Abyss Sequence-Chapter 369 - 26: Engraving Extraction Surgery

What kind of talk is this?

What on earth does this mean?!

What does it mean, ’she wants to extract her own engraving’?

Lan Cuifu’s eyes immediately filled with blood, she grabbed Wu Zechuan by the collar, pulled his head down, and angrily spat: "Are you a fucking idiot? Do you not know who she is? She is the backbone of Blue Star, the symbol in the hearts of countless Hunters! Even after her death, she’ll need a grand funeral, attended by high officials from the United Government! Yet you’re telling me she wants to extract her own engraving? I cannot be a part of this!"

Wu Zechuan still wore a smile on his face, wiped the spit from his face, and gently persuaded Lan Cuifu to release her grip.

Then, Wu Zechuan patiently explained.

He shared Helena and her junior’s idea with Lan Cuifu, who was immediately dumbfounded.

"...To become Sequence One, it’s possible we might need to remove the nano machines and use willpower to guide our neural growth," Lan Cuifu repeated what Wu Zechuan had told her.

——Absurd!

Lan Cuifu’s first instinct was ’absurd,’ she didn’t believe humans could accomplish such a thing.

However, ancient Engravers didn’t have nano machines, so how did they manage to earn their engravings?

Lan Cuifu couldn’t explain it, so even though she found Wu Zechuan’s ’engraving method’ ridiculous, she couldn’t refute him.

After a long silence, Lan Cuifu looked up at Wu Zechuan, "Has this method been tested on someone?"

Wu Zechuan shook his head with a smile, "No."

Lan Cuifu said, "Then I can’t do it! Ms. Bilukova is too important, if anything happens to her... we’ll be in big trouble, and so will Blue Star. Many will hold us accountable, so I can’t do it!"

Considering Yulia’s age, Lan Cuifu avoided using the word ’death.’

Wu Zechuan’s smile faded, and he shook his head, "Cuifu, this isn’t about whether you will or won’t do it. Even if you don’t, we’ll find someone else to help. This is Ms. Bilukova’s own wish—she wants to become Sequence One!"

Hearing this, Lan Cuifu frowned deeply.

After a moment, she took a deep breath and reluctantly asked, "Is there only this way? To become Sequence One."

Just then, Yulia interjected: "I can no longer bear another engraving, it’s my own feeling, and I don’t think I’m wrong. Besides, using nano machines to form engravings was a choice by the United Government for easier control, and even they didn’t know this method could not achieve Sequence One."

Lan Cuifu’s expression shifted several times, and she pursed her lips in deep thought.

Two minutes later, Lan Cuifu expelled a heavy, turbid breath.

"I’ll do it!"

Knowing that achieving Sequence One might only be possible through this method, and recognizing Yulia’s own resolve, Lan Cuifu believed she should help her.

Lan Cuifu gave Wu Zechuan a hard glare, then turned to Yulia. Even her voice softened: "Ms. Bilukova, when would you like to start?"

"Immediately!" Yulia said decisively.

......

Lan Cuifu borrowed an operating room in Scarlet No. 2 Hospital, and the equipment for extracting the nano machines had long been prepared.

These instruments required reporting for use, but Yulia didn’t want others to know about this matter, so she could only buy a brand-new set through black market channels.

Lan Cuifu had been an outstanding graduate from the medical college back in the day. It was because she tested positive for the [Priest] sequence affinity that she became a Hunter.

Two years ago, receiving an invitation from her mentor and having a small falling out with Wu Zechuan at the time, Lan Cuifu left the Mountain and River Warband and became a department head.

As a result, Lan Cuifu knew how to operate the equipment for extracting nano machines.

"Ms. Bilukova, you need to relax. I have to first sever the neural connections between you and the engraving," Lan Cuifu, dressed in full sterile attire, said softly.

The most crucial point of severing the engraving’s neural connections is to prevent the recipient from fainting because they might subconsciously activate the engraving and injure the doctor.

Fortunately, local anesthesia could still be administered; otherwise, it would be difficult for the doctor to operate.

