The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

-

Ms. Tames' mental state has recovered. This quarter's cross-disciplinary consultation is complete, completion level: S. Your next cross-disciplinary consultation will trigger at the end of the next quarter.

[This consultation fee: Unknown Biotechnology Manual x1 (Excellent Quality, Unidentified)]

Fran pushed aside the swirling mist in front of the door and returned to his clinic.

"Ms. Tames is a very good student, diligent, eager to learn and intelligent... Unfortunately, teaching students does not increase the analytical level of technology."

She sat back on the soft sofa, sighed with a hint of regret, and began to examine the new manual she had just received.

[Abyss Applied Studies (from the Abyss)]

【Quality: Excellent】

[Effect: Reading this will unlock the relevant crafting system, allowing you to skillfully study how to create "magazines" to ward off the curse of the Abyss. Of course, this manual also contains other Abyss items. Resolution +15% upon completion of reading.]

[Note: "Go into battle carrying your family on your back!"]

"This manual has an initial resolution of 15% on the first try, truly a testament to its excellent quality..."

Fran held the thick book, "Applied Abyss Science," and quickly flipped through it.

Compared to neat printed materials, this book is more like a collection of personal notes, densely covered with various drawings.

It took her some time to finish reading the entire notebook, and her understanding of "Abyss Applied Studies" increased to 15%. She got up from the sofa and stuffed it into the tall, fully stocked bookshelf.

"It's a real pity. Although I have a lot of basic experimental data, I don't have any of the corresponding raw materials at hand... I don't even have the opportunity to try it out myself."

She waved her hand somewhat listlessly. (Nine)

This is precisely the dilemma she often faces: she has clearly reached the pinnacle of a certain technology's theory, but is unable to conduct further research due to issues with available materials.

After the ordeal in the secret room, Fran was feeling a little hungry.

After a quick wash and changing into clothes free of blood, Fran left the clinic… yes, she was going to buy groceries. Part Two

In order to maintain her human senses, she needs to eat normally.

"I definitely need to hire a maid sometime; I'm so fed up with cooking..."

—Part Three

"Fresh eggplants! Juicy and crisp eggplants, edible and usable, just transported from the South District!" (Zero)

"Take a look at the jewelry, miss. This citrine bracelet from the land of Attilius in the shifting sands will bring you good luck; it's definitely worth more than its price!" Wu

"Hello, esteemed sir, please allow me to introduce to you the sages and guiding lights we revere, the 'white cup' that represents wisdom and enlightenment..."

-

The markets in the North District are always bustling, and you can find almost everything you need in the shops and stalls.

Seasonal fruits and vegetables, local snacks, all kinds of handicrafts, and emerging mechanical products...

There were even people proselytizing. They were handing out pamphlets and eggs, while a crowd of onlookers gathered around.

Fran, wearing a white coat, stood out in the crowd.

In Norrington, most doctors don't usually go grocery shopping themselves... but most people just glanced at her and looked away, seemingly having no further interest in her.

It's like seeing wildflowers or butterflies on a lawn; the impression fades after a very brief moment.

Fran was carrying a bag of processed meat and some vegetables, preparing to head home, when he suddenly noticed a tall and well-proportioned figure standing in front of him, his light gray eyes staring straight at him.

Heda was still wearing a dark black trench coat and a fitted nun's robe, but apparently because of the dropping temperature, she had also wrapped herself in a gray cashmere scarf.

"Good day, Sister Heda. Your senses have been able to see through simple psychological deceptions after the treatment... It seems you've recovered very well."

She waved to Haida in a friendly manner and greeted her politely.

Sister Heda didn't respond to that question; instead, she quickly asked:

"There have been several missing persons reports in the North District recently. Are they related to you, Dr. Fran?"

"Hey, I've been a long-time resident here, how could you doubt me? First of all, an ordinary person's body is so weak, they're not even qualified to be an experimental subject..."

"Secondly, if I were to do it, I would be blamed." (The rest of the text is a series of seemingly unrelated phrases and sentences, likely from different sources.)

