The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

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"We've discovered that the race of 'living metal' possesses the ability to devour and transform souls; this is still a topic we're researching together."

Maintaining a smile, Fran denied that he had been slashed.

"Of course not, that was just a coincidence. Sigrid, you know me, I'm never interested in things that sound too risky."

"Really……"

Sigrid narrowed her molten gold eyes in response, expressing deep skepticism.

-

White Cup Church, Norlington Central College, History Department Professor's Office.

The History Department's offices are exceptionally spacious; they are more like large workshops for handling ancient artifacts and documents than actual office space.

Around the desk piled high with parchment documents were numerous relics awaiting further processing: slender, yet superhumanly strong, lost-era weapons; dust-covered remains of a holy heir; and some nearly extinct spirit-infused plant.

Things that are priceless outside the faculty are placed in a corner here like worthless decorations.

Terence, wearing a monocular scope, was adjusting a beautifully designed metal bracelet. Its lining was etched with intricate and obscure patterns, indistinct from a distance, only becoming clear upon closer inspection…

The carved pattern depicts a human face, esophagus, stomach, and intestines with six overlapping folds. ∝＼}°≯

This is a relic originating from the Red Cup.

The crimson chalice emblem on Terence's hand was a mark left from when he wore it in his youth. It was an indelible mark, and also a silent testament to his great mother's recognition of him, recounting the millennia-long entanglement between the two religious orders...

Just as he finished routine maintenance and was about to seal the bracelet, Child opened the office door and strode in.

"Professor Terence, I'm sorry I'm late... but I'm still a minute away from being late."

"Humph."

Terence resealed the bracelet with a hint of annoyance, but didn't scold his somewhat rash assistant. He nodded slightly and then inquired about the situation at the Mirror of Enlightenment Club.

"I heard that a priest of the Lamp Cult was attacked. Who is the Hunter of Secrets handling the case?"

"It's Sister Heda."

“Haidah… I thought that after she was promoted to supervisor, she would go to foreign countries to carry out long-term hunting missions like other Funeral Court hunters. That doesn’t seem like Yaheng.”

Terence recalled that since the end of the Great Plague, the Funeral Court's chief hunter had begun his near-mad hunt. He rarely appeared in Norrington unless there was something important to do.

According to a secret tale whose origins are difficult to verify, he even claimed to have killed an ancient heir with mythical creature traits in the northern kingdom of Loredon. This information is highly reliable, but its details are vague, and the Hunter of Mysteries remains tight-lipped about it.

"By the way, Dr. Fran was also present this time."

"Oh? That's important news. Did she do anything unusual?"

Clearly, Terence's attention to this doctor was extraordinary.

Child then began to recount what he had seen and heard at the time.

“启惑之9镜俱4乐部8的招待员潼恩2小姐，4在袭击中出3现了灵3魂离体的情况0。而且因5为身体的伤势严重，一时无法灵肉合一，她的灵体无意识的游荡了很久。”

"After Dr. Fran healed Miss Tong's body, he put her spirit back in."

"Shu?"

Upon hearing this very vivid action word, Terrence's expression turned quite strange for a moment.

What does "stuffed back in" mean? ...It's the soul! It contains the essence of thought and the secrets of nature, existing between the real and the unreal. Those who don't know might think it's stuffing filling into dough.

“Yes,” Child confirmed again.

"She did not chant any prayers, but simply by touching her hands, she reunited Tong En's body and soul."

Terence rubbed his temples, lost in thought.

Child, upholding the fine spirit of asking questions when he didn't understand, then inquired with his mentor.

"Professor, is spirit manipulation difficult?"

“Of course! If secret techniques, relics, or rituals are used… it’s not surprising. But without these things, the difficulty of spiritual interaction becomes extremely high.”

"Speaking of which, that prisoner can also control spirits. It's just that we don't know the specific methods, which makes things really difficult..."

“Some mythical creatures are born with the ability to control spirits, or perhaps she, like that old madman Grantham, inscribed ritual prayers onto her bones…”

Terence seemed to notice that the topic had gone off track and quickly corrected it.

"What about the Priestess of the Lamp? How is her injury?"

"Ms. Dorothy had one of her eyes removed, but... Dr. Fran replaced it with a new one."

