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Fran waved his hand and obediently switched the memory fragments.
床榻2上的场景顷刻9消散，转而来4到曼陀0罗酒馆包间之4中。3“5×6≌＄4¤［
Several people took their seats around the round table, their cold and blank gazes fixed on a newcomer dressed in a black trench robe.
"Peng!"
The man angrily smashed the white porcelain teacup on the ground, letting out a gloomy curse. The young *Cistanche deserticola* gradually lost its almost transparent camouflage amidst the broken porcelain shards on the ground, revealing its original flesh color.
“Niclers, putting this stuff in the refills… what do you mean by that? Is this how the Star Abyss Society treats its guests?”
"This is an invitation to greatness."
Nicholas looked at the still wriggling Cistanche deserticola on the ground, slowly bent down and picked it up. He gently stroked it in his hand as if with heartache.
Are you really going to refuse?
Seeing the deathly emptiness in the depths of his eyes, Nightmare Stalker suppressed his anger and his face returned to its usual calm and indifferent state.
"So that's how it is. Heh, I never thought you'd die here."
"How pathetic."
Hmm... Nicholas and Nightmare seem to be old acquaintances.
Just as Fran was about to observe how the events unfolded, the surrounding scenery suddenly plunged into deep darkness. His memories became extremely unstable, and large patches of irregular tearing appeared in the surrounding light and shadow.
The instrument is, after all, a defective product; it can only extract so much useful information.
Let's leave it at that for now.
Fran removed the connecting wires from his forehead, ending the reception of the memory information.
After she finished doing all this, she looked at Sigrid beside her.
"How about that? Isn't it amazing? A comprehensive memory extraction. In addition to simple images and sounds, there are also smells, touches, and even the original owner's thoughts at that moment."
"Hmm...it really does feel very real."
Sigrid hung her hands in front of her abdomen, hiding the blush that had not yet faded from her cheeks, and helped the three doctors pick up the instruments and the materials that had not been used up.
Fran quickly put the operating room back in order, and then thought of another urgent matter.
"The fees for house calls this month are a bit unusual, so we need to make some preparations. Just to be on the safe side, let's call Sister Heda over."
"Should we go to the Order of the Hunters, or..."
A sly glint flashed in her amber eyes, as if she already had a plan.
-
Haida passed through the misty street behind the door and stepped into the misty street clinic.
Beneath the gray fog, the entire neighborhood was indistinguishable between day and night. But as the surrounding light grew dimmer, the dim, yellowish streetlights illuminated the streets, signaling that night had fallen.
Haida was already asleep when, for some reason, she suddenly felt a touch on her face.
When she opened her eyes, she found Luya lying on the edge of her bed, carefully pressing her hoofprints on her face.
Compared to the horny texture of ordinary deer hooves, her hooves were translucent like glass. A dazzling light was hidden within them, like a dream.
"Are you hungry?"
Heda gently stroked Luya's soft fur around her neck, then prepared to protect her as she went to find food.
"Na."
Unexpectedly, Luya quickly shook her head upon hearing this, then picked up a letter and handed it to Haida.
The blue-green sealing wax is shaped like a small deer hoof, which means she probably used her hoof as a stamp to apply it.
With a hint of confusion, Haida squinted and opened the unexpected letter.
[Dear Sister Heda, it is as if we are meeting in person.]
I apologize for bothering you at this time; please forgive me. However, if you have some free time, please come to the Foggy Street Clinic within one day. An assessment of the consultation fee may require the assistance of the 'Head Nurse.' I will pay you extra compensation afterward.
[—Join our LIU group: ≡：扒≤伍≌■妻刘榴∈…馓≈『…丝贰—Foggy Street Clinic. Fran Hesser. ]
……
"Does Dr. Fran need help?"
"Na!"
Haida looked at Luya, and the little deer nodded slightly, confirming her thoughts.
But... Dr. Fran herself is highly experienced, not to mention the Fog Street Clinic and Sigrid. What kind of consultation fee would make her feel the need to call her in for peace of mind?
As soon as the dream ended, she immediately changed into her tactical nun's robes for fieldwork, took her power sword "Nirvana," and went to the Fog Street Clinic without any delay.
Seeing Haida push open the door, Fran blinked lightly, somewhat amazed by her high efficiency.
Luya had only been out with the letter for a short while when Luya arrived. She had just been about to take off her wet leather shoes and black stockings to change... when Luya reached out and Luya was already there, almost bumping into her.
"Good night, Sister Haida. I'm sorry to have called you over so late."
"Don't worry about me, Dr. Fran. I'm not sleepy yet."
Haida wasn't being defiant by saying that.
After the surgery, her physical strength and energy underwent a qualitative change, and she did not feel too tired even after several sleepless nights.
"it is good."
Fran closed his hands slightly, quite satisfied.
"Let's start unpacking today's consultation fees. It might be quite interesting, who knows?"
Instead of going into the operating room as usual, she walked out of the clinic and into the dim, foggy streetlights.
The fee for Elsa's house call this month is for "an unknown individual of excellent quality," which means... it may be alive and potentially destructive.
"Please begin."
Judging from Fran's attitude, Haida roughly knew that this situation would be a bit special.
She let out a soft sigh, placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, and prepared to engage the enemy. Sigrid, standing beside her, also looked rather tense.
A gentle breeze swept by, and a hunched figure, reeking of decay, emerged from the mist.
His steps were almost unsteady, like that of a man nearing the end of his life, and his eerie green eyes held a chilling, profound coldness.
---
-
I'm home after my hospital stay!
(It's not exactly a relapse of an old illness, it's just that I've been staying up too late and my blood pressure is a bit abnormal, so I need to be careful.)
