By the time Lu Yuan returned from the church, the sun had already climbed directly overhead.
Lu Yuan carefully placed the two bottles of intermediate holy water, which had cost him twenty silver shields, into the bottommost compartment of the counter.
As his fingers touched the bottles, a line of greyish-white text emerged:
【intermediate holy water: Water touched by the breath of the sky, capable of suppressing diseases and low-level corruption to a great extent.】
"I hope it's worth the price."
Lu Yuan closed the cabinet door and slumped onto the somewhat worn-out sofa, rubbing his throbbing temples.
In this port where everything seemed strange, this substance was not just medicine; it was a life-saving trump card.
【Sanity: 16/49】
The numbers in the bottom right corner of his vision floated quietly.
Lu Yuan stared at the fragmented "49," his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest.
Only forty-nine points left on the cap... At the current rate of depletion, if he didn't do something, he would be lying at the entrance next to Doctor Laisen in two months at most.
As he was calculating, the rumbling sound of wheels rolling over bluestone slabs came from outside.
A black carriage stopped at the door, and a uniformed servant stepped down, carrying a large crate of items without a word.
"Doctor Lu, this is the 'first batch of goods' that Mr. Lawson ordered to be delivered."
The servant set the items down, bowed, and turned to leave.
Lu Yuan opened the crate.
A thick, bitter scent of herbs wafted out. The crate was stuffed with dried guangyin grass, several jars of sealed mercury, and some miscellaneous mineral powders.
"This 'client' certainly moves fast."
Lu Yuan grabbed a handful of guangyin grass and sniffed it; the quality was good.
It seemed that the landlord, tormented by Strange Dreams, had indeed spent a fortune to secure a peaceful night's sleep.
With these raw materials, Lu Yuan could attempt to produce the guangyin grass mixture.
Of course, Lu Yuan didn't know the specific ratios, but he had Doctor Laisen's notes.
Lu Yuan walked to the bookshelf and pulled out the thick experiment log Laisen had left behind, quickly finding the records regarding the processing of guangyin grass. Although the handwriting was messy and stained with unknown fluids, it didn't hinder his reading.
"Three parts guangyin grass, one part mercury, heat to boiling..."
Lu Yuan spread the notes on the table, set up the crucible, lit the alcohol lamp, and began the processing.
Throughout the entire afternoon, the clinic was filled with the smell of boiling herbs.
Like a tireless machine, Lu Yuan stared at the constantly ticking Pharmacology experience bar in his vision, mechanically repeating the actions of refining, fusing, and bottling.
【Pharmacology: +0.5...】 【Pharmacology: +0.5...】
Watching the experience points rise bit by bit, this pure feedback allowed Lu Yuan to temporarily forget everything around him.
It wasn't until the sky outside had turned completely dark that a timid knock on the door broke the silence of the clinic.
"Doctor Lu... are you there?"
The voice was small, mingling with the sound of the wind.
Lu Yuan put down the steaming bottle in his hand, his brow furrowed slightly.
【Pharmacology: 6.5/50 (Entry)】
Coming at this hour, it was likely nothing good.
He walked to the door and unbolted it.
Standing outside was the shoeshine boy he had seen yesterday, Brent.
Brent was clutching a large stack of newspapers, his face a bit dirty and his small cheeks reddened by the wind. The moment Lu Yuan appeared, those eyes that were usually clever were filled with anxiety, and his whole body shivered inside his thin coat.
"It's you." Lu Yuan stepped aside to let him in. "Today's newspapers? Just put them on the table."
Brent placed the newspapers on the table but didn't take the money and leave as usual. Instead, he stood in place, his hands tightly twisting the hem of his clothes, stammering for a long time without speaking.
"Is something wrong?"
Lu Yuan noticed something was off and tossed him a piece of bread from a plate. "Since you've helped me before, tell me what's the problem."
Brent grabbed the bread but didn't eat it; his eyes suddenly turned red.
"Doctor Lu... please save my uncle!"
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Uncle?"
He remembered the uncle Brent had mentioned before—the one who worked in the cold storage at the docks and told him not to eat the fish.
"What happened to him?" Lu Yuan sat back in his chair and picked up a glass of water.
"My uncle is sick, very sick." Brent's voice trembled as he suppressed his inner fear. "Starting a few days ago, he's been locking himself in his room, saying he's cold and that his body itches. I went to see him today and found that my uncle... he's covered in strange things!"
"Strange things?" Lu Yuan's hand holding the glass paused.
"Yes... it's like a layer of new skin has grown, wet and slippery." Brent swallowed, his eyes terrified. "And that stuff is ugly and fishy-smelling."
"Have you been to the church?"
"He refuses to go!" Brent knelt on the floor in desperation. "He says the people from the church will burn him to death! Doctor Lu, you're Doctor Laisen's friend, you must have a way, right? I have money... I have money!"
As he spoke, he pulled a handful of copper shields from his pocket.
Lu Yuan looked at the pile of copper shields and said nothing.
If he refused to go to the church, there was usually only one reason: his uncle also knew that what he had wasn't a disease, but some kind of mutation.
And from the description, these symptoms were completely different from Lawson's psychological Strange Dreams.
New skin? Wet and slippery?
Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes, his fingers gently stroking his chin.
This sounded quite dangerous.
But if he handled it, perhaps he could learn something new?
He glanced at the experience bar at the edge of his vision.
【Forbidden Lore - Gazer: 6.2/10】
He wasn't far from leveling up. Contacting such an obvious "anomaly" was high risk, but the rewards might also be significant.
'It seems there's a new job,' Lu Yuan thought to himself.
"Put your money away."
Lu Yuan stood up and brushed the herbal residue off his hands, his tone calm. "It's impossible to lead the way today; it's dark outside. Go back for now."
"Come pick me up tomorrow morning at eight."
Brent was stunned for a moment, then nodded frantically, tears and snot running down together. "Thank you! Thank you, Doctor Lu!"
After sending off the grateful boy, Lu Yuan closed the door, and his expression instantly turned cold.
Skin covered in strange things... refusing the church...
He walked to the window, looking toward the docks shrouded in thick fog.
The darkness there was thicker than anywhere else.
"I hope it won't be too much trouble."
That night, Lu Yuan did not sleep soundly.
He dreamed of that sea again.
It was still the pitch-black, ink-like water, and he was still pinned firmly to the beach.
But this time, the feeling of the waves hitting his body was much clearer—that cold, slippery sensation, as if countless wet tentacles were caressing his skin.
Under the pale moonlight, a massive shadow seemed to rise from the surface of the sea. That thing was quietly watching him through the deep seawater.
"Hah—!"
Lu Yuan woke up with a start from the nightmare, his heart pounding wildly, his body soaked as if he had just been fished out of the water.
【Sanity: 15/48】
The cap had dropped again.
Lu Yuan stared intently at the changed number, feeling a sense of urgency.
"48..."
"I hope tomorrow brings some surprises."
Rate on N.U.
