Speaking, Lynne extended his hand under the watchful eyes of all around him, calmly placing it on the other's wrist. Almost instantly, before the onlookers could even react, Lynne's brow furrowed, then relaxed, as he withdrew his hand and declared seriously, "The diagnosis is out."

This statement left everyone behind him utterly astonished. Even the two Night Doctors behind Raven, the lead Night Doctor, were visibly taken aback, exchanging glances.

"Are you sure?" one of the Night Doctors questioned, skepticism lacing his voice. "I advise you to think carefully; this is your only chance. You merely touched him briefly, and now you claim to have completed the diagnosis? Isn't this a joke?"

Lynne, maintaining his composed demeanor and smile, glanced towards Raven and said, "The toxin is named 'Leech.' This concoction is derived from the venom of a creature known as the Swamp Blood Leech in the Dark World, combined with substances like the secretions of malevolent spirits, spore dust of a spreading nature, and the venom of the deadly Face Vine, among several other mysterious elements. This virus, highly secretive in nature, causes no immediate effects in small doses. However, it can rapidly spread to the host's brain over time and remain concealed. If certain catalysts are introduced..."

Lynne, lifting his hand, articulated, "It can even transform into a weapon of incredible stealth. With specific triggers, sometimes just a snap of the fingers, it can cause an outbreak of the virus within the infected, leading to chaos. It's more than just a virus; it's a potent weapon for murder!"

As Lynne expounded, the expressions of Raven's companions grew increasingly shocked, involuntarily stepping back. Even the previously enraged Executor stood speechless, caught off guard by Lynne's assertion.

Raven, still fixated on Lynne, waited for him to finish speaking. Then, Lynne, adjusting his monocle, continued, "Now, let's address the specific concerns you raised earlier. Firstly, the site of your viral injection is three inches above your right arm's joint. The volume of the virus injected isn't significant, but its concentration in that patch of skin on your arm has caused a minor adverse reaction. Your right arm, precisely where the virus was injected, now shows a slight reddening and rash, causing abnormal itching and stinging. Am I correct?"

The crowd stood in stunned silence, their mouths agape as they observed the courteous and self-assured young man before them. They didn't understand the technicalities, but they could sense the profound expertise and professionalism in his demeanor.

[Congratulations on achieving the 'Professional Lecturer' achievement. You have gained 200 experience points.]

[Professional Lecturer: A special achievement: When you flawlessly recite the system-provided text in any situation, maintaining an aura of deep knowledge and expertise, you may randomly receive this achievement. You have gained permanent attribute bonuses: Charisma +1, Intelligence +1, Handsomeness +1, Happiness +1.]

"..."

Lynne maintained a calm smile, but a close observer could see a vein throbbing at his temple. However, the Night Doctors seemed oblivious to this detail. Their eyes, filled with a mix of urgency and curiosity, turned towards Raven, seeking validation.

"Sir, is what he said..."

Raven narrowed his eyes, responding, "Absolutely accurate."

The three Night Doctors behind him were visibly shaken, their eyes betraying their disbelief. The virus Lynne described was a recent creation of Raven, so secretive that even they were only partially aware of its purpose. And yet, this human had discerned its intricate details with just a single touch.

"Amazing! Truly impressive!" Raven remarked, acknowledging Lynne's exceptional diagnostic skills. "It seems the Executor was right about your unimaginable abilities."

Lynne modestly replied, "You flatter me."

But before he could finish, Raven's tone shifted to a more detached one. "However, you missed some symptoms. To be frank, besides the itching on my right arm, I am also experiencing intense itching and stabbing pains on my back."

Standing up, Raven added, "You underestimated the virus's spread and its adverse effects. It seems your diagnostic skills still require further refinement."

He began to put on his gloves and adjust his hat, preparing to leave. Yet, as he turned, Lynne's voice, still laced with a smile, stopped him.

"Raven, my diagnosis wasn't incomplete. The details I provided were specifically about the virus you asked me to diagnose. The itching and pain on your back aren't entirely caused by that virus."

With a buzz, Raven froze in place. Lynne's monocle glinted ominously, enhancing the dark allure of his smile. He picked up his feather pen, flipped open his notebook, and began to record his findings.

