Based on her impression of the senior hunters of the Burial Chamber, their first reaction upon learning about this should have been to immediately draft a capture plan for Dr. Fran.
"This matter concerns your life safety, so the upper echelons of the Burial Chamber chose to prioritize cooperating with our work."
Marian then paused, seeming to recall something.
"However, they subsequently submitted a proposal for the capture and containment of the individual 'Dr. Fran,' which included over eight specific implementation plans. The General Affairs Division rejected it."
"Hmm... That's fine too."
Haida nodded slightly.
Direct pursuit carried a strong sense of provocation. Compared to such a directly confrontational attitude, she preferred the General Affairs Division's current contact strategy.
"Please describe the situation regarding the remaining organs as well, Ms. Marian. I'd like to... understand my physical condition better."
"You're being too polite, little Haida. Happy to be of service; it's my duty."
Marian deftly placed a soda cracker into Haida's mouth, then began to explain in detail the other items on the medical report.
——
Fog Street Clinic.
[Unknown Vertebra (from Terra World)]
[Quality: Fine]
[Traits: This biological raw material is a high-risk item. Its form is unstable. Please exercise caution during deconstruction work. It is a fossilized bone formed under extremely special circumstances by a certain malignant disease.]
[Note: "This one's even more of a vertebra."]
In the operating room, Fran, wearing a heavy chemical protection suit, had a somewhat odd expression. She stared at a large vertebra on the operating table before her, momentarily still as if frozen.
Finally, she relaxed and smiled. She had finally drawn a high-risk item...
"A high-risk item of Fine quality, and from the Terra world that produces Originium... Could a fossilized vertebra still maintain biological activity? Let's open it up and see."
She lifted her beloved small circular saw from her medical kit, skillfully mounted the saw blade, and began today's deconstruction work.
"Hmm, according to Spinal Studies Primer, the scale of this vertebra is too large; it doesn't match the size of a standard Terra human. Is it from some kind of beast?"
"It's a pity my Terra Medicine parsing rate is only 3%; I can't directly determine that."
Fran slightly pursed her lips. Although visibly excited, her hand movements remained absolutely steady. The circular saw, normally used for woodworking, was like a precise surgical instrument in her hands...
"Wait, no."
Fran quickly overturned her previous guess.
"Although this vertebra resembles that of a large beast, many structures faintly show human traces. The beast-like form of the bones comes from acquired morphological change, likely due to some severe atavistic phenomenon..."
She spent some time cracking open the hardened, fossilized shell of this vertebra, then immediately stopped the circular saw to prevent cutting into the contents.
The spinal canal was filled with either pitch-black or clear, bright yellow crystals... They were Originium that had undergone a certain degree of purification.
"If this thing were to spread, it would indeed be somewhat troublesome, but the total mass isn't much. And its host has already become a fossil; it should have lost the ability to self-detonate and spread ore dust..."
Compared to the Originium stored in this spinal canal, Fran found a piece of live, bouncing Ork flesh far more threatening...
She soon began dismantling the vertebra, attempting to separate the Originium crystals embedded within the bone.
"From head to tail, it's all inorganic material; the surgical instruments are just circular saws and more circular saws... Perhaps a geologist could do this better..."
Letting out a complaint of unclear meaning, Fran began cutting through the gaps between the bone cavities. But then, a hint of gravity suddenly appeared in her amber eyes.
This fossilized vertebra actually exhibited a degree of active bending? No muscles, no nerves, clearly a pure inanimate object... yet it showed biological activity.
Within these miscellaneous Originium crystals was flowing some kind of art that drove inanimate objects, and... because of this, the entire vertebra was waking up!
Its awakening quickly activated the surrounding ore. Dazzling light and heat began to accumulate; it might only take a moment to reach the level of triggering a dust explosion.
As expected, it needed to reach this level to be judged high-risk... Fran thought excitedly.
"I've always been curious how creatures that, like Creepers, have self-destruction as their ultimate pursuit can still sustain their racial existence this way..."
"But isn't it a bit too arrogant to want to die before me using such a classic method as self-destruction?"
As she spoke, Fran swung the circular saw and shattered the ore clusters inside the spinal cavity, almost completely abandoning her previous cautious attitude.
This rough action greatly accelerated the vertebra's awakening. But before it could fully activate, Fran had already precisely screened out all the large ore clusters from the bone fragments from all directions and cut and separated them.
"If it can't come into contact with enough mass of Originium crystals, it won't reach the energy threshold to trigger a dust explosion."
Fran simply processed these ore clusters and placed them in containers for storage. She didn't currently master related manufacturing techniques, so she wouldn't waste the raw material.