Child was so impressed by this that he answered very quickly, without needing to recall anything.

While the White Cup stands at the forefront of the technological revolution, it still lags far behind the Hunter's Order in the medical field. However, anyone with even a basic understanding of medicine knows just how difficult eye transplantation is…

Because what needs to be transplanted is not just an eyeball, but the entire optic nerve and visual center. Even ignoring the difficulty of the anastomosis procedure and the risk of rejection, the current instruments are simply not capable of supporting this level of surgery.

Unless... Jiu's four eyes have a cup-like dual nature and are intelligent enough to reconnect with the broken nerve on its own.

Terence immediately recalled Lady Solanie's eyes, which had crawled out of their sockets like spiders.

"Oh, it can't be..."

"Yes, that eyeball came from Ms. Solani."

Child confirmed his judgment.

While surprised, Terence also thought about the deeper aspects of this technology.

“Even if an organ possesses a spirit that can heal itself, the rejection will not disappear and may even intensify many times over. In the past, there were clinical cases of ordinary people receiving transplants of sacrificial blood and flesh, and they either became deformed or suffered mental alienation.”

"The fact that the doctor was able to safely transplant an eyeball means that he was able to overcome the inherent 'repulsion' of flesh and blood. And this is also a technology that was ahead of its time."

His eyes were slightly closed, leaving only a deep, lingering gaze.

It's obvious that there's a vast generational gap between the White Cup Order and that doctor in the medical field, both in terms of ideology and technique. Even just a glance evokes a sense of unattainable distance.

But at the same time, an indescribable excitement also arose. Beautiful things, even just their existence, can be exhilarating.

Even if it takes a hundred or a thousand years, as long as you can reach that height... it's all worth it.

Just as ancient astrologers longed to touch the heavens, could they have imagined that this long-cherished wish would now be fulfilled?

"It's so beautiful..."

After uttering a heartfelt remark, Terence fell silent for a brief moment.

Once he had calmed down, he asked Child another question.

"Any leads on the culprit?"

-

Chapter Seven: The War of Apoptosis

After a moment's thought, Childe answered Terence's question.

"Based on Sister Haida's preliminary conclusion, that's a professional repeat offender." 〇⌒wu⌒↓

“He remained highly secretive throughout, never revealing his true appearance, and even concealing his spiritual nature... leaving almost no flaws.”

"The Funeral Court has issued a long-term hunting order, and his mission codename is 'Nightmare'."

Since a long-term hunting order has been issued, it means this is a tough guy that won't be caught anytime soon.

"'Nightmare'? Hey... how did we get dragged into this?"

Upon hearing this, Terence gave a low, sarcastic remark, clearly expressing his dissatisfaction with the Hunter's naming style.

The White Cup specializes in dreams and thought, while the Hunter of Mysteries focuses on spirits and secrets. The guy who attacked the Hungry Club only demonstrated the ability to manipulate spirits, which seems completely unrelated to the word "nightmare."

However, when you think about it, the abilities he displayed were indeed quite similar to those of a Hunter. Even their styles of doing things were quite alike... dressed in black, moving through the night.

Could he be a traitor to the Hunters?

Terence stroked his meticulously trimmed beard, thinking with some uncertainty.

Although it was just a guess that suddenly flashed through my mind, I have to say that the possibility is not small... after all, the secret arts of the Hunters are related to spirits.

The hunters of the Funeral Court spend their days slaughtering evil offspring and their kind tainted by taboos, and even those with hearts forged of steel are not immune to rust. Fear, exhaustion, and numbness follow with each passing year.

To escape the clutches of fragile human nature, the solution is within their grasp: abandon everything they were born as human beings and utterly succumb to depravity.

These traitors originating from hunters are often more troublesome, but fortunately, they are extremely rare. And once they appear, they are hunted down by the Funeral Court with the highest level of scrutiny.

Traitors are sometimes far more hateful than heretics.

Seeing the professor deep in thought, Child continued his lecture, recounting what he knew.

“Sister Heda obtained some characteristics of the criminal from Ms. Dorothy through psychic resonance. Although it was not enough to draw up an arrest warrant, she should be able to identify the person if they met face to face.”

Terence shook his head, clearly not expecting much.

