Treat Oripathy?
To everyone, this was no different from a fantasy.
If Oripathy could truly be cured, the Infected wouldn't have suffered persecution for so many years. In fact, even with so many years of technological development, they had only managed to develop medication that could barely alleviate Oripathy. As for curing Oripathy, it was something they didn't even dare to dream of.
Forget curing it.
There wasn't even a drug that could make Oripathy a chronic illness.
When Lucas Reeve said this.
The entire cabin of the massive aircraft instantly fell into a brief silence.
Jessica's small mouth fell open in surprise.
She might not have understood it before.
But after founding Raythean Medica, even if she didn't understand the principles, she roughly understood the process. According to what Silence said, it was almost impossible to develop a drug that could suppress the continuous spread of Oripathy, let alone cure it. Curing it was a complete fantasy, utterly impossible.
"You really have a way? Mr. Reeve?"
Jessica asked in disbelief.
Franka, at the side, was also breathing a bit rapidly. She wanted to grab Lucas, but her hand passed right through Lucas's spirit body.
Franka also had Oripathy.
As a patient, she knew all too well how hopeless this disease was.
Although Raythean Medica had been researching suppression drugs, this kind of medication only slowed the development of Oripathy, slightly increasing one's survivable lifespan by a tiny bit.
Franka was currently twenty-four.
Even with the suppression drugs, if there were no major breakthroughs in medicine, Franka's final lifespan would probably only be her thirties.
Thirties, is that young?
Very young.
On Terra, where lifespans are generally a bit longer than on Earth, thirty is genuinely young. Even people in their fifties or sixties aren't considered old.
Even if they weren't long-lived races, ordinary Felines or Vulpos, if their bodies were strong, living to a hundred was no problem, though it was basically impossible to exceed one hundred and fifty.
"I think so, but I'm not entirely sure."
Lucas didn't dare over-promise.
He had never tried this Rule before and planned to experiment with it after becoming more proficient.
"It's fine, we can wait!!"
Franka was so excited that she habitually wanted to hug Lucas, but seeing Jessica next to them, she decided against it.
"Just having this hope is enough. I really don't want to kick the bucket at the beautiful, flower-like age of thirty-something."
Liskarm, at the side, retorted: "Fat Fox, I remember you didn't seem to say that before."
"You used to say that your thirties were old, and surviving into your twenties was a success."
"None of your business!"
Franka and Liskarm fell into their daily bickering.
The High Priest flapped its wings, flew to Lucas's side, and pushed up his glasses with a small blue wing, saying: "It seems you have recovered a portion of your former power?"
"I suppose so..."
Lucas nodded.
Being able to treat Oripathy?
Aside from some mild surprise, the gods didn't think much of it.
Because gods don't get Oripathy at all, they didn't think Oripathy was a big deal.
Moreover.
A 'Rule' was, in theory, a power derived from the world itself, an enlightenment and application of the world's power. Being able to cure diseases wasn't that outrageous.
"It feels a bit dreamlike... this ability."
Jessica still found it hard to believe even now.
Nian, who was smiling again because Lucas had returned safely, explained.
"Actually, being able to treat Oripathy is no big deal. You all just don't understand the Rules that gods grasp, so you find it shocking."
"Besides, how a Rule is used is, in theory, related to one's own power. For example, my 'Creation' Rule. In theory, I could easily turn a super-massive Mobile City into my own creation in an instant. However, I don't have that ability right now."
"Dusk's 'Will-Forming' can, in theory, turn anything she imagines into reality. However, can Dusk paint a complete god? Impossible, right."
"But, my sister Ling is very strong. She has developed her 'Free' Rule to a very abstract level. She can turn dreams into reality, and this dreamscape can even transcend time and space. With just a single thought, Big Sis Ling can even return to decades ago."
"How about that, pretty ridiculous, right."
Nian said this casually.
But it plunged the aircraft into silence once again.
Go directly back to the past???
Fuck!!
This ability was way too... too ridiculous.
If Rules were generally this ridiculous.
Then Lucas being able to treat Oripathy didn't seem so impossible on second thought.
Rules were things unique to gods, a symbol of a god's level, and this was why it was so difficult for mortals to defeat gods.
"By the way, little cart, take me to Rhodes Island."
Lucas said to the medical cart that was piloting the aircraft.
The medical cart waved its mechanical arm: "Roger that."
Since the soul fragment on Jessica's side had fallen into a tiny, weakened state, the one inside the Doctor's body on Rhodes Island should be in a similar state. He had to go back and 'recharge'. Otherwise, if Amiya came in and found the 'Doctor' lying motionless on the bed as if 'out of power', it would be troublesome again. Amiya was fine, but Kal'tsit, that Old Lynx, was way too perceptive. She'd probably call Lucas over for another round of riddles, and then Lucas would have to find a way to riddle back.
Only a Riddler can defeat a Riddler.
"Miss Nine-Colored Deer, I'll have to trouble you. When we get to Rhodes Island, please separate a part of the soul fragment in my necklace and give it to the 'Doctor's' body."
The Nine-Colored Deer smiled.
"Of course."
To avoid being discovered by Kal'tsit and having to explain, which would be troublesome.
Lucas had the aircraft park outside Rhodes Island.
Only the Nine-Colored Deer went, wearing the necklace.
As a complete god.
It was all too easy for the Nine-Colored Deer to infiltrate Rhodes Island.
Her figure was light and ethereal.
Transforming into a colorful cloud, she arrived on Rhodes Island's deck in just a few moments. Then, with Lucas guiding her, she easily reached the 'Doctor's' room.
Even now.
Lucas still didn't really know what the Nine-Colored Deer's specific abilities were.
