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As for the devastation at the end of the era, it was an outcome brought about by all those who wielded the blade. It was cooperation, it was conflict, it was struggle, it was compromise. Perhaps they united in purpose, perhaps they perished together. The grand, all-encompassing destruction stirred the world, then silenced it.
The only thing that can be said with certainty for the hunters is this: the Lord we revere was forged from wolf carcasses, broken sheaths, shattered blades, and the blood and ashes of the final war. He is an answer, not one obtained through prayer, prying, or searching, nor one created by those who wielded the blade in the past.
Once the sword's edge is revealed, it will only be its own answer.
Zoparros uses rather obscure language in this notebook.
It seems this cryptic scholar wanted to reveal or record something more profound, but ultimately chose a riddle-like narrative style. However, the footnotes outside the main text are written quite straightforwardly, consistent with his usual style.
As Fran continued to turn the pages, his breathing became increasingly light and even, until finally he leaned completely against the plush cushions of the sofa.
This girl has always had the habit of reading before bed, but it seems that because of this, she has developed a kind of Pavlovian conditioned reflex. So much so that she can easily fall asleep without even realizing it while reading at night.
Zhong Xitia rested her cheek on her hand and gazed at Fran, her azure eyes flickering for a moment.
Even now, she still finds this doctor somewhat unfathomable.
Sometimes she is profound and transcendent, seemingly above all descriptions of apostles and mythical creatures. But at other times she is like a lazy and unguarded ordinary human being... Everything is so harmonious and natural, with a unique and charming quality.
:——
should--
Shake off your spirits!
Postscript (Part Two)
First of all, thank you to all the readers for your continued reading, donations, and recommendation votes.
There's not much to summarize about the Lu Yuan Sea Scroll. The dissection of the divine remains at the end isn't exactly a dramatic climax; it's more about further revealing Fran's past and clarifying the worldview and timeline.
For example, the so-called system is actually a creation written by Fran's old self, using the Fog in the Door as its core and running in the form of outpatient delivery modules. Originally, we didn't plan to include the system element, but for the sake of fun, we sewed it in anyway... like adding Roguelite elements to a game.
Therefore, from the very beginning, we devised a plan on how to rationalize its existence so that it wouldn't become untenable in the end.
As for the more detailed parts, they will be revealed later; to reveal them now would be to give away spoilers.
This third volume mainly lays out foreshadowing and pre-existing conditions, so due to space limitations, some details feel less detailed.
The story includes Rosalie's vampire side quest, the secret minister Chuyu who infiltrated the Six-Eyed Raven and became its second-in-command, the unknown saber-toothed creature that escaped from Prince Gunther's mansion, the feud between the Northern Blade and the Hunters, and the connection between the Shattered Kingdom of Philanes and the White Cup...
The first volume, with its 100 chapters, featured four cross-world medical visits, while the second volume, with its 200 chapters, only featured two. This is because we focused more on describing the main world, resulting in a lighter overall pace and less of a sense of disconnect. I'm not sure how everyone feels about this.
Out of respect for the outline, we would prefer to save the more stressful, important, and urgency-filled finale for the annual outpatient visit at the end of each year.
At the beginning of the month, I felt I had found my rhythm, but some unexpected events disrupted my train of thought. For the next week, I was constantly exhausted, anxious, dazed, and agitated. Even when I wanted to write, I wasn't satisfied; I would often write a few hundred words, then delete them and put them in the drafts.
My writing pace has been intermittent, so I always feel a little guilty when I see familiar faces in the comments between new chapters, but mostly I feel joy, or rather, relief. At least there are still readers willing to urge me to update...
Finally, I must rekindle my resolve to follow the Dao next month!
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Volume 1: Fragmented Kingdom
Chapter One: Raven's Blood
Norrington, 13 North End, Fog Street Clinic.
