The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

Page 278

"And you, after betraying your former master, gained the favor of the Moon of Rebirth, and your study of lunar phase divination has become increasingly profound... You can even use the alchemical technique of [Salt Whitening] directly as a secret art."

The right arm of Liu, the Marquis of the Murdoch family, was covered with a layer of grayish-white crystalline salt frost, and this transformation was spreading deeper as the lunar ethereal essence continued to erode it.

He clicked his tongue softly, then raised his hand and snapped off the salt-like arm.

Jude and Bernhard were roughly equal in rank and strength, and with the added strength of their racial traits, it was almost certain that this battle would ultimately be a contest of endurance and attrition, turning into a blood-soaked grinder where they would wear each other down.

However, if we had to determine who was better, Jude had the upper hand in the exchange just now.

However, this negligible advantage is far from enough to make a decisive move... Bernhard also knows that he may not be able to match his opponent, which is why he brought in "outside help".

"If we keep playing around like this, we might not be able to determine a winner even if we fight for two months. I think you should know where my confidence comes from."

Sobernhardt's trip was by no means for a one-on-one duel.

Since they were already ready to break off all pretense of civility, he was naturally prepared to overwhelm the situation and completely crush the opponent.

"Long time no see, Marquis Jude."

As they were talking, an unexpected visitor emerged from the shadows.

His face was aged, but his clothes were proper and meticulous. He wore a scholar's robe in the style of the Star Abyss Society, with the inner buttons fastened all the way to the collar, almost without any care.

Mylvis Rudolph, the president of the Star Abyss Society.

Compared to his irritability and mania when facing Fran at Oak Shadow Nest, his expression now returned to a deep and reserved one. Of course, this did not mean that he had forgotten that infuriating and unpleasant past; he had simply buried the enmity even deeper.

"You launched a massive attack on the crows, yet you yourself didn't go to Oak Shadow Nest? ... In other words, your true intention was to attack the Moonkin from the very beginning. It seems you humans have always been keen on playing these kinds of tricks."

Upon seeing Melvis, even the Marquis Jude couldn't help but become serious and felt a sense of unease.

"The more unconventional something is, the less likely it is to be noticed by others, and the more likely it is to achieve remarkable results."

Melvis explained succinctly.

"Even if they commit heinous crimes, the plunderers are ultimately just a rabble that will scatter at the sound of the tide. I am more interested in the price that Marquis Bernhard has promised in this secret war than in the treasures they hoard in their nests."

Explaining the origins of things to a dying person is undoubtedly a pointless and foolish act, and the reason why this guild leader is willing to waste his breath is mainly because he is brewing the first type of mid-level secret technique, [Yuanjing Haigong].

He had used this technique when attempting to ambush Fran at Oak Shadow Nest, and in order to kill him in one strike, he used the most spiritually demanding and fastest-forming method of activation. In the end, he exhausted all his resources and still failed.

This also made Melvis's approach to magic more cautious; if he could complete the incantation in secret, he shouldn't expose himself prematurely. If Bernhard hadn't suddenly signaled him to act, he wouldn't have needed to resort to this ancient method to buy time.

"The Elders' Council hasn't made a move either. Is it tacit approval or are they still unaware?... Heh, do you think you've already won? This is my Vanfna Street, my family territory, my mansion!"

Sensing the forbidden spirituality that Melvis was gathering, Jude no longer intended to conceal his trump card. He raised his arm and gave the command, and the meticulously manicured lawn in the courtyard immediately began to hum with mechanical activity.

Immediately, several hidden panels opened and closed rapidly, revealing the cold steel frames of the five "Truth" type external armors produced in White Cup.

Driven by the burning of the spiritual materials, the core of the secret furnace roared loudly and steadily.

Smoke billowed around, blurring the figures of the people facing off in the courtyard.

"A mechanical creation made of white cups..."

Bernhard's gaze was now deep, but he wasn't overly surprised. The methods used by the other party were still within his acceptable range.

