The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

Page 362

At that moment, one of the net-like objects gradually revealed Fran's appearance.

First, her eyes, ears, mouth, and nose; then her light-colored long hair; and finally, her highly recognizable little dress and doctor's coat.

"Dr. Fran?"

Haida's gaze narrowed slightly, a fleeting look of surprise crossing her eyes, but she quickly suppressed her emotions.

"Please prove your identity."

“We are in a stream of consciousness, and memories may no longer be confidential. Therefore, I need more convincing evidence.”

In a completely unknown and perilous environment, rashly letting down one's guard is sometimes tantamount to embracing death. Even if Fran's demeanor, words, and habitual little gestures match the image in the nun's memory, she will remain vigilant.

"It's a pity that your spirit returned to stability almost without any tremor... Why are you unwilling to merge into the stream of consciousness and embrace eternal peace?"

Fran's expression turned indifferent at this moment, and his eyes shone with a lofty and unfathomable divinity, just like that mechanical deity who looked down upon all living beings.

"Hmph. Transit Group: "≯↓〖[Similar to 々≌↑Three lin÷"

Haida let out a soft groan, and without further hesitation, raised her hand to tear apart and dispel the unpleasant fake before her.

Just as she was about to touch him, Fran quickly raised his hands like a prisoner of war, adopting a "surrender" posture with an almost harmless expression.

“Wait, Sister Haida, this was just an impromptu joke.”

"..."

Even without saying a word, Haida stopped again.

Although he remained skeptical of everything in this artificial dimension, for some reason, the inappropriate humor of this Dr. Fran was quite similar to his own. But could this "similarity" also be a hallucination fabricated from his own memories?

Seeing that Haida hadn't actually grabbed his neck and twisted his head off, Fran patted his chest, breathed a sigh of relief, and then began to explain the current situation.

“I know you need some substantial evidence to believe me. After all, if I fabricated this based on your memories, then even if everything I said is true, it is still false in essence.”

"So, please see."

As he spoke, Fran lightly spread his hand toward Heda, as if to show the nun something.

Her palms were empty.

But Heda felt a strong sense of detachment, as if some trait in her mind had been extracted. However, this trait did not belong to her original personality model, but rather stemmed from her psychic and empathetic profiling talent.

When Norrington made a house call in the future, she briefly conducted a personality simulation on Fran to help him break free from the dream, and what was being stripped away at that moment was that virtual personality.

Another Fran emerged from nothingness and then materialized.

"I wasn't lying to you, was I?"

The two Frans, who looked exactly alike, simultaneously curled their lips into a smile, their amber eyes revealing a cunning yet gentle glint.

"This is……"

Haidaer vaguely understood what Dr. Fran was doing, but couldn't quite put her finger on it in a short time. Sigrid, on the other hand, guessed and uttered a single word.

"Virus?"

"Perfect understanding!"

Fran closed his hands slightly, making no attempt to hide his approval.

"The version of me you first saw came from an 'external force,' that is, the force that forcibly invaded this artificial dimension from the outside world, which can be understood as an abnormal file. The version of me that was separated from Haida's mind is a virus program."

"Based on the order of appearance, I will tentatively call myself number one."

Fran, who had been separated from Haida's mind, continued the conversation of the previous version of himself.

"Then I am number two."

"Number One's role is to activate Number Two. Because Number One's essence is power, while mine is information. To use a simple analogy, Number One is like the hammer of a gun, while I am the primer of a bullet. The two must meet to react."

"One unit attacks from the outside, while the other provides support from within."

After speaking, Fran, number two, raised his hand to touch the human network beside him that had no facial features, and the individual that was touched began to show the doctor's own appearance on its face at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In just a few breaths, a massive number of blank humanoids in the entire consciousness network had been replaced with Fran's face. The whole process resembled some kind of malignant disease that was spreading on a large scale... To be more precise, it was a "worm virus" that used her personality as a blueprint for replication.

Once "logic" has completed its reaction and self-check, the spread of the personality virus is already unstoppable.

The shadow of logic reappears.

However, her appearance has changed drastically this time. More than half of her face has been assimilated by Fran's features, and this trend is intensifying.

"You want to... replace me?"

"Actually, I didn't want to do this. I had more than 80 more flexible solutions. For example, overwriting the original code or modifying the execution instructions, but based on the situation just now, it seems that none of them are very feasible."

"So I chose the most efficient method."

