The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

“The road ahead, I fear, will be yours alone. Haida and I have some matters to attend to… Summon us only when you face the demigod wielding the Great Rune.” — Haida

As she spoke, she handed Ivenne a box containing a fragrant balm. It was a "Hook of the Finger," capable of summoning the invitee to the side of the one who used the potion.

"...So fast?" Wu

Evonne also knew that they couldn't stay by her side forever.

Everyone has their own mission, and parting ways is always inevitable. It's just... she didn't expect it to happen at this time; it was somewhat unexpected.

"Is it because of that mercury artifact from the Eternal City?"

"Hmm...you're right."

Fran paused for a moment, then nodded slightly, acknowledging the point.

She wouldn't have minded witnessing the fall of the gods within the Golden Tree alongside this faded lady, but now... she's encountered a clue to Ivani's 'disease'. Even if it's just a slim chance, she must confirm it.

“Please go, Dr. Fran. The path of the Faded Ones is always lonely… We are already very fortunate to have had your and Sister Heda’s care along the way. I hope you take care on your journey, and I hope… I will see you again.”

Ivani lowered her eyes and gave a curtsy.

Although Dr. Fran had previously remained calm and composed in the face of the mercury creation that looked exactly like her, she was often absent-minded afterward.

Perhaps her inner self is not as calm as she appears.

"In Xiao Gao's worldview, it's best not to say goodbye so formally, or it might easily curse me to death, you know?"

Fran stepped forward, patted Ivy's hair, made a teasing remark, then waved and turned away. Heda followed closely behind.

"..."

Ivani watched as the two figures gradually disappeared into the distant haze, remaining silent for a long time before finally stepping into Lani's mage tower alone.

-

"Dr. Fran, where do we go next?"

On the warhorse guarded by the great tree, Haida held the reins and asked Fran, who was standing in front of her, about the next part of the journey.

Although she knew that I-Winnie's path to becoming queen involved collecting enough Great Rune Fragments, repairing the Ring of Power, and then ascending the throne, she was completely unaware of Fran's intentions.

This doctor has always been unpredictable; no one knows what she will do next, so nothing she does seems surprising.

"Go to the royal city of Rodel and find a wise man named Golden Mask. I need to verify a conjecture there; if I'm not mistaken, I seem to have forgotten something..."

Fran looked somewhat listless, as if he was uncomfortable from riding for a long time.

Then she suddenly tilted her head up and leaned close to Haida behind her, asking with a hint of slyness, "By the way, Haida, do you want to know what I whispered to that mercury creature in the Eternal City of Noklonn?"

"...Is it alright to tell me? In other words, it's just that I can't tell Ivanie?"

Haida's eyes flickered slightly; she didn't deny that she was indeed somewhat curious.

But sometimes, simply being "informed" can hinder certain plans, so when necessary... she would carefully curb her curiosity.

“Yes. Our destinies don’t lie in the borderlands, so it doesn’t matter if we know these secrets… But for Ivanie, knowing too much would only hinder her from making choices. If it weren’t for the fact that we can’t talk about it, who would want to be the riddle-maker? Do I look like that kind of person?”

Fran blinked, about to speak, when Haida placed her hand in front of her lips, quickly interrupting her.

"No need, Dr. Fran. I'll just listen to these secrets with Evonne later."

"Is that so? Hmm... okay. I respect your opinion."

Fran raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised. She turned her head to look at Haida behind her and found a faint, almost imperceptible smile on the other's resolute face.

Sometimes, it's frustrating not to know certain secrets. But listening and speaking are actually one; interrupting someone about to tell you a secret... will also make them feel uncomfortable because they're holding it in. This is the duality of gossip.

"That's fine too. Leaving everything to the end...that's what makes the mystery feel like it's finally revealed."

Fran wasn't annoyed by being interrupted while telling stories; on the contrary, it was quite novel for her.

After all, not everyone can maintain this level of restraint in the face of curiosity... and it's good for Haida to show her emotions from time to time, because keeping her mind tense for too long will make her feel suffocated.

-

The Altar Plateau is where the royal city of Rodel is located.

Based on some of his memories, Fran found the golden mask, which was as thin as a statue.

He stood strangely by the broken bridge, like a scarecrow, gazing intently at the golden tree that covered the sky in the distance.

The Golden Mask is a wise man capable of conjuring great runes from his thoughts. And those runes, representing the law, are the key to achieving the ending of the "Perfect Golden Law".

Fran leaned against Heida, who gently helped her down from the horse. Although she was somewhat skilled at riding, the prolonged jolting on horseback had made her quite uncomfortable. Fortunately, Heida was there behind her, providing a cushion to lean on.

Just as she was about to step forward and communicate with the golden mask using special means, the other party very slowly turned away from the face that was facing the golden tree and gradually turned towards her.

