The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

“Dr. Fran, be careful. He’s preparing for a last-ditch effort.”

Heda gave a soft shout and reached out to protect Fran, who was engrossed in his research behind her.

The aristocrat with the limbs extended swayed his tangled limbs and leaned forward slightly. The next moment, he went berserk and began to swing his straight sword at Haida.

"Agility and durability have clearly decreased, but the desire to attack remains strong..."

Haida leaped aside the sword blade that was inches away. She had been fighting this monster for some time and had basically figured out its fighting patterns.

Immediately afterwards, she lowered her body, pivoted at her waist, gripped the broad hilt of the sword behind her with both hands... and suddenly swung out a horizontal slash.

A whistling sound as the air tore through the air surged forth, and the limb-splitting nobleman's weapon-wielding arms were instantly severed and fell to the ground with a dull thud.

Heda's weapon at this moment was an unusually large and rugged greatsword. It was more like a block of iron than a blade. If Fran's modification surgery hadn't granted her superhuman strength, she probably wouldn't even have been able to lift this sword.

"Heavy weapons are definitely more advantageous when dealing with large creatures, and they feel better to handle..."

Haida adjusted her breathing evenly after delivering a powerful blow.

Her usual wooden-handled folding knife was clearly unsuitable for dealing with these tenacious behemoths. So, at Dr. Fran's strong recommendation, she tried out this surprisingly heavy greatsword.

She had already studied two-handed swordsmanship, and after trying the greatsword, she quickly mastered it. Once she had fully grasped the simple, pure power of this greatsword, she never used any other weapon again…

"Uh……"

The aristocrat with the extended limbs let out a roar that was difficult to understand, and drove the remaining limbs on his body toward the two people in front of him, like a desperate trapped beast.

With another heavy thud of a sword, he finally collapsed, powerless.

Evangeline slowly pulled her sword from the back of the limb-splitting monster, drawing a trail of sticky, crimson blood. After wiping it away briefly, she slung it back over her shoulder.

"Phew, it's finally over."

Her weapon was also an unusually large and unusually heavy blade, its body formed by fusing together countless broken and rusted straight swords. Stained with blood, it appeared even more ferocious and menacing.

This "Sword Skeleton Greatsword" was a trophy that Ivenne and Haida obtained from a rather unfriendly hybrid monster after they worked together to defeat it... At first, Ivenne naturally couldn't even lift it, but with the talent of the Faded One and the enhancement of her body by the runes, she gradually reached the threshold of using this greatsword.

"Although I've seen it many times, I'm still inevitably a little surprised every time I see it..."

Seeing Ivenne wield the Greatsword of the Skull, Haida couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. The "humans" of the borderlands truly possessed an overwhelming advantage over ordinary people in terms of combat talent and physical constitution.

When I first met her, Ivani struggled to even wield a straight sword, but now she can carry a greatsword and perform leaping slashes... while an ordinary person, even with a lifetime of training, would probably find it difficult to use a greatsword of this size as a weapon.

Fran, carrying his medicine kit, walked briskly to the nobleman who had been reattached his limbs. He bent down with great interest and began the physical examination and sampling.

"He has so many hands attached, but he can only use the two on his left and right sides proficiently... Even though the other limbs are equipped with weapons, they are used very infrequently. Although his body has become a deformed alien, he still recognizes himself as 'human'."

Her fingertips meticulously traced the swollen, oddly shaped joint at the other person's junction, confirming the method and principle of the "limb extension".

"There was no hemostasis, no anti-rejection treatment, and no suturing. The specific method was roughly to make a cut on each side and then tie them together... It's like a peach tree cutting, relying on natural healing to complete the grafting."

Fran licked his lips, his brows furrowing slightly, his expression becoming subtly ambiguous. 々⊥san、（〇∴五≯＜

For Fran, who was accustomed to performing delicate surgeries, there was absolutely no need to learn the techniques of the limb-setting ritual.

Because its specific techniques are roughly on par with "I think it can be connected." It's the kind of medical skill that will decline if you look at it a few more times...

"Perhaps there is no 'rejection' between individuals in the basic physiology of the border area? If that's the case, wouldn't organ transfer be very convenient... The sampling is complete, so let's peel off the main body and open it up to take a look."

Fran took a razor-sharp scalpel from his small medicine box and began today's dissection work.

Witnessing and exploring a new and independent physiological system brought her considerable pleasure, to the point that she could hardly suppress the smile playing on her lips. Seeing her almost oblivious state, Ivanni wisely stayed by her side without disturbing her.

Haida wiped the blood off the greatsword as usual, seemingly already used to it...

-

Taking advantage of this break, Ivanie asked somewhat shyly how she had performed when facing the limb-splitting nobleman.

"Sister Haida, is there anything about my sword swing that needs correction? This sword is too heavy; I've been having trouble getting a feel for it..."