The gray clouds were deep and thick, and night had quietly fallen before the twilight glow could be seen. A fine drizzle fell like a veil, and a thin mist gradually condensed. The dim streetlights along the road flickered and shimmered, their light and color blending into a hazy, indistinct scene.
"call--"
Fran parted his lips slightly, blowing away the wisps of steam rising above the porcelain cup, and then took a small sip.
August in Norrington was as gloomy and rainy as ever, with sunshine rarely seen. The patter of rain seemed never to stop. At this time of year, even indoors, one could often feel the earthy scent and slight dampness brought by the rain…
However, because a certain doctor often uses a "dust-removing and dirt-removing" method to clean the microorganisms around the clinic, mushrooms never grow in the dark corners of Fog Street.
Clearly, she didn't have a very high opinion of fungi as a group of organisms.
"Although the Atilan coffee shop on Spoonleaf Street also sells 'smoky' coffee, Mr. Grantham's private collection is superior in both taste and aroma."
Setting down the carved porcelain cup in his hand, Fran skillfully picked up today's Norrington Evening Post, his fingertips lightly swiping the pages to the independent section on foreign affairs.
At this moment, the doctor was not wearing that ever-present white coat, but only a thin set of pajamas with a bear print.
She stretched her waist freely, propped her legs up on the square table in front of the sofa, her whole demeanor visibly relaxed and languid, her expression also relaxed and content.
[Recently, an unidentified natural disaster has struck Mordway, the capital of Gormouth. Following an on-site investigation by a reporter from the Foy Daily, it has been preliminarily identified as some kind of plague. Specific symptoms include deformed growths on the skin, loss of reason, abnormal appetite, and increased aggression. People and goods from Mordway have been placed under disease control.]
The development and deployment of the effective treatment are now complete, and the epidemic in Modwell has been brought under control, with no trend of spreading to Foy or other regions. The situation has stabilized thanks to the cooperation between the White Cup Order and the Gallonson royal family.
[Further details are still under investigation, and we are providing real-time updates from our frontline reporter, Rosalie Noralia.]
[This article is from the mid-quarter summary report dated August 15th.]
"It actually got published. I thought the news from Gormouth would be suppressed for at least half a year. It seems the deniers are indeed quick enough to get the situation under control in less than a month, to the point where it can be made public."
Fran II put down the newspaper still smelling of fresh ink, his amber eyes gleaming with a deep, gentle light.
Compared to most other regions, Golmouth can be categorized as a chaotic country with low levels of stability.
However, aside from the fallen city of Morion, which had become a den of evil offspring, she only visited the cities of Foy and Mordway on this trip, so she didn't have much of an experience with them. Although the Star Abyss Society went so far as to sacrifice most of its inhabitants to establish the first-class ritual, it did indeed contribute to the current order of the Abyss Kingdom.
Under immense external pressure to survive, the Gormouth people had no choice but to accept it, even if it meant drinking poison to quench their thirst.
They had no other choice.
The Listeners do indeed harbor a terrifying scheme spanning over a thousand years, but if another sect or organization were to do it, they might not be able to do it any better.
As the victors of the devastating war, who plundered almost all of Heyle's legacy, these extremely arrogant and ambitious individuals possessed a formidable executive power from beginning to end.
So what should Gormouth do after the nascent form conceived from the corpses in the Abyss perished and the Star Abyss Society was nearly destroyed?
This is a matter for Prince Gunther and Grantham to worry about, something Fran has always shown little interest in.
Political work has always been complex and cumbersome, rife with the sociological mysteries of interest distribution, entanglements of responsibility, chains of suspicion, and interpersonal interactions. Furthermore, many matters must be handled within the existing bureaucratic framework.
Just thinking about it makes her sleepy.
In fact, the White Cup Order and the Star Abyss Society both originated from the same source, being branches of the White Cup ancestors. Given Grantham's abilities and resources, handling the aftermath shouldn't be too difficult.
According to Fran's conjecture, he would probably assign a group of Exterminators to take over the Star Abyss Society's legacy in various fields, and then seize control of this now-empty secret cult.