This was also a scene that deviated from the original trajectory, but it did not come as Fran expected.

She remained expressionless and offered a brief greeting to the other party.

"Good day, Mr. Golden Mask... I know you can hear me. Communicate with me in your own way, I can hear you too."

Upon hearing Fran's greeting, the other person slowly reached for their face.

It seemed that his exhaustive thinking had caused his physical body to atrophy, making his movements frustratingly sluggish. Finally... he removed his enormous, sunflower-like golden mask.

Beneath the mask was a golden rune radiating a brilliant, nine-fold light, almost occupying three-quarters of the space on his head…

Law, rules, connections, essence—these thoughts flow through all things in the world. He reached into his face, took out the rune, and presented it in his hand.

Fran squinted and stepped forward, reaching out to take it.

The next moment, the golden mask clenched its fist, and the runes of law in its hand shattered, turning into countless radiant golden dust particles. It then collapsed limply to the ground.

"So... do you understand now which line you're on?"

His lips and Adam's apple did not vibrate at all, but the sound still entered Fran's mind.

She gazed at the scattered golden light, her eyes momentarily narrowing. A fleeting look of surprise crossed her face, then transformed into a knowing smile. She burst into laughter, seemingly unconcerned about her image.

"Hey... I see, I get it now."

Heda didn't understand what this scene meant, but seeing Dr. Fran regain her radiant appearance, she could roughly guess that she must be in a very good mood... perhaps the mystery had been solved.

Fran paused for a moment, her smile fading, before turning to Heida and saying, "Sister Heida, now all we have to do is wait. Let's await the outcome..."

Haida nodded slightly.

They have been in the border area for more than two years.

For a house call, this was indeed far too long. Although she could use this almost extra time to hone her skills to the fullest, it was also time to plan her return to Norrington.

"Hmm..." Fran keenly sensed Haida's emotions. She then scratched her face somewhat embarrassedly.

"Although that's the case, our 'waiting' will probably last a long time. Hopefully, within five years, Ivenne will be able to grow up to collect all the necessary runes... Most importantly, in addition to collecting those fragments, she also needs to be strong enough to face those monsters that can be called gods."

“I know. Don’t worry, Dr. Fran… Patience is the most important quality of a Hunter.”

Heda wasn't in a hurry. No matter how much time passed at the border, it was only a moment in Norrington, which relieved her of any worries.

Based on this, a ten-year wait was perfectly acceptable to her. Moreover, this was an era where gods still existed, and countless ancient miracles could be witnessed in their most direct form.

For a hunter of secrets, this place is nothing short of paradise.

-

[Rhine Life Experiment Manual. (From Structural Engineering STRU)]

[Quality: Excellent]

[Effect: Records specific parameters from numerous special experiments conducted by 'Rhine Labs'. Records include the subjects' clinical reactions, various physical indicators, and their adaptability to Originium. After use, the resolution of the corresponding system increases by 3%.]

[Note: "Your medical technology is modern, but your medical concepts are quite ancient. Who exactly are you?"]

While waiting, one can't simply do nothing and go on vacation. While exploring the borderlands with Haida, Fran also took the opportunity to check the consultation fees he received from his monthly house calls in June.

"Hmm, this experiment manual is quite interesting. It describes creating biological weapons by injecting large amounts of a certain agent, and implanting chips into the brain to replace some of its functions..."

She flipped through the pages with great interest, scanning line by line the characteristics and specific parameters of the experimental subjects.

"Rhine Lab implants dry components into human brains to gain mechanical thinking, while the machine oilers of the Machine God Cult implant wet components into machines to gain human neural reflexes. Truly, times have changed, and so have their pursuits..."

Since the technology was not difficult for Fran, she quickly finished reading the entire experimental manual, and the resolution of [Terra Medicine] increased accordingly.

After reviewing the manual several times, she put it into her small first-aid kit.

Chapter Thirty-Three: A Blessing from an Ominous Sign [The Old Man's Ring]

Time flies like quicksand. Another year has passed.

As Evonne continued to acquire new Greater Runes, her rise to power was like an avalanche. What began as a single snowflake's fall eventually evolved into an unstoppable collapse and a deafening roar.

Without any help, she single-handedly killed the "Blood King" Mongols deep underground and obtained the crimson rune from the demigod's corpse.

After the other party completely collapsed, she suddenly slapped her forehead and remembered that Dr. Fran had said to summon her when encountering a demigod.

But I was so engrossed in the previous encounter that I completely forgot about this... and I didn't even have a moment to use the Summoning Finger Potion during the battle.

"I hope it won't cause her any trouble..."

Even Ivanni, who was capable of hunting demigods, felt a strange sense of unease at this moment. After all, Dr. Fran had always spared the lives of demigods he encountered, calling it a "virtuous ending"...

