Fran straightened the lapel of her scholar's overgarment and walked towards him with light steps.
"Mr. Albert, I regret that your arm could not be saved. However, we offer Norlington's most advanced prosthetic services here. Might you have a need in this regard?"
"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Flamel." Albert looked at the severed sleeve, not feeling regretful.
This was the price he should pay. If anything... paying only a hand as the price for defying a deity was far too fortunate.
At the same time, he felt puzzled.
Flamel's face now held none of the student-like awkwardness and naivety she had during academic seminars. Her amber gaze was clear yet profound, like a deep pool—visible to the bottom at a glance, yet inscrutable.
So, she was concealing her identity...
"The injury on my arm isn't currently life-threatening; simple treatment will suffice."
Before his words fully faded, he saw the ritual array on the altar crack and scatter apart, disintegrating into sand. A book was revealed within.
On the cover of the volume was written in ancient Loredon language: The Mystery of Time.
"Take it." Terence spoke slowly.
"Shadow of the Future was already taken by the Six-Eyed Crow disciples who came here. This ancient doctrine written by the Children of the Whiskered Tree is a sacred artifact of equivalent rank. According to our initial agreement, it belongs to you."
Shadow of the Future... wasn't that used by Sister Haida...
Albert's eyes flickered slightly, his lips parting a little.
He looked at the other Sister Haida beside him, holding the Decapitation Throne, quickly understood, and then nodded quite obediently.
"Indeed so."
Although the revival ritual in the core layer was destroyed and the Ancient Banyan was wrathful, His spiritual essence still sustained the entire library ruin... infinite forbearance is also the manifestation of the Principle of Prosperity in the material world.
Thus, the spectacle of collapse and flight did not play out.
"There's one more thing."
After eliminating the latent disaster of this ruin, Terence's tone was uncharacteristically no longer stern.
"Regarding Miss Flamel's proposal for a 'prosthetic,' I hope you will give it serious consideration."
Hearing this, the corner of Fran's lips curled into a shallow arc. She then placed a Secrets-Hunter Cult identification card in Albert's hand.
Secrets-Hunters...
Thinking of Sister Haida's attitude towards Flamel along the way, a thread of understanding rose within him.
With everything settled, the exploration of the library ruin also came to an end.
---
Fog Street Clinic.
With a touch of weariness, Fran passed through the pale mist and pushed open the clinic's wooden door.
Sigrid helped Fran out of the scholar's overgarment draped over her and hung it on the coat rack in the main hall. She placed her fingers on Fran's shoulders, through the inner suit jacket, kneading with moderate pressure.
Sigrid's hands were warm, making her touch pleasantly comfortable during the harsh winter.
"Dr. Fran, was this considered a 'public welfare' house call?"
Haida obtained the Ancient Banyan fruit Shadow of the Future, Albert obtained the Children of the Whiskered Tree doctrine from the Order of Dust era, and the White Cup obtained ownership of the entire library ruin... It seemed only Fran gained nothing.
"Hmm... Not really?"
Fran's voice floated softly, carrying a faint, elusive smile.
"I just collected my fee in my own way."
She raised a hand and opened the small medical kit, taking out from it a completely fluorescent green "Time-Aphid."
Judging by its physiological state, it seemed to still be alive, just still dormant...
---
In Fran's operating room.
Tentacles slightly extending, limbs opening and closing, the dormant Time-Aphid gradually awakened. There was no intense aura of vitality from the Ancient Banyan here, nor the familiar covering of vegetation... Only an expanse of cold as hard as iron.
It surveyed the completely unfamiliar surroundings in panic, then realized it was trapped in a metal container. The hollow openings of the container were layered and wrapped with transparent quartz walls, leaving not a single gap.
The Time-Aphid felt anger and almost reflexively adopted a defensive posture, beginning to secrete transparent honeydew.