Chapter Sixteen: Skinning Frenzy
Sensing the nauseating stench of decay in the air, Haida's grey-chestnut eyes hardened.
She could feel the undisguised, cold malice.
Haida lightly braced her right hand against the guard, while her left hand gripped the base of the sword, assuming a two-handed sword stance and waiting for the approaching figure to arrive. Each step the man took was slow, almost unsteady, as if he was still not used to his body... or perhaps, this was simply his most habitual way of moving.
It doesn't look like a living person.
The deep, gray fog gradually dissipated, clearing out an area resembling an ancient gladiatorial arena.
Only then did Haida finally see the appearance of the newcomer clearly.
He was covered in long-rotten skin, teeming with white maggots and flies. Fragments of broken bones were embedded in every crevice of his limbs, causing a clicking sound with every movement.
Beneath this putrid blood and flesh lay a mechanical shell forged from steel. It was skeletal, with ghostly eyes, exuding a terrifying and ominous aura.
"Some kind of humanoid casting machine?" She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"The skinner".
Fran's voice rang out quietly, soft and soothing.
Judging from the way she rubbed her cheek, she was quite interested in this guy.
"Individuals among the space necromancers infected by the curse of the star god. They have an uncontrollable, intense craving for flesh and blood, yet can never be satisfied. They can only cloak themselves in skin, devour flesh and blood, and then let it all slowly dissolve..."
"tread."
Before Haida could inquire about the skinner's specifics, he changed his hunched posture and charged towards the three of them with his eyes practically gleaming.
The skinner moved almost crawling, like a serpent or ghost; even a moment's shift of the gaze would cause one to lose sight of him.
In an instant, he had already closed in on Hai Da, his metal claws, like two sharp blades, lashing out wildly, as if he couldn't wait to see the person in front of him turn into a warm pile of minced meat.
"What an amazing speed..."
Haida always treated the unknown with the utmost caution.
She raised her power sword "Nirvana" and held it upright in front of her, parrying her opponent while simultaneously pulling back to create space. The slender metal claws and the power sword clashed several times, producing a continuous, sharp, tearing sound.
Haida felt a constant throbbing pain in the nerves of her forehead, a warning from her spiritual level... If she were scratched by those claws, she would probably lose her ability to move immediately, even if she didn't die.
But at the same time, she felt a tremor and a burning sensation from the hilt of the sword she was gripping tightly in her hand.
The inexplicably familiar aura emanating from the enemy made "Nirvana" feel as if he had returned to that final moment when he was bathed in blood amidst the molten fire and raging winds.
Haida raised her sword, but it was blocked by one of the Skinner's claws. He was also knocked back several meters by the force of the blow.
"Heh...heh!heh..."
The skinner, having been repelled, did not rush to attack a second time. He stood there, growling, tearing at his face, which was now nothing but metal skull, with his claws.
The pain and torment were palpable. It was a thirst that could not be satisfied, an emptiness that could not be filled, a agony that could not be relieved…
Haida was completely unable to fathom the existence before him from a spiritual perspective, because his body contained no spirit of any kind; it was an absolutely pure mechanical construct.
But for some reason, she still felt a distant and cold despair.
That feeling might not come from the cold, crazed machine in front of you, but rather from the "traces" of a living being that has long since passed away.
A jumble of thoughts flashed by.
Haida knew that none of that mattered at the moment. Eliminating the skinner's mobility and threat was the most urgent task.
She glanced at Sigrid beside a willow tree. Once the other understood, she drew her sword and leaped towards the frenzied Skinner.
The metal claws and the power sword clashed once more. Without the disintegration force field and phase module, the confrontation between the weapons depended solely on the physical strength of the weapons and the contest of power between the two sides.
"Sister Heda is about to win."
Fran gently stroked his chin with one hand, remaining an observer throughout without any intention of intervening.
Letting Haida experience this kind of special enemy will help her gain experience; she might encounter it again in the future...
Soon, Haida showed a tendency to suppress the Skinner. But the space undead did not sit idly by; it raised its other metal claw, about to tear the face of the person before it apart from the side…
Just then, a blazing, molten light, like a flare, struck the skinner head-on.
After using the [Ascend to Stardom] ring given to her by Fran to release a beam of blazing light, Sigrid transformed into a sword and came into Heda's hand.
Taking advantage of the moment when her opponent was attacked, the nun suddenly swung her sword, striking his bony chest and abdomen, leaving an extremely long molten mark.
"hiss……"
The skinner, severely injured, suddenly crawled backward, his eerie green eyes still fixed on Haida.
The desire for flesh and blood did not diminish in the slightest; on the contrary, it grew even stronger. But at the same time, a nameless fear also emerged.
Like a predator that has failed in its hunt, it is about to retreat into the shadows and wait for the next opportunity.
This posture...is he trying to escape?
Haida's gaze darkened, keenly sensing his intention.
The skinner raised its claws, intending to slice through dimensions and temporarily escape from this eerie sea of mist. But no matter what it did, the surrounding environment remained unchanged…
"Hey... little guy, is dimensional teleportation not working anymore?"
Fran stood silently behind the skinner, the tailbone of the inlaid spine "Sphinx" piercing out and penetrating his entire thoracic spine.
As the system that maintained the power suffered structural damage, the eerie green light in his eyes finally went out.
Ever since she started using the Five-Spinal Inlay technique, she's inexplicably become quite fond of impaling her opponents through their chests. This form of damage is extremely direct in destroying an enemy's mobility and is very convenient... The only downside is that it's a bit too villainous.
She flicked her tailbone and threw the already broken space ghost to the ground.