The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

Page 261

Painful efforts and years wasted, discarded manuscripts and notes piled up like mountains under the lamplight. Just as everything was beginning to take shape and was nearing completion... a torrential downpour engulfed the Mage's Association, along with the Dark Witch Elaine.

To this day, the barrier she created with her last breath still exists, protecting everything in the Mage's Association from complete collapse and submersion.

Fran's expression remained unchanged as he looked at the wisp of witch's spirit that Lily had taken into her hand.

As a highly qualified and experienced doctor, witnessing such tragic events was nothing out of the ordinary for her. However, it might be a bit hasty to declare it a "tragedy" before it has even come to a close.

Perhaps no matter how hard Oedipus struggled, he could not escape his predetermined fate of killing his father and marrying his mother, but the writers outside the stage may not be unable to rewrite his ending.

True destiny is constantly changing; there is no such thing as a "fixed fate."

“Come on, Lily, help me organize the Mage Association’s data and notes that haven’t been taken yet. Besides that… you should be able to sense that there’s another one of our ‘sisters’ nearby.”

As he spoke, Fran helped Lily up from the ground, who was still immersed in the sadness of the Dark Witch, and pinched her cheek.

Hearing her sister's call and feeling the warm touch on her face, the girl gradually came back to her senses. She then took a deep breath and patted her cheeks to wake herself up.

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Soup! (Transitioning.)

Chapter 159 Before the Bones Hall [A Frontier Country]

The magic Elaine the Dark Witch cast in her final moments was a protective barrier to repel the flow of water.

Without the barrier, the entire Mage's Association would likely have been completely submerged by the rain of death. Even so, the limited rainwater still carried this filth and seeped into the area, contaminating and corroding all living beings... like a malignant tumor clinging to the bone.

After obtaining the Dark Witch's soul, Lily was able to command her to cast a series of exotic spells, including evocation spells, protective barriers, and wind-summoning spells... However, she had no self-awareness and could only execute the most basic commands.

Elaine's "Witch's Foam" grants Lily the ability to move nimbly in water, preventing her from being hindered by puddles in the flooded areas.

It's a bit of a shame that Fran can't use the clinic's large medical equipment right now, otherwise she could use the [Bioconversion Device] to extract all the mysterious knowledge of foreign magic from Elaine's soul directly... Of course, she would ensure that Elaine's soul essence would not be damaged during the process.

After all, she could use the souls of both the corrupted and the young priestesses in great ways...

Fortunately, the Mage's Association had a wealth of intact historical records and documents for reference. After a period of analysis and study, Fran had a basic grasp of the operating principles of the protective barrier and was able to recreate it.

After being processed by Sigrid's gold-melting ritual, Fran's 8{:伍℃陸＠●浏san/￣si私儿更新群］〓: necklace amulet was now imbued with a protective barrier. Although the doctor didn't have much need for protective measures... at least he could avoid the effects of harsh environments and wouldn't have to constantly worry about getting dirty from sewage or dust.

Oh, trying to wear a white dress and white shoes and keep them clean in such a ruin-like place is no small challenge; only those who have experienced it firsthand can understand how difficult it is.

After successfully collecting the soul of the Dark Witch Elaine, Fran and Lily followed a subtle connection and found a young, inexperienced witch hiding in a secret chamber of the Mage's Association. Like the others, her life had also ended.

Faced with the passing of one sister after another, all Lily can do is inherit their last will and prayers.

Because Fran had been found alive earlier, even though Lily always prepared for the worst when searching for her sisters, she couldn't help but still hold onto a sliver of hope for a miracle... However, in the end, all she found was a lifeless corpse.

But their remaining will remains vibrant and bright, inspiring this little white witch to continue moving forward.

Seeing Lily cradling her dead sister's face before her, even Haida, who was long accustomed to witnessing death, felt an indescribable sense of oppression creeping over her. Yes, "oppression"—this word seemed to represent the dominant theme of the entire borderland.