A muscle relaxant was injected into Yulia, relaxing the muscles in her back, followed by anesthesia to numb the nerves in her back.

A diagram of the nerve structure within Yulia hovered in the corner of her vision, becoming clear and enlarged only when Lan Cuifu focused on it.

Although her back felt nothing, a conscious Yulia could hear the sound of instruments and the pervasive smell of disinfectant in the operating room filling her nostrils, all of which confirmed the reality of her undergoing surgery.

Lan Cuifu had previously assisted in surgeries to extract engravings when patients experienced adverse reactions to the nano machines and needed to replace an engraving.

The recipient at that time was only Sequence Four, with just three engravings—removal was quite simple.

But Yulia had twelve engravings in her body, overlapping layers and intricately connected with the nerves, making nerve severing an uphill battle.

Fortunately, Lan Cuifu herself was also an Engraver, capable of using engravings to assist her in surgery.

After nearly three hours of work, Lan Cuifu severed the last nerve connected to the engraving.

By then, she was soaked in sweat, drenched through her undergarments.

Next, the nano machines had to be extracted, and Yulia could finally drift off, no longer having to endure such torment.

The most advanced smart operating table injected an appropriate dose of anesthesia into Yulia, and Lan Cuifu stretched her limbs, ready to continue.

It wasn’t quite clear how much time had passed when Yulia groggily awoke.

She wanted to raise her hand to touch her forehead but found she had no strength at all.

Helena, who was sitting beside her, immediately stood up and came to the bedside to ask anxiously, "Ms. Bilukova, how do you feel? Is everything alright?"

Yulia then remembered what had happened to her, weakly raised the corner of her mouth into a smile, "I have removed my engraving..."

As she spoke, a few tears fell from the corner of her eye.

Seeing her crying, Helena was flustered, "Ms. Bilukova, you, you..."

Helena wanted to comfort Yulia but didn’t know how to start.

"It’s nothing."

Instead, Yulia comforted Helena, raising her hand to gently place it on Helena’s hand resting on the edge of the bed, "This is merely a subconscious reaction of the body. After all, that thing has accompanied me for decades. Even if it’s just a ragged bedsheet, there should be feelings attached."

No doubt, this was a big gamble!

From this point on, Yulia no longer had any retreat.

Gazing at the incredibly weak Yulia, Helena bit her lip guiltily, "If only I hadn’t suggested it..."

"No, child, that’s not your fault." Yulia took a deep breath, "I made this decision myself, I decided on my own to remove the engraving and attempt the method you suggested, all of this stems from my own will. Even if it doesn’t succeed in the end, it has nothing to do with you; I am an adult, an elderly person who has experienced many things, the decisions I make should not be blamed on you."

Yulia was very tired and couldn’t keep her eyes open after talking for a little while.

After comforting Helena for a few more sentences, Yulia fell asleep.

Outside the room, Lan Cuifu was reporting Yulia’s condition to Wu Zechuan.

The two leaned against the window, smoking in parallel.

"Ms. Bilukova’s health is quite good, better than many fifty-year-olds, is this the effect of the Saint’s Marrow?" Lan Cuifu was aware that the Saint’s Blood didn’t have the ability to rejuvenate Engravers, so she immediately thought of the Saint’s Marrow.

Wu Zechuan nodded, "The Saint’s Marrow has miraculous rejuvenating effects. However, she is still quite old, and she herself can feel that in just half a year, advancement won’t be possible."

"That’s why it’s so urgent..." Lan Cuifu murmured to herself.

A silence once again fell between the two.

"When do you plan to get married?" Lan Cuifu asked out of the blue.

Wu Zechuan raised an eyebrow, "I don’t even have a partner right now, perhaps in this lifetime..."

Lan Cuifu grabbed Wu Zechuan’s collar fiercely and snarled, "I’m asking when you plan to marry me! You fool, I’ve been waiting for you to propose!"

Wu Zechuan blanked for a moment, then awkwardly smiled and took out a box from his space waistband.

"Actually, I’ve been looking for the right time..."