The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

Page 259

She quickly plunged into the horde of ghouls. With a flash of light from her power sword, shattered corpses and limbs, along with thick blood and gore, scattered across the ground.

Although their appearances had become ferocious and grotesque due to the filth, most of them still retained some characteristics from their previous lives: armored guards, archers with bows, and white witch guardians dressed as nuns.

Following Haida and the Black Knight, the group quickly arrived at the top of the tower. The stench grew increasingly thick and pungent, and its source... was a highly distorted guardian nun. She held a rusty ratchet and continuously emitted obscure, indistinct murmurs.

Her body was tall and bloated, and her nun's robes were tattered, revealing her ashen skin after her body had stiffened.

The guardian of the White Cult… In her lifetime, she may have risked her life for the four White Witches, resisting the tidal wave of corrupted spirits until her last breath. But now, she is merely one of the corrupted beings, her bloodshot crimson eyes filled with nothing but endless violence.

The scene before her eyes reminded Haida of her colleagues who had failed in their hunts against heretics in the past.

They were captured, tortured, yet refused to submit… even in the end, their bodies were desecrated and used as breeding grounds for evil. How tragic.

All Haida could do was end their suffering.

To grant rest is the "compassion" of the hunters.

The guardian nun raised her arm and threw the ratchet, but Haida deflected it with her sword, then closed in and stepped within inches of her.

The long-suppressed power sword "Nie" emitted an almost frenzied metallic hum, piercing her body, swollen from the corruption, severing her ribs and spine. Sticky filth gushed from the wounds, indistinguishable from blood.

But this corrupted guardian did not die; countless tentacles of black matter emerged from the wounds and were about to entangle Heda.

"Don't let your guard down, Sister. This is not over yet."

In that brief moment, the black knight thrust his straight sword out from above, piercing her eye socket and exiting through her jaw.

"Thank you for reminding me, Knight. However, there's no need to worry too much about my safety."

Having said that, Haida gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, and with a swift stroke, severed the corrupted guardian's entire body in half.

She had extensive experience dealing with prey that possessed immortality and powerful regenerative abilities. Destroying the entire torso was far more effective than leaving wounds or severing the head.

Even if the other party is not dead, they will completely lose their ability to move for a long time.

"what……"

Black, putrid blood continued to gush from the guardian's mouth, now reduced to half a shell, but a faint trace of rationality returned to her eyes. She looked at Lily, who was driving the black knight, and Fran, who was standing beside her, and a hint of relief appeared in her pained expression.

“That’s wonderful… the White Witches are still alive and well…”

As those nine whispered words fell, her eight bodies turned to ash like stone, with only the filth still flowing and crawling out.

Lily slowly approached the corpse lying in the pool of blood, her gaze deep and complex, filled with pity and sorrow. She gently bent down and reached out to close the tightly open eyes of the guardian nun.

A moment later, Lily invoked the pure light of the White Witch to purify the filth, freeing her tormented soul.

This time, Lily's long white hair did not turn black due to the filth. It could be seen that the filth she absorbed was stored in the necklace amulet given to her by Fran, while one of the seven crystals formed from blood protein dimmed.

This way, we don't need to feed them the Frenzy Flame every time we perform a purification, which can effectively reduce the physical burden on Fran and Lily...

The evil spirits in the tower had been mostly cleared out, but Lily had no intention of leaving yet. She looked up at the top of the tower, her gaze focusing on a certain spot in the distance through the withered vines covering the walls.

Not only her, but Fran could also vaguely sense some extremely faint call.

It felt like a subconscious or spiritual calling, impossible to articulate, yet... very intimate. Like a young girl whispering in your ear, a request, or perhaps a prayer.

Like a wisp of silk, distant and hazy, yet carrying a pure sincerity.

Following that vague feeling, the two white witches climbed the tower again.

However, since Fran lent [Reaching for the Moon] to Lily, the doctor had to cling to Haida's back the entire time during the difficult ascent. After all, her current mobility was truly worrisome...

Although she was somewhat agile, the White Witch was indeed too petite; she couldn't even touch Sister Heda's head when she jumped.

To conserve her spiritual energy, Haida did not use the secret technique [Mechanized Spirit Body] to leap through the air this time.

Carrying Bafran on her back, she gripped a wooden-handled folding knife in each hand, using them as ice axes to rapidly scale the crumbling walls.

A few breaths later, the group arrived at a secluded room at the very top of the tower.

Before their eyes was a girl whose appearance and even clothing were exactly the same as Lily's. She was leaning against the wall, sitting on the ground, her face peaceful, her long eyelashes slightly furrowed... as if she were simply immersed in a sweet dream.

However, the brilliance of her life had been extinguished, like a candle that had burned out its wax.

On the desk next to it was a notebook with a leather cover, which seemed to have been carefully preserved and showed no signs of damage.

In the brief silence, Fran began to examine the notebook.

Celeste taught me that good deeds are rewarded, so I want to befriend that girl. After all, waking up unable to speak is truly pitiful... but to be honest, I just want to have a friend I can talk to as soon as possible.