The White Cup Order had already showcased their "Truth" type external armor at their academic conference in February of this year.

The Moon Familia sent Viscount Ohausen Murdock as their representative that time, but his ideology leaned more towards Noralia. He strongly supported the collaboration and technological innovation with the White Cup, but didn't have much of a sense of identification with their own family.

He clearly expressed his intention to purchase, but Baibei made a rather tantalizing refusal, saying, "The technology is not yet perfect, but if you are willing to purchase other orders and the amount reaches the level stipulated in the contract, we can give priority to supply once the external armor is officially put into production."

Unexpectedly, that old bastard Jude got them ahead of time, and a whole five of them at that…

But so what?

These external armors, when deployed on any battlefield, could become meat grinders tearing through defenses, but in clashes at the high-ranking priest level, their steel construction would lose its immense advantage in ravaging mortal bodies.

"Execute Order Three: Saturation firepower suppression, maintain a defensive posture until the very end." - Yi

Almost instantly after Jude finished speaking, the five "Truth" type external armored vehicles swiftly raised their large-caliber machine guns attached to their single arms and began relentlessly unleashing steel-core bullets from their magazines.

Gunshots rang out like a torrential rain, and spent cartridges scattered in an orderly fashion amidst the smoke.

"Autonomous combat? That Grantham guy has actually optimized this war machine to this extent..."

Seeing the external armor begin searching for enemies without a pilot, Melvis's expression darkened. The Star Abyss Society and the Pure White Cup once shared a common origin, and therefore, the society's leader had to acknowledge the now catastrophic gap in their forging technology.

If the ancestors of the Lingchao people had not embarked on the path of pursuing the remains of the gods, perhaps everything would be different now.

Of course, there's no point in dwelling on these things now. Melvis wasn't the initial decision-maker who led the disagreement; he was merely someone who inherited the ideas of his predecessors. From the beginning, he had neither the reason nor the ability to turn back; he could only push the existing path to its limit.

"Unfortunately, my ring imbued with the 'Soul-Sucking Sunflower' secret technique was stolen by 'Vivian' in Oak Shadow Nest, otherwise I could have paralyzed these steel cans in a more efficient way..." Si

Melvis grumbled, then nonchalantly accepted the machine gun fire raining down on him.

One could see that the illusory figure of Yuanjing, composed of bones, coral, and the cold moonlight, was enveloping the guild leader. The steel-core bullets that shot out seemed to sink into the black tide of the abyss the moment they made contact with it; their immense kinetic energy caused not even the slightest ripple. Slaughter.

The [Yuki-i Skeleton Palace] has already taken shape.

The first type of arcane arts, imbued with forbidden spirituality, has already touched upon the deep principles beneath the material world, making purely mechanical creations unable to pose a substantial threat to it. This emboldened Melvis and Bernhard.

But Jude clearly never expected to secure victory with this tactic; his figure was hidden in the smoke and fire, as if he were preparing something.

"Humph."

Melvis wielded the illusory Abyss, lashing out with his massive, fleshy tentacles at the five external armored "Truth" units maintaining their firing range. The lash shattered the pervasive mist, shattering two of the armored units along with Jude.

The steel frame twisted and deformed under the immense pressure of the external force, and the secret furnace core within exploded due to unstable fuel leakage. However... Marquis Jude himself was completely unharmed, his body instantly returning to its original state after shattering.

"The damage caused by the first type of secret technique cannot be recovered by something like 'self-healing' alone..."

Seeing the scene before him, Melvis couldn't help but reveal a disdainful smile.

The spiritual essence of the Abyss's remains can erode and corrode almost any form of matter; once contaminated, blood and flesh will inevitably turn into coral-like bone within moments. The Moon Clan's secret talent of transforming their own blood merely accelerates this process.

But soon, he realized something was wrong.

"Wait... that's not Jude. Damn it, he's trying to escape!"

