The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

“...My name is Marlowe.”

“Very good, Marlowe.”

After quickly gaining the boy's trust, Fran quickly asked him about his experiences before he fell ill.

“Since I’ve said it’s a charitable outreach program, I naturally won’t be seeking any material reward. However, I need some information from you. I’d like to know what you and your brother experienced before you fell ill?”

"Before the illness..."

Although he was not even ten years old, most of the children who had survived to this day in such a harsh environment on the outskirts of the North District were precocious, so he had no difficulty understanding what Fran was saying.

“Sister Fran, you are a doctor, so you should know that I have other ailments besides the one that causes my skin to rot.”

"of course."

Fran nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

“About two weeks ago, my condition worsened again, and I could only lie in bed every day. We had very little food, so we couldn’t afford medicine. I thought that if I died, my brother would no longer have so many burdens.”

"Then, someone said they could free me from the pain I'm suffering from now. But my brother would have to pay a price."

“Brother Lu Xi’en left with him, and when he came back, he was in that state. The man’s ‘medicine’ did alleviate my condition, and for a day or two I was even able to get out of bed.”

"Until my skin started peeling too..."

Marlowe's narration was disjointed and accompanied by some difficult grammatical errors, but he still managed to express his meaning completely.

"What did the man who gave you the medicine look like?"

Out of professional instinct, Haida asked about this.

But the nun didn't really have much hope. After all, the other party was an arrogant person who dared to spread the plague right under the noses of the Hunters. He must have a very strong counter-surveillance awareness and would never easily reveal his true face.

3 Sure enough, Marlowe shook his head and did not describe its specific appearance.

However, even if the child could describe the other person's appearance in detail, it might not be useful, since many esoteric Buddhist disciples could find ways to modify or even completely change their faces. Fortunately, he noticed some other details.

"The man was wearing a long, flowing robe, so his face was obscured."

"But... he would occasionally reach up and cover his neck, I don't know why."

"I understand."

This was an unexpected bonus for Heda; she immediately noted down the perpetrator's characteristics and didn't pursue the matter further. The details could be left for her colleagues in the Secret Service to investigate later.

At the same time, the nun did not use psychic empathy on Marlowe.

The child is still young and has just undergone major surgery that affects both his body and soul, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted. Access-based mental intervention could potentially cause further harm, so even if it were to be done, it should only be done after his full recovery.

A. Fran rubbed his slightly sore fingers and then told Marlowe about his plans for the future.

N: "Your brother's condition is more serious than yours, so he will need more time to recover. You should also know that staying here is no different from waiting to die, and the person who gave you the medicine could come back at any time."

"Therefore, I hope that you can go to Norrington with the nun beside me and stay with the Order of the Mysteries for a while."

"Can we go to Norrington?"

Contrary to expectations of resistance, Marlowe's eyes brightened, revealing a childlike expression of anticipation.

Being able to leave the northern border was his dream, and also a promise he made to his brother.

As a survivor of the Black Wasteland, Lu Xin had previously only been able to engage in heavy and poorly paid manual labor, and also had to take care of his seriously ill younger brother and try every means to find folk remedies and medicines that might be useful for him. Maintaining the status quo was already extremely difficult, and he was simply unable to support the burden in the city.

-

-

Soup! (Vote!)

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Peeping into the Mystery of the Council Room

After Haida left with Marlo and the unconscious Lucien, the half-collapsed hut returned to its desolate state.

Only the bloodstains, pus, and lingering stench of decay on the ground proved that someone had once lived here.

After a long silence, a mushy, shapeless mass, its form obscured, slowly rose from the shadows of the room. Its exact shape was difficult to describe; it resembled a liquid, yet possessed a certain suppleness reminiscent of a solid.

"The Hunters' reaction speed is really that fast... Even in a place like the northern border, near the Black Wasteland, they were detected in such a short time?"

A murmur tinged with confusion arose, carrying an unsettling stickiness.

This is a complete human skin.

If the little boy Marlowe were still in the house, he would be able to recognize his brother Lucien's features from his drooping face.

However, the muffled yet moist voice did not come from Lü Xin.

