The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

Page 367

Chapter 71 Parliamentary Guards

As dusk deepened and the night grew more profound, the pale crescent moon, along with the stars, was enveloped in mist, appearing only as a hazy, indistinct blur.

South Norlington, Sandrank Street.

As the hour of 6:30 arrived, the streetlights on both sides of the street lit up one after another. Perhaps because too much dust and dead insects had accumulated under the lampshades, the yellowish light emitted gave people an inexplicable feeling of turbidity and confusion.

The inchworm, now back in its eight roles as faculty and staff and having completed today's lessons, is roaming the streets. ∞2. $

At this moment, the man's handbag, tucked under his arm, was filled with various types of lesson plans, while he held a brand-new, heavy book in his hand. Looking up, the title on the cover was "Deep Sea Scriptures - Zoparos Translation Edition".

He was so engrossed in his work that he seemed unwilling to waste even a moment of leisure while strolling along the street.

Maintaining an exceptionally high readership, even among high priests, while still fulfilling her primary role as a dancer is not something that can be achieved through mere "effort." It requires a significant investment of funds, energy, and even a touch of talent.

Looking at the book in his hand, which came from the Order of the Mysteries, the inchworm felt a strange envy for the Exorcists.

Such well-made, rigorously researched, detailed, and extremely rare primary sources are probably only something that scholars from Baibei could obtain and compile into a book in such a short time.

If he were to use the old method of acquiring books in Gormouth, he would have to wait months or even years until copies of the books appeared on the black market or were auctioned off during the Six-Eyed Raven's Full Moon auction before he could even try to acquire them.

The procedures for acquiring these books are often complicated and unpleasant, and can lead to a significant cut in one's annual budget. Oh, but perhaps spending too much time at auctions isn't such a bad thing... after all, it was at the Full Moon Auction in the Third Habitat that the Hermit Lady met her.

In a way, this was also the opportunity for his luck to start to improve.

Now, thanks to his position as an acting professor at Norlington Central College, Inchworm can purchase various documents at "insider prices," which is practically free. This has given him, who is used to living a frugal life, a sense of happiness that is hard to describe.

Of course, this does not mean that the inchworm is willing to consider himself a mere researcher of the white cup. He is still obsessed with and cannot give up dance, this ancient art that seeks transformation and metamorphosis.

The good news is that, according to the official confirmation from the Secret Hunter, the fire at the Sixth Theatre was not caused by staff negligence or aging facilities, but by the deliberate sabotage of cult fanatics. Therefore, the theatre is not primarily responsible.

Furthermore, the ballet "Under Naurmaran" performed that day received widespread acclaim, and even the most discerning connoisseurs among the audience showed considerable gentleness, unwilling to treat it with harsh words.

In conclusion, the Drowning Theatre was able to reopen after a week of renovations.

This also means that the inchworm no longer needs to worry about where to find a new home with the same level of exposure and scale...

The Drowning Theatre seemed worried that it would lose a newcomer who was a playwright, stage director, and lead dancer due to this incident, so it contacted Robbie Shaw, an intelligence dealer belonging to the Moth Cult, overnight and offered the Inchworm a new contract that was hard to refuse.

"despair."

Thinking of this, the inchworm closed the book in its hands, and its eyes involuntarily narrowed slightly.

It's undoubtedly a good thing that her work as a dancer wasn't affected, but her other identity as "Hairiel" also presented some new challenges.

Elsa Lois, the energetic and meticulous naturalist, is fascinated by the historical allusions in the ballet and seems determined to get to know herself…

The inchworm doesn't have a good solution for this yet; all it can do is be more careful when switching identities.

As for slips in words and actions...

To be honest, he didn't think he would make such a basic mistake.

Just then, a young couple carrying flowers and gifts brushed past the inchworm.

The two, dressed in old-fashioned woolen clothes common in Norlington in the fall, chatted as they walked. The man seemed to be talking about something amusing, which made the woman occasionally cover her mouth and giggle.