As a first-class mid-level secret technique, [Abyss Well Palace] is like a mobile fortress, combining offense and defense, and also possesses an corrosive spiritual element that can continuously penetrate the surrounding environment. Its only drawback lies in its mobility.

If Melvis moves himself quickly, the phantom of the Abyss, which is centered on him as the core of the secret technique, will show signs of instability, and may even collapse.

Bernhard had now escaped the protective range of the Abyss Phantom and plunged into the surging barrage of bullets.

Almost instantly, he confirmed the reality of the situation. Beside the two destroyed mechanical armors stood a humanoid figure that had been completely ossified by the Abyssal Spirit Essence, but it was clearly not Jude himself.

In fact... Marquis Jude had already decided to withdraw after realizing he was powerless to resist.

Whether it was his previous attitude of fighting to the death, his confident momentum, or the unveiling of the hidden trump card of "Truth" armor, they were all just means to delay the enemy's pursuit.

As for "Jude," who was just shattered by the tentacles of the Abyss Well, he was a puppet made of blood.

The moment the machine guns kicked up smoke, he activated [Bat Transformation], transforming himself into countless small bats and decisively beginning his escape.

"They never intended to resist to the end from the very beginning? They really value their lives... That old bastard had been operating on Vanfna Street for who knows how long, and now he abandoned it without a moment's hesitation."

Due to the type of arcane arts he studied, Melvis was better suited for siege warfare and less adept at mobile combat. Bernhard, on the other hand, knew just how agile his brethren were after transforming into bats, and quickly abandoned his pursuit.

By losing Vanfna Street, Jude essentially lost all his foundation.

Rather than the unlikely prospect of "eliminating the root of the problem," taking over the numerous assets left behind by the enemy was clearly more pressing. Bernhard dodged the incoming bullets until the large-capacity ammunition magazines of his mech armor were completely emptied.

But their offensive did not end there. The remaining 4 mechs revealed the high-speed rotating saw blades attached to their other arms, no longer acting as artillery emplacements, but instead attacking Bernhard at top speed.

It can be seen that the secret furnace cores of these war machines are in a critical state of red-hot heat, and the meltdown alarm is beeping frequently.

"boom!"

The ignited spiritual energy rose with a blinding flash of light, and Bernhard retreated back into the protection of the illusory abyss at the last moment. Although he looked somewhat disheveled, apart from moderate burns, he did not suffer any serious bodily damage.

If it were merely a duel between these two ancient Moonkin, then these five "Truth" type armors would likely be the final factor that tipped the scales of victory.

"As expected, there's a self-destruct mechanism. Grantham hates having his academic work stolen, so he usually has this kind of backup plan..."

Melvis couldn't help but feel a little regretful that he couldn't retrieve the complete "Truth" type external armor.

But that doesn't matter...

With Jude having escaped, the Murdoch family, now led by Bernhard, will have an absolute advantage over the Noralia family, allowing them to further pressure the Moon Familia's council of elders.

While not perfect, Melvis's strategic intentions have been achieved.

To be honest, there are still some suspicious and strange things going on. Jude and the Noralian family have been entrenched in Azvafna Street for nearly a thousand years, and they should have much more trump cards up their sleeves than this. But he hasn't used a single one of them—secret arts, rituals, hidden realms, or ancient relics.

The activation process may take time, which could delay the retreat.

If that is the reason, then Jude's speed in making choices and decisions is truly astonishing.

While sacrificing one's own tail to survive is not uncommon, is it really possible for someone to relinquish the treasures, wealth, and spiritual materials accumulated throughout their life without hesitation? It's a real pity that they couldn't completely eliminate him.

...＜＿□?娸×±§4si∪★贰昭←>樹〖≠裙：

As Rosalie strolled through the alleyways of Vanfna Street at night, intending to gather information near the Marquis's mansion, a small bat fluttered its fleshy wings and landed on her shoulder, its movements elegant and light.