Although somewhat uneasy, she still applied the fragrant, balm-like summoning potion from the small box to her index finger and drew a rune in the air to summon someone. She still needed to get the doctor over there to see if she could salvage the situation...

Fran and Haida quickly responded to the summons, their figures gradually appearing within the golden runes.

"The Blood Dynasty? What a familiar place... Just walking in feels like smelling the runes."

Fran looked around lightly and leisurely, and let out a heartfelt sigh.

"Um... Dr. Fran. When I entered the temple, I ran into the Blood King Mongol. The situation was urgent, so I had to kill him with all my might."

During their separation, Ivanie traveled to the Rhealucalia Magic Academy to obtain the "Great Rune of the Unborn." Including the Blood Rune she had just received from Monger, she had now collected four fragments of magical rings.

Years of continuous fighting had given her combat experience that even surpassed Haida's. But at this moment, she remained as reserved as ever in Fran's presence, like a student who had failed an exam.

"You did very well. Being able to kill a demigod single-handedly means you've graduated perfectly. Sister Heda often says she has nothing more to teach you... Of course, I feel the same way. In terms of radiant stone magic, I'm still slightly inferior to the witch Ceremony, but if you want to study medicine, that's another story..."

Fran clapped slightly in encouragement, clearly not too concerned about Monger's death.

It's perfectly normal to be unable to hold back; in a life-or-death struggle, hesitation means defeat. (Liu)

When a Faded One first enters a vast, magnificent, and unfamiliar scene, a grand symphony instantly fills the air, and a health bar bearing the Boss's name lights up below... it's clearly too late to summon their good brother.

She slowly approached Monger's towering, ever-disappearing corpse and kicked him without hesitation. But clearly, his size was too much for her to handle.

"I still really hate pedophiles. He's not a priest, so why is he so interested in little boys? Oh... Sister Heda, I'm sorry." (Si)

After Fran finished speaking, he suddenly realized that Heda seemed to be a clergyman, and mentioning this in front of her was probably inappropriate... He immediately lowered his head and apologized to her.

Haida's expression was slightly subtle. She pursed her lips and immediately corrected this stereotype.

“Dr. Fran, you seem to have some misunderstandings about the Order of the Hunters. We only have ‘hunters,’ not ‘priests.’ That’s a rank in other orders, it has nothing to do with us, you really don’t need to apologize to me…”

"Ahem. I will try my best to correct this impression, and I hope Sister Heda will forgive me."

Fran arrived at the blood cocoon in the center of the hall, opened his medicine box, took out his beloved small circular saw, attached the saw blade, and emitted a series of high-speed spinning, fine humming sounds.

“Monger is dead, but the ‘sacred tree’ Michaela, who is still in the cocoon, can be saved with a little effort… He is also my real target for this trip.”

Although Ivy had seen this circular saw many times before, seeing it again still surprised her somewhat… Was the doctor's medical philosophy too advanced, or was her own philosophy outdated? Could such a thing really be used to treat and save lives…?

In fact, when faced with some overly resilient bodies, medical equipment is forced to possess weapon-like capabilities... otherwise, it won't even be able to break through the patient's skin.

"Once we control Michaela, we'll have an overwhelming advantage in communicating with 'Valkyrie' Malenia. I'm also very curious to see what kind of price this sister, who's hopelessly obsessed with her brother, is willing to pay for him..."

Fran cut open the blood cocoon, then covered the surrounding pedestal with a sterile towel, and clasped his hands together to activate [Dust Removal].

"On one house call, I performed more than four major surgeries... I'm really destined to be overworked."

Despite saying that, she began the consultation with a cheerful smile.

Michaela's illness stemmed from the catalysis of "Blood King" Monger, making it nearly impossible to restore her to her pre-catalysis state. Her cells and flesh had exhausted their potential in their frenzied growth, nearing exhaustion.

Even Fran was somewhat troubled by the lack of medical equipment. Because of her 79.5% resolution in [Anatomy], her understanding of disassembling the human body had risen to another dimension, far beyond just corpses.

While keeping the patient alive, Fran could easily remove foreign objects from the patient's body that did not belong to him. Whether it was Grek's extra arms and legs or the crimson decay inside Ratahn's body.

But at this moment, the extremely practical basic discipline of anatomy finds itself in a disadvantageous position where it cannot play its role at all...

Michaela's illness was the decay of his body, or rather, the alienation and depletion of his life force... It all stemmed from within himself. This condition could not be resolved by surgery.

"Insert some organs that can continuously provide him with vitality? At least there's no rejection. No, that won't work... The patient's condition doesn't support surgery. Besides, my understanding of demigod bodies isn't very extensive, and operating rashly could endanger his life. We can only rely on medication."

Fran frowned slightly, and after a moment's thought, he finally determined the medical plan.