Inside a colorless, transparent quartz cabinet, an incomplete segment of biological spine was propped up by several stands. The bone maintained a grotesque yet strikingly dynamic posture, casting an eerily exquisite beauty under the lighting.
Fran had disassembled and reassembled this vertebra multiple times, snapping it apart and piecing it back together immediately after each dissection. By now, she knew this spine better than her own—after all, removing her own for examination would be... troublesome to reinstall.
"Avian features fused with human structure in such a peculiar pattern... How beautiful."
Fran gazed at her new exhibit and sighed in genuine admiration.
"By Terra's ethnic classifications, this should belong to a 'Liberi.' But their ancestral regression was so extreme it altered the skeletal morphology... hence this state."
Earlier attempts to extract organic material from the spine had failed. The bone, accelerated by some form of catalysis, had mineralized to near-purity—rendering gene extraction impossible.
Even the deftest hands can't cook without rice. Fran's medical skills were exceptional, yes, but she at least needed a "patient" to treat. A cyborg with cyberpsychosis? She could try antivirals. But...
A rock? How does one treat a rock? Polish it into a healthier rock?
So—she pivoted. Her new approach: scour the crystallized Originium deposits for traces of organic matter.
Soon, within the blood-forged crystals, she found it—a spinal fragment with marrow. Encased in Originium, like a fly trapped in amber.
"Such a massive volume of raw material, yet only this tiny fraction holds real value… What a sadistically deliberate design."
Fran clicked her tongue in mock complaint, though her expression betrayed no genuine displeasure. If anything, she relished this puzzle-like challenge—it was, after all, her beloved and mastered domain.
The Originium's inherent corrosive properties had ravaged the genetic fragments within the marrow sample. Not a single intact, uncontaminated cell remained… leaving her to scavenge whatever scraps she could.
The process resembled assembling a jigsaw puzzle from near-identical microscopic shards—an evolved version of "white hell." Worst of all, there was no guarantee the fragments could even form a complete picture.
...
From this marrow, Fran's ultimate harvest was… a unique "technique" buried deep within its血脉 (bloodline):
[Shepherd's Hymn (Unmastered)]
[Rarity: Fine]
[Effect: Grants the ability to influence minds and erode willpower. When a target's self-will is fully dissolved, complete control is achieved. The user may manipulate multiple units simultaneously. Optimal efficacy is attained when the technique is 'sung.']
[Note: "Do not fall silent, do not grieve… dear singer."]
——
"After repairing and decrypting the gene sequence, this technique was all that remained. It must be the true prize hidden within this 'Fine'-grade material…"
This ancient technique, rooted deep within the bloodline, cannot be used merely by understanding its principles. To satisfy the prerequisites for its application… one must inject the corresponding "gene serum."
The options Fran provided to Heida during their first meeting were based on this principle as well.
From the pocket of her lab coat, Fran retrieved a gene serum with an attached syringe, representing the culmination of her research throughout June. God only knows how she managed to organize and reconstruct all that fragmented information…
She rolled up her sleeve to expose her pale inner elbow and calmly inserted the needle into her vein.
As the solution in the serum mixed with her blood, she gradually began to understand how to utilize the [Shepherd's Hymn], akin to becoming proficient with a newly acquired limb.
At the same time, she felt an intense pain that seemed almost capable
In a calm, almost indifferent tone, Fran completed the evaluation of the serum's side effect intensity. She then took out her brass pocket watch to check today's date.
June 30th. Hmm… Is that right? Is the month of June really coming to an end? How long have I been occupied?
"Didn't Sains mention that the Red Cup Sect was planning some kind of retaliation in June… Have I already missed it?"
Fran's amber eyes blinked a few times, feeling inexplicably guilty while also regretting the potential missed opportunity. If she missed out on this kind of exciting event, the year would be considerably less enjoyable…
She was a person who valued punctuality greatly, as being on time is one of the necessary qualities of a doctor. If she had an appointment, she could never be late.
However, at the same time, Fran actually had a poor sense of time.
Without her pocket watch or system reminders, she could easily become so engrossed in researching a project that she completely lost track of time… to the extent that she had to set alarms for all important dates.
"I can't let this go. I need to ask Heida. If I really missed it, I won't be able to sleep tonight."
Fran bit her lip slightly, making up her mind about her next course of action. She hurriedly grabbed her medical kit and pushed the door open, stepping into the surreal, hazy fog that stretched endlessly before her.
Nolington City outskirts, northern district boundary.
Heida and Vivian were on their regular patrol, responsible for the area where the "Hunger Club" had originally been discovered.
"Captain Heida, the High Priest said to 'wait patiently for the month of June,' but why is it almost over and there's been no sign of anything?"
Vivian sighed irritably. Today is the last day of June; could it be that those cultists really aren't coming? That would render the entire month of heightened vigilance by the Hunters' Guild completely meaningless...
"That was a 'prophecy' from a High Priest; they will definitely take action. Establishing the time for the ritual without carrying it out is tantamount to directly desecrating their own faith."