"What I mentioned earlier was only the first of the diagnoses I made for you - the [Leech] virus you injected into yourself. Unbeknownst to you, your frequent experiments with this virus have caused latent pathological changes and necrosis in the follicles of your skin.

The widespread itching and stabbing pain you're feeling on your back is the result of the virus you just injected, which has triggered the toxins hidden in your skin follicles.

Like a catalyst, an instigator, these toxins are rapidly reawakening within your body. If I'm not mistaken, the itching on your back is already spreading to new areas. For instance…"

Lynne calmly twirled his feather pen.

"Your buttocks."

A hush fell over Raven's companions. Their eyes widened in shock as they gazed at the rigid figure of Raven, murmuring, "Raven, sir…"

Lynne adjusted his monocle with a smile and said, "That's the second condition. I advise you to immediately extract the virus you've just injected into your body. Otherwise, the necrosis of the skin follicles on your back will be the least of your worries. If the virus stealthily enters your brain… That will be a real problem."

Raven stood rigidly, surrounded by silence. Suddenly, he extended a trembling hand, hurriedly unbuttoning his leather jacket. He turned to his companions, barking, "Quick! Help me take it off!"

The Night Doctors, now realizing the severity of the situation, rushed to assist Raven, stripping off his dark leather jacket to reveal his body covered in black feathers. One of them gasped in horror upon seeing small red dots densely covering Raven's back, and the once lustrous feathers had lost their sheen.

"How is it?" Raven asked, frowning.

The Night Doctors panicked. "It's bad, Raven! The red spots are spreading rapidly, seemingly triggered by the [Leech] virus! Sir, you need treatment!"

Upon witnessing this scene, the three Night Doctors clenched their teeth fiercely and immediately reached out, grasping Raven's feathers with a firm grip. They exchanged nods, their gazes filled with resolute determination.

In the next moment:

Rip—

Rip—

Rip—

A sudden cry of sharp pain and startled horror erupted.

Raven, with his arms outstretched, convulsed uncontrollably as the feathers were yanked from his body without warning. For a raven folk, or any bird for that matter, plucking feathers was akin to an unspeakable form of torture.

Raven trembled violently. Despite the agonizing pain, he retained his sanity. He bit down hard and swiftly removed his beak-like mask, revealing a bizarre visage that was a hybrid of human and crow features.

Glug, glug—

He hastily gulped down a bottle of medicine specifically formulated to counteract the [Leech] virus. Gritting his teeth, he commanded, "Quickly retrieve the topical medication from my medical kit, now! Right away!"

At that moment, the three Night Doctors displayed their exceptional medical skills. They rapidly pulled out various medicaments and syringes, positioning Raven on a stool to expose his back.

One of the Night Doctors, with a grimace of urgency, said, "Mr. Raven, the situation is critical. We must begin immediately. Please bear with us."

Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft—

Under the astonished gaze of the surrounding townspeople, the Night Doctor, wielding a syringe, jabbed Raven's back in a flurry, injecting dose after dose of the antiviral solution.

"Sir, we need to remove more of your feathers for further treatment. Please endure it a bit longer!"

"Wait!"

Rip, rip, rip—

The three Night Doctors, teeth clenched, cooperated seamlessly as they continued their frenzied task behind Raven, who was spasming and clutching his head in distress. Feathers flew chaotically everywhere, resembling a scene straight out of a chicken slaughterhouse.

But Raven, true to his namesake, possessed an exceptional tolerance for pain, even under such excruciating circumstances. He bit down on his glove and struggled to lift his head, glaring at Lynne with a mix of rage and panic.

"This isn't right! Something's off! Even if there were residual toxins from the [Leech] virus in my follicles, I never had issues before. Why would it suddenly flare up right after your diagnosis?! Did you curse me?!!"

Lynne gazed seriously at Raven, who was being plucked on the stool, adjusting his glasses with resolve. "Sir, I swear to the gods, I am not behind this. What I diagnosed are indeed latent issues in your body. I came to join the Night Doctors, not to cause trouble. If I had actually meddled, what would I gain? There's no benefit for me in doing that."