She probably had more than one Rule. After all, each of Sui's divine fragments had one Rule, so after fusing, Sui would possess twelve powerful Rules. No wonder Sui was called one of the oldest and strongest gods. One Rule was enough to make mortals despair, let alone twelve.
The Nine-Colored Deer's figure was dreamlike.
As she walked through Rhodes Island, even if people passed right by her, it was as if they couldn't see her, completely unable to perceive her. It was as if she had erased her own existence from causality itself, erasing her own cause and effect, becoming indiscernible.
Arriving at the room.
The Nine-Colored Deer pressed the necklace against the 'Doctor's' body.
With a display of divine power.
A portion of the Spiritual Power in the necklace fused into the 'Doctor's' body.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Mr. Reeve."
On the way back, the Nine-Colored Deer smiled faintly, her body seeming to glitter with a radiance brighter than the sun.
"All things in the world are composed of cause and effect. You teach me modern medicine, so it is only right that I also do what I can."
Lucas chuckled and joked.
"The way you say it makes it sound like we're just making a transaction. Aren't we friends?"
The Nine-Colored Deer smiled and said nothing, only speaking again after a moment.
"Cause and effect are different from transactions. It is precisely because we are friends that the 'cause' was established, which led to the 'effect' of today."
"I don't really get it. Well, let's go back."
"Mhm."
The Nine-Colored Deer and one of Lucas's soul fragments returned to [Stardust] together. The entire trip, from infiltration to return, didn't take long at all. The people on Rhodes Island had no idea that a god had suddenly descended without anyone knowing. This was the terrifying thing about gods; only by mobilizing the power of a nation was there a possibility of opposing them.
Lucas's consciousness descended upon the 'Doctor'.
He prepared to try out the 'Originium' Rule.
A Rule was like a very comprehensive set of tools or software. How it was used and to what extent it was developed still depended on the user.
Lucas closed his eyes slightly.
And then.
The golden runes entwined deep in his soul flickered with a unique light.
Instantly.
Lucas's right hand looked as if it was covered in crawling golden patterns.
The moment Lucas opened his eyes.
A crimson, diamond-like pattern appeared in the center of his eyes, its border faintly glowing with a golden light.
In Lucas's vision.
He could seemingly see the flow of Originium's power.
Including the flow of Originium energy throughout the entire Rhodes Island Landship.
These Originium energies were like threads, weaving through every part of Rhodes Island.
On Terra.
Originium energy is the one and only, and most important, energy source, bar none. It's like a combination of all the energy sources from his previous life, like electricity, fuel, and nuclear power.
Lucas frowned.
He tentatively flicked one of the Originium threads in front of him with his right hand.
After the Originium thread wobbled.
All the lights in Rhodes Island immediately flickered a few times, causing quite a bit of confusion among the crew.
"Kinda badass..."
Lucas clicked his tongue.
He didn't dare experiment with this Rule inside Rhodes Island. It wouldn't be good if an accident happened. After all, there were still people in surgery on the landship.
After thinking for a moment.
Lucas left the room and went to the first-floor warehouse to ask the person in charge for a High-Purity Originium and a normal Originium fragment.
Under Lucas's special vision.
Lucas could clearly see the energy within the High-Purity Originium. With a casual grab, the energy from the High-Purity Originium was easily grasped in his hand. It could even be slowly absorbed into his body, thereby increasing his physical strength to a certain extent.
As for the normal Originium fragment next to it.
After Lucas tried a few times, he roughly understood that he could remove the impurities from the normal Originium fragment.
After trying for a good while.
Lucas also generally made some expansions on his own Rule.
For example, he could control the input and output of Originium energy at close range, absorb Originium energy to temporarily strengthen himself, purify normal Originium, and even compress High-Purity Originium further.
These were just some of the developments Lucas had made.
Right now, Lucas's physical strength was limited.
And the performance of this Rule was related to his own strength.
Therefore.
Lucas's next goal was to gather two million Prayer Power and condense a divine body that perfectly matched his soul.
His next target, Lucas planned, was to make an expansion of the Rule in the direction of Oripathy.
Who to experiment on?
He needed to find someone whose Oripathy was very mild, but whose constitution was extremely robust.
After a simple thought.
A foolish but cute figure appeared in Lucas's mind.
Jessica's villa.
"Eh? Mr. Reeve, you're back?"
Jessica looked at the returned Lucas, somewhat overjoyed.
"How is the Rule development going? Any progress?"
Lucas nodded. "A little, for now. For the Oripathy expansion, I need someone to experiment on."
"Oh~"
Jessica understood immediately.
"Ceobe is downstairs, I'll take you to her."
At this moment, downstairs, the other children were finishing their homework, while Ceobe was sprawled on the table sleeping, crystal-clear drool trickling from the corner of her mouth, making the workbook damp.
Suddenly.
She woke with a jolt, as if she sensed an inexplicable crisis. But after looking around and confirming she was at home and not in the wilderness, she relaxed and prepared to go back to sleep.
Suddenly.
A voice came from the stairwell.
"Ceobe~"
"Big brother!!"
Ceobe stood up happily.
She ran to Jessica's side, her tail wagging non-stop behind her, just like a puppy.
"Has our little Ceobe been a good girl lately~"
Lucas smiled and rubbed Ceobe's head.
"Mhm!!"
Ceobe nodded confidently.
"So... how about big brother discusses something with Ceobe? Will Ceobe agree?"
"Mhm!! Okay, okay!!"
Ceobe wagged her tail, nodding her head quickly.
Suddenly.
Ceobe's expression froze.
A giant "CRISIS" flashed across her mind.