Sandrank Street is a bustling commercial area, so such a group of people appearing here at this time of day is hardly noticeable. Along the way, I saw at least three or four couples, either looking for a hotel to stay in or heading to their favorite restaurant.

However, the two people walking towards them caught the inchworm's attention.

A soldier, or an active-duty hunter?

The inchworm slightly raised its ring finger, adjusted its glasses, and revealed a hint of barely perceptible surprise.

The man's steps in this couple are particularly powerful, and the way his muscles move implies a commanding rhythm. Although it is suppressed to the point of being almost imperceptible, based on the dancer's sensitivity to body movements, the inchworm still deduces that this person has received special training for a considerable period of time.

Out of social etiquette between strangers and to avoid causing any unnecessary trouble, he did not show excessive interest, remaining relaxed and natural as the two walked away from each other.

In Norrington's tradition, the man's situation in this couple is by no means uncommon.

He might be an active or retired Hunter, an Exorcist from the White Cup Security Department, or even an armed member of another cult or private organization. Humans aren't made of iron; everyone has a personal life, which is perfectly normal…

It's very likely that the inchworm has been a bit sensitive lately, causing him to overthink things.

As moths, known for their chaos and irrationality, inchworms are prone to both unfounded suspicion and unfounded trust. However, unlike most of their colleagues, inchworms are accustomed to constant self-reflection, and have thus developed a set of informal but effective rules.

For example... when someone has the thought "I'm overthinking it," it's essentially driven by wishful thinking. They might just be unwilling to consider the worst-case scenario, or they might be mentally exhausted and unwilling to invest energy in something so vague and uncertain.

Want to follow along and see?

The inchworm gently licked the corner of its lips, as if deep in thought.

After a moment, he dismissed the unappealing idea. As a follower of the Hermit Lady, he had no reason to risk his life for the safety of Norrington; that was the job of the Mystics.

If the eye given to him by Fran offered any guidance, he would try to carry it out even in more dangerous situations. But now, his eye showed no unusual movement.

Doubt, reflection, and ultimately making a choice didn't take Inchworm much time; he quickly picked up *The Deep Sea Scriptures - Zoparos Translation* again and began studying it. The two then walked away in opposite directions, until they reached the end of the street and could no longer be seen.

In fact, while the inchworm was casting its gaze upon the couple, the man and woman were also closely observing it. (Sad)

"Zopalos's newly translated Abyssal scripture? There are actually people who can read this kind of thing while walking down the street?"

"And I remember this book was still in a semi-secret phase? Even those plundering merchants didn't sell it."

Greta raised an eyebrow slightly and then looked back in disbelief.

She was the woman in the couple, about 1.7 meters tall, slightly taller than the average woman. Besides this, her features were quite regular, one could call her beautiful, with clear blue eyes, bearing a slight northern appearance.

The man who had been chatting about something amusing immediately stopped talking, his flawless smile vanishing, replaced by a cold, resolute expression.

"For a brief moment, he was looking us up and down."

"But he soon stopped paying attention, and it was no different from instinctively glancing at a passerby. However, as a precaution, we need to reduce the frequency of our investigations in the near future to avoid getting into unnecessary trouble."

"As for his reading habits... given his age and status, there's nothing strange about them."

The man quickly regained his smile and began to explain what he knew.

"First, it is known that the White Cup Order was the biggest beneficiary of the upheaval in Gormouth, and Prince Günther has almost become a puppet of the Exterminators, so it is not surprising that there is a translation of the Deep Sea Scriptures. Second, the man just now looked to be under thirty years old, but he was wearing a professor's brooch from the Academy on his lapel."

"At his age, if he wants to achieve his current academic status, unless he is a truly incomprehensible genius, then he must spend all his time, except for eating and sleeping, studying classical texts."

Upon hearing this, Greta raised her eyes as if in admiration.

“Lampard, if it weren’t for you as my collaborator on this operation, I probably would have been discovered and exposed by the raven of the Secret Service within two days of arriving in Norrington… I’m a little curious, how do people like you come up with so many things in the blink of an eye?”