This is a country where filth has spread unchecked, utterly mired in despair... and the burden of saving it rests entirely on the tender shoulders of a little girl. Perhaps even the word "save" isn't quite right; all she can do now is bring peace to the dead.

Like a funeral director lingering in a deathly place, gathering the scattered remains one by one for burial.

As Lily received the prayers of the deceased White Witch, Fran silently took her soul. For this doctor, it didn't matter whether any relics or special items were missing... but the souls had to be completely taken into his possession, not a single one could be missing.

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After their exploration of the Magic Association came to an end, the group of land dwellers returned to Cliff Village along the same path. This was also the place where Lily encountered the four old warriors, Grote, and where she first found Fran.

Here, Lily found an ancient stone slab that she had not discovered before, as well as traces of the White Witch's life in the village.

It was a scribbled drawing on the wall with a chalk pen, depicting children playing around the White Witch in the sunlight.

This reminded Lily of the young undead she had encountered in the basement where her sister Fran lived... They had huddled together in life, as if praying, or perhaps just leaning on each other for a sense of security.

But in the end, they still could not escape their fate of death.

Beyond Cliff Village lies a chasm-like precipice, beyond which lies the "Twin Fortress." It was a crucial military stronghold where the border kingdom once directly confronted the Undead, and it was there that the White Priestess of the Spring, "Fridia," purified the King of the Undead.

For all who experienced the war at Twin Fortresses, it was a nightmarish time. The corrupted things surged like a never-ending tide... To fight against them, the knights who once guarded this place drank the "elixir of immortality," gaining bodies stronger than the living.

But the price of all this may be even more unbearable than death itself.

The moment they drank the elixir, the knights were no longer truly alive. The self-awareness they retained was merely an illusion under a form of paralysis; their minds would eventually be eroded and devoured by madness, inevitably leading to their downfall.

"Um……"

Looking out at the imposing fortress beyond the cliff, Fran quickly estimated the distance between them.

The fortress's drawbridge had already been folded up, making it an impossible dream to leap across the chasm. Even the tentacles of the "Reaching for the Moon" technique couldn't reach the cliff face on the other side, so the idea of ​​forcing their way across was essentially out of the question.

Just then, the eight black knights revealed themselves in seven different forms and began to recount their thoughts. (Four) Four♀. Two§△

"Let's go around into the catacombs by the fork in the road; there should be another passage there."

"it is good."

Fran and Lily had no objections and readily expressed their agreement. After all, neither of them was familiar with the terrain of this borderland country, and having someone point out the next course of action was indeed invaluable at this point…

Arriving at the fork in the road, there was an abandoned entrance covered in deep red, filthy roots. Haida immediately stepped forward and swung her sword, slicing open a rectangular gap large enough for a person to pass through. Her movements were fluid and light, leaving a clean, mirror-like opening.

The power sword "Nie" emitted a faint, resentful metallic hum, seemingly expressing its dissatisfaction.

Since arriving in this borderland, its most frequent task has no longer been slaying evil creatures, but rather breaking down doors and demolishing walls... which is clearly the job of an entrenching tool. As a noble power sword, some resentment is inevitable.

The passage beneath the abandoned entrance was completely submerged by rainwater, but Lily had mastered the Dark Witch Elaine's "Witch's Bubble," so she encountered no hindrance when diving into the water.

Although Fran could move through the water thanks to the protective barrier on her necklace, she still activated [Dust Removal] to repel the water around them so that Haida, who was accompanying her, wouldn't get wet.

Leaving the now-submerged underground passage, the group stepped into the vast and empty underground tomb.

Under the light of lamps and candles on the pillars, the faces of the statues in the tomb are clearly visible. The delicate and exquisite plaster carvings vividly depict their serene and gentle faces, as well as their hands clasped in prayer.

Beneath the sacred sculptures lay towering piles of corpses and skeletons, filthy and decaying matter wandering aimlessly. Some even retained the kneeling posture of devout prostration before their death.