Fran tilted his cheek slightly, his tone relaxed and natural.

The birth of a new custodian inevitably accompanies the demise of the old, just as the radiance of the past will eventually melt into the wax of new birth. The number of individuals who ascend the final stage of the hidden staircase will forever remain constant; this unchanging principle is the first and eternal rule.

The act of slaying previous deities and seizing their throne is considered a tradition in the Noon universe, with a well-established and sophisticated methodology. Therefore, even though the principle of no additions and no subtractions does not apply here, she still decides to do so.

"But what do you plan to do after that?"

After a brief silence, Logic uttered a sigh-like question, seemingly without any lingering attachment.

"First, format the version of me that replaced you."

Fran scratched his cheek with his index finger, looking somewhat guilty.

Leaving a "self" with the power and status of a mechanical god in Presville would likely turn the place into her private testing ground within ten years, which clearly goes against Fran's original intention.

Oh, she knows herself too well...

"After that, I will leave her with a few basic execution instructions. She will no longer adhere to the self-positioning of a technological utopia, but will serve as a wedge for augmented reality, resisting the lingering traces of primitive rituals and old gods in this world, and clearing away the shadows shrouded by agnosticism."

“I am a greedy person, or you could call me arrogant. I want to preserve the possibility of technological progress, but I am also unwilling to completely abandon humanity and sink into the warm wave of homogenization. If circumstances allow, I would even like to include mysticism in the existing research system.”

"I believe the universe is rational, and everything can be interpreted."

"In conclusion... one day, our fellow human beings will step out of the cradle of their homeland and venture beyond the distant stars. As for whether what follows will be a journey of conquest or a grueling one, expansion or destruction, no one has the right to make that choice for them."

Her argument ends here.

The deity known as "Logic" neither expressed approval nor disapproval, but remained silent.

The future is too unpredictable for many theories to be mutually convincing. She seemed to know that neither agreeing nor disagreeing would make a difference, so she remained silent.

...Only time will tell.

Finally, the assimilation of personality was completely completed, and the face of logic was overwritten by Fran's appearance.

The eerie green glow in the stream of consciousness gradually faded, disappearing along with Heda, Sigrid, and Fran, leaving only the ethereal mist as the remaining element.

……

Outside the white bunker, Preshville also welcomed the dawn of its fourth day.

As dawn breaks and the first rays of sunlight pierce through, the scene resembles dusk yet is even brighter and clearer. Today arrives, not much different from yesterday, and no one knows that the wax seal of the old era has melted away, reshaping itself into a monument to a new era.

-

-

soup!

(I'm actually a little dissatisfied with this version. Many of the ideas I had prepared couldn't be written down, mainly because the mental trauma I suffered in the past few months was too severe, which disrupted my thought process. But I guess it's come to an end for now.)

Chapter Sixty-Six: Haley Humphrey

[Dear Dr. Fran, the 'religious fanaticism' under the 'hunger and fear' worldview has been curbed with the birth of the new deity, and your personality fragment has returned. This quarter's cross-dimensional consultation is complete. Completion: Apollyon (Abyss). Your next cross-dimensional consultation will trigger at the end of the next quarter.]

[This consultation fee includes: 1 unknown biological ingredient and 1 unknown secret technique principle. (Flawless quality. Unidentified)]

After finishing his rounds, Fran lan slumped wearily into the fluffy cushions of the sofa, his eyelashes fluttering slightly before he raised his hand and yawned. He looked as if he had worked a long day with his overtime pay still pending, his face etched with exhaustion.

Strictly speaking, this outpatient visit only lasted one day and night.

And most of the time this guy appears in the "Flameme" state, so his workload isn't actually that high... The reason he's in this state right now is mainly due to the psionic battle he had with the mechanical god "Logic" at the last moment.

Attempting to forcibly shake a deity comparable to the Old Gods without any prior preparation placed a considerable burden on Fran, far from the effortless ease she had displayed at the time.

There may have been an element of trickery involved, but she ultimately achieved her goal.

There are two reasons. First, the mechanical god was forcibly born before the telemetry monitoring system was fully operational, so it was ultimately incomplete.

Secondly, it relates to Heda… Sister Heda had conducted a personality simulation of Fran through psychic empathy, with a level of precision that could be considered a backup of his consciousness. This allowed her to act as a wedge driven into the ocean of consciousness, ultimately infecting the entire collective consciousness by continuously replicating Fran's consciousness.

