The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

Page 248

Suddenly, Haida asked a question, seemingly lost in thought.

"You can say that."

Xitia conducted a thorough inspection of the library, and she had already dismantled some of the hidden tricks.

"In that case, we might be able to choose an efficient solution."

The nun drew her power sword "Nirvana" from her back and aimed the blade at the hidden door. With several steady and powerful slashes, she sliced ​​a huge gash into the hidden door hidden in the wall, revealing the dark passage behind it.

"I learned some tricks from my father on how to open a door quickly. He was always quiet and not good at 'teaching with words,' but he did a great job of 'leading by example.'"

After completing the hand gestures, Haida gave a brief explanation.

Watching her rather violent way of breaking down the door, Fran couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly, a sense of familiarity welling up inside him.

"Hmm...it's definitely the 'whoosh' technique that Yaheng often uses: 'Yi@∮崊≈≌′＇柳△玖ˇ）一「"肆弎陆'. That guy either cuts open the door to break in head-on, or he steps into the shadows to sneak in. I've never seen him go looking for the key normally."

Shitia was not familiar with this young chief of the Funeral Court, who was not yet fifty years old. She only knew that he was Sister Heda's father through Sigrid's account.

However, almost all of the previous chief hunters of the Hunters have been obsessive and cold-blooded madmen, and this one is probably no exception.

No wonder Sister Heda possessed such terrifying talent... She was clearly still human, yet she could use pure power to directly suppress those highly distorted evil beings. Shitia was also somewhat surprised when she first saw her.

"Gulp." Detrika swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

As the group passed through the ripped-open hidden door, she observed the smooth, mirror-like surface of the wall. The exact materials used were unknown, but several layers of stacked, cold gray steel were clearly not ordinary building materials.

This made her feel inexplicably fortunate.

Fortunately, he wasn't at odds with Sister Heda, and the Hunters didn't concern themselves with petty theft. If the enforcers in Gormouth were this incompetent, he'd have to find a job... or go back to his old job carrying sandbags at the docks, at least then his life wouldn't be in danger.

Of course, this was just a fleeting thought and not worth pondering. Even the best Tide Listener enforcers could hardly compare to Sister Haida, and those guys didn't really get involved in the Six-Eyed Raven's business either, they just tried to get a share of these "businesses".

……

After passing through a deep and winding corridor, the group entered the interior of the secret room under the guidance of Xitia.

Unlike the spotless exterior, the floor of the secret room was covered in dust and footprints. The reason was simple: this was clearly a hidden room in Prince Gunther's residence, one that the servants had no opportunity to clean.

A faint, foul odor lingered in the air of the corridor—the smell of degraded meat protein. There was also the odor of aldehyde preservatives, which gave one a vague sense of unease.

However, this smell was quite familiar to Franlin, almost like a comfort, as if he had returned to an old-fashioned laboratory filled with specimens.

She licked her lips, feeling a surge of inexplicable excitement.

"As expected, Gunther's fondness for this secluded mansion wasn't just for convenience and pleasure. Or perhaps, it's merely a way for him to conceal his true intentions?"

A moment later, the group arrived at the depths of the hidden room and were able to see its full appearance.

Narrow, dark, and cramped, with only the ceremonial array etched into the ground pulsating with pale spiritual light. At the very center of the ceremony stood a large metal coffin, its shape somewhat familiar, as if I had seen it somewhere before.

"Mollion's Sleeping Sand Clock Tower... the instruments here are very similar to the 'research room' on the top floor of the clock tower."

After a brief observation, Haida cleared her mind and explained the specific source of the sense of familiarity.

"It's not just 'similar'; strictly speaking, the technology here is even more advanced. It's probably an iterative product that has been improved. Both the controllability and security have been enhanced."

Fran examined the casting instruments used for biological experiments and responded to Haida. At the same time, she kept rummaging through filing cabinets and similar places, seemingly searching for something.

"There are still no paper documents, not even the most basic experimental data records. They probably took them with them when they left. Such excessive caution is really unpleasant."

After her fruitless search, she sighed softly. Then, she gently clapped her hands to brush the dust from her fingertips.

"However, we can also draw some simple conclusions from the function of the casting instruments. The ones in the Sleeping Sand Bell Tower are too badly damaged, but the ones here have been carefully maintained and are all in working order."

As he spoke, Fran opened a container holding an unknown solution, sniffed it for a moment, then dipped his index finger in it and smacked his lips.

"Oh, that's a dangerous move. Don't imitate it. After all, this is an unknown agent with no safety guarantees."

"Liquid lipids, with a sticky texture and a distinctly sweet taste, contain certain catalytic and growth-promoting components. However, they also seem to have a tendency to cause flesh deformities... Daily consumption is not recommended."

After a brief reflection, she gave her evaluation.

In addition, there are many other preparations with different colors, ingredients, and spiritual properties. Most of them are drugs for maintaining stable vital signs, and there are even extracts made from "Heir's Tears".

"Alright, open the coffin. The experimental specimens Gunther hid there must have something special about them..."

"Ah."