Search, search QQ group:◇⊥□∠■“∫＞ˇ"〇∑◎“How pathetic…”

The Black Knight and Heda quickly and efficiently cleared away the undead along the way, while Lily directed the Dark Witch Elaine to provide barrage support with Evocation Bullets. This made the entire process exceptionally easy and smooth.

As more and more spirits and the White Witch's prayers flowed into Lily's body, she became increasingly adept at using her own power.

"The tomb is still the same as I remember it. It seems that they have not completely erased the traces of the ancient people."

Once the threat to the entire area was completely eliminated, the Black Knight sheathed his cracked sword and let out a sigh.

Upon hearing this, Lily couldn't help but turn her gaze to the knight who had been by her side for so long. She had already harbored doubts when she was deciphering the ancient tribal stone tablets... but it wasn't until he brought it up himself that Lily felt free to express her thoughts.

"I have no intention of hiding my identity."

Looking into Lily's clear blue eyes, the black knight fell silent for a moment before recounting the history of the ancient people.

"Initially, the borderlands were the homeland where ancient peoples lived and multiplied for generations... until the invaders came and completely stripped us of everything. The survivors had no choice but to abandon their homes, hide deep underground, and then wither away with resentment."

“I was once a warrior of an ancient people, burdened with an immortal pact and the mission of protecting the White Witch. Although I cannot be called ‘survivor’ in my current form, I at least retain the qualification to be a blade.”

As the black knight recounted his story, Lily simply reached out and gently took his hand.

His homeland, his friends, even his family, had all perished. As the last survivor, how similar he was to himself? Lily even had an older sister who had survived, but the Black Knight was truly all alone.

For this knight, perhaps any form of verbal comfort would be inadequate. All Lily could do was convey her trust and feelings to him as best she could.

Feeling a warmth from the living emanating from her cold palm, the black knight was speechless for a moment, then tightened his grip on her hand.

...four

Whether in the White Quarter or the Cliff Village, these settlements on the ground, though rife with evil spirits… mostly exuded a chilling, eerie silence. The once bustling streets were now deserted, quiet and empty. A sense of unease and trepidation arose within them.

The underground cemetery, however, was permeated with an aura of pure death.

Rotten flesh and bones were everywhere, piled up like mountains. Most of them maintained the desperate posture before their death, either wailing or struggling, and some of the incompletely defiled dead could even utter prayer-like murmurs.

People in such an extremely oppressive environment inevitably experience a sense of mental disorientation... as if they were in a true, inescapable hell. 5

Piercing, severing, tearing, Haida cleared away the filthy demons hidden among the piles of corpses. Even though the intensity of the battle wasn't high, she still genuinely felt the sorrow of a borderland.

Those who have defiled themselves always show a peaceful expression when they die, as the defilement fades away, revealing their true appearance when they were still human.

The villagers who fled from Cliff Village, the tomb keepers who have guarded the stone tablet for generations, and the guardians of the White Cult who have honed their skills here. They may be innocent, or they may be those who have sacrificed their lives for the White Witch...

After dealing with and purifying an old gravedigger who was clearly stronger than the other undead, Fran and Lily walked through the hall of the underground chapel and entered a safer inner room for a short rest.

The room's interior was rather rudimentary, with nothing particularly noteworthy. The only eye-catching items were the paints and wooden canvases placed to the side. Due to the pervasive dampness, dark green mold was visible on the canvases.

There was a painting on the wall depicting three little white witches who looked exactly like Lily.

From the moment she stepped into the room, Lily felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity and warmth.

Is this the room where Mom used to live?

Then, a ring exuding a warm aura confirmed Lily's guess. She took the ring from beside the easel, then gently closed her eyes, sensing within it the unmistakable aura and longing of the White Priestess of the Spring, "Fridia."

"It seems she likes painting..."

Looking at the notes on the canvas, which showed signs of trembling, the Black Knight speculated in a deep voice.

Meanwhile, Fran noticed the numerous notebooks placed on the ground. Driven by some professional instinct, she immediately opened and began to peruse them.

