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Page 258
Once the restless spirit had calmed down a bit, Fran offered Lily and the Black Knight suggestions on what to do next.
In fact, if the doctor weren't also a young White Priestess, she would have preferred to directly seek out her intended target for this house call, the White Priestess of the Spring, "Fridia." While the King of Impurity was troublesome, he wasn't insurmountable.
However, Fran's current frail body and spiritual state prevented her from fully unleashing the power of the Madfire Mark, so this plan had to be temporarily shelved. Besides, she needed to allow Lily enough time to grow… As a doctor, patience was indispensable. Impatience always leads to disastrous results.
Upon hearing this, Lily tilted her head slightly, a hint of confusion appearing in her clear blue eyes.
She had heard Fran mention that she needed to find "two friends." In other words, besides this nun, did this woman have anyone else in the White Parish she needed to see?
Although the girl didn't ask aloud, Fran seemed to understand her meaning. 7
"That's not the case, is it? Besides this nun, another friend of mine is here too. Of course, given her current condition, it's normal that you don't recognize her..." Liu
As she spoke, Sigrid was reshaped into human form in the sudden burst of bright daylight.
The maid glanced at Fran, who was in her young white priestess form, then turned her gaze to Lily, who was filled with astonishment. A slight smile involuntarily appeared on her lips, and her eyes shone with a joyful eagerness.
So this is what Dr. Fran looked like as a child? And this little girl is just too cute...
"Hello, Lily. I am Miss Fran's maid; you can call me Sigrid."
At this moment, Sigrid didn't directly address Fran as "Doctor," after all, her current identity was that of a White Witch... Although saying it probably wouldn't be a big deal, revealing less information was always better than nothing.
Lily's eyes widened at the sight of the craftswoman formed from a sword blade. Although she was used to seeing highly distorted and corrupted beings, a human transformed from a sword... still filled her with genuine curiosity.
After a brief greeting, Sigrid began to get to know the lovable young white witch.
Although she didn't seem to talk much, their communication was surprisingly smooth. In fact, everyone there could understand what Lily was trying to say through her eyes and gestures…
-
About thirty minutes later, Haida opened her gray-chestnut eyes and gradually woke up.
While in a state of frenzied depravity, her consciousness was in a protective dormant state, so she was unaware of what was happening in the outside world. She only felt as if she had been having a chilling and profound nightmare.
She saw Norrington engulfed by the dark green fungus, her father's corpse, and Dr. Fran, headless from her own blade. Everything was beyond redemption; she could only fight with all her might to slay the evil.
Once her mind was fully clear and her memories began to surface, Heda realized with a start that the people she had drawn her sword against were Dr. Fran and an unknown young girl.
"I'm so sorry... I've caused you trouble."
Filled with guilt and remorse, she bowed slightly to Fran.
“No need to apologize, Sister Haida. This was caused by uncontrollable objective factors, and besides, I wasn’t injured, was I?”
Fran comforted Heda, seemingly unconcerned about the matter.
Heda's ability to suppress her urge to attack Lily while in her corrupted state already demonstrates remarkable willpower; to ask anything more would be unreasonable. Besides, Fran doesn't dislike physical activity to refresh his somewhat rusty skills.
"However, as you can see, I'm currently in a very difficult situation...〇... I'll have to rely on you when we encounter other corrupted beings, okay? Sister Haida."
"As it should be."
Haida could not possibly refuse the request to exorcise the evil spirits.
The nun had barely stepped into this borderland when she was engulfed in the madness of defilement, without even a chance to resist. While she wasn't exactly annoyed by it... she did desperately need to cleanse the parish of its unsightly abominations to alleviate the lingering sense of unease.
At that moment, Lily was hiding behind Fran, peeking out cautiously to observe Haida.
Although the nun had been purified and even regained the qualities of the living... Lily still vividly remembered the sword that swept through the church's stone sculptures. Even now, she could still hear the sound of the wind rushing past her head.
But she quickly sensed the apology in Haida's eyes, and that fear gradually dissipated.
No matter how noble a warrior was in life, once fallen into demonhood, they will unconsciously descend into madness. Perhaps in their minds, they are still fighting and killing their enemies with all their might...
Lily held every guardian who sacrificed their life to fight against the filth in the highest esteem. Her respect for them would not change because of their grotesque appearance after their corruption.
With the two staff members from Fog Street Clinic safely back in the team, this cross-disciplinary outreach program was officially able to begin.
Now, it's time for preparations before meeting the White Witch of the Spring, "Fridia." Fran plans to have Lily purify and collect as many corrupted souls as possible along the way, so that she will at least have the power to protect herself when facing the King of the Filthy.
With Heda and Sigrid joining them, exploring the depths of the White Quarter became almost effortless. The Black Knight no longer needed to protect both White Witches simultaneously, allowing him to focus more on slaying the undead along the way.
……
Before meeting Fran in Cliff Village, Lily had already explored the area below the White Quarter. However, there was an unopenable gem-encrusted door there, making it impossible to pass through.