Currently, the most important thing for her... was the remaining fossilized vertebra.
It clearly had already lost life and was highly mineralized, yet it seemed to have triggered some kind of instinctive reflex. But in this state, it didn't even have nerves; a reflex was impossible.
Was it an entanglement of souls, or the remnant of an obsession?
Fran had considerable research into souls, but sadly... after that extremely violent pounding, this vertebra seemed to have reverted to a purely inanimate object.
"Oh well, let's section the vertebra more meticulously first. If there are any biological materials remaining, we might be able to extract genes... That would be much easier."
Compared to dealing with inorganic matter, she still preferred biological entities with flesh and blood.
Anyway, she had found something sufficiently interesting to pass the dwindling days of May.
…..
Inside a colorless, transparent quartz display case, a segment of an incomplete biological spine was supported by several stands. This bone maintained a bizarre yet highly tense pose. Reflecting the light, it displayed a certain eerie beauty.
Fran had already disassembled this vertebra several times and immediately reassembled it after each deconstruction.
Now she was even more familiar with this vertebra than with her own spine. After all, taking out her own spine for observation and putting it back would be a bit troublesome.
"Avian characteristics and human structures combined in a special pattern... Truly beautiful."
Fran admired the new piece in her collection in the display case, letting out a sincere sigh of admiration.
"Based on Terra's racial divisions, this should be a 'Liberi.' But the atavistic phenomenon during his lifetime was too intense, affecting the bone morphology... which led to the current state."
She had previously tried to find organic material within the vertebra but wasn't successful. This bone had undergone some kind of catalysis and had become highly mineralized, nearly pure inorganic matter. Naturally, gene extraction was impossible.
This was like a skilled cook having no rice to work with... Fran's medical skills were indeed superb, but you at least had to give her a treatment object that could be called a "patient." She could even try to debug a cyberpsychotic cyborg, but...
How do you treat a stone? Polish it to become a healthier stone?
So... she changed her train of thought and began trying to find organic material in the precipitated Originium clusters.
Soon, Fran discovered a spinal fragment containing marrow within these crystals precipitated from flesh and blood. The fragment and marrow were encapsulated and preserved by Originium crystals, like a fly trapped in amber.
"Such a large volume of raw material, and the only valuable part is this tiny bit... What a perverse design."
Fran raised her eyebrows in complaint, but her expression showed no dissatisfaction. On the contrary, she quite enjoyed this puzzle-like feeling... After all, it was a field she loved and excelled in.
Because Originium ore itself has a strong erosive effect on biological material, the genetic fragments in this marrow were severely damaged. She couldn't even find a single complete, uncontaminated cell... She could only collect as much as possible.
This process was like trying to piece together a puzzle from a pile of highly similar microscopic fragments, practically an "advanced version of Pure White Hell." Most importantly, you couldn't even know if the fragments in your hand could be pieced into a complete form.
...
Fran's final achievement extracted from this bit of marrow... was a special "art" hidden deep within the bloodline.
[Shepherd's Song (Unmastered)]
[Quality: Fine]
[Effect: Gains a certain ability to influence the mind and erode willpower. When the target's self-will is completely eroded, full control can be achieved. The user can simultaneously control multiple units. This art is most efficient when used in the form of 'singing.']
[Note: "Please do not fall silent, please do not grieve... dear singer."]
——
"After repairing and decrypting the genetic sequence, there was nothing except this art. It's probably the true reward hidden within this Fine-quality raw material..."
This ancient art stems from deep within the bloodline; merely knowing the principle was not enough to use it. To meet the prerequisite for using it... one must inject the corresponding "gene therapy."
The second and third options Fran offered Haida during their first meeting were also based on this principle.
Fran took a self-contained gene therapy injector from the pocket of her white coat. This was her research achievement for the entire month of June. Heaven knows how she pieced together and restructured all the content from those extremely scattered information fragments bit by bit...
She rolled up her sleeve to reveal her pale inner elbow and inserted the needle into her vein with a detached expression.
As the solution in the injector mixed with her blood, she gradually began to understand from the root how to use [Shepherd's Song], like gradually getting used to a newly acquired limb.
At the same time, she also felt an intense pain that nearly tore her body apart.
"Gene therapy" generally requires extensive clinical trials and carries great death risks. But Fran didn't care... because she herself was the best test subject.
About five hours later, the intense pain from the depths of her body finally completely subsided.
Fran then yawned, brushed aside the somewhat disheveled pale hair on her face, and casually wiped her face with the medical satin towel nearby.
