Chapter 449: Flesh Is Weak, Machine Ascends?

“Ah.”

Second Lieutenant Robinson felt a stinging pain.

In the confused haze, he struggled as his soul, which seemed to have already left his body, was pulled back to the mortal realm by some force.

He let out a groan, trying with difficulty to open his eyes in his dazed state.

“Severe burns on chest and back, requiring multiple debridement procedures and special care. Internal organs also have some degree of damage, but fortunately, Pigeon performed life transfer, preventing him from entering organ failure.

The completely necrotic left arm needs total amputation.

Additionally, there’s bone damage at the spine in his back. According to my knowledge, such injuries cannot be healed in this rudimentary environment, but perhaps you can propose a solution?”

“Spinal fracture? Minor issue, I can complete the suturing and healing with ghost filaments and hatred gel. However, I’m old and weak, my hands aren’t steady. I’ll teach you this spirit energy technique, with your skills, you can definitely achieve perfect suturing.

But before that, you’ll need to open up his entire back first. We still need to check if his spirit energy meridians are damaged.”

The lieutenant could hear whispers around him.

It seemed people were conversing beside him, and there were uncomfortable sensations emanating from all around his body.

His last memory was fighting those damned skeleton armies at the swamp outpost, when he desperately threw himself to push Major Ron out of the way just as he was about to be hit by phosphorous fire.

After that, his memories were lost in chaos accompanied by intense pain.

This brave lieutenant thought that was what death felt like, but in fact, his life was far from over.

His duties to the king, marshal, and superiors were not yet complete.

Lieutenant Robinson’s fierce protection of Major Ron wasn’t just out of duty, but from gratitude for General Soros’s recognition of his talent.

He was once a poor boy from Bourbon who couldn’t read a single word, with dim prospects in the Goldflower army. During the attack on Seicob City, he caught General Soros’s attention and was groomed by him, then sent to military academy, finally crossing the boundary between soldier and officer.

Though currently only a lieutenant, his future had been illuminated.

This favor from a superior made him determined to repay the general. Major Ron was General Soros’s youngest son, so saving the major was a necessary obligation, even if it meant death, he had no complaints.

However, fate’s trajectory never shifts according to the mindset and will of those involved. For example, Lieutenant Robinson, who would certainly have died under normal circumstances, now lay on a cold stone platform struggling to open his eyes. In his blurry vision, he saw a young man wearing a mask standing beside him.

Spirit energy lights danced overhead, too bright to see clearly.

Severely weakened by phosphorous fire burns, he couldn’t even move his neck and could only vaguely see the latter holding a willow leaf-like scalpel cutting into his skin. On the other side of the operating table stood someone with a withered face like a mummy, with ghostly blue spirit flames burning in their eyes.

An undead!

This is an undead!

This is the enemy!

Lieutenant Robinson’s confused mind tightened at this moment. He instinctively wanted to fight back, but before he could cry out, he saw the undead mummy reach out toward him.

His vision darkened under the increasingly large bandage-wrapped hand that carried a strange smell, and his consciousness was guided back into chaos by some evil spirit energy.

So, he had been captured by the undead?

Damn!

What about the major?

Is he alright?

This was a question destined to remain unanswered. Meanwhile, Pants Stripping Demon Ah Feng, who was busy beside the lieutenant, glanced at the patient who had been reapplied with a sleep spell, then looked at his mentor Bella across from him and said:

“The sleep spell’s effect is so uncertain, obviously it cannot be used for emergency surgery. I think we still need to produce anesthetics.

Surgery requires precision!

I cannot allow my patients to suffer such uncertainty that should be controllable.”

“However, the drug components you provided are too complex, I don’t understand those otherworldly terms at all,”

Corpse Mage Bella, serving as surgical assistant, complained:

“I cannot comprehend your side’s medical theories. I admit death may have indeed taken away part of my wisdom, leaving me with no interest in those obscure terms and explanations.

But if it’s just deep anesthesia, I have a wyvern toxin formula that shadow sprites use for hunting.

As long as we have the materials, I can prepare it.

It can achieve the controlled deep anesthesia effect you want. Tell me more about this ‘skin grafting’ concept? You just said that these burns, which seem beyond help to me, can be treated?”

“Mm, the principle isn’t actually difficult.”

Wearing a mask and gloves while performing debridement, Pants Stripping Demon felt like he was back in his familiar operating room. While skillfully treating the lieutenant’s wounds, he explained to his otherworldly mentor:

“Due to rejection reactions, we cannot freely obtain skin samples from others, but we can extract a sample from the lieutenant’s other intact body parts and culture it in a special environment, then use a complex set of surgical procedures combined with drug therapy to regrow skin in his burned areas.

Later, combined with some cosmetic surgery, we can restore him to the realm of ‘normal person’, though returning to his original appearance is basically impossible.”

“Hmph, in our world, for injuries like this, people would seek bishop-level priests who can cast high-level healing spells to regenerate wounds, including growing back skin,”

The Corpse Mage snorted, arguing:

“That’s much more convenient than your complex and cumbersome procedures.”