What's the girl's name? If I can meet her mother, I should ask her.

That's our new little sister.

The handwriting is a little unpolished, but you can tell the writer was quite serious, seemingly trying to write neatly. The joy of welcoming the new little sister and the hope for the future are faintly visible between the lines.

-

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soup!

Chapter 157 Loneliness, Longing, and Yearning [A Frontier Country]

As Fran perused the notes, Lily walked toward the long-dead White Witch by the wall, placed her hand on her forehead, and began to receive her remaining spirit, prayers, and memories.

As the memories gradually surfaced, Lily saw the past scenes belonging to this white witch before her eyes.

She spends time with Celeste, the guardian of the White Quarter, and diligently writes in her diary under the lamplight in her room. She sees her sleeping "sister" being sent to the Quarter... and her wish to become a true White Priestess as soon as possible to help her mother.

The newly born white witches are still young, unpolished, and unrefined, like rough gems.

They may be naive and inexperienced, knowing little about this malicious world and the quagmire-stricken borderland, but they all inherited the gentleness and kindness of the White Priestess of the Spring, "Fridia." They want to do everything in their power to purify the filth, save those suffering, and help their mothers.

But under the filthy rain that enveloped the entire borderland, these fragile women could only wither and die like budding flowers.

These memories filled Lily with confusion.

The White Witch that Guardian Celeste knew was the girl who was already dead before her, not herself... The signature "Lily" on the notebook also proved this. Perhaps, she was the real Lily.

Then, who am I?

Clinging to a sliver of hope, Lily looked at Fran beside her. She hoped this older sister could give her an answer. At least, tell her more about her mother and sisters… She was also a White Witch, and should share in all of this.

Noticing Lily's gaze, Fran maintained a slight smile and reached out to rub her head.

“My dearest Lily, I also want to tell you everything. But most of my memories of the borderlands are lost and blurred, and difficult to retrieve. But please believe me, I will stay with you until the filth of the borderlands is completely eradicated... until the end of this journey.”

Feeling the warmth from the doctor's palm, Lily nodded, her emotions gradually calming down.

Now she has received the remaining prayers and thoughts of the deceased white witch, which has amplified both her spiritual power and her ability to purify impurities.

Fran, however, used Soul Shaping and Crown Thief to quietly take away something else by touching the soul... namely, the pure soul contained within the body of the White Witch.

Speaking of which, there should also be a deceased young white witch in the underground chamber of Cliff Village, but Fran appeared there instead. However, her spirit was not lost; instead, it resided in the pendant worn by the doctor.

That's the pendant that every White Priestess possesses, crafted from three fragments of the original "Guardian Noble Phantasm". Lily V currently possesses one of them, but it has been modified by Fran and Sigrid.

That way, the souls of the two young witches were collected...

Sensing the pure white soul drifting within the necklace, Fran's gaze deepened, as if he were secretly plotting something.

Before leaving the White Quarter, with an insatiable spirit of exploration, the group collected all the relics and ornaments hidden deep within the room. Among them was a string of silver prayer beads worn by the Guardian Celeste, and a colorful, seven-colored feather ornament.

The former retains the will of the guardians to protect the White Witch, while the latter is inscribed with magic that can summon the wind, making jumping and movement faster and lighter.

Although Fran was somewhat interested in the exotic magic of the borderland, he still entrusted it to Lily.

The most pressing matter right now is to help Lily grow as much as possible; other research needs can be put on hold for the time being. Anyway, according to the "transcending boundaries" effect, these souvenirs can't be taken away, so they're useless to her... it's better to leave them all to her.

-

After confirming that there was nothing of value left in the entire tower, Fran and his companions left the White Parish.

During her scavenging, Fran found a map of a borderland. Although it wasn't detailed, it marked some basic geographical locations, saving her a lot of trouble planning her route.

Next stop... is the "Magicians' Guild," one of the places the doctor is most interested in.

Although the magic of borderland countries has many limitations, primarily focusing on the type of shaping energy that causes direct harm, it still possesses certain value for reference and learning. This doctor has always been open to all kinds of mystical knowledge from different systems.

Traveling by horse-drawn carriage along the path leading to the cliff village, the group quickly arrived at the outskirts of the Magic Association's location after half a day's journey. The cliffs here were steep, and there were many potholes and pools of water along the way, making it difficult to pass.

At this moment, Lily was resting on Fran's shoulder, and neither of them had woken up yet.

Children Lily's age already have a significant need for sleep, not to mention that purifying impurities places a tremendous burden on both the body and mind. While Fran didn't previously need to sleep to recover her strength, she is now just a young White Witch...

To ensure he had enough energy, the doctor also opted to take a short nap. And having a warm little one leaning on his shoulder could indeed make him sleepy.

Sister Haida and the black knight, seated on either side of the carriage, exchanged a glance and, with a tacit understanding, refrained from waking them. The borderland was now nothing but death and despair, and the last hope for its salvation rested on the shoulders of two young, white-haired witches… What a heavy burden this was!

They deserve rest, even if it's just a moment of peace in their dreams.