It is one of the individuals formed after Jude [transformed into a bat].

"Rosalie, don't go to my mansion, it has already fallen. Get out of here before the Star Abyss Society surrounds Vanfna Street. Their operation is very limited so as not to alert the Elder Council."

"Ah...you are the Marquis?"

Using her sensitivity to the scent of blood and her familiarity with Jude's tone, Rosalie quickly identified the newcomer. Her surprise stemmed from the man's current state.

What kind of dangerous situation could force a Marquis of the Moon to use such a life-saving talent?

"Well, it's me."

Jude quickly agreed and then began to give Rosalie directions.

There are many hidden passages inside Vanfna Street that lead directly to the outside world, and as the builder, he knows them very well.

“Besides you, all the other surviving members of the Noralia family will also see me or Edros’ bat-like form, and we will guide everyone to escape. Hmph—since Bernhard wants Vanfna Street so much, then let him have it.”

"Anyway, whether it's treasure or something else, it all requires a key, and they won't be able to unlock it in a short time."

"Right now, we should prioritize concentrating the entire Noralian family's resources to support the Six-Eyed Raven Order at Oak Shadow Nest! As long as we can stabilize the situation, the Elder Council will ultimately be on our side..."

Led by Jude, Rosalie quickly lifted the cover of a special ditch passage and hid inside. The space inside was surprisingly spacious, and apart from a musty, damp smell, there weren't many unpleasant odors.

Jude's bat-like form licked its lips, its eyes concealing an uncontrollable melancholy and anger.

Clearly, no one is in a good mood after being forced to withdraw from their territory.

His ability to make such a quick decision was primarily due to the prior warning from Grantham's messenger. Given the close ties between the Noralia family and the White Cup, the Star Abyss Society would inevitably need to find another organization to form an alliance with.

Gormouth has become a murky mess, and accidents could happen at any time, so we need to make plans early.

"As for White Cup, my 'Messenger from Another World' has already sent a request for help and should arrive within a week at the earliest. At that time, I will return to Vanfna Street and personally rip out that old bastard Bernhard's heart..."

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Soup! (Not because I'm obsessed with Michaela)

Chapter 180 The Deceased, The Returning, The Hometown.

Foggy Street Clinic.

After a thorough pathological examination and analysis of her condition, Fran confirmed that there were no hidden dangers such as toxins or organ damage remaining in Detrick's body.

After changing her into a hospital gown and connecting her to life support, the remainder of this monthly house call was complete. At least within Fog Street, the doctor's patients would not face any danger.

"We're about to get busy, even though it's not the end of the year yet."

Fran reached out and gently touched his cheek, his amber eyes subtly shifting, as if he were somewhat sentimental.

Most of the time, she does not interfere with the operation, revival, or destruction of a region. Of course, this style of conduct is merely a "habit" of not disturbing the established history and does not have any serious binding force.

In general, the biggest factor in deciding whether the doctor intervened was... his "interest".

When dealing with an individual, Fran often displays the kindness and humility befitting a medical professional. However, when faced with natural disasters and suffering brought about by the course of history, she sometimes exhibits an extraordinary indifference and calmness, as if she were a silent recorder.

"Dr. Fran, Ms. Shitia requests your presence."

Just then, Sigrid's voice rang out from outside the ward door.

"Um... okay, I understand."

Fran opened the door upon hearing this, only to find Shiodia standing next to Sigrid. She seemed to have been waiting for some time.

"Although the curtain has been raised on the chaos in Gormouth, the drama has not yet reached its climax. Ms. Shitia, it may be too early for you to expose yourself to the Star Abyss Society now."

"Aren't you going to wait until a more crucial moment to surprise them? Like a mastermind burdened with the destiny of revenge, you always have to choose a moment that is unexpected enough to appear and then say some shocking lines to scare everyone."

When the doctor spoke these words, he used obscure and rhythmic Old Gothic Santmouth, as if he were performing a monologue in an opera.