Fran frowned slightly, seemingly trying to appear angry.

"I see... I understand."

Heda's eyes twitched slightly, then she nodded, generally agreeing with Fran's explanation.

She had only met him by chance and asked casually. The recent disappearances are most likely related to the heretical priest she had previously torn apart…

After Heda submitted her last mission report, the reply she received from Supervisor Alvin was, "Dr. Fran is friendly, but it is not recommended to get too close to her. At the same time, if possible, please maintain a certain level of contact with her."

Strangely, the cult even encouraged her to make further contact with this strange doctor... She had never encountered a situation like this before.

The usual attitude of the high-ranking members of the Hunters towards potential threats is to "eliminate them completely."

With that in mind, she extended an invitation to Fran.

"This case may require an experienced coroner. Would you be willing to accept an employment offer from the Hunter's Order?"

"But I'm in a hurry to get home and cook dinner. Besides, I just finished a house call and I'm exhausted..."

Fran blinked and innocently showed off the cloth bag with two large green onions stuck in it.

"The Order provides a total of 300 Norrington silver coins as a reward for the case."

“Let’s go! I’d be happy to demonstrate my medical skills to Miss Haida. As for dinner… it’s fine to cook it at the person who reported the incident.”

Looking at Fran, who had no principles, Haida pursed her lips and felt a strange sense of relief.

Although Dr. Fran is a highly skilled doctor with an eccentric and unpredictable temperament, thankfully, she seems to be easily swayed by money...

-

No. 11 North District, 131 Hung Chi Street.

After walking along the stone path in the charming little garden, the two arrived at the front of a detached villa.

Haida knocked on the door of the person who reported the crime.

The person who opened the door was a middle-aged woman. She was wearing a thick black velvet dress and genuine leather gloves, which covered her skin completely.

Her attire wasn't strange; in fact, it was quite appropriate. After all, it was late winter, and many women like to dress like that…

Her eyes were sunken, and dark circles seemed to be branded onto her eyelids. A hint of unspoken fear lingered in her eyes.

Lu: "Are you... a member of the cult?"

"Yes, Ms. Solani. Is Mr. Logan, the person who reported the incident, at home?"

Yi Haida politely inquired about the other party's identity and presented the relevant documents of the Hunter's Order bearing the horizontal prism emblem.

This made Fran narrow his eyes slightly, and he couldn't help but marvel at the development of the Order in recent years.

Once upon a time, this was a secret organization hidden behind a veil, but now it has evolved to the point where it can use cult credentials as search warrants...

"Hello, respected nun and doctor. My husband... he's gone missing. Just yesterday, my son, Faith, also disappeared. The day before yesterday, it was our maid, Sadie, who went missing... and before that, it was my dog, Sasha..."

Solani politely returned Haida's greeting, not even forgetting Fran, who had a low profile standing nearby.

But she didn't look at anyone while she was speaking; instead, she kept glancing around at the empty space outside the door.

Her eyes were fragile and on the verge of collapse, as if a ferocious beast roamed outside, ready to devour everything at any moment.

"Please let us in and take a look." Haida's expression became serious.

Although she spoke in a consultative tone, she had already reached up and climbed onto the door frame, leaving no room for refusal.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I've been quite distracted by what happened earlier, and I completely forgot to invite you both in. How rude of me! Please come in..."

Solani quickly invited Haida and Fran into the house. After the two sat down on the sofa in the living room, she busied herself for a while and served tea and snacks.

Black tea from Attila, even packaged in silk... is obviously not cheap. Even middle-class families with decent means would only use it to entertain important guests.

The living room rug is large and soft, embroidered with a tall white oak tree. A rose pattern is placed to the left of the oak tree, with two red leaves on either side.

The pattern appears somewhat ambiguous and not particularly beautiful, but that does not diminish the carpet's value.

Fran sniffed the air; an unknown incense was burning in the room. The scent was as soft as silk, sweet to the point of being intoxicating.

Entering the house gave Fran a suffocating feeling of being surrounded by money. The average middle-class family couldn't afford such luxurious amenities…

Haida didn't drink tea or engage in any unnecessary small talk; she got straight to the point.