The man called Lambert did not change his expression upon hearing the praise; he simply continued his story as before.

"Reading, jogging in the morning, wielding a blade, and even pulling the trigger can all become conditioned reflexes."

"The same applies to thinking."

When he said this, he did not show any pride, smugness, or other expressions of self-satisfaction.

The emotion he concealed was mostly worry.

Generally speaking, Norrington is a very tolerant city. After all, it's unimaginable in other places that four large religious orders can coexist openly and form a near-harmonious relationship.

Therefore, it would not be surprising to see any foreigners here.

Perhaps some local families still cling to the idea of ​​innate social hierarchy, but at least the hunters treat the innocent equally. This isn't entirely true, though, since hunters also treat the guilty equally…

In most cases, Loretowners do not face discrimination or social injustice here. However, the situation is quite different if the visitor is a jailer belonging to the Saffold Council.

Many experienced hunters who had served at the Loreton Blade Training Grounds would have their eyes turn bloodshot just from hearing the words "Northern Rebellion," and would then silently unload and reload the bullets from their magazines, or sharpen the blades at their waists once more.

What exactly is Grand Duke Saffold planning? Why did he send us to Norrington? This kind of place should obviously be handled by a lower-level intelligence unit or those salvaged, discarded weapons…

The subadult saber-toothed creature that escaped from Saffor was indeed just a mass-produced one, so why is it worth investing so many resources to retrieve it?

As one of the Guardians, all Lampard could do regarding the Council's orders was obey and execute them, just as a sword is unconditionally at the mercy of its wielder. But often he couldn't help but ponder the meaning of his actions.

As he himself said, thinking is a habit, and this habit of his is so deeply ingrained that it is difficult to eradicate.

During his time in Norrington under a false identity and lying in wait, he used the relic "Tanuki Compass" more than once to locate the saber-toothed creature, but the result was either that the target was lost and the pointer spun randomly, or that it pointed to the Order of the Mysteries.

Although Lampard was quite confident in Greta's abilities, the Hunter's headquarters remained a dangerous area that neither of them dared to set foot in. The infamous chief hunter was always on the move, and they never knew when they might run into him.

The whereabouts of the Secret Service Secretary were also unknown.

No matter how confident he was in his disguise, he would never be so arrogant as to deceive one of the Four Ministers.

If they were exposed, dying in battle would probably be the best outcome. If they were captured, then "skinned alive" would be a rather lenient description of their fate.

The Secret Court interrogators have never believed that anyone can truly refuse to confess, and when faced with someone who thinks they are tough as nails, they often list out all sorts of unsettling and bizarre gadgets and then demonstrate their practical skills.

After all... this is how the Saffold Council used to treat captured Hunters.

Enough of this, there's no point in thinking about it anymore. The only goal now is to stay hidden and try to find that saber-toothed creature.

-

Inside the biological laboratory at the Foggy Street Clinic.

As Fran activated the recording equipment in the [Mechanical Biology] living metal box, and then slightly stuck out his tongue and made a face to test the image quality, the recording of the lecture video began.

"Good evening, and we meet again, dear viewers. I am Fran Hesser, the chief physician at Fog Street Clinic. In the following video, I will demonstrate the physical strength of the Dragon Mane Conch material and its state when facing spiritual influences."

"If the strength and spiritual qualities meet my expectations, then I will also complete its three casting science design."

Fran, wearing silver-rimmed round glasses, tapped the blackboard beside him with his knuckles, exuding the humility of a scholar.

"By the way, this is Sigrid, she is my assistant in this test experiment. Although I don't know who will be lucky enough to see this information, I'd like to say hello to any potential viewers."

Upon hearing this, Sigrid, with her hands hanging down in front of her abdomen, slowly stepped forward. She spent some time looking for the camera position, and was then told by Fran that the device was recording holographic images and that she didn't need to look at the camera.

After that, she greeted him somewhat awkwardly.

"Good night. I am Sigrid, a maid and craftswoman at the Fog Street Clinic, and also Dr. Fran's assistant. I will be assisting her with the design and subsequent manufacturing of this artifact..."

