The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

Page 227

"As an educator, I do not advocate the use of violence... but unfortunately, violence is indispensable most of the time."

As he spoke, he lightly raised his fist and smashed a tangled, clustered branch of a Desire Flower. The sharp thorns on the vines grazed his fingers, but were blocked by a barely perceptible glint of scales.

The two did not deliberately coordinate, but simply took turns covering each other's backs and blind spots. However, they still had a certain tacit understanding; when one of them needed to catch their breath, the other would take over to help reduce the pressure.

The inchworm, which had no ability to fight head-on, chose a less conspicuous spot and watched with great respect.

Besides the useless small-caliber pistol, he also had several high explosives, but using them rashly would only throw the battle into chaos and risk harming his teammates. At the moment, Inspector Bartley wasn't clearly in a losing position and didn't need such assistance.

However... I never expected Professor Utus to be so skilled in combat.

And he fought entirely hand-to-hand, without using any weapons. Seriously, is it even possible for a human to do that?

Although the inchworm's abilities are extremely limited, it did not simply stand idly by and watch the battle. Instead, it quietly began reciting an unnamed prayer for the moth, as if it were plotting something.

Flames swirled, and the battle in the flowerbed intensified.

Under the combined assault of Bartley and Utus, the Gardener's flower pendant was soon reduced to a single petal. That petal was not a symbol of breaking free from the stage's limitations, but rather seemed to simply represent her remaining spiritual essence.

As the petals on her neck continue to fall away, she will visibly weaken.

"call……"

Even with her bizarre, inhuman traits, she was now at her limit. Exhausted, she began to pant like a human.

Similarly, Bartley's physical strength was also nearing its limit, and his dark leather hunting suit had faded to light gray.

This was, in fact, the first time he had to end the secret technique [Blood Burning] prematurely during a battle to conserve his spiritual energy.

"Your head is much harder to remove than you think. This is the first time I've encountered a guy who needs to be killed seven times to die... Whenever this happens, I envy the chief. No matter what his scythe encounters, he can kill it completely with just one head slice."

Although Utus's punches were incredibly powerful, they were still extremely ineffective against the gardener when used bare-handed.

Therefore, each attack that ended his life was made by Bartley with a chainsaw sword, either by severing his head or cleaving his body.

At this moment, the gardener's beautiful face showed obvious signs of withering, like a dried-up plant that was almost dead.

"Hunter, I acknowledge your strength for achieving this. Though you rely on the strange blade in your hand, the weapon and the wielder are one..."

"You've won. End this endless watch, and then... enjoy my remaining legacy."

"What is she saying?"

Bartley frowned slightly, puzzled, and then looked at Utus beside him.

That guy can understand some words of Old Attila, so he might be able to make a simple sense of what this sentence means.

Not being able to understand the enemy's language was indeed frustrating for Bartley. Often, these guys would unconsciously reveal valuable secrets, which were all precious spoils of war...

"Although there are some variations in syllables and pauses, I can hear the words 'hunter' and 'strength.' It's either tough talk or routine mutual flattery."

"Given that she is an elegant lady, I would guess it is the latter."

Utus cracked his knuckles and answered casually.

Upon hearing this, Bartley grinned broadly, making no attempt to hide his smile.

"Hey...that's really flattering."

He raised his slightly sore arm, mustered his last bit of strength, and cleanly and efficiently sliced ​​the gardener's body to pieces with his chainsaw sword, "Shark Tooth."

While beheading is more ceremonial and in line with the traditional customs of hunters... it's better to prioritize the spine as the primary target for destruction when dealing with an individual with such terrifying vitality.

After a long and arduous battle to defeat a powerful enemy, even the most experienced funeral director will experience a moment of relief from tension.

Or rather, it's a lapse in discipline.

And this moment... someone has been waiting for a long time.

Without warning, a dark figure appeared beside Bartley, reaching out towards his neck. It was swift as a phantom, catching him completely off guard.

"You really did show up..."

Upon seeing the familiar dark figure, the inchworm let out a sharp shout, its eyes suddenly darkening. Of everyone present, he was the only one who truly harbored a grudge against the Nightmare Guest; the sensation of having his eyeballs forcibly ripped out was still vivid in his memory.

"Nightmare Guest?"

Bartley wanted to back away, but having just executed the gardener, he was too weak and his exhausted, wounded body couldn't react in time.

However, the Nightmare's hand, capable of stealing flesh, failed to reach Bartley at this moment.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he had no idea how.

Using Dorothy's right eye and the inchworm's left eye as materials and medium, Nightmare had completed his ascension ritual the day before yesterday. He was thus able to eliminate the effects of [S-066 Faded to Pure White] and restore his own spirituality.