“Indeed, spirit energy and magic are such unreasonable things, they’ve almost completely shattered my worldview that was built on science in the first half of my life.”

Ah Feng didn’t argue with this point, but shook his head and said:

“However, as far as I know, there aren’t more than 500 bishop priests in the entire continent who can easily cast high-level healing spells, and patients of humble origin like Lieutenant Robinson would never be able to access that circle in their lifetime.

Even if by some miracle he found someone who could help him, the expensive offerings required would be enough to make him choose to end his life.

Our technology is complex.

But as long as the procedures work, as long as I can research a simplified method adapted to local conditions, I can train many, many doctors.

One day, ordinary people will also be able to receive such surgery.

This is the meaning of medicine’s existence. Even with spirit energy as a special factor, ordinary doctors are still indispensable.”

“Hmph.”

Corpse Mage Bella remained noncommittal about this argument.

It stopped debating principles with its apprentice and focused again on observing Ah Feng’s techniques while cleaning and suturing the patient’s wounds.

It had to admit, Ah Feng’s skills were even superior to the mad constructor Lame Claw, no! The two weren’t even on the same level.

Compared to Ah Feng’s current suturing that was precise to the point of artistry, Lame Claw’s bold and unrestrained style was more like butchery.

Thirty minutes later, Ah Feng finished the surgery.

He put down his tools and stepped back to stretch his body, while Corpse Mage Bella took over the subsequent work. It cast a healing spell on the unconscious lieutenant, and while waiting for the wounds to heal, used a replicated IV line to infuse the alchemical nutrient solution they had prepared together into the weakened lieutenant.

The chairs around them were filled with “Transia Field Hospital First Batch Trainees”, who silently observed the entire surgery as their pre-employment training course.

On the second floor of this place of healing, Murphy and Guildmaster Natalie had also watched the whole process.

“How was it?”

Murphy clasped his hands behind his back and asked the silent Natalie:

“My second warrior’s performance was acceptable, right?”

“If this level of emergency care and healing technique can only be called ‘acceptable’, then I think most doctors on the entire continent have already fallen into the category of ‘quack doctors’,”

Natalie evaluated with a caustic tone:

“Your warrior’s accomplishments and qualities in the medical profession are enough to make King Louis’s royal physicians feel ashamed. I’ve never seen so many intricacies even in simple wound cleaning and suturing.

Perhaps I should really take your suggestion and have the current healers and priests of the Avalon Church come learn from Mr. Yang.

Especially his medical philosophy –

If bishop priests serve the nobles and officials, then his medical philosophy represents complete service to commoners. Though there may still be gaps in effectiveness between the two, this philosophy alone is worthy of recognition and study by all believers of our god.”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”

Murphy nodded and said to Natalie:

“The newborn Avalon Church is the largest healing organization in this fertile land of Transia. Your priests have provided treatment and help to many people in the territory over the past few months.

However, their numbers are still too few, and commoners cannot trouble the noble priests for occasional headaches and fevers.

Therefore, I hope to take the opportunity of our ‘field hospital’ that’s being established to invite the priests and herbalists under your command to join.

Everyone can discuss healing methods together and form an effective set of medical texts that we can use as textbooks to train more doctors and healers.

Just like this book-”

The vampire lord took out a handwritten text from his spirit bag and handed it to Natalie. She took it and glanced at it, the book had quite a peculiar name.

“Barefoot Doctor’s Manual?”

The Adventurer Guild Master asked with surprise:

“What does this mean? Is this book from the other world?”

“Yes, this is a ‘treasure’ that my warriors brought from their side,”

Murphy explained with a subtle smile:

“This originated from a special strategy made by a great nation during a special period of hardship. This book records hundreds of prescriptions and methods for treating and preventing various ailments. Of course, we cannot use it directly, since the environments and even disease manifestations are completely different between the two worlds.

It’s not very useful here, but this approach can be learned from.

Such a book certainly cannot turn an ordinary person into a good doctor overnight, but it can ensure that even ordinary people know how to save themselves in crisis situations.

I hope to entrust this matter to the Avalon Church, I hope you can compile similar books under Ah Feng’s guidance.”

He looked at Natalie and said solemnly:

“I believe you can understand to what degree the Avalon Church’s already poor reputation will be salvaged once this set of books is completed and delivered across the continent with our footsteps.

I also believe you have enough vision to see the importance of this matter for the entire continent and the Avalon faith.

You want to save your faith and your church, this is the best way.

The church should be rooted among commoners, because you originated from commoners. You can serve the nobility, but that’s not the future you should pursue.

An organization detached from the grassroots is like a tree without roots, it will collapse with a gentle push.”

“I understand.”

Murphy’s words seemed to remind Natalie of some “painful” memories. The witch hunter, who had been looking somewhat haggard lately, rubbed her temples and said softly:

“That bastard keeps feeding me such ideas, and the scariest part is, I can’t find any reason to refute him.

Even the most stubborn Old Eugene has been convinced by him. Under his suggestion, Old Eugene has even started gathering priests from various places to revise the ancient ‘Avalon Canon’ to better adapt to the development of the new era.

