Chapter 18: S081 - The Bone Carver

Pfft...

The pen's tip pierced the butler's arm.

The Doctor asked the butler.

‘Did you receive any injury?’

The butler nodded.

‘I suffered some minor damage!’

Having obtained the desired result, the Doctor shook the bell, recalling the butler.

‘It appears S292's flesh truly can inflict damage upon anomalous lifeforms!’

In an instant, countless solutions flashed through the doctor's mind.

Meanwhile, Lu Xiao remained comfortably in the holding cell, enjoying all the food and drinks.

He often dropped by to chat with the prison doctor, life was pretty pleasant.

‘My friend! Lately, I have found that my appetite is rather poor!’

Lu Xiao felt a bit troubled.

The prison doctor's voice came through the bird beak.

"Don't worry, my friend. It's just that your curse has been suppressed, so you no longer need to consume large amounts of food to sustain your energy expenditure!"

Hearing the prison doctor's diagnosis, Lu Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.

He had thought he was sick again.

Lately, he had noticed his appetite was steadily declining.

Especially when confined to his cell without going out, he used to polish off three large buckets of rice per meal, now he could barely manage one.

"Oh, right! Where's Mr. Ivan? Haven't seen him around lately!"

Lu Xiao suddenly remembered why he had come.

"I want to thank Mr. Ivan in person!"

The prison doctor said, "Then I will take you to him!"

"Thank you, my friend!"

Soon, the prison doctor led Lu Xiao to Ivan's holding cell.

Lu Xiao glanced at the small screen on the wall.

【Subject S081 - The Bone Carver】

【Containment Level: S】

【Target Abilities: Puppet Creation, Bone Carving, Alchemy】

【Containment Protocol: Do not provoke!】

【Combat Capability: When fighting with him, you have to be mindful of your bones!】

【PS: A toy-maker from the Middle Ages whose carved dolls were beloved by children! Even though they were made from human bones!】

【PS: Possessing exquisite carving skills and profound alchemical knowledge! Through these means, he crafts formidable puppets!】

【PS: This subject cannot engage in any transactions!】

The prison doctor glanced at the small screen and addressed Lu Xiao.

‘Ivan was a masterful carver whose dolls were adored by children during his lifetime!’

‘But ever since learning that those dolls were carved from human bones, the ignorant masses launched a frenzied revenge against Ivan!’

‘They bound him to the gallows and subjected him to the most extreme tortures!’

‘Finally, they separated his body from his bones!’

Hearing the prison doctor's words, Lu Xiao sighed.

‘What a pity! Mr Ivan was clearly a craftsman worthy of respect!’

The prison doctor wholeheartedly agreed with Lu Xiao's sentiment.

‘He merely sought to bring joy to others. What a pity!’

The prison doctor then rang the doorbell.

Moments later, the door opened.

Ivan was crouched before an enormous skeletal frame.

Lu Xiao's gaze swept around the room.

The room was piled high with all kinds of carved objects, some were human shaped and others were animal shaped.

Compared to the sparse quarters he and the prison doctor occupied, Ivan's cell had more life in it.

A single piece of red carpet covered the floor, seemingly woven from some creature's pelt.

At that moment, Ivan turned his head towards the two figures at the doorway.

‘What brings you here?’

Ivan's voice emanated from within the prison doctor's body, clearly addressed to him.

The prison doctor gestured towards Lu Xiao beside him.

‘Ivan, my friend wishes to express his gratitude to you in person!’

Lu Xiao nodded eagerly.

‘Mr Ivan, thank you for performing that operation on me. I feel absolutely splendid now!’

The soulfire flickered within Ivan's eye sockets before his voice emerged from within Lu Xiao's body.

‘You are most welcome! In your body, I have completed a magnificent work of art!’

The prison doctor asked Ivan.

‘May we come in and sit for a moment?’

‘Please come in!’

Lu Xiao walked across the crimson carpet, his feet registering an unusual sensation, as if he was treading upon flesh and blood, strangely satisfying.

Ivan gestured towards two chairs.

‘Please, take a seat!’

They were chairs carved from unidentified bones, the seats were upholstered with a layer of leather featuring a fine, intricate grain.

The backrests retained the form of white bones.

Lu Xiao sat down, finding it remarkably comfortable.

Simultaneously, a faint fragrance wafted to his nostrils.

He couldn't identify the source, but it was most pleasant.

At that moment, Ivan's voice echoed through the room.

‘My friend! What do you make of my collection?’

The surrounding bone carvings vibrated in unison, each emitting Ivan's voice.

Lu Xiao glanced around and immediately gave a thumbs-up.

‘They are all exquisite works of art! I must say, Mr Ivan, your carving skills have reached a level of mastery beyond comparison!’

Hearing Lu Xiao's words, the soul-fire in Ivan's eye sockets flared violently once more.

‘It's a pity people don't appreciate my art!’

Ivan's voice sounded.

Lu Xiao offered some consolation.

‘Mr Ivan, fine art will inevitably faces criticism!’

‘Clearly, this stems from their lack of artistic understanding!’

He then turned his gaze to the prison doctor.

‘Just like you, Mr Prison Doctor, your medical skills are always met with skepticism!’

‘Yet, we both know that Mr Prison Doctor is actually a noble doctor!’

The prison doctor's beak opened and closed, momentarily at a loss for words.

For a moment, both the prison doctor and Ivan turned their gaze towards Lu Xiao.

Lu Xiao wore a smile upon his face.

‘The prison doctor is the most exceptional doctor I have ever encountered. His conviction left me feeling ashamed!’

‘And you, Mr Ivan, you are the most accomplished carver I have ever seen!’

‘Look at these exquisite works of art! They are so dazzling! They should be displayed in an art museum!’

These words deeply moved both the prison doctor and Ivan.

Especially Ivan.

His hollow eye sockets pulsed with emerald soulfire, his body trembling uncontrollably with excitement.

The creaking of bones echoed throughout the room.

‘Yet they brutally murdered me!’

‘They forgot that the dolls I carved by hand once adorned their children's burial offerings!’

‘I merely sought to bring joy to those little ones!’

The voice carried profound regret.

Lu Xiao reassured him.

‘Mr Ivan, I believe it is not you who should feel regret!’

‘It is those foolish people who ought to feel regret!’

‘For it was their foolishness that caused them to lose a great artist!’

Hearing Lu Xiao's words, Ivan stood rooted to the spot for a long while.

‘Thank you! My friend, your words have made me feel much better!’

"Though I have never blamed those people either, that incident truly left me with a deep sense of regret!"

The prison doctor spoke up at that moment.

"Ivan, I am so glad to see you stepping out of the shadows of your heart!"

‘I am very happy too!’

‘My friend, I have decided to give you a small gift!’

The voice emanated from within Lu Xiao's body.

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