"It seems that I cannot afford to stay in Norrington any longer; a quick evacuation is the best option."

The human skin seemed to be making some kind of decision.

According to the original plan of the "surrealist painter" Vito, the two experimental subjects he prepared this time would only be discovered after they were fully mature.

The current situation is that Lu Xi'en, the older brother, has only shed his outer skin but hasn't undergone the final transformation. As for the younger brother, his skin hasn't even completely peeled off, and a complete transformation is still a long way off.

At that moment, the hunter's unusually keen sense of smell triggered a feeling of crisis, like a thorn in his throat, stirring up waves of eerie fear.

Although he hasn't been exposed yet, it will be too late once he's actually caught in the crossfire.

"Clean up all traces of experimentation left in Norrington this month, and then get that idiot Sinclair to deliver the materials for the spiritual energy cultivation as soon as possible. My psychic senses are pounding, sending me an unprecedented unease..."

Under Vito's manipulation, just as the completed human skin was about to crouch down and leave the abandoned hut, its movements suddenly froze.

"despair!":

But then, thick-soled leather shoes with a matte, suede finish landed steadily on him. (8)

"One question remains: what's the difference between an ordinary criminal and a professional killer?"

Fran slowly ground the sole of his shoe and asked the question with a smile.

Vito, in a state of surprise, was obviously unable to give any reply, and the doctor, of course, hadn't expected the other party to provide an answer. So, she continued speaking on her own, picking up where she left off.

"The latter will take the victim's life in the most precise and rapid way possible, and then leave without leaving a trace. The former, on the other hand, often wants to return to the crime scene to admire their masterpiece."

"This may be related to Freud's theory of 'compulsive repetition' in *Beyond the Pleasure Principle*. A certain group of people may attempt to repeat traumatic or emotionally conflicting events to alleviate anxiety and relive the heightened emotions of that moment."

"Just like those who lack maternal love but crave it during the 'Oedipal stage' of 3-6 years old, they are more likely to develop a mother complex and attempt to form a psychological mother-son relationship with their spouse."

Fran's tone was quick and clear, conveying a sense of methodical instruction. 4

It was as if he were stepping not on a hideous, grotesque human skin, but on a naive student he had never met before. Part Two

"what are you saying……"

Vito has recovered from his initial panic.

At the same time, despite the extremely critical situation, he couldn't help but ponder the meaning behind Fran's words.

"It's nothing, just my usual daydreaming."

Fran gently shook his index finger, seemingly dissatisfied with the audience's reaction.

“I’m used to saying something when these unfriendly contacts happen, which can significantly ease the awkward and tense confrontation.”

Vito remained silent, no longer speaking.

He realized that the other party had taken control of the pace of the game.

And this woman in the doctor's coat gave him an indescribable sense of danger... His spiritual apprehension disappeared, as if there was no longer wind blowing on the water's surface, no longer any ripples, and only a prism-like tranquility and clarity remained in his mind.

The most serious discord is the complete lack of response.

Vito severed the connection with this skin as quickly as possible and activated all the spiritual elements stored within it.

This allows the originally lengthy erosion process of skin covering to be completed in an instant, and the human skin is then distorted into bizarre and abstract forms.

Its capillaries spread out in a tangled pattern, then lignify into a dark brown, resembling the roots of a tree.

The veins coiled upwards layer by layer, almost touching Fran's ankle, but she seemed unsurprised by such an event, deftly retracting her outstretched leg before it was entangled.

The many roots that hadn't reached Fran didn't stop moving; they intertwined and wrapped around each other, eventually forming a simple cocoon-like structure. However, compared to a moth's or butterfly's cocoon, describing its current appearance as a "tree burl" is much more apt.

“Fans of the moth really have a special fondness for cocoons.”

Fran did not interfere, but simply observed with great interest.

Since the start of her monthly clinic this month, she has been wanting to observe the complete transformation of terminal patients using skin grafting, but due to her professional responsibility to her patients, she hasn't had many opportunities.

Now, I can say that my wish has been fulfilled.

