The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

Based on her impression of the veteran hunters at the Funeral Court, their first reaction upon learning of this should have been to immediately devise a plan to capture Dr. Fran.

“This matter concerns your life, so the funeral home’s senior management chose to prioritize cooperating with our work.”

Marian paused, as if she had thought of something.

"However, they subsequently submitted a proposal to capture and contain the individual 'Dr. Fran,' which included more than eight specific implementation plans. However, the General Affairs Court rejected it."

"Well... that's fine."

Haida nodded slightly.

Directly pursuing them carries a strong offensive intent, and she prefers the current General Affairs Division's approach of contact rather than directly provoking confrontation.

"Ms. Marian, please describe the condition of the remaining organs. I would like to have a better understanding of my physical condition."

"You're too kind, little Haida. It's my pleasure to serve you; it's my duty."

Marian deftly popped a soda cracker into Heda's mouth, then began to explain in detail the other points on the medical report.

-

Foggy Street Clinic. (The last part, "蚆," appears to be a typo and doesn't translate directly. It likely refers to a type of food or beverage.)

[The Unknown Spine (from Terra)] Sigh

【Quality: Excellent】

[Special Note: This biological material is highly hazardous and its form is unstable. Please exercise caution during dismantling operations. It is a fossilized bone formed under extremely special circumstances due to a malignant disease.]

[Note: "This one is even more of a spineless jerk."]

Inside the operating room, Fran, clad in heavy protective gear, wore a strange expression. She stared at the massive spine on the operating table before her, momentarily frozen in place.

Finally, she smiled with relief. She'd finally gotten to the high-risk cargo... wu

"A high-risk item of excellent quality, and it comes from Terra, a world that produces Originium... How can a fossilized spine retain biological activity? Let's open it up and take a look."

She took out her beloved little circular saw from her first-aid kit, skillfully attached the saw blade, and began today's deconstruction work.

"Hmm, according to 'General Knowledge of Spine Science,' this vertebra is too large and doesn't conform to the typical Terran size. Did it come from some kind of animal?"

"Unfortunately, my Terra Medical only has a 3% resolution, so I can't make a direct judgment."

Fran pursed her lips slightly, her excitement visibly evident, yet her hands remained perfectly steady. The circular saw, normally used for woodworking, felt in her hands like a precision surgical instrument…

"wrong."

Fran quickly dismissed his earlier assumptions.

"Although this spine resembles that of a large animal, many of its structures still show faint traces of human features. The animalistic shape of the skeleton is a result of acquired evolution, suggesting some kind of atavism..."

She spent a few minutes breaking through the hard, fossilized outer shell of the spine, then immediately stopped the circular saw to prevent cutting into the contents.

The spinal canal was filled with translucent crystals, some jet black and some bright yellow... These were Originium that had undergone a certain degree of purification.

"It would indeed cause some trouble if this thing were to spread, but the total mass isn't that large. Besides, its host has become a fossil, so it should have lost the ability to self-destruct and spread mineral dust..."

Compared to the Originium stored within the spinal canal, Fran considered a lively, still-jumping chunk of Orc flesh far more threatening...

She quickly began disassembling the spine and attempting to separate the Originium crystals embedded within the bone.

"The entire cut was nothing but inorganic matter, and the surgical instruments were nothing but circular saws. Perhaps a geologist could have done a better job..."

Letting out a mumbled complaint, Fran began cutting through the gap between the bones. But then, a look of seriousness suddenly appeared in her amber eyes.

This fossilized vertebrae has surprisingly exhibited a degree of active bending? There are no muscles, no nerves, it is clearly a completely dead object... yet it displays biological activity.

Within these mixed Originium crystals flows a kind of technique that manipulates inanimate objects, and... therefore, the entire spine is awakening!

Its revival quickly activated the surrounding ore, and dazzling light and heat began to accumulate, which would probably reach the level of triggering a dust explosion in no time.

Sure enough, it has to reach this level to be classified as a high-risk product... Fran thought with some excitement.

"Actually, I've always been curious how some creatures like Creepers, whose ultimate goal is self-destruction, can actually maintain the survival of their race in this way..."

"But isn't it a bit too arrogant to try and die in front of me using such a classic method as self-destruction?"

As he spoke, Fran began to smash the ore clumps inside the spinal cavity with a circular saw, almost completely abandoning his previous cautious attitude.

This rough action greatly accelerated the awakening of the spine, but before it was fully activated, Fran had already precisely sifted out all the large ore clumps from the spine from the various fragments and cut them apart.