Raven, enduring the pain of his feathers being plucked, clenched his teeth tightly. But upon reflection, Lynne's words seemed to hold some truth. And indeed, he hadn't noticed any signs of his body being cursed or infected with a plague when Lynne touched him.

Could it really be... just a coincidence?

Biting his teeth and drenched in sweat, he asked, "I acknowledge your diagnostic skills. There aren't any more conditions in my body, right?"

Lynne was taken aback, then chuckled, "How did you know there were more conditions?"

Raven's eyes went blank.

Lynne lifted his notebook, pointing to the list of diseases, and said earnestly, "Yes, there are more. And not just a few, but many. Because there were too many, I wrote a detailed medical report for you."

As Raven looked on blankly, Lynne, in his white coat, stood up solemnly, approached the plucked Raven, and read, "The third condition I diagnosed is a chronic brain disease, commonly known as 'epilepsy.' It's not highly fatal but is characterized by intermittent convulsions, frothing at the mouth, and dilated pupils, usually triggered by intense stimuli."

Raven: "(((;꒪ꈊ꒪;)))"

A drop of cold sweat fell from his forehead onto the floor.

Impossible. It simply couldn't be!

While it was true that his body often served as a test subject for viruses, a condition like epilepsy was unimaginable in his case. If it were true, why hadn't he noticed it before? And if it's both sudden and intermittent, why had there never been an episode? So, it must be this youngster's doing…

"Sir, please bear with it, we're about to pluck the feathers from your buttocks!"

The urgent voices of the three Night Doctors echoed from behind Raven.

Then, in the next moment:

*Crackle—*

"(ヾﾉ꒪ཫ꒪)—"

The intense and abrupt pain of being plucked sent Raven into spasms, his eyes rolling back as his left hand formed a 'six' and his right twitched into a 'one.' His body tensed violently, and he started frothing at the mouth.

"(ΩДΩ) Ahhh! Boss!"

This was unexpected! A mere plucking of a few feathers from the boss's buttocks had caused such a drastic reaction!

Convulsing, frothing – the sight was akin to a young girl overwhelmed by intense stimuli, reaching the peak of ecstasy in a bizarre pose. Foam was bubbling from his mouth!

The townspeople, watching from a distance, were equally stunned. Never had they seen the mysterious and sinister Night Doctors reduced to such a state.

"This... this... Mayor..."

A young man, pale-faced, stammered, "Something's not right! Why do I feel like Doctor Lynne is even more bizarre than the Night Doctors?"

The mayor, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, replied, "It must be an illusion. Remember how well Lynne treated Karen? That kid is doing fine now."

At the table, the three Night Doctors were frantically attending to the spasming and convulsing Raven, clearly overwhelmed by the situation.

Lynne, adjusting his glasses, pondered over his medical report. "Um... although it may not seem like the right time, I should probably mention the fourth condition I diagnosed. It's not severe, and I was considering omitting it, but then I thought that might be unprofessional, so..."

"Quick!"

One of the Night Doctors urgently pressed on their convulsing leader, shouting, "Remove the boss's boots and massage his feet! It'll quickly alleviate his symptoms!"

Another doctor rushed to Raven's feet, biting his teeth as he hurriedly untied the shoelaces, ready to remove the boots.

At that moment, Lynne, thoughtfully adjusting his glasses, said, "The fourth condition is..."

*Crackle—*

Simultaneously, the other Night Doctor removed Raven's boots. The moment the boots came off, a potent stench of foot odor exploded like a gas bomb, hurling the Night Doctor several meters away.

"(ΩДΩ) Ahhh!"

Caught off guard by the unexpected event and with his gas mask not activated, the doctor was hit at close range by the pungent odor, which rushed into his mask.

*Whoosh—*

It was as if he had been engulfed in a persistently fermenting swamp gas.

"(ヾﾉ꒪ཫ꒪)"

This smell...

His body crashed heavily several meters away.

The entire scene was in shock.

Lynne, using a clip to pinch his nose, adjusted his monocle and pondered, "Explosive foot odor. Due to its strong scent, I don't recommend displaying it in crowded areas."