A few breaths later, the burl formed on Lü Jiuxian's skin suddenly split open, and countless mottled moths flapped their wings and surged out. Without exception, they rushed towards Fran, as if the doctor before them were a lamp, emitting a dazzling, mesmerizing flame.

Just as the swarm of moths was about to touch Fran, their bodies suddenly disintegrated without warning and fell one after another, like leaves falling in late autumn.

Upon closer inspection, one will discover that what emerged from the burl was not a moth from the beginning, but two mottled, withered leaves overlapping each other. They fluttered their wings like real moths, and withered like real dead leaves.

These fallen leaves decompose and decay at a visible rate, turning into dust and mud.

"Just to consume the remaining spiritual energy as quickly as possible?"

"Judging from the form of expression alone, it does have the consistent style of surrealist paintings. And it seems that many people like to make a big fuss before escaping."

Fran blinked slowly, making his judgment.

After bending down to take samples of the remaining dust and mud, she did not linger. She raised her hand to touch the door frame of the house, knocked on the "mist within the door," and stepped into the boundless misty path.

As for why the doctor stayed behind alone after the treatment... aside from a simple speculation about the criminal's psychology, there is another reason.

That is, "the absence of elements".

There were two patients on this house call, but only one of them had skin problems.

So, where did the missing skin go?

-

South Norlington, Sandrank Street.

It was between noon and dusk. The waning sunlight slowly lost its last warmth, waiting to sink into the golden-red glow of the setting sun.

Inside the reception room of the Secret Intelligence Station's "Mystery Room," three guests who had traveled from the Land of Abyss Seas sat quietly on leather sofas, waiting. Their expressions were so serious that no one spoke for a long time.

The white tea "winter buds" on the table had completely cooled down and no one had taken a sip.

The Secret Service agents standing to the side frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled as to why they were behaving so reservedly.

Although the Six-Eyed Raven's main job may not be so honorable, running an auction house is ultimately a legitimate business that can be presented to the public, and the General Affairs Court welcomes their arrival.

Even if the raiders were genuinely nervous, they shouldn't have made it so obvious.

The three of them looked like prisoners about to be led into an interrogation room; the palpable sense of unease was almost palpable...

"Click."

Just then, the sound of the doorknob turning came from the reception room, and the agent's thoughts came to an end.

"I'm sorry, I still have some things to take care of today. I've kept you all waiting."

Vivian entered the room and apologized to the raiders with some embarrassment.

"Please don't say that, Ms. Vivian. It was our abrupt visit that disrupted your schedule."

High Priest Whiteneck immediately rose and bowed to Vivian with the greeting etiquette of the Six-Eyed Raven Order.

Graymark, who was sitting next to her, also stood up. Although he didn't speak, his demeanor was humble and reserved, clearly indicating that he didn't care about the nearly half-hour wait either. And the last of the three raiders was obviously obvious.

Compared to the restraint of the gray marks and white neck, Detricka exuded more joy.

Of course, she also performed the Six-Eyed Raven Cult's greeting in a rather formal manner. For the plunderers, who rarely concern themselves with elaborate rituals, this scene was quite unusual…

This meeting was not merely about setting up an auction; it also represented the Six-Eyed Raven Order's diplomatic inclinations. However, it was more akin to a thaw in diplomatic relations, an informal, business-related contact.

To be honest, at first, Grayscar, Whiteneck, and even Detrika weren't actually that nervous.

Although the professions of raiders and hunters somewhat conflict, and there are some rather ancient historical issues... this is ultimately a business trip, and both sides should exercise restraint and try to create a harmonious environment for communication.

Therefore, there is no need to worry unnecessarily.

The three raiders remained remarkably calm until the young agent beside them announced, "Agent Vivian will be in charge of this meeting."

Through subsequent conversations with Detrick, White Neck and Gray Mark already knew the Hermit's real name.

—Vivian. (牭)

The arrogant man who visited the Oak Shadow Nest Treasury and took its treasures from the current Raider leader "The Remnant" was also the Apostle who appeared in both the Third and First Habitats and turned the tide of the secret war in Mordway.

How can one remain calm when sharing a room with someone like that?