4. About half an hour later, Lily opened her eyes. She had slept for a while on the way here, so she woke up quickly after the carriage stopped bumping. For some reason, she felt quite at ease falling asleep in Fran's presence, as if her nightmares had been dispelled by her older sister.

"The Magicians' Association is just ahead."

The black-clad knight helped the still slightly unsteady Lily down from the carriage, and Fran also ended his feigned sleep at this moment. Although he appeared to be asleep, the doctor was actually still paying attention to the outside world.

As Rufran looked ahead at the forest filled with giant trees and withered branches, his amber eyes momentarily became somewhat complicated.

The Magicians' Guild is located in a complex forest terrain, overgrown with vegetation, and it seems like it's entirely on foot. Oh, and she's wearing a little girl's white pleated skirt right now...

The doctor glanced silently at Haida, who simply nodded slightly, understanding her meaning without needing to say a word.

If they encounter rugged terrain that is difficult to traverse, Haida will provide assistance.

Given the nun's mobility, carrying a load of no more than thirty kilograms would be a piece of cake. Even bringing Lily along wouldn't matter; most white witches are slender, and the two of them together probably wouldn't even weigh more than a hundred kilograms.

Fortunately, although the Magicians' Guild's buildings are located inside the forest, there are still wide, stone-paved roads. This makes sense, as essential transportation routes are indispensable to ensure the supply of materials and resources.

However, this road had clearly been abandoned for a long time, overgrown with vines and thorns, and one could occasionally encounter ghouls in plant form. These might be flowers or plants, or some kind of fungus, but after slaying them... one could find human corpses hidden within them.

"There isn't a single place in this country that isn't a death trap..."

As she sheathed her sword, Haida couldn't help but sigh softly.

As the group ventured deeper into the Mage's Association, the surrounding vegetation grew increasingly lush and verdant. In addition to flowers and trees, the area was also covered with various strangely shaped fungal stains, which were multiplying and nearly blocking their path.

"Are they fungi affected by the foulness?"

Gazing at the scene before her, Haida's eyes narrowed slightly, as if recalling some unpleasant memories. Moreover, from the moment she arrived, an imperceptible, strange aura had begun to permeate the surrounding air.

"spore."

With her keen sense of smell, Haida quickly realized the source of the strange phenomenon. Fran immediately covered Lily's mouth and nose, then raised her hand to activate [Dust Repelling], repelling the surrounding spores.

"Inhalation filtration can only reduce some of the ingestion, as these spore particles can penetrate the skin. Although this procedure can ensure that you are not affected by the toxic fumes, it is best to deal with the source of transmission as soon as possible."

As she spoke, Fran pointed to the filthy fungus cluster where the stench was strongest.

Zero is "there".

Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Haida shot off like an arrow, hurtling towards the giant fungus cluster with a whistling sound. Lily also summoned the spirit of the Black Knight to coordinate the attack from the side.

6. "Why can't I move forward any further... even just one more step..."

Nine. As a series of disordered murmurs arose, a man dressed in a magician's robe emerged from the giant fungal clump. His skin was covered by fungal strains, and his face was blurred, with only a pair of lifeless eyes gleaming with a fierce, bloodthirsty light visible.

He waved the staff in his hand used for casting spells, and the surrounding strains writhed and slithered under his manipulation, releasing more misty spore dust in the process.

4 After a moment's consideration, Haida stopped and gestured to the black knight to distance himself from her.

Although he didn't yet understand the nun's strategic plan, he still cooperated by taking a few steps back. Just then, Haida raised her composite spiked crossbow, "Black Rose," and pulled the trigger towards the still muttering Fungus Magician.

"Bang!"

Although Zhong is equipped with a crossbow firing system, it seems that Haida only used it to fire explosive bolts. But there's nothing she can do about it... After experiencing the near-destructive power of Sigrid's specially made ammunition, the lethality of ordinary crossbow bolts is simply unacceptable.

Moreover, most of the hunters, like the White Cup scholars, are staunch supporters of the theory of firepower superiority.

The explosive arrow, imbued with the primordial solar essence, struck the Magician of Fungi directly, instantly unleashing a dazzling, scorching wave of light and flame. The transparent shockwaves spread out in layers, causing the ground to tremble.

The high concentration of spore dust around N was also ignited, turning into swirling smoke and ashes. Fortunately, this was an open area... otherwise, a dust explosion would have been almost inevitable.

This explosive arrow directly destroyed his body, incinerating it along with countless sticky, liquid impurities. Although these black filth themselves possessed the quality of immortality, Sigrid's spirit ultimately originated from a fragment of the primordial sun, that of the supreme celestial being…

Even immortal beings are not exempt from the incandescence that originates from radiance.

"Amazing power."

The black knight's expression turned solemn, and he made his assessment after a moment. Now he understood why the nun had asked him to keep his distance earlier... it was to prevent him from being caught in the blast wave of flames.

“These are precious consumables and cannot be used as regular weaponry.”

Haida explained.

Sigrid gave her a total of five special explosive arrows. Including the ones used this time, she now only has two left, and she has to use them sparingly.