"As an emergency response in an encounter, your movements were standard enough. Don't underestimate yourself; you are very talented in combat."

Haida nodded slightly, not holding back her praise.

To have grown to this level in just six months is truly remarkable, even considering that Ivennie received the highest level of training from the Hunter's Order. Her growth was simply too rapid. It was as if some kind of monster was gradually awakening…

"Thank you, Sister Haida... I will strive to improve myself even further!"

This nun was very strict; getting her praise was no easy feat. Ivanie touched her cheek, somewhat embarrassed.

Fran was engrossed in academic pursuits, so Ivanie's daily training was planned by Haida. Haida would only step in to teach when new gem magic was needed. Later, however, Fran found Ivanie a substitute teacher named "Selian."

As a witch, Seren is extremely knowledgeable and has a profound understanding of radiant stone magic. Most importantly... she is a good teacher in every sense of the word.

Ultimately, Fran was no longer responsible for teaching magic, completely freeing himself from the burden of taking care of children.

"Finish."

Fran quickly removed the limb-splitting nobleman's body from its cyst- and tumor-ridden state. She even went so far as to humanely repair his body, ensuring he remained largely intact, without missing limbs...

"It's been completely peeled off. But some of the limbs are missing. Fortunately, the materials from his body are readily available; they can be used after a little trimming. Next... go find today's main character. This is your second test, Evonne."

Fran removed his blood-soaked rubber gloves, looking quite pleased. He then turned his gaze to Ivanie.

"Ah."

Ivani wasn't nervous. She was just a little excited... She had never imagined that one day she would actually be going to fight against the descendants of the gods.

Although Grik was weak and cowardly, to the point that he fell into a frenzy of limb-splitting magic in his search for power, he was, after all, the Golden King of this generation.

It takes immense courage for an unknown and insignificant person to take up arms against him.

-

Stoneville, at the central courtyard. This is where "Limb Extension" Greg is located.

Beneath the towering city walls, countless mangled corpses piled up like mountains.

Driven to madness, Grek is selecting suitable limbs, as his body has been grafted with too much flesh and blood that is not his own... to the point that he looks like a rotting pile of corpses.

“Who has come here…” Greg’s eyes swept over, noticing Ivanie entering through the door.

"You too are a faded one who intends to assassinate the king and seize that Great Rune... It doesn't matter, you will eventually become one of the materials here."

He used the troll arm that wasn't his own, raising the huge, heavy king's axe and pointing it at Ivani.

"—I am the Golden King!"

Ivanni didn't speak, but simply walked towards Grek, carrying the grotesque and magnificent Greatsword. One of the many habits she had learned from Haida was to remain silent in the midst of battle. Unless absolutely necessary, there was no need to speak.

The legendary sword, forged and fused from the weapons of countless fallen warriors, bears some resemblance to the golden descendant before us, whose limbs have been reattached. The former is a fallen hero determined to exact revenge, while the latter is a pathetic figure pursuing power.

Swords clashed, axes clashed, and the deadly battle began.

“'God’s' descendant… I never thought I would have the chance to witness such a being one day.”

Observing the two combatants, Haida, standing atop the city wall, let out a sigh. Fran blinked, yawned lazily, already used to such sights.

“If we really can’t determine Ivani’s illness, then we’ll just have to stay with her until the end… She will eventually fight against true demigods and gods. Leave your surprise for then, Sister Heda.”

"..." Haida's expression froze, as if she had forgotten to breathe for a moment.

"These gods and demigods have long been weakened by their mutual slaughter. And the 'Faded One,' as a bargaining chip in the game between higher beings, naturally has the potential to end divinity. But six months have passed... I'm a little worried about how long it will take for her to grow to that point."

Fran seemed to be in high spirits today, so much so that her explanation to Heda became detailed and clear. Her tone carried a hint of soothing laughter, but her words were full of arrogance and contempt for the gods.

"Time is indeed an issue that cannot be ignored..."

Ling Haida narrowed her eyes slightly.

While Ivani's growth rate was phenomenal, bordering on monstrous... that was relative to humans. How much time would she need to cultivate, how much runes would she need to collect, and how much magic would she need to master to the point where she could truly slay gods?

"Hmm~ This is almost finished too. Let's see if the initial investment of these six months will become a sunk cost."

Lufran stretched out his body like a feline, refocusing his attention on the center of the courtyard where the storm was raging.

The pile of corpses swept across the scene, accompanied by the clanging of metal.

Both Grik and Evonne were already badly injured, but they still spared no effort to kill each other by any means necessary.

4. Ivani lunged forward and cleaved off one of the many severed limbs with her sword. Taking advantage of the moment when Ivani was weakened by her attack, Grek brought down his king axe.