"Let's leave the appraisal of the consultation fee for tomorrow."

Fran was feeling mentally exhausted and couldn't muster any enthusiasm for her work. Although the diagnostic process was usually the most enjoyable part for her, today was a little different.

The most urgent thing now is to take a bath and change clothes, and then peacefully return to bed.

"Well then, I'll take my leave now, Dr. Fran."

Haida still needed to review and organize cases related to the "molting plague" the next day, so she did not stay at the Fog Street Clinic for long. After a short rest, she said goodbye.

Good night, Sister Haida.

Fran raised her eyes slightly and responded in a soft tone.

"If you experience any unusual changes or feelings recently, please let me know so I can come for a follow-up appointment. Also, before you leave, please turn the sign on the clinic door to the 'Closed' side, as I need to close for a day or two."

After saying this, the doctor raised his arm, and Sigrid immediately understood, taking off her doctor's coat and hanging it on the coat rack.

"Ah."

Haida nodded, deftly flicked the business notice board, and stepped into the pale, misty, boundless path.

-

Meanwhile, in the suburbs of South District 11, the Eugene Lois Estate.

The inchworm lay on Elsa's bed, its eyes tightly closed, looking anxious and uneasy. Its body was curled up in a ball as a kind of self-protective mechanism, trying its best to wrap itself in the down comforter, like a pupa wrapped in a pale silk cocoon.

His eyeballs beneath his eyelids were constantly moving and trembling, but there was no sign of him waking up.

If a doctor with a strong scientific spirit and enough cruelty were to peel off his skin, he would find that all the organs and tissues inside his body, except for his bones, brain and heart, had been dissolved into a pulp.

These incredibly active fluids are differentiating and reconstructing the inchworm's inner self, gradually shedding the mortal nature of this physical form. Under normal circumstances, this process will continue for several days and nights.

However, the inchworm reconstructs itself at an unusually fast speed.

Perhaps due to the success of the ballet "Under Naurmaran", perhaps due to the testimony of Fran and Sydia, or perhaps due to the influence of the relics derived from the molting plague... Under the combined effect of many factors, the ascension of this moth disciple is characterized by an incomprehensible strength and ferocity.

"Her forehead is so hot...she might still have a fever."

Elsa reached out and touched the inchworm's forehead, then was startled by its unusually high body temperature.

"It's possible that they inhaled too much toxic gas while in the fire; this is quite common... I've already sent a waiter to inform the White Cup Order, and a physician from the Exorcists should be here soon."

Eugene stroked his meticulously trimmed beard and began to guess based on his experience.

Elsa, however, still had some concerns.

After all, the black-haired girl looked pained and anxious, and she also showed a sensitive state of insecurity, as if any external stimulus would make her current state worse.

When the thought of "needing a doctor" crossed her mind, the first person she thought of was the mysterious Ms. Flamel. It seemed that as long as Flamel was present, all the plague and pain would be resolved.

However, he currently lacks the means to contact her, and it seems too late to inform her through the Lois family's connections with the White Cup Order or the Hunters.

The quiet wait lasted for about half an hour. Then, the old butler Edwin knocked on the door, and an exorcist wearing a white academic gown and carrying two boxes of medical equipment entered the room, led by Edwin.

Where is the patient?

The teaching assistant from the medical department, Leer, acted extremely efficiently, skipping any polite greetings and going straight to inquiring about the patient's condition. It was clear he wasn't in a good mood; after all, nobody dislikes being out on fieldwork late at night…

However, adhering to the principle of being responsible to patients and addressing problems as they arise, he did not reveal his emotions.

“On my bed, Assistant Lehr,” Elsa said, pointing to the inchworm beside her.

"Ah."

Leer glanced at Elsa, not too surprised that she could call him by his name.

Last year, when the child suffered from some strange phobia, the doctor who came to Lois House for treatment was Dr. White Cup. Although Elsa's mental state was extremely unstable at that time, she seemed to still retain some memory of herself.

Leer quickly approached the bedside and used two fingers to briefly check the pulse and temperature between the inchworm's neck.

"His body temperature is very high, and there is a possibility of fever."

"Apart from that, her resting pulse rate is very stable, um... about fifty beats per minute? Like bradycardia. But each pump feels clear and strong, more like that of a well-trained sports enthusiast."

The inchworm's contradictory state puzzled Leer, so he pried open the black-haired girl's eyelids and shone a light on her from time to time to check the condition of her pupils.