In this way, without changing the original power distribution framework, the White Cup Cult can extract as much benefit as possible.
Prince Gunther must have been quite willing to spend money to avoid being purged.
Without this connection, the scholars of White Cup would likely not have devoted so much time and energy to helping Mordway regain stability. After all, they are now protecting their own future interests... Most refutants are indeed devoted to scholarship, but material problems also need to be addressed.
This description might sound a bit mercenary, but no religious order would refuse a huge budget that comes out of nowhere.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have needed to place arms orders at this year's academic conference.
Of course, everything I just thought about was just a divergent thought and had nothing to do with Fran.
She breathed a sigh of relief, then picked up the white porcelain cup again and drank the last sip of coffee, which was still warm.
My workload at Gormouth was quite heavy; I treated almost as many patients in two quarters as I had in the previous year. And most of my time was spent on non-academic matters, which caused many of my research projects to be put on hold.
For example, participating in the full moon auction of the Six-Eyed Raven, resolving the blood plague curse of the Moon Familia, and sneaking into the Sleeping Sand Bell Tower and Prince Günther's mansion undetected to offer a friendly greeting and pick up some insignificant souvenirs.
With the August monthly outpatient schedule not yet released, Fran had a moment to study his newfound gains.
The payment for treating Detricka last month was an unknown biological ingredient, which can now be identified. In addition, her former self left a gift before the influence of the ancient banyan fruit ended. This is the part that was previously hidden and folded in the outpatient module.
[Technology: Standard sewing si (738%) 2, Hidden knowledge (91%) 3, Sub-empty extraction (51%). 5]
[Talent: Scholar of the Mist, Key of the Mist.]
The art of "rule sewing" refers to the process of stripping away intangible and intangible conceptual rules and transforming them into abstract, thread-like substances that can then be cut, sewn, and woven. These include memories, destiny, the logic of how things operate, and even impending death.
This technology comes with an astonishing loss of spiritual energy during use, and carries an unspeakable hidden cost. Even with a resolution of 73%, Fran in the past could only use it superficially.
Hidden knowledge and subspace extraction are much easier to understand.
The former refers to the qualitative change that occurs when an individual absorbs and comprehends a vast amount of esoteric knowledge, enabling them to more intuitively and concretely control their thoughts and memories. The books on Fran's bookshelf, constructed from her memories, were created in this way.
The latter is a method of extracting subspace psionic energy and integrating it into oneself. After all, there is no Supreme Heaven within this worldview, so obtaining spiritual energy from other deeper realms requires several additional conversion processes, which is quite complicated.
Although these three technologies have been hidden and folded, they have only lost clear quantitative standards, and Fran still retains a certain level of proficiency in them.
As for the later talents "Shisem Mystic Scholar" and "Mist Key," she only had a very shallow impression of them, which must have been lost during the self-split.
Unfortunately, even now she is unaware of the specific effects of these two talents. Furthermore, the current text only mentions their names and cannot elaborate further, therefore lacking any detailed descriptions.
"I should get myself a medical check-up first."
With this in mind, Fran slowly pressed his forehead with the pad of his thumb, and then conducted a "completeness check" on his current thoughts and mental state.
Er's two talents are most likely not manifested in her physical body, otherwise she wouldn't mind lifting her pajamas and immediately starting an autopsy. Since she has modularized her major limbs and organs, there's no need to worry about making a mess of the clinic's main hall with blood.
She has spare replacement parts for every part of her body, including her head and brain.
As Fran begins to fully examine the composition of his mind and soul, some hidden knowledge that was originally dormant in his subconscious and deep memories begins to gradually emerge. It is an ancient, obscure, and inefficient script, as if it was not created for communication.
It is similar to a kind of password, but it is not just a password created for encrypting information.