"If you don't come into contact with enough Originium crystals, you won't be able to reach the energy threshold to trigger a dust explosion."

After simply processing the clumps of ore, U-Fran stored them in a container. She didn't yet possess the relevant manufacturing techniques, so she didn't want to waste the raw materials.

What's most important to S right now... is the remaining vertebral fossil.

U was clearly lifeless and highly mineralized, yet it seemed to have triggered some kind of instinctive reflex. But in this state, it didn't even have nerves, so a reflex was impossible.

Is O an entanglement of the soul, or a remnant of obsession?

Fran also had a good understanding of souls, but unfortunately... after that extremely violent smash, the spine seemed to have turned back into a completely inanimate object.

"Alright, let's cut the spine into smaller pieces first. If we can preserve some biomass, we can extract the genes... that would make things much easier."

She prefers dealing with living beings with flesh and blood to dealing with inorganic matter.

In any case, she had found something interesting enough to pass the time in the dwindling month of May.

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Ascetic of the Crimson Cup

Inside a colorless, translucent quartz cabinet, an incomplete section of a creature's spine is supported by several supports. The skeleton maintains a bizarre yet highly dynamic shape, revealing a strangely eerie beauty under the light.

Fran has disassembled the spine several times, and immediately reassembled it after each disassembly.

Now she is even more familiar with the spinal cord than with her own, since it is a bit troublesome to put her own spinal cord back together after it has been removed for observation.

"Bird features and human structure are combined in a special way...it's beautiful."

Fran admired the new collection in the display case and let out a heartfelt exclamation.

"According to Terra's racial classification, this should be a 'Liboli'. However, his atavism during his lifetime was so severe that it affected his skeletal structure... which is why he is in his current state."

She had previously tried to find organic matter in the spine, but without success. The bone had undergone some kind of catalysis and was highly mineralized, almost entirely inorganic. Therefore, gene extraction was impossible.

This is a classic case of "a skilled cook can't cook without rice"... Fran's medical skills are indeed superb, but you at least need to give her a patient who can be called a "patient." She can even try to kill viruses in cyborgs with cyberpsychosis, but...

How can a stone be repaired? Can it be polished and ground to become a healthier stone?

So... she changed her approach and began trying to find organic matter in the precipitated Originium clumps.

Soon, Fran discovered a spinal fragment containing medulla within these crystals that had precipitated from flesh and blood. The fragment and medulla were encased and sealed within the Originium crystal, much like a bee trapped in amber.

"With such a large volume of raw material, the only thing of real value is this little bit... What a twisted design."

Fran raised an eyebrow and complained, but her expression showed no displeasure. On the contrary, she quite enjoyed this puzzle-like feeling... after all, it was her favorite and most proficient area.

Because Originium minerals are highly corrosive to biomass, the genetic fragments in this medulla were severely damaged. Not even a single intact, uncontaminated cell could be found… she could only collect as many as she could.

This process is like trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle from a pile of highly similar microscopic fragments—an evolved version of "pure white hell." Most importantly, you can't even know if the fragments you have can be pieced together to form a complete shape.

……

Fran's ultimate achievement from this marrow... is a special "skill" hidden deep in his blood.

【The Shepherd's Song (Not yet mastered)】

[Quality: Excellent]

[Effect: Gains the ability to influence the mind and dissolve will. Once the affected object's will is completely dissolved, complete manipulation of them becomes possible. The user can simultaneously manipulate multiple units. Furthermore, this skill is most efficient when used in the form of 'singing'.]

[Note: "Please don't be silent, please don't be sad... dear singer."]

-

"After the gene sequence was repaired and deciphered, there was nothing but this technique; it's probably the real reward hidden in this high-quality raw material..."

This ancient technique, originating from the depths of one's bloodline, cannot be used simply by knowing its principles. To meet the prerequisites for its use... one must be injected with the corresponding "genetic agent."

When they first met, Fran offered Haida two and three options based on this principle.

Fran pulled a syringe-equipped gene preparation from the pocket of her white coat—the culmination of her research throughout June. Heaven knows how she painstakingly pieced together and reconstructed everything from those extremely fragmented pieces of information…

She rolled up her sleeve, revealing her fair elbow, and calmly inserted the needle into her vein.

As the solution within the preparation mingled with her blood, she gradually began to understand from the ground up how to use [Song of the Shepherd], much like gradually becoming proficient with a newly acquired limb.

At the same time, she also felt an intense pain that felt like her body was being torn apart.

