Chapter 39: The Dissection Maniac and the Infiltration

“Where did you get that medicine?”

Larry asked Ellis, his voice laced with curiosity, after they had parted ways with Peter.

“I ‘borrowed’ it from Walker.”

Ellis replied, a cheerful lilt in her voice.

Walker was one of the S-rank adventurers in the Adventurers’ Guild. He was, without a doubt, the Mazesli Continent’s foremost biologist, alchemist, and pharmacist.

Of course, he was most infamous for his chilling adventurer title: the Dissection Maniac.

That moniker alone suggested he was far from normal. The very medicine the Ace Empire had painstakingly developed, he had already concocted long ago—and with superior efficacy and fewer side effects at that.

Yet, for him, it was merely the completion of a challenge, not a pursuit to serve others or to heal the sick and wounded.

His laboratory was filled with an abundance of specialized remedies, each one a priceless, life-saving drug if found outside.

However, Walker’s eccentric and reclusive nature meant these treasures simply piled up in his lab, often expiring without ever being mentioned to anyone.

Only Ellis consistently sought him out. Walker, despite his quirks, actually possessed one of the kinder hearts among S-rank adventurers. His severe social phobia meant that only persistent, frequent, and friendly proactive engagement could foster a relationship with him.

To say Ellis, a person who also disliked socializing, suddenly became so attentive… well, wasn’t it obvious why?

This was the most formidable doctor they had ever encountered in the world—rumored to be able to revive someone with just a breath, known as the Disease Terminator. Moreover, once a good relationship was established, their full range of diagnostic services came without a fee!

Wouldn’t you curry favor with such a powerhouse if they were by your side?

Ellis’s prowess lay primarily in dispelling curses and healing external wounds, but the world’s ailments were far stranger than simple injuries.

Besides, Walker was a decent sort, always up for a good laugh. He just occasionally needed to understand human anatomy, perhaps by doing a little ‘surgery’ on you, to observe the differences in physical structure between the world’s top adventurers—those S-rank and above—and ordinary people.

Driven by a desire to contribute to global medicine and undergo regular ‘truly full-body’ check-ups, Ellis and Larry had voluntarily become regulars for his annual dissections.

Initially, they felt some resistance, but they adapted quickly. Honestly, the man performed entirely painless dissections, leaving not a single wound afterward.

Ellis essentially treated it like a trip to a massage parlor. She’d wake up refreshed, blood flowing freely, muscles and bones limber. Wasn’t this far more effective than those exorbitantly priced alternatives?

Cough, cough, I’ve strayed too far.

In any case, Ellis had conveniently helped him clear out a vast quantity of what he considered ‘trash’—items he found flavorless to keep but too wasteful to discard.

That bottle of medicine given to Peter was one such item from that heap of ‘trash.’

Ellis chuckled sinisterly. “Hehe, since others are just using us, we might as well benefit ourselves. And we’re clearly the more practical choice here. I’m sure his attitude towards us will become even more respectful, and he’ll actively support our actions, without us having to worry about betrayal. I truly am a genius!”

Larry looked at Ellis with an admiring gaze. “Truly worthy of being my wicked friend! Such a malicious heart, even using a frail little girl. My goodness, it feels so secure to be with someone so despicable, shameless, and utterly filthy.”

Ellis gnashed her teeth, infuriated. “My dear Larry, my ears are perfectly fine. If you continue to insult me under the guise of praise, I will make you understand the true meaning of those words.”

“Filthy? Are you planning to get filthy with me? Come on, my arms are always open for you!”

Ellis gave a grim smile as she eyed Larry, who was still taunting her.

“Mitchell, it seems certain people misunderstand the word ‘filthy.’ Perhaps we need to properly educate him, wouldn’t you say?”

Upon hearing Ellis’s summons, Mitchell immediately materialized from the void, shouting in a voice so loud it felt jarring even when spoken softly.

“Precisely! This lowly, insignificant, disgusting creature fundamentally misunderstands ‘filthy.’ It’s not meant to describe reproductive acts; it describes true art, like S&M! My great Young Miss, please allow me to craft a unique ‘love punishment’ especially for him!”

“I refuse!” – Larry

“I agree!” – Ellis

“Is that so? Richards is dead.”

Gapp, the King, fell silent after hearing his subordinate’s report.

“Two people, yet they mobilized over a hundred soldiers, and the entire army was annihilated. The only reason anyone survived was because the others weren’t interested in killing them.”

The general delivering the report felt such shame that he wished to crawl into a crack in the earth upon hearing King Gapp’s words.