-

soup!

Chapter Seventy-Two: Mysteries and Speculations

After the routine introduction of the teaching materials, Fran went to the medical equipment cabinet next to him, rummaged around for a bit, and then took out two pairs of white rubber gloves, which he and Sigrid put on.

Sigrid can be activated into an alchemical state, and due to her racial traits, most poisons, corrosive substances, and curses have little effect on her. Therefore, she doesn't actually know the significance of wearing gloves...

But she still accepted it rather obediently.

After a brief preparation, Fran clasped his hands together and unfolded the [Dust Removal and Impurity Removal] technique, and began explaining to the recording device while processing the fragments of the dragon mane snail's corpse.

"The remains of this dragon-maned conch-dove came from the 'Abyss,' and its specific habitat is in the sixth layer, the 'City of No Return.'"

"Since some viewers may not be familiar with the Abyss, and this video is purely for educational purposes, I will provide a basic introduction."

As he spoke, the doctor once again lightly tapped the small black lock behind him with his index finger knuckle, and then began to write.

"Leaving aside the elaborate description of its worldview, we can describe the Abyss in a more straightforward way. It is an exceptionally large, vertically oriented cavern with seven known layers. Inside, there exists a unique ecosystem, relics that defy common sense, and a special force field called 'rising load'."

"Compared to relics and ecosystems, I am actually more interested in the ascent load. This load is triggered by the 'ascent' behavior when in the abyss and increases with the depth of the abyss, with the specific degree and clinical manifestations as follows."

"Level 1: Mild dizziness. Level 2: Severe dizziness and numbness in the extremities. Level 3: Auditory, visual, and tactile hallucinations, and balance disturbances. Level 4: Severe internal pain, accompanied by significant bleeding from the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Level 5: Loss of senses, confusion, and self-destructive tendencies."

"The sixth level: loss of humanity, alienation, and stripping away. In severe cases, it can lead to death."

"Seventh layer: Death that is absolute and irreversible."

After writing down all the symptoms of increased workload on the blackboard, Fran sighed softly, a hint of regret showing in his amber eyes.

"Although I have systematically learned about rising load through literature and some notes, it is regrettable that I have never been able to conduct on-site research on it. If I could fully understand its mechanism, perhaps I could conduct small-scale force field simulations at the Foggy Street Clinic..."

"In that case, many studies that have been stalled can be put back on the agenda."

"It should be noted that abyssal creatures and inorganic structures are resistant to rising loads, and can even neutralize them."

"Therefore, if there is ever an opportunity to explore the Abyss, Sigrid, Ms. Tinuville, and Assistant Instructor Child of the White Cup would all be very suitable candidates..."

At this point, the doctor seemed to realize that he had gone off-topic, so he covered his mouth and coughed lightly before returning to the main topic of the lecture video.

"Let's return to our subject of study today, the 'Dragon Mane Snail Pigeon'."

"It is the top predator of the sixth layer, and perhaps we can also call it the overlord. It is over thirty meters long, walks on six legs, and has liquid toxins under its carapace. Its common methods of driving away and hunting are trampling, pecking, and spraying secretions at high speed through its sharp beak."

"After anatomical examination, the fragments of the dragon-mane snail I have obtained are about one-twentieth of the main body, specifically composed of bones, shells, and flesh biomass."

Perhaps driven by a researcher's penchant for explanation, Fran also went on to describe the creature's general habits. However, there was one aspect she omitted... namely, the Dragonmane Snail-Dove possesses an extremely strong sense of territory, and this creature is unusually vengeful.

It could even be called an obsession.

"Everything is ready, and we can proceed with the physical strength test."

Fran gave Sigrid a look that signaled her to get to work, and the latter immediately understood, taking a flat, sheet-like piece of debris and placing it on the Fog Street Clinic's specially designed integrated materials testing machine.

"As is customary, we will prioritize testing tensile strength, yield strength, elongation after fracture, and reduction of area..."