Upon hearing this, Haida swiftly swung her sword, cutting open the locks on the steel coffin.

As a wisp of slightly damp white smoke dissipated, a hint of seriousness appeared in Shiodia's eyes, and she frowned slightly. She once again sensed the aura of her "kin," and it was extremely strong.

"Hoh—" A deep roar sounded.

However, because its entire body was immersed in the solution, the sound it made was almost a whimper. Only when the experimental subject suddenly lifted the steel coffin shell and stood up were they able to see its true appearance.

It was a pale, middle-aged man whose skin was covered with layers of armor-like, bluish-green scales. His pupils were unfocused, his expression empty and blank, yet carrying a hint of instinctive, frenzied rage.

“It’s not time yet! No, it’s not time yet. How could Gunther wake me up prematurely? My body and spirit are not yet fully stable... those things are still crawling and writhing under my skin, completely uncontrollable…”

The test subject muttered almost through gritted teeth, then raised his eyes and aggressively scrutinized the uninvited guest who had awakened him.

His gaze swept contemptuously over Fran and Detrica, lingering briefly on Heida. But upon realizing she wasn't even the high priest, he immediately lost interest.

"The Hunter? Could it be that Gunther was also beheaded by the Undertaker like the Crown Prince? Wait... Heil?"

"A living nobleman?"

Upon seeing Shitia, the test subject's pupils constricted sharply in surprise, followed by an undisguised, fervent desire.

"It seems that fate still has mercy on me... The opportunity to completely get rid of the filth of the 'Ant Scale Gate' has come uninvited."

As he spoke, he stuck out his tongue, which resembled a water flea and had an almost excited licking of the corner of his lips.

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soup!

Chapter 144 The Viper Who Drinks by Candlelight

"is it?"

Seeing the undisguised hostility of the person before her, Haida's grey-chestnut eyes darkened slightly, then a deep chill crept in. The next moment, she gripped the metal hilt of her power sword "Nirvana," pointing the blade directly at her opponent.

“Tell me your name… otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll never have another chance.”

The experimental subject, covered in scales, seemed to have witnessed some hilarious farce. It grinned, revealing rows of shark-like fangs, and emitted a rough, hoarse mocking sound.

"Haha! Hahaha... Your arrogance is disgusting. Your tone and manner are exactly the same as the Funeral Court's top hunter this year. I wonder if you're just putting on airs or if you truly have the ability to do what you say?"

"Becoming the head of the Funeral Court at such a young age, you must have tormented those scum-like evil creatures quite a bit. But you don't actually think I'm like them, do you? The world is far more than what's on the surface... I'll make you experience the cruelty of reality firsthand."

Upon hearing his words, Qi Haida frowned slightly, her expression becoming more serious.

Since this guy explicitly stated that he was the "top hunter of this generation," he must be referring to Yaheng. And someone who could escape from his own father's pursuit... must have something special about him.

They either possess extraordinary hidden power or have ingenious and unparalleled stealth abilities.

To survive the scythe of the red wolf stained with the blood of Meredith is a feat to be proud of.

"However, since you have asked, I have no intention of hiding my name."

He seemed to take the nun's contemplation as fear, and then actually revealed his name.

“‘The Viper Who Drinks Candle’ Ernie. Heh… Not many people know my name, and you probably haven’t heard of me either. I’m not like those guys from the ‘Tracing the Origins’ or ‘Convergence’ schools who like to make themselves known to everyone. Even the old people who survived after the Ant Scale Gate was broken probably don’t know I exist.”

"After all, in most of the known secret histories, I am a dead man."

Oh, if nothing unexpected happens, you'll probably be dead in the real sense of the word very soon...

Detrica, who was completely incapable of fighting, muttered a curse to herself before carefully moving to stand behind Dr. Fran.

She discovered that although this woman's strength was unfathomable and difficult to fathom, she seemed to disdain engaging in direct confrontation... Standing next to her would not only ensure her safety, but also prevent her from becoming a burden in battle.

"If I may ask, Erne... when did you first meet my father?"

Haida was quite concerned about this.

Unlike some of the former Lords of Funerals who were accustomed to being based in Norrington, Yaheng was elusive and rarely stayed at headquarters. Most of the time, he was simply "untraceable"... It was said that only the other three of the four Lords could contact him through special means.

"...Your father?"

This question clearly startled Ernie Wu, causing his face, covered in culture medium and dirty scales, to display an extremely strange expression.

After a moment, he suddenly realized what was happening.

"Meredis's chestnut-gray eyes, and that unpleasant attitude and tone... Oh, you're the daughter of that red wolf... No wonder you're so young to wear the supervisor's brass ring. I heard you were there when he slaughtered his family members; it must have been quite a spectacle."

"As for when I met him, that was quite a long time ago. A few years ago, I was briefly hired as Crown Prince 'Murphy's' bodyguard to ensure his ascension ceremony wouldn't be affected. Of course, you know how that ended..."

"Probably in order to kill Murphy as quickly as possible, Yaheng did not pursue me after repelling me. However, the wounds that guy left on my body have not yet closed, and my life, blood, and spiritual essence are constantly being lost."

