CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 41: ORE DISEASE

Miaomiao was momentarily surprised, "You’re looking for Doctor Kaiwen?"

"Hmm?"

"The third and fourth floors are all Doctor Kaiwen’s labs."

"...I see."

Lin Guang quickly accepted it. After all, Doctor Kaiwen’s social status, according to Ouyang Wei, might be on par with Principal Liu. He wouldn’t be surprised if Doctor Kaiwen donated not just two floors but the whole building.

The wilderness is rich with endless wealth, and people like that wouldn’t lack money.

The elevator soon stopped, and Miaomiao stepped out first, leading the way for Lin Guang. Before long, they arrived at Doctor Kaiwen’s research office.

The room’s arrangement was quite similar to the chemistry labs Lin Guang had seen in his previous life. At first glance, there weren’t any alarming human or beast specimens preserved in solution; it’s unclear whether there were none or if they were kept elsewhere.

Doctor Kaiwen, wearing a white lab coat, was standing in front of the lab table, observing something through a microscope.

It was just past eight o’clock, so it could be said Doctor Kaiwen was just as much a hard-working individual as Lin Guang.

It seemed she heard footsteps, and Doctor Kaiwen lifted her head. Her face was as precise as a stone carving, yet expressionless, only nodding slightly at the two of them.

"Release your partner."

"Okay."

As the mark on the back of Lin Guang’s right hand glimmered with a faint blue light, Vishdair appeared beside him, still wearing that black and red outfit. She seemed to really like that look, and Lin Guang was too lazy to mix and match, so he bought three identical sets.

Sneaking a glance at Doctor Kaiwen and Miaomiao not far away, Vishdair curled her lips and turned her gaze elsewhere.

Doctor Kaiwen called over the female assistant nearby and asked her to take Vishdair to the adjacent training room to measure physical data like speed and strength, which were simple tests. Lin Guang briefly translated and let her go.

After Vishdair left the lab, Doctor Kaiwen got straight to the point: "Your partner’s physical examination report is out."

For a moment, Lin Guang was a bit confused, wondering when she had undergone a physical examination. After a while, he realized that honey ant abdomens could store blood and ether. With professional equipment or certain special spirit beasts, a lot of information could indeed be gleaned just from blood.

Staring into Lin Guang’s eyes, Doctor Kaiwen slowly said:

"Ore Disease, mild infection."

Upon hearing this, logically, Lin Guang should have been the one reacting the most strongly, yet his calm face didn’t change in the least. In contrast, Miaomiao’s pupils beside him suddenly dilated, though Lin Guang, looking at Doctor Kaiwen, didn’t notice.

"Hmm, I understand."

He calmly replied, showing not a trace of heaviness or concern, more relaxed even than knowing what he would have for dinner tonight.

"You seem very calm, but that might be because you don’t understand what this means."

"To put it simply, Ore Disease is an incurable terminal illness. Some expensive drugs on the market and certain Miracle Masters and spirit beasts can delay its onset, but nothing can cure it."

"Like all other foreign ’Otherworld Calamities,’ Ore Disease has lost most of its infectiousness and will only continue to proliferate in the already infected individuals. However, the establishment of the contract will render the Source Stone’s infectiousness effective on you."

"Yes, although it’s in the early stage, the Ore Disease in her body is active, and there’s a chance it could be transmitted to you through the contract."

"Your partner is in good health, and if her level increases fast enough, supplemented with medical treatment, a conservative estimate suggests it might not significantly affect her quality of life and combat power for 30 years. An optimistic prognosis might estimate her living for up to 50 years."

Doctor Kaiwen shook her head: "In her current condition, if you avoid direct contact with bodily fluids and carefully clean the utensils she uses, your chances of getting infected aren’t high. But as a Combat Spirit Master, where conditions in the wilderness and secret realms are limited, during battle or treatment, it’s impossible to guarantee you won’t come into contact with her blood."

"As a Spirit Master, your constitution is relatively fragile. If you contract Ore Disease, the survival time can’t be positively estimated."

"Therefore, for the sake of your future, as well as your physical condition, changing your contractual partner is the best option at present."

Doctor Kaiwen looked at Lin Guang: "The longer the Equal Contract persists, the harder it is to break, and upon one party’s death, the harm to the other party deepens, so the sooner this matter is resolved, the better."

"I know a Miracle Master, who can significantly reduce the damage caused by severing the contract. If you agree, the contract can be terminated this weekend."

Pausing, Doctor Kaiwen continued, "I’m interested in your talent, and I’ll cover this expense."

Lin Guang sighed internally.

In fairness, Doctor Kaiwen’s proposal was indeed very considerate.

Having practiced the Equal Contract since childhood, Lin Guang naturally knew the difficulty of breaking such a contract, which requires at least a Five-Star Spirit Master specialized in this area to have confidence in success. The cost involved is astronomical, often exchanged with rare spiritual materials and significant favors.

Is it really worth spending so much just to study a Blue Talent?

He was a bit puzzled, but looking at Doctor Kaiwen’s expressionless and precise face, he felt she wasn’t someone to joke about this.

Nevertheless, he still shook his head, smiling as he declined her kindness: "No need, thank you for your concern, Doctor Kaiwen."

"...You seemed to have known this all along."

Doctor Kaiwen slightly raised her eyebrows, appearing a bit puzzled, "She doesn’t seem like the type to actively mention having contracted Ore Disease."

Although Lin Guang had already learned through the Eye of Omniscience and Omnipotence, Vishdair indeed never told him about this, probably because it was in the early stage, and as a Sakaz, she was predisposed to contracting Ore Disease. Perhaps even she wasn’t aware.

But Lin Guang had never worried about this matter, nor about himself contracting Ore Disease, so he naturally didn’t bother to mention these things to her.

Seeing that Lin Guang had no intention to explain his source of information, Doctor Kaiwen didn’t press the matter.

"Lin Guang."

At this moment, Miaomiao suddenly spoke up. Her voice was not as lively as before. Lin Guang turned his head, seeing her face, usually smiling like a neighbor’s little sister, now appeared slightly serious... with emotions Lin Guang couldn’t quite decipher.

"Ore Disease is the most sinister illness from the Terra Continent, bringing unbearable pain to people; as Source Stones fuse with somatic cells, the concentration of Source Stones in the body increases, causing internal organs to become crystallized."

"Being pierced through the lungs by internal Source Stones rendering breathless, occupying the stomach making eating impossible... unable to excrete, unable to speak, unable to move, even thoughts and self will shatter, these are all possibilities."

"This is not an urban legend, nor is it alarmist. Doctor Kaiwen has researched quite a lot about the Terra Continent and Terran Demons, I have seen firsthand the suffering caused by Ore Disease."