It could make specific individuals retrograde in time, also accelerate the flow of time within a certain range. If this container were made of ordinary materials, it would likely already have rotted and rusted, broken and scattered... But currently, the abnormal flow of time was completely locked inside the container, with no signs of any leakage whatsoever.
Moreover, the container itself showed no signs of any damage; the violently passing time seemed to have caused no effect on it.
"Little one, my advice is, you need not waste your energy."
Fran's figure, clad in a white coat, appeared beside the container, looking somewhat scrutinizingly at the nearly frantic Time-Aphid.
"During your slumber, I have dissected your abdominal tube and meticulously examined your body structure. Perhaps you don't believe it, but I now understand you better than you understand yourself."
Her expression was leisurely, her amber eyes like candle flames under the operating room's dim, confusing light.
As a mythical creature, the Time-Aphid possessed near-human intelligence. That's why it could sign a pact with Neville and achieve a bizarre symbiotic relationship. It understood the confidence born of having something to rely on in Fran's tone, making it even more manic.
But this near-useless frenzy seemed more like concealing deeper fear in its heart.
"Aphid honeydew is actually waste. So, your attempt to corrode the container with honeydew... could it be considered 'channeling anger into striving for strength'?"
Fran observed the Time-Aphid's actions with interest, holding a light quill pen, quickly recording its reaction information.
The honeydew contained the spiritual essence of Time, capable of causing at least centuries-worth of temporal erosion. Yet the entire container seemed unchanged, as good as new.
This specially-made container used wraithbone as the main material. The essence of wraithbone is a crystallization of the Immaterium... Linear time concepts do not exist within the Immaterium, therefore temporal erosion naturally finds it difficult to affect it.
Without the connection of the swarm or the protection of the Ancient Banyan, the Time-Aphid's fear finally overcame its anger. It stared intently at Fran, pressing down its body to lie dormant and regain strength.
"Finally giving up?"
Fran looked at the Time-Aphid. Their eyes met, with a hidden sense of confrontation.
If it couldn't corrode this container by accelerating time, could it perhaps by rewinding time, returning it to its state before being made? The bizarre idea flashed through the Time-Aphid's thoughts. After regaining a bit of strength, it began attempting to retrograde the entire container.
But soon, it felt a surge of completely reverse-direction spiritual essence, forcibly stabilizing the chaotic flow of time.
After a moment of near-horrified astonishment, the Time-Aphid felt a thread of familiarity with this aberrant spiritual essence. Originating from flesh and blood, disrupting Time... This... was its own power!
"It seems you've noticed something."
Fran extended her slender index finger, using a knuckle to lightly tap the container, emitting two heavy metallic sounds.
"The Necrons are extremely accomplished in imprisonment and restraint technology. Coincidentally, I also know a thing or two about it. This container can extract over eighty percent of your own spiritual essence to stabilize Time. On this basis, the more you activate your power..."
"...the more stable the container itself becomes."
Seeming to have already felt despair, the Time-Aphid curled up its body. This almost flawless prison indeed left it no hope of escape.
But this smiling human woman before it was even more despair-inducing. Her gaze was clear and profound, as if it could bore deep into the depths of its soul and flesh. No secret could escape her scrutiny.
Moreover, this person had been using the ancient Loredon language customarily used by the Children of the Whiskered Tree from the Order of Dust era to communicate with it. Her speech held no awkwardness, as if it were her native language...
The Time-Aphid extended a limb, dipped it in honeydew, and wrote a few characters in ancient Loredon on the container wall.
Human, what do you want?
"Being able to communicate through writing, you're a bit cleverer than I imagined."
Fran's moist lip corners curved slightly, that ever-present, business-like smile.
"But you seem not yet clear about your own position and situation. The phrase 'what do you want' can mostly only be said to a transaction partner. Right now, I can obtain all the value on you myself."
"Including soul, memory, and power."
The Time-Aphid sensed a hint of profound coldness from her gentle tone, its body involuntarily beginning to tremble slightly.
"In fact, my communication with you is merely for the routine observation of a living specimen. So, please abandon unnecessary delusions..."
