Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 676 - 40: Parasitic Organisms_1

Chapter 676: Chapter 40: Parasitic Organisms_1

Pannis did not use a dagger. His slender fingertips emanated fluctuations of Aggression. If they were sensed with an energy detector, it would discover a one-centimeter-long Aggression Blade at the tip of his fingers. This Aggression Blade was so thin and sharp that it brimmed with chilling coldness, almost as if it could slice the air itself.

"I’m going to cut her two vertebrae from the back." Pannis’s fingers traced along the vertebrae. Meanwhile, he murmured to himself as his fingers slowly moved, "The knife incisions on both sides are half a centimeter apart, directly taking out the middle vertebrae. No, it won’t work that way. What about the connecting disc between the two vertebral pieces? Perhaps I should make two additional incisions above and below, and open it up entirely."

The friction between the Aggression Blade and the bone produced a slight noise. Even though it was faint, it was incredibly grating to hear and made people’s scalp tingle. The Aggression Blade was very sharp. It didn’t need much effort to vertically split a vertebrae. Sweat dripped from Pannis’s forehead as he quietly said, "This is extremely risky. If I cut a bit too deep, I might damage something inside. Honestly, I have no idea what specific functions are controlled by the little things inside. So I might as well avoid affecting them as much as I can. Otherwise, if I accidentally hit a key nerve, I can’t guarantee what will happen."

Pannis adjusted the position of his fingers while muttering to himself. The chilling sound of friction rang out again. A thin cut mark appeared once more on the white vertebrae. A handkerchief scented with a faint floral fragrance wiped the sweat from his forehead. With Fula’s free hand, she gently wiped away his sweat. The scent radiating from the handkerchief seemed to have a calming effect, bringing a sense of relaxation to those who smelled it.

"Thank you." Pannis gave Fula a smile. His index finger swung quickly several times at a dizzying speed, completing the remaining cuts. He cut off a half-centimeter-wide section from the two white vertebrae, revealing the space beneath them. "This location is better. It isn’t as nerve-ridden as the other side. After this side is cut, it can be directly removed without causing much effect. Yes, it shouldn’t... huh? Why is it like this?"

The two girls looked over when they heard Pannis’s surprised question. From the gap in the split vertebrae, they could see a gray-black band-like object shriveled on the other side of the vertebrae. Just the sight of its color and condition made people uneasy. Fula furrowed her brow, covering her mouth with her hand to prevent her breath from entering the fissure, and asked quietly, "This isn’t right. A normal vertebra doesn’t look like this."

"That’s why it’s called a disease." Pannis nodded in agreement with Fula’s interpretation, "If everything was normal, would there be a need to cut it open and look? But indeed, this is a bit too abnormal. A normal spinal cord should be a soft, rice-yellow cylindrical object. It seems like her spinal cord has almost completely withered and died. Without opening it up, I couldn’t have imagined it would be this severe. I’m amazed that most of her organs can still function normally."

"So, what do we do now?" Fula asked, "Are you sure the parasitic creature is at the cut site? I don’t sense anything. If you are sure, how can we kill it?"

"Once we remove it, it’ll naturally die." Pannis responded, but his hands remained still, "I found some information at the goblins’ research center. This parasitic creature is very fragile. If it’s cut off from its energy supply, it dies quickly, and it doesn’t have any way to fight back."

"So, what are you waiting for?" Fula asked, "Oh, I think I understand now. It seems that it will be very difficult to remove it."

"Yes, it’s a really vexing problem." Pannis lifted his hands several times, wanting to take action, but always putting them back down. He hesitated in his response, "The material I read said that the parasitic creature might be connected to the victim’s central nervous system or something, and ripping it out violently would cause severe damage to the nerves, threatening the victim’s life directly. There’s almost no chance of saving them. The chances of the parasite being connected this way aren’t high, perhaps only around twenty percent, but still, this means taking a gamble with Vivian’s life for a twenty percent chance."

"These issues, you should have planned for them all before the surgery started, right?" Fula asked, "There’s no time for hesitation now."

"Yes, I’ve thought about these issues and decided that we should take this gamble. Also, there are some extra factors that make me believe that the probability of success is far more than eighty percent," Pannis said with a bitter smile. "However, there’s a difference between planning and actual operation. Heh, she trusted me enough to put her life in my hands, and I... "

"You’ve changed a lot. You weren’t this unsure of yourself before." Fula sighed, "In the past, you never stopped moving forward due to a lack of self-confidence. What’s happened now?"