"So, starting three days ago, your family has been experiencing a series of missing persons?"

“Yes.” Solani pursed her lips tightly, her unease visible to the naked eye.

"At first, Sasha went missing from the garden, and we thought she had just sneaked out to play... The next day, our maid Sadie went to look for her, but she didn't return. My husband sensed something was wrong and went to the nearby synagogue of the Mystics to report it..."

"But he disappeared yesterday too."

Solani trembled uncontrollably, her voice growing increasingly faint and broken, filled with hysterical gasps.

“Last night I held my son as I fell asleep, afraid that he would disappear like the others…and this morning, I was alone in bed.”

"I'll probably be the next one to disappear..."

Chapter 8 Personality Profiling

From Solani's fragmented and somewhat chaotic narration, Haida felt a chill creep up her spine.

Such unexplained disappearances are truly terrifying, almost like the disappearance of a ghost, leaving one clueless and powerless to resist.

No wonder the Secret Service believed that this case was related to mystery and had a potential danger of around level two when assessing the mission.

"Please don't worry, Ms. Solani. The Order of the Hunters will prioritize your safety."

Solani felt a sense of security from Haida's words, which temporarily brought a fragile stability to her mind, which was on the verge of collapse.

But she is in such a state that she cannot withstand any further stimulation and may completely collapse at any moment.

“I don’t know what to do anymore… Sister, can you find my family? At least find Fizz, he’s only five years old, we just celebrated his birthday last month… Waaah…”

"Just call me Haida. The person next to me is Doctor Fran."

She briefly introduced the two men and then continued the conversation from where they left off.

“We will do our best. Our colleagues in the Secret Service have begun the search process and will notify you as soon as we have any news about your family.”

Haida could not offer any substantial assurances to the somewhat out-of-control woman before her.

Being inarticulate, she couldn't even offer comfort, and could only respond in a perfunctory, official tone.

She always held the worst possible view of what would happen to the missing.

Once a mortal is branded with the mark of heresy, the speed at which they become corrupted is unimaginable... In just a few breaths, a healthy adult can become a breeding ground for evil offspring.

This is why the heretical assistant priest was able to almost kill Haida. In a one-on-one situation, a well-trained funeral maid has an overwhelming advantage when facing a cultist of the assistant priest level.

Even if he has become a demonic offspring, as long as he still has a physical body, he can be simultaneously destroyed on both the spiritual and physical levels by the steel-core bullets inscribed with prayers.

But at that time, too many believers were sacrificed... This meant she had to face an astonishing number of secondary evil offspring alone. And this is precisely the most dangerous aspect of heretical cults.

Solani sobbed softly, and after calming down a bit, she continued, "I'm sorry, I got too emotional and lost control. You must be very troubled too, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Please feel free to search my room; I hope you will find something."

"Thank you for your cooperation." Haida nodded slightly, offering a slight greeting to the extremely haggard woman.

From the mission materials she received, she learned that Solani actually came from a newly emerging aristocratic family with considerable background. Her husband, Logan, was a director of an electrical company and was considered one of the best among young entrepreneurs.

Such families would face some trouble if they refused the intervention of the Hunter's Order.

Although Haida can still forcibly search within her authority, she will need to write at least two or three more mission reports afterward.

Since the other party is willing to cooperate, there are no more worries...

“Ms. Solani, the pattern on your carpet is really beautiful.”

Suddenly, Fran, who had been sitting quietly drinking tea next to Haida, complimented the living room carpet. Her words were somewhat unexpected and inappropriate.

This made Haida glance at him sideways, unsure of Fran's intentions.

“Dr. Fran, I’m so glad you like it. My husband bought it recently while on a business trip to Attila… These exotic patterns are always a bit odd, but the quality of the rug is really high. Have you seen this pattern before?”

Solanie also felt a little strange, but out of good upbringing and manners, she still habitually explained the origin of the carpet to Fran.

"No, this is the first time I've seen this pattern either. I just felt compelled to comment, please don't mind it."