Sister Jules treats him even more like an ‘advisor’ figure, and is even considering appointing him as executive deputy minister of faith administration.

He also made me a new charter for the Adventurer Guild. I have to admit, this new set of rules allows me to better manage my organization and even my church.”

“Oh, you mean ‘Raven’?”

Murphy blinked and asked:

“He’s been doing odd jobs at the Adventurer Guild lately?”

“Not exactly odd jobs. He carries the hopes of Regent Miriam and Professor Malcolm, hoping he can bring a code of law to this land. He needs a lot of information to help him complete this task, and the resources controlled by the Adventurer Guild are exactly what he needs.”

Guildmaster Natalie said with frustration:

“He’s nominally my advisor, but I actually feel like I’ve been ‘marginalized’.

He’s only been here for less than 15 days, but the captains under me are already acting according to his instructions. The scariest part is that after he took over management, the work efficiency of the entire Adventurer Guild increased by more than 30%.

Lord Murphy, am I really that useless?

I feel like I’ve been overwhelmed by Raven in every aspect except combat ability… well, I can beat him up easily, but that just means acknowledging the fact that I’m far inferior to him in other aspects.”

“That’s normal.”

Murphy shrugged and said:

“People like Raven are definitely elite even in the other world, one in ten thousand. You can’t compare yourself to him.

The things stored in his brain are enough to bewitch you away from the path you’ve chosen.

I hope you can stay true to yourself, Natalie. You are always a believer, you have responsibilities to Avalon, while Raven is a non-believer, and quite a ‘terrifying’ non-believer in some sense.

His previous profession in the other world was jokingly called ‘devil’s advocate’.

You can learn from him.

But don’t let him disturb your thoughts. Once you follow his line of thinking, it means you’ll soon lose Avalon’s favor.

Raven is undoubtedly stirring up trouble under Avalon’s watch.

But what he doesn’t understand is that this world truly has gods. Perhaps soon he’ll be taught a lesson by Avalon. I think even if the nature god has a good temper, they won’t allow a non-believer to dominate their earthly sanctuary.”

While they were talking, the situation in the treatment room below had changed.

After Ah Feng left with his apprentices, Countess Sharon, who had rushed over after receiving the news, had entered the room with her apprentice, Brother Loyalty wearing his “capitalist outfit”.

Brother Loyalty was carrying an engineering toolbox and had a set of drawing and design tools tucked under his mechanical arm.

Little Countess Sharon flew in the air, still chattering endlessly to her most excellent apprentice:

“This is the first implementation subject of our ‘disability insurance’. Although I think your previous proposal was a bad idea, I have to admit that if this system can operate normally, I’ll soon be able to raise money to rebuild Seicob City.

Since this is our first sample, we need to plan it well.

We master and apprentice need to make a super powerful mechanical arm for this poor lieutenant, to let those barbarians of the Goldflower Kingdom fully understand the beauty of machinery.”

“Yes, yes, I think so too!”

Brother Loyalty had an indescribable expression on his face.

He put down the engineering toolbox beside him and excitedly moved his eight mechanical fingers to take out measuring tools, beginning to measure various data of the unconscious Lieutenant Robinson’s left arm, in order to custom-make a suitable battle mechanical arm for him.

Meanwhile, little Sharon took out a complete set of mechanical arm structure diagrams she had designed in her spare time and began selecting and fine-tuning according to the continuous data provided by Brother Loyalty.

“We need to use this war to declare to warriors that machinery and steel are better than the weapons in their hands! This era may belong to spirit energy, but I’m certain the next era will definitely be the era of machinery!”

While busy working, Brother Loyalty said to Sharon:

“The so-called ‘flesh is weak, machine ascends’ is exactly this principle! Those soldiers still immersed in the realm of bayonets and guns will eventually know that only the combination of flesh and machinery is the inevitable path to power and greatness.

Lieutenant Robinson’s ‘mechanical rebirth’ will prove this!

Speaking of which, his internal organs can also be replaced. Didn’t they say the halflings have prototypes of ‘iron lungs’ and ‘adrenaline pumps’?

Little mentor, can you get some?

Why don’t we transform this brave soldier into a ‘Medieval Evangelion’ in one go? What about two hearts and three lungs, 19 sets of modification rituals, let him leap from mortal straight to super war god.

Hmm, should we remove his pain nerves?

Or give him a more powerful mechanical eye that can see through invisibility?

I think he’ll definitely need this.”

“Hey! Get your head straight, Mr. Loyalty, those are realms we cannot achieve yet! This time let’s just honestly give him a mechanical arm. After Lady Palen brings us back the machine tools and special equipment, then we can develop these ‘advanced functions’.”

“Aww, that’s too bad… but, can we add a mantis blade or missile launcher to his mechanical arm? Please, mentor. This is the last persistence of this pathetic middle-aged man!”

“Emmm, alright, just add one! Only one, don’t mess around, okay? Lieutenant Robinson is just an ordinary person, he can’t handle that many modifications. If we really cause what you told me before – that ‘cyber psychosis’ – we’ll be in big trouble.”