While Heida answered Vivian's question, her grayish-brown eyes were still scanning every corner of the streets and alleys. Though it was just a routine task, the significance of the time meant they couldn't afford to be careless.
"However, we can't rule out the possibility that the Red Cup Sect is willing to bear the consequences of blasphemy and hide away... But the price for that would be high. The blessings from the dark gods are akin to curses, and their curses are far more malicious."
"So you're saying that as long as those guys haven't lost their minds, something is bound to happen today?"
Vivian leaned slightly closer to Heida, gaining a bit of comfort from the gesture. Usually, task forces consist of ten or more people, but Heida's team had only two… The disadvantage in numbers made it easy for them to become surrounded in an encounter.
Fortunately, Heida upheld the entire team with her sheer martial strength...
"That's right." Heida confirmed Vivian's deduction.
The two soon arrived at the front of the Hunger Club's tavern.
The tavern's entire exterior wall had been demolished, leaving behind only a pile of ruins. The ground was littered with signs of exorcism and burning, clearly having undergone more than one round of cleansing.
Vivian surveyed the completely dismantled tavern and couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief.
"Is there really any need to look at this again... I suspect the colleagues who did the finishing work have probably turned this place inside out."
"Being cautious is never a bad thing, especially since today is the last day... Stay behind me."
Heida drew her two firearms and stepped into the ruins of the tavern, moving directly toward the secret passage leading to the Hunger Club.
This dark, narrow passage had been
"Doctor Fran?" Heida paused slightly, resisting the urge to fire her weapon.
"Hey, Sister Heida actually recognized me? Didn't I scare you?"
Fran stepped out of the swirling mist with a light smile, approaching Heida. She tilted her head in slight confusion, her amber eyes carrying a hint of teasing.
"A little."
After a brief moment of surprise, Heida quickly accepted the situation.
Fran's appearance was quite reasonable; she had been present during the half-body assault on the museum in Sains, so it was unlikely she would be absent today.
Vivian, who had been right behind Heida, had detailedly witnessed what had just transpired. She felt as if a nonexistent bead of sweat had trickled down her cheek...
Heida's fingers had clearly already been on the trigger, almost ready to empty the magazine into whatever was beyond the door. It was likely only Fran who would dare to make such jokes in a situation like this.
For some reason, upon seeing Fran, Vivian felt a little more secure. This strange doctor was indeed reliable most of the time, as long as there weren't cases of interest to her…
Vivian suddenly had the odd impression that Fran was actually a member of her own action team...
Suddenly, Heida's gaze toward Fran took on an unusual quality. She immediately noticed some changes in the other woman.
"Doctor Fran, what's wrong with your ears?"
At that moment, two soft, frost-colored ear feathers were gracefully standing on either side of Fran's front hair... And these feathers seemed to twitch according to her emotions and speech, not at all like mere decorations.
"What's wrong? Is there something strange on my ears?"
Fran said as she touched her ear, finding nothing abnormal. Then, as if realizing something, she reached up to touch her hair and indeed found the two ear feathers.
"...Hmm, I think I understand now."
"This is the product of my most recent experiment... I'm not quite skilled with it yet, but after some time, I should be able to retract them at will."
"I see."
Heida focused on the two quite beautiful and shiny ear feathers, refraining from further questions. After all... if she were meant to know about this, Fran would explain it herself; it was likely that no further inquiries were necessary.
"Such beautiful feathers. Can I... can I touch them?"
Vivian couldn't help but exclaim, realizing that Fran could have such a cute experiment. She had thought this doctor was only interested in things like internal organs...
"Um..." Fran raised an eyebrow, looking a bit troubled by the request.
"Alright, just for today?"
In the end, she agreed. After all, it was just a touch; the request wasn't too much to ask.
Once granted permission, Vivian stepped forward and reached out to touch her ear feathers. They felt like hair but also had a slightly downy texture, resembling real bird feathers yet with a subtle difference.
Heida squinted her eyes, observing the two of them closely, finding it difficult to guess what she was thinking at that moment.
"Sister Heida, would you like to give it a try? Or if you prefer, I can arrange for you to have a pair as well... though there are no other styles, just these bird-like ear feathers."
Fran looked toward Heida, once again attempting to recommend her new medical service.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Doctor Fran... but I don't need them at the moment."
If she truly developed bird-like features, she would probably have to maintain a close relationship with Miss Marian every day… She thought that, yet she couldn't shake her curiosity about the texture of those ear feathers.
Just then, Haida caught a whiff of blood. Before she could trace the source of the smell, she was tackled by something soft... It was Fran.
Her ear feathers brushed against her neck, feeling softer than those of a real bird, like hair. There was a slight itch where they touched her skin.
The distraction lasted only a moment. Haida's grayish-brown eyes narrowed as she saw a bone spike covered in filth and flesh where she had been standing.
An ambush, and a surprise one at that.
"Even as the High Priestess, a hedonistic dancer can never truly understand the divine will. Her only value to the Lord is her death... How pitiful." A red-robed old man sighed as he slowly approached the three of them from the outside of the secret passage. His footsteps were crisp, for there was no flesh on his feet, only bones.
"And you are no different, sacrificial lambs."