In a moment of desperation, Ivanni freed one hand and instantly switched it with her Stargazing Staff, summoning a crystal-clear blue-green sword called Kalia. The magically constructed blade shattered upon contact with the King's Axe, but she used this opportunity to create distance.

Amidst the scattered ashes, Ivani did not retreat... After the magic sword shattered, the king's axe smashed directly into her shoulder blade, shattering most of her shoulder bone.

But it was precisely because of this that she found the opportunity to wield her sword with one hand!

In an instant, the Greatsword severed Grek's troll arm at the weak joint.

"What an overreach, a mere faded one..."

He rolled his bloated body in terror and crawled into the pile of corpses nearby, then inserted the severed end of his arm into the body of a dragon whose head was the only remaining part.

But Evangeline didn't give Grek any time to adapt to his new limbs... She operated in the style of the Hedana Hunter, with the core principle of maximizing damage output. If she could interrupt an enemy's transformation during a phase transition, she would seize the opportunity.

Evonne leaped high into the air, landing on Grek's shoulder and neck, then raised her sword and slashed at his spine with all her might.

"you!"

Already nearing his limit, Grek collapsed and entered his final moments.

Fran had already come down from the city wall. She clapped her hands and came to the descendant of the gold.

"Although I really wanted to say 'his hand is saved,' it seems you cut off his hand beforehand, Evonne... He did a great job on the test this time. However, the final exchange of injury for injury was too reckless. There could have been a smarter way."

Grek breathed heavily, looking at the approaching white-clad girl with a hint of doubt in his eyes. But as the thought of death gradually crept in, he no longer cared... he only felt endless regret for not being able to return to his hometown.

"One day, we will return home, back to the land of the golden tree..."

“Wait, Mr. Grek. It may be presumptuous of me, but… I don’t seem to have given permission for you to die here?”

Fran, lacking any semblance of martial virtue, interrupted Grek's pre-death speech, then took out a syringe and plunged it into his neck. Feeling the slow revival of life, Grek was dazed and bewildered.

　"Who are you... and what do you want?"

When asked by the king who had been given the limb extension, Fran gave a businesslike, formulaic smile and clasped his hands together.

"Oh, I'm just a doctor passing by. But please don't misunderstand, I don't mind watching you die. The reason I'm keeping you alive for now is firstly because I lack living material that I can use at will, and secondly... because I suddenly wanted to play the Wude ending."

Chapter Thirty: Shattering the Stars (Old Man's Ring)

Inside the city of Kalia, outside Lani's magic tower.

"Dr. Fran, will the witches here really help us?"

Evonne asked Fran a question, then became alert again. She cautiously, almost nervously, observed every doorway and shadow around the corner.

The monsters here are some kind of magical creation shaped like hands. They move very fast and can even climb onto the walls like spiders... The very appearance of them is enough to make one feel physically uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, I can't be sure. She came to see me that day, but she didn't see you... This was somewhat unexpected."

Fran smiled ambiguously, without directly answering Ivy's question. Perhaps she didn't know the exact answer either, or perhaps her current guesses weren't something she should reveal...

Following Fran's words, Evian asked again, "So that's why we need to confirm her attitude?"

"That's right. And... now is the most appropriate time. Before, you probably lacked a bit of 'qualification'."

Fran gently touched his hand, confirming Ivani's thoughts.

"Qualifications...you mean, that Great Rune of Grik?"

"Actually, it doesn't matter if you don't have any. But if you want to meet a divine being and make some deals, it's best to have some bargaining chips on you."

Fran's smile concealed a deep, enigmatic meaning, making it difficult to truly fathom his true thoughts.

Soon, the three entered the mage tower. Following the stairs upwards, they finally arrived at Lani's study. Lani sat upright in a wooden chair padded with books, her snow witch's pointed hat pulled down at an angle, obscuring her face, as if she were taking a nap.

But seemingly sensing someone's arrival, she gradually awoke, opening one clear, moon-like eye to look at the newcomer.

“Welcome. Doctor, nun, and… the Faded One.”

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Princess Lani of the Moon. Although I was somewhat rude for not giving a proper introduction last time, now that I think about it… it’s probably unnecessary.” Ai

Franvi bowed slightly, offering a brief greeting in return.

“Fran. Let’s skip these old formalities of testing each other… I know why you’ve come.” (Umbrella)

Upon hearing this, Fran narrowed her amber eyes and remained silent for a moment. ...She had not mentioned her name to Lani.

From this perspective, the Moon Princess knows more than she imagined. However… Melina had just appeared when she arrived, and all the demigods were still alive at that time. The point in time at the border should be the moment of the Faded Ones' "first appearance." Zero

Something's wrong, causing Lani's consciousness to become disordered beyond this point...

After a moment's thought, Fran spoke again.

“Even so, I still want to hear your request in person. Only in this way... can it be called a ‘contract’.”