He originally intended to remove the hunter's head entirely, but where it had been... he only touched a fleeting phantom.

The third type of mid-level secret technique under the Moth system, [Chasing Bewitching Sparks].

The inchworm had been secretly chanting this spell earlier. It could vaguely conceal the recipient's presence and create a lifelike phantom image around them with shifting light and shadow...

This is precisely why Bartley avoided a potentially fatal surprise attack.

"I thought you were hiding and not contributing because you were up to something, but I didn't expect you to be so useful at a crucial moment..."

As he spoke, Bartley's hands did not pause for a moment, and almost instinctively swung his chainsaw sword in a vertical slash.

The whirring of the saw teeth rang out again, and even though the Nightmare Guest retreated with all his might, a large chunk of muscle was still torn from his arm. Blood splattered out along with the rotting skin, leaving a sticky, crimson stain on the ground.

"Tsk..."

Nightmare Guest let out a cold, low murmur.

Now that he had stepped into the high priest's position, facing two useless burdens and two exhausted souls, he had no reason to run away.

But the next moment, several crimson blood thorns shot out from the pool of blood on the ground, piercing through the Nightmare Guest's legs and abdomen.

This secret technique comes from Rosalie.

She herself did not possess the blood manipulation techniques of the Crimson Cup system; she mainly relied on the [S-912. Banquet Ring] on her ankle and the racial talent of the Moon Clan to control the unclaimed blood on the ground.

The Banquet Ring itself only provides second-tier, lower-level secret arts, while [Blood Manipulation] belongs to the higher tier. To perform spells across different tiers, the wearer needs to possess the affinity trait of the Cup Spirit.

2. She is either a descendant of the ancient Monroe nobility or a special race other than humans... Rosalie is the latter.

"Moonlight... do you also want to get involved in this wave?"

"Was it Jude's or Bernhard's decision? Hey, which of those two cowards decided to stop keeping quiet?"

Although the Bloodthorns had left several extremely horrifying penetrating wounds, the Nightmare's aura had not weakened. He reached out and tore off the Bloodthorns that remained on his body, and even had the strength to provoke them.

However, the initiative has been lost, and a user of blood manipulation has appeared in the opposing team... This forces him to reassess the current situation of friend and foe.

After a brief moment of thought, the Nightmare Guest turned and retreated, then turned and fell into the shadow he had cast.

If the first attack fails, he immediately flees. There was no hesitation throughout the entire process, even though he had the possibility of winning through a direct assault. This guy was unusually cautious, leaving no room for error.

Watching the retreating Nightmare Guest, Bartley merely narrowed his eyes, slowly surveying his surroundings, without stopping the guest from leaving.

He had killed the gardener seven times, and his condition had reached its limit. He could not withstand the load of high-intensity combat again in a short period of time.

Fortunately, the Nightmare Guest left behind a considerable amount of blood and flesh, which will greatly increase the accuracy of tracking and location locking, and may even allow for the determination of his whereabouts through divination. If he wants to hide himself again as before... it won't be so easy.

Bartley bent down and carefully collected the Nightmare's remaining flesh and blood in the storage box that had originally held the head. In doing so, he also discovered a small rose in the spot where the Gardener had died.

The reason he was able to accurately spot the flower's uniqueness in a flowerbed was mainly because it was golden and emitted a soft, star-like glow.

Bartley still had several empty boxes in his hands; he hadn't collected any heads on this trip, so he could use them to hold this flower.

"Let's rest here for a bit before exploring the courtyard ahead. I need some time to regain my spirituality."

"Ah."

Utus's injuries were much lighter than his, but he was equally exhausted. Nebula and Rosalie had no objection to this.

The inchworm felt a little regretful that it couldn't defeat the Nightmare Guest in one go, but the main combat force in the team had been exhausted, and it would be too much of a stretch to keep that guy alive.

However, Bartley has already extracted his blood and limb fragments, which are extremely valuable tracking mediums. It probably won't be long before he personally experiences the Hunter's relentless, vengeful pursuit...

Upon hearing the order to rest, Rosalie let out a soft sigh and sat down on the spot.

Using [S-912. Banquet Ring] will cause severe anorexia in the short term. In addition to not being able to eat, she even has the urge to vomit up all the blood she drank before.

"call……"

During a break, Rosalie took off her short leather boots and slowly massaged the skin on the soles of her feet and ankles with her fingertips.

Using a paisley ring requires it to be in full contact with the skin of the ankle, without any fabric separating them, which makes it impossible for Rosalie to wear most types of socks.