In most cases, Fran doesn't mind facing bizarre and difficult puzzles. This doctor genuinely enjoys the sense of accomplishment from unraveling complex mysteries... but clearly, that's not the case right now.
This is merely a door that cannot be opened without a key, indicating that certain conditions must be met to enter the room behind it.
Commonly known as "getting stuck on progress".
Fran slightly narrowed his amber eyes and glanced at Haida beside him. The meaning behind his glance was self-evident.
Haida nodded in perfect unison and slowly drew her power sword, "Nirvana." With a swift and precise cut from the adamantite blade, a smooth gap, large enough for a person to pass through, quickly appeared in the heavy, jeweled door.
At this point, Fran roughly understood why Yaheng was so keen on scoring with brute force... This kind of swift and satisfying feeling was indeed captivating.
Seeing the scene before him, the expression on the black knight's face, hidden beneath his mask, became somewhat subtle.
The door was made of extremely sturdy materials and foreign enchantments, even able to withstand the old warrior Grote's pillar-shaped warhammer... but it didn't even last a moment before being sliced apart by the nun's strange heavy sword.
Upon entering the secret chamber, one finds a notebook about repairing the Guardian Treasure and a synthesis table engraved with a spell symbol.
Each White Priestess possesses a protective artifact to alleviate pain, but its power diminishes with each act of corruption. The artifact of the White Priestess of the Spring, "Fridia," shattered completely during the purification of the King of Corruption.
The person who created this secret chamber wanted to reforge the protective artifact to help the White Priestess as much as possible. But clearly, all their efforts were in vain.
"We need to collect seven stone tablets that record the repair methods, along with the original stones that make up the Noble Phantasm, and use ancient magic to repair and protect it. What a difficult and lengthy task..."
Looking at the contents of this experimental notebook, Fran touched his lower lip and fell into thought for a moment.
Given Haida's efficiency, collecting the stone slabs and materials wasn't particularly difficult; it just took a bit more time. However, this doctor's vision certainly didn't stop there... When implementing a project to create a casting, she would always consider how to optimize and iterate it.
Coincidentally, Sigrid was also brought along on this house call.
After a month of intensive instruction from Ms. Tinuvel, the craftswoman's casting skills underwent a qualitative leap, surpassing her previous level of understanding. Handling objects imbued with blessings proved effortless for her.
"Sigrid, please familiarize yourself with this crafting table used for repairing guardian artifacts. I'd like to know if you can repair the spirit-infused ornament on your own without it?"
“Yes, Miss Fran, please leave it to me.”
Upon hearing this, Sigrid gave Fran a rather warm smile. She then put on a monocular scope and began analyzing the synthesis stage.
"Hmm... The synthesis platform itself has mechanical and gear-like features, so it should be a recent product of this country. However, its operation depends on some kind of ancient lost secret technique. Although I don't know the specific principle yet, I can simulate the operating environment of this synthesis platform."
Ancient civilizations certainly possess considerable expertise in combating defilement, for it is invaluable experience gained through the blood, tears, and lives of countless generations. However, when it comes to the field of casting, they do indeed lag significantly behind the artisans who cast the sun.
If the casting techniques of ancient civilizations could match those of the Suncasting Cult, then the former invaders would probably have faced countless war machines... instead of their homeland falling and being forced to hide deep underground with hatred and resentment.
Fran nodded with satisfaction upon hearing Sigrid's description.
“Very good. In that case, we can first try to see if we can use other spirit-infused materials with more significant effects to repair the White Priestess's protective artifact. I happen to have a few highly practical solutions for your reference…”
As she spoke, she took out several square boxes from her medicine box, which were used to store materials.
These include the Tear of Heil, the Abyss Relic "Stairway to Light", the Shell-like Sacred Wing Armor... and several crimson crystals made by Fran using his own blood protein.
-
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Soup! (Transitioning.)
Chapter 156 The Girl in the Tower [A Frontier Country]
[A modified Guardian Noble Phantasm (prototype)]
[Quality: Excellent]
[This pendant, in nine different forms, uses the Tear of Heil as its core magic, and is surrounded by seven or three blood protein crystals from a certain physician. It can store and soothe agitated impurities, calming them. Simultaneously, it can bring the wearer's mind into a highly stable state.]
[Note: "The results were mediocre, barely usable. But as a first-generation product, it at least proved the correctness of the theory." — Fran Hesser.]
After a period of analysis and research, Fran and Sigrid used the materials they had to create the first improved amulet. Even though it was just a prototype, its effect was already close to the original made by the ancient people.
The opal made from the doctor's blood played a crucial role in this.
These crystals, imbued with the qualities of a spiritual anchor, can amplify and forcibly stabilize the wearer's spirit, preventing them from being too easily affected by frenzy during the purification of pollution.
"Hmm... let's use it for now, Lily. We'll iterate after we collect more stone tablets and raw materials. Although Sigrid has a great advantage in casting technology, we still need to further understand the principles of amulet making."
With that, Fran took off the necklace that had undergone the [Remelting and Reshaping] ceremony, gently blew away the lingering heat from it, and then put it on Lily's slender neck.