“Your Majesty, my crimes warrant a thousand cuts, but there is one more thing I must report. The strength of those two individuals is absolutely monstrous. Our army’s weapons and equipment were utterly incapable of breaching the barrier that woman erected, and the man’s movements were impossible to track with the naked eye. In the blink of an eye, our men fell like reaped straw. I implore Your Majesty to be extremely cautious!”

Gapp listened, then thoughtfully, as if something had occurred to him, he spoke. “Monsters, you say? I understand. Go, receive your punishment.”

“Yes!”

After the general departed, King Gapp seemed to murmur to himself. “What do you think of this? You, too, are considered a monster, aren’t you?”

“That’s quite rude, speaking to your partner in such a way.”

A mass of black, tar-like substance surged from King Gapp’s shadow, eventually forming a creature with an octopus head and a human body.

“No need to worry, we can achieve the same feats. And there are far more than just two of us. We will absolutely guarantee your safety; you only need to calmly execute our plan.”

King Gapp responded indifferently, “How truly reliable. Rest assured, I have already dispatched people to engrave the elemental ritual array you desire upon that land. We only await the handover of that territory with Jipp.”

“You are also very reliable. Then, let us continue our mutual benefit,咯咯咯.”

With a grating laugh, the octopus-man retreated back into King Gapp’s shadow. King Gapp, as if nothing had happened, resumed handling state affairs at his desk.

A few days later, at a grand court banquet, the nobility of the capital were invited to the royal palace to attend the lavish feast.

Ellis and Larry, thanks to Peter’s connections, entered the palace as servants transporting ingredients.

After confirming the efficacy of Ellis’s medicine, Peter’s actions became much more proactive. He even managed to procure the palace’s blueprints.

Ellis, having successfully entered the imperial palace, was visibly excited. She swaggered confidently towards a marked location on the map. “Alright, let’s head to the crime scene first. Detective Ellis, reporting for duty!”

Larry immediately clapped a hand over her mouth and pulled her aside. “Are you serious? We’re infiltrating, infiltrating! Shouting like this, are you afraid people *won’t* discover us?”

Ellis’s lips curled into a confident smile. She waggled a finger in front of Larry. “Only amateur infiltrators need to hide themselves. Master infiltrators simply eliminate anyone who discovers them. Like this, for example.”

Ellis pointed her elemental staff to the side, and a palace maid, who had been hiding and preparing to sneak away, immediately collapsed, unconscious.

Larry: “…Are you serious?”

Ellis rolled her eyes, her tone exasperated. “My friend, when did your intelligence regress to that of a Kira Monkey? Of course it’s a joke. Otherwise, we’d just go on a rampage through the palace, and no one would be able to stop us.”

“No, it’s not my intelligence that’s regressed. Isn’t there a saying, ‘pregnancy makes you stupid for three years’? I feel ‘transformation makes you stupid for three years’ sounds perfectly fine.”

“Understood. I’ll go on a rampage right now.”

Ellis’s face darkened, ready to act, but Larry quickly pulled her away. “Business first, business first.”

“So, Comrade Larry, weren’t you talking about infiltration?”

Ellis leaned against the wall, watching Larry move unconscious soldiers to a hidden spot, and teased him.

Larry’s face was now completely merged with the night.

Originally, Larry’s idea of stealth was indeed a good one. However, he had overestimated his and Ellis’s infiltration skills. One was a pure warrior, the other a pure healer—or rather, a toxic healer. Trying to silently reach a designated location like a high-level assassin was not something their current strength could compensate for.

As a result, Larry alone had been accidentally discovered four or five times along the way. Ultimately, they had to eliminate everyone who saw them to successfully ‘infiltrate’ the designated location.

Ellis naturally wouldn’t miss this excellent opportunity to mock Larry. Still, she kept it brief; they were here for serious business.

The room where the former king had died was now sealed off. No one was allowed to enter it without permission.

Yet, this room now welcomed two unwelcome guests.

“So it was thoroughly cleaned, as expected?”

Ellis looked around the tidy room with dismay. There was no trace of blood or bodies.

If one didn’t know the former king and queen had died here, no one would suspect it was a murder scene.

“So much time has passed already; they would have cleaned it up meticulously. Why would they leave anything here waiting for us?”

Ellis scratched her head. “Because I find it strange. Even though so much time has passed, this room has remained sealed. Didn’t Peter mention earlier that an unusually large number of guards are always stationed near this room? We saw it ourselves when we came here; three teams of palace guards are constantly patrolling. If it’s just a cleaned-up murder scene, why such extreme caution?”

Larry frowned tightly. “Indeed, unless they are guarding something.”

Just as the two were feeling perplexed, a voice, like a brain-worm attempting to burrow into one’s mind, echoed through the room. “Gapp fears you, doesn’t he? To dare trespass into our dwelling place.”