"Because I have finally realized that no one is invincible." Pannis shook his head, "There are always some irresistible forces that force people to face them helplessly."

"So what?" Fula retorted, "So because of these irresistible forces, you’re afraid to move forward now?"

Pannis kept his head down, his facial muscles twitching in reflection of some grave internal torment. After a minute of silence, he suddenly raised his head, a pacifying smile taking over his face. He spoke softly, "We must not give in, even in the face of an insurmountable power. We have to confront it head on. I have regretted it once before. How could I be so foolish as to commit the same mistake and allow myself a second regret?"

"Then, I am ready to witness your act," Flare shifted her gaze back to the slit at the nape of Vivian’s neck, squinting at it intently. Although it seemed as though she was using her eyes, she was actually reaching out with her energy to probe the condition inside the cervical vertebrae. After probing for a while, the Elf Queen finally spoke in a low voice, "The parasitic entity you spoke about, is it a long, energy body which is thicker on both ends and slender in the middle? I think I may have sensed them."

"Exactly," Pannis nodded, "The tip seems to have extended into the cranium but luckily, part of it is exposed within observable range. Can you see it clearly now?"

"No, the disturbance caused by her own life energy is too significant," Flare shook her head vehemently, "I have only an obscure sense of it, certainly not enough to say I can see it clearly. But, if a portion has already extended into the cranium, will removing it not damage her brain?"

"That’s why we are taking a gamble, betting that it hasn’t connected directly to Vivian’s brain," Pannis explained, "Usually it wouldn’t, but she may be one of those unusual cases."

"So you’ve managed to joke about it. Seems like you’re truly emotionally prepared," Flare teased Pannis, casting him a smirk. Without moving an inch, the crossbow at her feet produced a few musical notes as if to accompany her laughter. "And you mentioned earlier there were some extra factors? What factors could possibly influence your judgement?"

"I can’t be certain myself, that’s why I need to keep it a secret for now," Pannis said mysteriously, "Someone once gifted me an enigmatic present. I think now would be the best time to use it. Whether my intuition is right or wrong, I will only know once I’ve tried."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Flare looked at Pannis with a puzzled expression, "Oh, you have already started."

"Yes, I’ve started," Pannis, apparently motionless, managed to exert his energy to create energy threads shaped by Aggression from each finger tip. These invisible threads silently extended into the incision in the vertebrae like spider webs, layer upon layer wrapping around Vivian’s parched spinal cord as if wrapping a tangible object.

"Your power of precisely controlling energy has come this far?" Flare admired, "Looks like you can use it for weaving and embroidery now."

"Not interested," Pannis shrugged. He moved his fingers slightly as if he was adjusting the direction. After making the best preparation, he said earnestly, "This is the most critical step. Flare, you must pay attention. If anything unexpected happens, under no circumstances can you let her die. And Lina, you should start preparing. As soon as I finish, you need to cast the Healing Divine Spell on her head immediately. I know, even if something really goes wrong, casting the Healing Divine Spell may not be much help. But having it is better than not. Maybe it can buy us a few extra minutes to come up with a new plan."

"I understand," Lina stared, beads of sweat already pooling on her forehead, her voice trembling, "Should I use the most powerful Divine Spell?"

"The most powerful one may not be the most appropriate," Pannis explained, "Given the situation, you should choose the one that best suits it. Hmm, regardless if there is a problem or not, cast it immediately. Don’t worry about wasting a Divine Spell. Wasting it is much better than using it too late."

"You don’t have to tell me, I certainly won’t worry about wasting it." Lina inhaled deeply. As her book hovered above her head, she continuously formed seals with both of her hands to strengthen connections with the Deity. Her lips moved rapidly, reciting an unknown prayer in silence. After praying for a while, the young priestess finally raised her eyes and nodded at Pannis, "I’m ready."

Pannis glanced at Flare, who nodded back. Giving an affirmative grunt, she indicated that she too was ready. Knowing that everyone was prepared, Pannis finally took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and yanked back abruptly, simultaneously pulling the Aggression energy threads extending from his ten fingers. (To be continued. If you like this book, please vote and donate on qidian.com; your support is my motivation. For mobile readers, please visit m.qidian.com.)