Lily gently stroked the necklace around her neck, and then felt a sense of tranquility permeate her mind, as if even her thoughts had become much clearer.
She carefully tucked it into her clothes, then nodded gently to Fran and Sigrid, expressing her heartfelt gratitude. Although the borderland was still mired in the filth of death and despair, with purification and redemption seemingly a distant prospect, at least she was never alone.
Whether it's the black knight who has protected Lily all this way, the white witch sister and her friends, or the knight spirits who sacrificed their lives to protect the living... everyone around her is doing their best to help her.
With this in mind, her resolve hardened.
……
After the exploration of the secret chamber was completed, there was nothing of value left deep underground in the White Quarter. ·♂◇”
According to Fran's plan, the current objective is to reach the upper tower and collect as many of the corrupted souls as possible, as well as materials that can be used to craft protective artifacts. However, a very obvious problem now lies ahead...
Can't get up.
The staircases of the parish tower have been destroyed, reduced to unusable ruins. Perhaps they were destroyed by raging undead, or perhaps they were defensive measures taken by the living who once defended this place to block the enemy's path.
"It seems to require a hook-and-lock device... How malicious."
Looking at the broken upper floor, Fran's expression became somewhat complicated. After a moment's thought, she removed the ring from her wrist, "Reaching for the Moon," and lent it to Lily.
"Lily, use this bracelet instead of the grappling hook. You don't need to consciously control the direction; just wearing it will tell you where you want to go. It's much more useful than things like grappling hooks."
As he spoke, the doctor couldn't help but sigh with a sense of melancholy.
She had always wanted to get a living Wirebug from the Old World of Monster Hunter, which was almost a perfect superior replacement for all grappling hook tools, and also had extremely high toughness, and could even bind and manipulate large creatures.
However, things didn't go as planned. To date, Fran has not yet carried out any cross-border medical visits to the Old World, nor has he received any similar materials. Therefore, the related biological research plan has had to be repeatedly shelved...
Lily obediently accepted the "Reaching for the Moon" and quickly familiarized herself with its usage. Because of its biological characteristics, it didn't require much deliberate manipulation... it could automatically choose the most suitable climbing and landing points.
She tentatively reached her arm out towards the gap in the upper floors of the tower, and a black chain immediately shot out and stuck to a pillar that had not yet collapsed.
Just as Lily was pondering her next move, the tension caused by the elastic deformation propelled her upwards to the next floor. Still somewhat unfamiliar with the device, she lost her balance and nearly fell over.
But the black knight appeared just in time and steadily helped Lily up.
However, the white witch wasn't frightened by the near-face-first landing; instead, a hint of curiosity flickered in her clear blue eyes. Clearly, the child didn't dislike this kind of aerial movement… and even seemed eager to try it again.
"Dr. Fran, what method do you intend to use to get to the upper levels of the tower?"
Seeing that Lily had landed safely, Haida asked Fran, who was beside her.
The nun had come up with several different climbing plans, but out of habit, she ultimately decided it was better to leave it to Fran.
"Hmm...the old method."
After saying this, Fran stretched out his hands to Heda, making a hugging gesture typical of a child.
"Carry me upstairs."
“Okay.” Haida agreed, her gray-chestnut eyes remaining calm as ever.
This wasn't the first time the nun had picked up young Fran and acted quickly; she had done the same thing before on Silent Hill when he had transformed into "Flamel"... But this time, her movements resembled those of a little girl asking for a hug, leaving Heda inexplicably somewhat unable to resist.
Fran's body was light and supple, and even through her robes, one could feel a slight warmth. Heda's movements became cautious and deliberate, as if she were worried that Fran might not be able to withstand the impact of her leap.
"tread."
As Heda's funeral maiden armor billowed, she leaped through the gap into the upper tower like a hawk taking flight, her hunting boots kicking up a cloud of dust. The whole process was swift and fluid; Fran barely felt any jolt.
"Hmm... so this is how [Mechanized Spirit Body] can be used."
Fran remarked with great interest.
To an ordinary person, the nun's movements would appear to be perfectly fluid and seamless.
But Fran knew that Haida's initial jump height was actually insufficient... The reason she was able to successfully reach the upper level was because she manifested the spirit of the power sword "Nirvana" into a material state while in mid-air and stepped on it, thus gaining additional kinetic energy for the second stage.
"Be careful, the number of undead here is very high, and the concentration of filth is also much higher."
After piercing a hideous mutated creature with his straight sword, the Black Knight offered a warning.
Although this white witch with amber eyes possessed powers beyond his comprehension, she herself seemed as fragile as any ordinary person. She represented the hope of completely eradicating corruption; in any case… caution was still necessary to prevent any unforeseen events.
If there truly is something weaving destiny, then it must be filled with malice. The Black Knight has witnessed too much death and despair, so even if he hopes to eradicate the filth, he can only bury it deep within his heart.
“Really? That’s good… I’ve also been putting up with these disgusting unclean things for a long time.”
Heda gently set Fran down from her arms, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, a glint unique to hunters. As a hunter of the Funeral Court, being in this environment made her almost physically uncomfortable, and she couldn't wait to begin her hunt.