Although this human was communicating with it, she actually didn't care at all about its response.
She was like someone facing an object for appreciation in a museum, or a biological specimen, strolling leisurely while casually uttering a few exclamations.
From start to finish, this human was just talking to herself...
Madwoman!
At this moment, the Time-Aphid's panic reached its psychological limit. It violently struck the container, in moments its body was covered with indented wounds.
Death was its final means of resistance.
Perhaps this human could still gain something from its corpse, but that didn't matter anymore. In any case, a living mythical creature's value ultimately surpasses that of a dead one.
But with a momentary time retrograde, it regained physical integrity.
"I have life-support equipment set up inside the container, you know? Of course, also using your spiritual essence..."
Fran's voice softly drifted over.
"This is Fog Street Clinic; I am the only physician here. Therefore, even if you want to die here... you need to obtain my consent."
Paying no mind to the now completely despairing Time-Aphid, Fran called Sigrid over and had the container moved into the dim, lightless collection room.
...
If categorized by a simple nine-alignment grid, the Time-Aphid would undoubtedly belong to "Chaotic Evil." They come from the cracks of temporal turbulence; they themselves are "errors" in the material world.
They disrupt inherent timelines and devour all biomass within sight.
Therefore, permanent confinement in this wraithbone container is its best outcome... Fran's earlier patience in communicating with it was mostly for observing its biological information and emotional reactions.
And the experimental results were even more interesting than she had anticipated.
The originally manic Time-Aphid, after struggling fruitlessly, attempted to make contact with her, seemingly wanting to reach some kind of transaction... like Neville did. This suggests that even separated from the swarm, Time-Aphids existing as individuals retain considerable intelligence.
Besides its research value as a mythical creature, the Time-Aphid can also produce some special spiritual essence materials, like that honeydew. After extraction, it can be used to make special spiritual essence concoctions.
As long as it can be kept alive, it can continuously provide surplus value...
Even if the Time-Aphid goes on a hunger strike, it doesn't matter. The container Fran made is equipped with a complete set of life-support systems. Even without eating, this container can forcibly maintain its health and vitality.
If the organ inside the Time-Aphid that disturbs the flow of time could be fully analyzed, Fran might be able to create a biologically-driven stasis field. That thing could raise the collection room's security level another level; she's wanted one for a long time...
"Speaking of which, there is another matter requiring handling lately."
Fran lightly raised her eyes, her gaze falling on the clinic's main hall calendar.
After leaving the library ruin, she had been engrossed in researching the Time-Aphid, holed up in Fog Street Clinic without going out for about half a month. It was now early March.
The March monthly house call hadn't been announced yet; perfect timing to treat Albert's severed hand and trigger it.
---
Norlington, West District, Mirror of Enlightenment Club.
Inside the Calcite Room, Albert waited somewhat anxiously.
Upon Professor Terence's recommendation, he had ultimately decided to accept Miss Flamel's proposal to implant a "prosthetic." Just didn't know why she chose the Lamp Cult's divination house as the treatment location.
Judging by the Larraman's Organ manuscript, Miss Flamel indeed had profound expertise regarding the human body. But research on blood and flesh shouldn't be equated with medical treatment... What form would her "treatment" take?
Also, this lady's identity was equally mysterious and confusing, hard to fathom.
Stellar Abyss Society, Secrets-Hunters, White Cup... numerous secret cults seemed to have inexplicable connections with Flamel.
Oh, and that even includes the perpetually hidden in secret realms Lamp Cult...
Being able to choose the Mirror of Enlightenment Club as the consultation location surely meant she had obtained the Veiled Assembly's permission. Just didn't know why all this was...
While Albert waited in the Calcite Room, Fran was in the main hall, having her monthly routine meeting with Dorothy.
Dorothy brushed aside her jet-black, near-inky hair, revealing the heterochromatic eyes beneath.
One dark green, one deep black, carrying a certain indescribable, exotic charm.
+++
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