Gene therapy typically requires extensive clinical trials and carries a significant risk of death. But Fran didn't care... because she herself was the best test subject.

It took about five hours for the pain, which came from the deepest part of my body, to completely subside.

Fran then yawned, brushed aside some messy strands of light white hair from his face, and casually wiped his face with a medical silk towel.

"The discomfort and rejection rate are not high, and this preparation is probably around 'medium risk'."

With a calm, almost indifferent tone, Fran completed the rating of the reagent's side effects. She then took out her brass pocket watch and checked the date.

June 30th. Huh... are you kidding me? The dog days of summer are almost over? How long have I been busy?

"Sains seemed to be saying that the Red Cup Cult was going to retaliate on the exact hour of June... Could we have already missed it?"

Fran blinked her amber eyes a few times, feeling inexplicably guilty and regretful at the same time. Missing this opportunity to join in the fun would mean missing out on a lot of enjoyment this year…

She was an extremely punctual person, because punctuality was one of the essential qualities of a doctor. She would never be late if she had an appointment with someone.

However, Fran actually has a very poor sense of time.

Without a pocket watch and system reminders, she could easily get so engrossed in a project that she completely lost track of time... to the point that she had to set alarms for all the important dates.

"No, I have to go ask Haida. If I really miss this opportunity, I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Fran bit her lip slightly and immediately decided on her next move. She hurriedly pushed open the door, carrying her small medicine box, and stepped into the ethereal, boundless mist.

-

North of Norlington, on the outskirts of the city.

Heda and Vivian were on their daily patrol, and the area they were responsible for was the tavern where the "Hunger Club" was first discovered.

“Team Leader Haida, the high priest said to ‘wait for the winter month,’ but why is there still no movement even though June is almost over?”

Vivian sighed in exasperation. Today was the last day of the Dog Days period. Could it be that those cultists really weren't coming? Then the Hunter's Order's high alert throughout June would have been completely meaningless…

“That was a high priest’s ‘prophecy,’ and they will certainly put it into action. Establishing the time for the sacrifice but not carrying it out is tantamount to directly blaspheming one’s own faith.”

Although Haida was answering Vivian's questions, her grey-chestnut eyes remained fixed on every corner of the street and alleyways. Even though it was just a routine task, the timing was unusual... she couldn't afford to be careless.

"But we cannot rule out the possibility that the Crimson Cup Cult is willing to bear the consequences of blasphemy and forcibly conceal their presence... but the price would be very high. The blessings of evil gods are like curses, and their curses are far more malicious."

"So, as long as those guys don't lose their minds, something's bound to happen today?"

Vivian moved slightly closer to Haida, a gesture that gave her a sense of security. Normal action teams consist of ten or more people, but Haida's team only had two… This numerical disadvantage made them vulnerable to being surrounded in skirmishes.

Fortunately, Haida held up the entire team with her pure martial prowess...

“That’s right.” Haida confirmed Vivian’s deduction.

The two soon arrived at the Hungry Club's tavern.

The entire exterior wall of the tavern has now been demolished, leaving only ruins. The ground is covered with traces of exorcism and burning, indicating that it has undergone more than one round of cleaning.

Vivian looked around at the completely demolished tavern and couldn't help but feel a strange sense of loss.

"Is it really necessary to take another look...? I suspect that my colleagues who are finishing up have probably already turned this place upside down."

"Being cautious is never a bad thing, especially since today is the last day... Follow me."

Heda picked up her two guns and stepped into the ruins of the tavern, heading straight for the secret passage leading to the Hungry Club.

The dark and narrow passageway, now widened considerably after being destructively dug and expanded, meant that at least there was no longer any worry about having nowhere to hide if ambushed.

The flesh-and-blood gate that originally only opened upon hearing the Red Cup prayer was now reduced to a shattered pile of charred remains.

Haida stepped forward and pushed, causing the entire door to collapse with a crash, raising a cloud of black dust on the ground.

But behind the door was not the ruins of the Hungry Club as one might have imagined, but rather a murky, impenetrable fog.

In an instant, she instinctively wanted to back away, but the mist clung to her like a shadow. It seemed to originate from an unnamed chaos beyond the heavens, yet it carried a strange sense of familiarity…

“Dr. Fran?” Haida paused slightly, suppressing the urge to fire.

"Hey, Sister Haida actually recognized you? Didn't that give you a fright?"

Fran smiled faintly as she stepped out of the swirling mist and stood before Haida. Haida tilted her head slightly, a hint of amusement in her amber eyes.

"A little."