"If that guy really does run into Heda head-on, he'll have to accept his bad luck, but that's a low-probability event. Since he's a professional, he should understand that the best way to avoid the Hunters is to leave Norrington."

"Hmm... What about the Misty Society? Since the Priestess was attacked, have they sent anyone to check on the situation?"

He was rather curious about the Church of the Light's reaction to this matter.

Child thought for a moment, then shook his head with a slight doubt.

"The Obscure Society has not made any statement on this matter. At least, I did not see any members of the Church of the Light present when Sister Haida was investigating the case."

"Professor, do they... not care about the Mirror of Enlightenment Club?"

Generally, when a subordinate organization of a secret cult suffers a major upheaval, its superiors will immediately send reinforcements to demonstrate their concern. This is not only to protect their own subordinates, but also to symbolically establish their authority.

Just as when a large-scale casting malfunction occurred at a branch of the Suncasting Order, the High Temple immediately dispatched the "Royal Rider" Sommer to Norrington. This was not only to immediately contain the aftermath of the incident, but also to restore the faith of the believers and disciples.

"Perhaps it's true, as you say. Who knows? The cultists have always been eccentric..."

Child curled his lip, clearly disliking the Mirror-Wicking Man of the Misty Society.

Although both the Mirror Cleaners and the White Cup Order adhere to enlightenment, their belief in pursuing truth is far more pure.

但纯粹的理性与逻辑，有时会自然而然的造成人性的缺位…2¨→94｜0▲￡43‖〃56∠∠4嗖嗦~≈：…牺牲，利益，包括信仰都将能够成为天平上待称重的砝码。以至于最后只让人觉得刻板而机械。

While people are wiping their mirrors, they are also peering into their fates, their words and actions all shrouded in mystery, like a long and tedious riddle, which makes them even less likable...

If someone answers "guess" when you ask an important question, you really need a lot of manners to give them a pleasant look.

"Forget it, these are not my concerns. The hunting orders have been issued, and the hunters will figure out how to handle them."

With that, Terence raised his hand and took out an exquisite engraving pen from his breast pocket to continue the preservation of the ancient artifacts for the day.

“Child, get that relic out of the cabinet for me. The second node of its inscription plating has suffered deep wear and needs to be re-etched… It’s in the first cabinet.”

"Ah."

Upon hearing this, Child skillfully took out an exquisite relic shaped like an earring from the cabinet and placed it on the table.

Terence picked it up, slightly rotated the monocular lens on one eye, and began the etching process.

Although he was getting on in years, his hands moved without the slightest tremor, as steady as a precision-engineered machine.

He even had the energy to continue chatting.

"The Nightmare Guest and the Son of the Tree of Truth's messenger appeared in Norrington at the same time. It's really unsettling... This year has only just begun."

“Child, I won’t ask you to help with the routine maintenance today. But you’ll be writing the relic log.”

"Alright! Leave it to me, Professor."

Child was quite pleased with this. Although he didn’t dislike the complicated and meticulous work of restoring ancient artifacts, who would refuse to reduce their workload?

Keeping his writing in hand, he looked up and, somewhat nervously, inquired about the situation of the Son of the Bearded Tree from Terence.

"Professor Terence...do you know why the Son of the Tree came to Norrington?"

A completely neutral cult, hidden for nearly a thousand years—why did they come to Norrington? So mysterious, just thinking about it makes one's blood boil…

However, this doesn't seem to be something a teaching assistant should know. Therefore, whether or not an answer is obtained depends on the professor's mood.

Terence rolled his eyes at him, but didn't shy away from starting to explain.

"The Sons of Suju want to restart the ancient library in the ruins outside the city and retrieve a certain 'relic.' As for why it happens to be at this particular time... it's because what they believe in is showing signs of awakening. According to them, it's that 'the ancient banyan tree is sprouting again.'"

"Hmm... If one day I get fined by Grantham for violating the confidentiality agreement, you'll have to pay me at least a month's salary."

Ignoring the professor's subsequent joke, Child's expression became slightly serious.

The combination of the words "deity" and "awakening" instinctively evokes unease.

Those colossal structures hanging in the sky, even if they only stir up a ripple in their slumber... could potentially transform into apocalyptic tidal waves.