if they could have.

There was nowhere else to go. If this didn't work we would all die. Yet,

I couldn't bring myself to demand sacrifices. I couldn't ask someone to die so others may live. May being a slim chance, as I had no idea if this would really work.

It dawned on me that I could use bacteria as my sacrifice.

I set to work and created the ritual. I gave it everything it needed.

And I was rewarded with an ultimate weapon. Right as the invaders came to our doorsteps.

I was rewarded but the world was punished.

The ritual spawned a bioweapon. It spread quickly and easily, devastating the army outside our walls, and the refugees within them.

It spread from the refugees to the citizens and the wealth of the city no matter how hard they tried to stay clean.

The army outside collapsed quickly and fled. That only carried it further and further.

Through some arcane horror I was immune to my creation and thus I was forced to watch everything collapse from it.

Nobody knew just how fragile the world we built was. How susceptible to disease and decay it is.

Nobody understood how quickly everything fell to "them verse me" as supplies dwindled, and aid couldn't come.

Until everyone was overwhelmed with fear of disease.

Nobody knew how easily the world could fall.

Until it did.