The White Priestess of the Spring embodies the hopes of countless people in the borderlands and the followers of the White Cult. Therefore, she can only hide her loneliness, vulnerability, and pain deep in her heart. For her, painting and diary entries are perhaps the only ways to relieve her turbulent emotions.

Confused by the sudden departure of the previous White Witch, her own mother; struggling against the Lord of Decay in the Twin Fortresses; enduring the pain and numbness of massive amounts of filth; and worrying about her body becoming increasingly out of control...

Faced with increasingly severe physical discomfort, Fridia was only worried that she would not be able to fulfill her promise to the dark witch Elaine... to paint a picture for her.

“A respectable patient… no, perhaps she should be called a ‘doctor’.”

Fran closed his notebook and murmured something almost imperceptibly.

This time, the patient being treated is the White Priestess of the Spring, but she herself is not actually ill. What is truly sick is the borderland, this land tainted by filth... and Friedia is the physician who is doing everything in her power to heal it.

She bore the suffering and curses of the borderland, and when she could no longer bear it all, the fate of destruction, which had been forcibly postponed, followed.

After confirming that nothing was left behind in the room, Fran led Lily away, following the passageway through the catacombs to the ossuary in the central area. Before proceeding, she also encountered a new young witch along the way.

Similarly, she is already dead.

Perhaps witnessing her sisters' remains repeatedly had numbed Lily; only a self-protective numbness was visible on her face, and grief and tears seemed to have disappeared with "habit."

Sensing the emotions hidden beneath Lily's surface, Fran sighed softly and wrapped his arms around her waist, giving her a hug.

Without needing to say more, Fran simply showed the young White Witch through her actions that she was not alone. Even without her, those who fought against the filth to the very end would accompany her on her journey to the very end.

Of course, the doctor didn't forget to take the soul from the dead little white witch. This was the fourth one he'd collected along the way.

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soup!

(I suddenly fell seriously ill yesterday, with a flu-like fever of 38°C that kept me in bed, so sorry!)

Chapter 160 Tulips [A Borderland]

On his way to the ossuary in the catacombs, Fran also collected several scattered notebooks along the way.

[I must go to the forbidden zone with the White Witch. Besides purification, what other methods are there to remove the impurities?] 2

The fact that I can't see Celeste for a while is what I find most unbearable.

I long to hear her voice, to hold her close, and to wish she would always be mine.

[If Celeste were the guardian instead of me, she would be the one risking her life... that would be even more unbearable than the current situation, so this is for the best.]

[As long as Celeste is here, I...]

The most famous is "Celia". (Part 3)

Based on fragments of other notebooks, it is known that she was the older sister of "Cirid," the guardian who died in the White Quarter. Judging from the contents, she took her sister's place as the guardian of the White Witch of the Spring, spending many difficult years by her side resisting countless acts of defilement. (Wu)

Despite being misunderstood and alienated and resented by her beloved younger sister, Celia remained steadfast in upholding her beliefs.

Soon, Fran encountered the corrupted White Witch Guardian in the ossuary at the center of the tomb.

Celia wore tattered nun's robes and held a piercing hammer stained with congealed blood. Her appearance was almost identical to Celia's.

Corroded by the filth, the guardian's body has undergone severe distortion... a pair of dark gray wings protruding from her shoulder blades can be seen on her back, exuding an inhuman, alien aura. Upon sensing the presence of the living, Celia immediately descended into a berserk rage.

With a flap of her wings, a surge of air rose up. Her figure suddenly leaped into the air, slamming her warhammer down heavily on Lily.

"Qiang!"

In an instant, a faint glow appeared on the Fritilla ring in Lily's hand, absorbing the heavy blow. But the protective light vanished in an instant. Oh, in a way... the mechanism of this power is similar to "parrying".

As the spirit materialized, the Black Knight immediately drew his sword and retaliated, slicing it across Celid's neck. Meanwhile, the Black Witch Elaine conjured several energy projectiles, striking Celid's body and knocking her back several steps.