If there is a history destined to be remembered, a type of knowledge destined to be recorded, and a secret destined to be discovered, then this kind of writing is born for them. Like mist in the rain, shadows under the lamp, and dust on a mirror, it confounds and conceals things that should not exist yet cannot be erased.
Three “Hisham Secrets”.
“During my outpatient visits in the third quarter of last year, my subconscious mind also subtly projected this name.”
Liu Fran examined the jumbled, ciphertext with a subtle, amber light flickering in his eyes.
The essence of the four-character script is a medium. It is used to store, transform, and communicate information in the human brain that is difficult to directly visualize. However, the Hisham cipher is like an old-fashioned lock, rigidly and inflexibly rejecting all visitors.
If scars are the doors that open to enlightenment, then scars are the steel needles and sutures that close the wounds.
"The significance is unclear, so we will set it aside for now, as is customary."
Fran did not devote much energy to the study of esoteric texts, for no other reason than that he simply did not have any books or documents written in the Hisham script.
As for the "Fog Key," it represents an upgrade and change in the degree of control over the fog within the door.
In most cases, she needs to prepare a "door" to summon a sufficient mist curtain for passage. This could be a dilapidated wooden door of an old warehouse, the entrance to a concrete tunnel, or even a narrow, deserted alley.
Although the criteria for determining a door are broad and abstract, this prerequisite does exist.
Of course, it still exists today, only its original definition has been broadened to a deeper level.
For example, drawing a circular, jet-black graffiti on a wall with charcoal pencil can also be considered a door...
After sorting through the gifts given to him by his former self, Fran slowly rose from the velvet sofa, then stretched the corner of his clothes and left the soft cushions that still held his body heat with a hint of reluctance.
Although she really didn't want to move, she now had to go to the operating room to have her July consultation fee assessed. After all, this time they were giving her biological raw materials with unknown dangers, and the lessons learned from the Orc flesh chunks and Tomie hair were still fresh in her mind.
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Blood of Corvacs Corax (from Holy Terra)
[Quality: Flawless]
Besides blood, it also contains other biological samples such as medulla, muscle, and skin. However, the internal structure of the progenitor is vastly different from any known humanoid, so these samples may have other names.
[Note: "In this place that transcends the boundaries of reality, our true nature is laid bare."]
"Oh……"
In the private operating room, Fran looked at the sampling container in his hand, which contained bright red blood plasma and turbid biomass. He narrowed his eyes solemnly and deeply, his expression revealing undisguised self-doubt.
Generally speaking, the specific quality of a consultation fee stems from the patient's status, the intensity and importance of the treatment, as well as the overall difficulty of the consultation. While there may be some fluctuations, the overall amount will not deviate significantly.
Of course, exceptions do exist.
Fran received only mediocre payment after a long and exhausting year of house calls, which left her in a bad mood for almost two weeks. The memory always lingered in her mind, making her feel gloomy.
The current situation, however, presents a different extreme from the aforementioned cases.
Treating Detrick was as difficult for her as spontaneously inhaling and exhaling to complete a single gas exchange between her lungs and the outside world. However, the medicine was of flawless quality and was the most needed biological raw material in her current research projects.
"Hmm...it seems I missed my chance to buy a ticket at the Mayflower lottery shop on Sandrank Street and win the jackpot."
"Although Detrika is a Raven Slayer, it's too far-fetched to connect her to the Raven Lord in the Warhammer universe. Let's just consider it a stroke of luck."
"The good news is that the most urgent problem in the prototyping process has been solved."
Fran licked his lips, muttering to himself quickly and briefly.
His amber eyes burned with an unmistakable fervor, clearly indicating that he had already entered the working mode of a researcher.
As long as there are cultured primary cell lines, biological samples can be produced continuously without being troubled by material issues.
Fran had engaged in academic plagiarism... oh no, exchange with Fabius Bayer, the master of cloning, during her early practice. Therefore, she has considerable expertise in this field and can ensure that she doesn't encounter technical bottlenecks.