After nearly a whole night of intense travel, although the Moon Goddess still had plenty of energy, the skin on her ankles was red from the bumps and friction. She also felt a slight pain when walking.

Even though the movement might be unsightly, she really needed to relieve the discomfort in her ankle.

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soup!

Chapter 120 A Lament for the Coffin

The mist gathers, then disperses and dissipates.

As the mist within the gates appeared, Shitia's figure also appeared inside the Sleeping Sand Bell Tower of the lost city of Morion. Located at the bottom of the tower, the surrounding layers of ritual arrays were dilapidated and decaying, but a few traces of cobalt blue light could still be seen flowing within them.

“Mollion… I thought I would see this city revitalized and thriving. But after escaping from prison and returning here, I find it still in ruins.”

Xitia blinked slowly, her expression calm yet complex, as if she were sighing.

"Although it is dilapidated, there are still some signs of maintenance here."

Following her professional habits, Haida quickly surveyed her surroundings and began to analyze the current situation.

“Molien was already a dead city several years ago. Logically speaking, all the mysteries of the Sleeping Sand Bell Tower should have been destroyed, and even the most basic operation should not be possible.”

Fran seemed to have already guessed about the doubts she raised.

She gently stroked the brass pocket watch in her sleeve, and one could see her amber eyes subtly shimmering, a hint of excitement quietly emerging.

"Oh, that's actually quite easy to understand. It can be explained simply by changing your perspective."

"A lost city, forbidden to enter by the Royal Court of Garonsen, where sea monsters roam freely, filling almost every corner. But at the same time, the movement of these sea monsters is also greatly restricted. They cannot walk under the moonlight, nor can they resist the songs of the clock tower."

"What does this mean?"

Heda didn't get an answer right away, but before she could ask, Fran continued talking about the question she had just asked.

"Experimental materials and spiritual resources are readily available everywhere. And there will be almost no external interference in the short term. It will be at least several years before the Royal Court of Garonson makes up its mind and prepares its forces to take over this place."

“Before this, this place was ‘safe.’ As long as one had enough ability to avoid the evil creatures of the Abyss, Morion would be the perfect hiding place. Whether it was researching forbidden things or performing sacrifices… no one would care.”

Fran raised his hand to cover his lips, revealing a shallow, sly smile.

In fact, this doctor also has his own unique set of criteria for choosing a place to live.

If it weren't for the unique conveniences that the Fog Street Clinic offered compared to other places of residence, she would have chosen to live in a lawless place like Morion.

For madmen dedicated to venturing into taboos, danger and chaos become their refuge.

"Is that 'Nightmare' Lyons Horton...?"

Based on the information previously provided by Fran, Haida already knew that the Nightmare Guest was hiding in the fallen city.

Although the Sleeping Sand Bell Tower is now a collapsed ruin, some of its secret rituals, still in operation, remain. Perhaps the Nightmare Travelers used these to evade the search and predation of the evil creatures of the Abyss.

"Not necessarily."

Although Jiu believed the Nightmare Guest was involved, Haida didn't definitively conclude that he was the one hiding there. That guy had attracted a lot of attention through his numerous heinous crimes, which made it easy for other unknown individuals to confuse the situation…

Before the facts are corroborated, all ideas are doubtful speculations.

While Heda searched for remaining clues at the base of the tower, Sigrid was intently examining the strangely beautiful architectural décor around her. As a highly talented Suncaster, she was not only skilled in casting techniques but also had a deep understanding of architecture…

"The architectural style is quite unique. Although the decorations bear some traces of the white stone buildings in Golmouth, the main design has a strange and rustic biomimetic feel... as if this is not a room in a clock tower, but inside the skeleton of some kind of organism."

Upon hearing her assessment, Xitia, who had been silent, gradually came to her senses and then responded.

3. "The Sleeping Sands Bell Tower is not the work of the Gormouth people, or rather... not entirely."

"Although it was built after the Lost Age, it made extensive use of our technology in its construction. For Hyel, the spiritual energy of the land was too scarce, and the air was so dry that it was depressing. Therefore, these buildings were designed with a third type of ritual that enriched the spiritual energy and moisture to sustain our physiological needs."

Lin: "I see..."

Sigrid nodded slightly, her eyes showing understanding.

Although the scene inside the secret chamber of the Sleeping Sand Bell Tower was dark and oppressive, the sun-casting craftsman seemed unaffected, maintaining his curiosity and excitement for new things, and his words were filled with visible enthusiasm.

After all, there aren't many opportunities for her to maintain her human form, and this is one of the most suitable places. There are neither the Sunforge Order's pursuers nor their spies, nor the covetous eyes of those who crave the power of the Primordial Sun…