"The discomfort and rejection level aren't high. This therapy is probably around 'medium risk.'"
Fran completed the side-effect intensity rating for this reagent in a tone so calm it was almost indifferent. She then took out her brass pocket watch to check today's date.
June 30th. Hmm... Is there some mistake? The Plump Moon is almost over? How long have I been busy?
"Sines seemed to say the Red Cup cult would do something in June for revenge... I didn't miss it, did I?"
Fran blinked her amber eyes a few times, feeling somewhat guilty for no reason and couldn't help feeling regretful. Missing such an opportunity to join the excitement would mean less fun for the whole year...
She was an extremely punctual person, because punctuality was one of the necessary qualities for a doctor. If she had an appointment with someone, she would absolutely never be late.
But at the same time, Fran's sense of time was actually very poor.
Without a pocket watch or system reminders, she easily became engrossed while researching a project, completely forgetting the passage of time... To the point where she had to set alarms for all important dates.
"No, I need to ask Haida. If I really missed it, I won't be able to sleep tonight."
Fran slightly bit her lip, immediately deciding on the next course of action. She grabbed her small medical kit, hurriedly pushed open the door, and stepped into the illusory, boundless gray mist.
——
Norlington Outskirts, North District Border.
Haida and Vivian were conducting their daily patrol, and their responsible area was the small tavern where the "Sated Club" was discovered.
"Team Leader Haida, that High Priestess said 'await the Plump Moon,' but why hasn't there been any movement even though June is almost over?"
Vivian let out an annoyed sigh. Today is the last day of the Plump Moon. Could it be those cultists really aren't coming? Then the Secrets-Hunter Cult's high alert throughout June would be completely meaningless...
"That was a High Priestess's 'prophecy'; they will definitely carry it out. Establishing a ritual time without executing it is equivalent to directly blaspheming their own faith."
Although answering Vivian's question, Haida's grey-hazel eyes remained fixed on every corner of the streets and alleys. Although it was a relatively routine mission, because of the special timing... they still couldn't let their guard down.
"But it's also possible the Red Cup cult is willing to bear the consequences of blasphemy and forcefully remain hidden... though the cost would be great. An evil god's blessing is already like a curse, and Their curse is even more malicious."
"So, unless those guys' brains are fried, something will definitely happen today?"
Vivian moved a bit closer to Haida; this action gave her some sense of security. Normally, action teams had over ten members, but Haida's team only had two... The numerical disadvantage made them easily surrounded in an encounter.
Thankfully, Haida's pure combat prowess supported the entire team...
"Correct." Haida confirmed Vivian's deduction.
The two soon arrived in front of the Sated Club's tavern.
Currently, the tavern's entire external walls had been completely demolished, leaving only ruins and remnants. The ground was full of spiritual cleansing and burning marks, clearly having undergone more than one round of cleaning.
Vivian looked at the completely demolished tavern, feeling somewhat inexplicably emotional.
"Is there really a need to check again... I suspect the colleagues who handled the cleanup probably already turned over the ground here."
"Caution is never a bad thing. Besides, today is the last day... Follow behind me."
Haida picked up her two firearms and stepped into the tavern ruins, heading straight for the secret passage leading to the Sated Club.
This dark and narrow secret passage had now undergone destructive excavation and expansion, becoming much wider. At least there was no need to worry about having nowhere to hide during an ambush.
The original flesh and blood door that required hearing Red Cup prayers to open had now turned into a pile of shattered charcoal.
Haida gave it a push, and the entire door panel collapsed with a crash, stirring up a cloud of black dust on the ground.
But behind the door wasn't the expected ruins of the Sated Club, but an indistinct, hazy mist that the eye couldn't penetrate.
Instinctively, she momentarily wanted to retreat, but the mist clung to her like a shadow. Like nameless chaos from beyond the sky, yet carrying an inexplicable sense of familiarity...
"Dr. Fran?" Haida stood her ground slightly, suppressing the urge to shoot.
"Hey, Sister Haida recognized me? Couldn't scare you a bit?"
Fran stepped out of the swirling mist with a light smile, coming before Haida. She tilted her head somewhat quizzically, her amber eyes holding a hint of teasing.
"A little bit."
++++
T/N: Hey readers~! New Translator here! Before I say anything, I'd first like to thank the original author for creating this wonderful story. Without them, I wouldn't have the chance to share this adventure with you. I hope my translation does justice to their work, and that together, we can enjoy this story.
With that said, I'm happy to let you know I'll be uploading daily chapters. And for those who wish to support my work and gain early access, I've set up a Patreon where advanced chapters will be available.
[email protected]/PeakTL