"How should I express my gratitude to him?"

As he spoke, Ernie suddenly burst out of the steel coffin and attacked Haida at a speed that was difficult to detect with the naked eye. His huge figure also turned into a terrifying black shadow that was accompanied by a sudden gust of wind.

"Qiang!"

A clang of metal clashing rang out. Although Haida had already parried with her sword, she still took a half-step back in the face of its immense force. Her hunting boots skimmed the ground, sending dust billowing up with the violent tremors.

Ernie's physical strength has exceeded the limits of what humans can withstand, and it can even be called "rare among humanoid evil beings"... Even though it was just a brief confrontation in a hurry, Haida had to admit that she could not overwhelm her opponent with pure physical strength.

This is probably why he felt joy instead of fear upon seeing Shitia.

The muscles in my arms were constantly contracting, and my heart was pounding loudly in response.

Haida breathed a sigh of relief, a wisp of cold, pale gray smoke escaping from her lips. She felt excitement rising up her spine, and the spirituality flowing in her blood burned intensely.

"Oh, don't underestimate me... I originally wanted to just rip your head off. It seems you became the head of the funeral home not just because of your father's fearsome reputation, you young wolf cub."

Although he maintained an air of effortless control in his speech, Orne was genuinely surprised.

If the opponent were an ordinary hunter, even if they hadn't been beheaded, they should have been thrown back by the force of the impact, crashing into the wall of the secret chamber and falling unconscious.

Even though she had just stepped on the floor and cracked it, her entire body remained coordinated and stable. (Sulfur)

"I'm very curious, how exactly did you do that? Did you also abandon the frail human body long ago?"

The answer he received was not words, but the translucent, glistening silk strings.

[Mercury Strings], under Shitia's control, transformed into several invisible, pale rays of light, binding Orne's body in a slicing motion. However, he was not shattered into pieces of flesh.

The silken strings couldn't penetrate his scales; they merely constricted his muscles, temporarily restricting his movement.

"What a beautiful secret technique, it's like a work of art... Just like you, Hail. Born to be favored by the Abyss, you possess the talent to soothe and resist the filth, and even on land you still enjoy a long life that will not fade."

"At the same time, it also has the fragility of a glass artifact."

“So precious, how could I not yearn to devour you, to become you, and then to replace you?”

Ernie's smile was unrestrained, arrogant, and tragic.

You could see his scale-covered muscles begin to twitch abnormally, and then a dirty, sticky liquid oozed from the gaps in the scales, which then slowly crawled around as if it were alive.

Xitia's gaze flickered slightly as she gently plucked the [Mercury Strings] formed from her tassels with her slender fingers. Even so, they were still inevitably stained with some slowly churning, dark filth.

“You’re practically an ant…you’re terminally ill.”

As she spoke, she decisively severed the stained tassel. For mythical creatures, as long as their life force and spiritual essence are abundant, such insignificant limbs can regenerate at will.

"Am I the only one terminally ill? From the moment the filth gushed from the wounds of the sublime and sacred, and the Mother of Enlightenment who elevated us fell into succumbing to madness, all the devout followers of the Antscale Gates fell ill—an incurable madness..."

As he further mobilized his spiritual energy, Ernie's physical form began to show signs of instability, as if something was about to burst out of his body.

But his body possessed a resilience unimaginable to mortals; after a strange and irregular contraction, the uncontrollable tendency was forcibly stopped. Otherwise, the seeping blood would have still stained the scales on his chest and abdomen.

“Look, wolf cub. These are the scars that Yaheng left on my body.”

"If it weren't for the scales clinging to my skin, I would probably have died in some dark, deserted corner long ago. They endlessly inflict pain and harm upon me, yet they also make my spirit burst forth like never before."

"Accompanying the spiritual surge of the 9th, there are also these 8 dark and filthy things, which are the 'ants' that swarm and crawl... It is lamentable, pitiful, laughable, and hateful! The two-headed snake-like python that feeds on ants and insects eventually also succumbs to this... to the point of half falling into nothingness, not knowing when it will return."

Orneel raised his hand and tore open the scales on his chest and abdomen, then took out a sword blade stained with blood and black ants. Its edge was dulled, as if it were rusted. Yet it exuded an uncontrollable chill and ominous feeling.

Sensing the terrifying surge of spiritual energy, Detricka instinctively shrank back and moved closer to Fran once more.

Fortunately, I wasn't alone, otherwise I would probably have been torn to pieces by now. Oh, and I couldn't have discovered this secret chamber, nor did I have the ability to open the steel coffin, so I wouldn't encounter any hidden dangers within.

"Hunter, I must admit my assessment of you was somewhat off. I guess you, like Yaheng, dislike pointless chatter... As compensation, let's get straight to the point."

After saying this, Ernie raised the sword in his hand and once again closed in on Haida.

His earlier conversation wasn't actually about discussing the past with the Hunter. He simply needed time to adjust to his body after waking from a deep slumber and reach peak condition.

If that weren't the case, he would never waste even a second.