In the passageway from the treatment room to the public lounge, a judgment was underway.
The other medical practitioners looked at the slightly short figure of [222], their gazes behind raven masks filled with a mix of complex emotions.
There was no doubt among them about [176] being accused of "technique theft"; they even deemed it quite reasonable.
A healing technique was not merely a procedure but rather a method of learning a miracle.
Unlike combat mages, healing and creation mages do not require PVP, so they can lower the casting difficulty by extending the casting time, whereas combat mages cannot—an enemy would attack before you finish the cast.
Therefore, healing and creation mages break miracles into many steps, combining a series of steps to form a miracle.
These steps were known as techniques.
Thus, once someone learned the technique, mastering the miracle was only a matter of time.
Techniques were naturally regarded as crucial intellectual property. A mage who created a new technique could earn royalties from other mages studying them, even if his technique had a narrow range of application and was commercially unviable; this alone could afford the mage a longevity package extending life by ten years from the four major research institutes.
This was also why every time Ash woke up, he found only one medical practitioner in the treatment room—no one was allowed to watch the medical practitioners at work to prevent others from stealing their healing techniques.
The medical practitioner looked at [201], "Were you sent by the teacher?"
"I am a graduate student learning from your senior; she is my boss."
[201] chose words carefully, not revealing any names, "The Warden of Shattered Lake Prison is friends with my boss... but my boss instructed me not to disturb you unless this scum went too far by stealing the institute's property. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here."
The medical practitioner asked, "Now that my identity is exposed, should I leave here?"
[201] laughed, "Miss, you jest. Those coming to Shattered Lake Prison for the 'Blood Embrace Ritual' are invariably prospective members of the institutes under the four major research institutes. Why would we betray you? How dare we betray you?"
The other medical practitioners collectively bent over in a bow, showing their respect.
They couldn't not lower their heads, as there were thirty-six research institutes in the Kingdom of Blood Moon, with twenty-four small, eight medium, and four large institutes.
Most of them were only 'preliminary bloodlines' from small institutes, whereas this young lady in front of them was a new member of the "Blood Tears" under the four major institutes, a world of difference in status.
To be blunt, the best result they could hope for after completing the Blood Embrace and leaving prison was to become a Golden Bloodline, gaining a two-hundred-year life span, reaching no more than Two-winged in their lifetime.
New members of the four major research institutes nearly all had a five-hundred-year lifespan as Holy Domain bloodlines, and even a thousand-year lifespan as Legendary bloodlines!
The Three-winged Holy Domain was a starting point they had to reach, and Four-winged Legendary was not unusual; they might even touch the realm of the Divine Being, becoming demigod saints above all in the Kingdom of Blood Moon!
"Miss, how do you wish to deal with this scum?" [201] asked.
The medical practitioner was silent for a moment, looking at [176].
"Do you have anything you want to say?"
[176] raised a fishhead to glance at the medical practitioner, her large eyes showing the scarlet brilliance she was most familiar with.
With a snort, [201] pressed a venous bubble.
[176] trembled all over, her face, already pale, now looking like a sheet of white paper.
"I am not convinced."
"What aren't you convinced by?"
"I am not convinced that you can become a new member of the Blood Tears Research Institute while I must bite and roll in a small research institute."
[176] almost bit through her sharp teeth, "I also am a prodigy among fishmen; I too should become a supreme bloodline, but why is the resource gap between you and me so vast?"
"I am not convinced. The Blood Embrace opportunity I exhausted my mind to obtain, you could get with ease; I am not convinced that the technique I covet is merely knowledge at your fingertips to you; I am not convinced that the best material from the prisoners is handled by you, while I can only get some tasteless scraps..."
"What I am most unconvinced about is why you have such good talent!"
[176] became more and more hysterical, "I cannot watch you surpass me... I can't!"
"What a piece of scum without the slightest remorse."
[201] punctured another venous bubble, and [176] was nearly passing out this time.
"His garbage talk is unnecessary to listen to... Miss, how do you want to deal with him?"
[201] paused, "Generally speaking, he would be executed on the spot."
The medical practitioner quietly looked at [176], who was almost about to collapse to the ground, pondering for a long time.
"He doesn't annoy me to the point of wanting him dead, but if he were to die, I wouldn't particularly care either."
"So what are you saying..."
"Find a whip shaped like a razor clam, beat him until he is covered in scales and wounds, and do not heal him; expel him. By the way, isn't he a Blue-scaled Fishman? A finger shark shouldn't kill him. Throw him into the sea tonight and let him swim back on his own."
[201] was stunned for a moment, "But Miss—"
"This is my decision." The medical practitioner looked at [201], "If you disagree, do as you see fit; I don't mind."
"I did not mean that." [201] bowed deeply, "Your will shall be carried out."
"Then I will go back to rest."
The medical practitioner threaded quickly through the people and left, seemingly eager to escape this suffocating atmosphere. But soon, a slow and heavy set of footsteps quickly caught up to her pace.
The medical practitioner stopped at her dormitory door, looking at [201] who had caught up.
"Is there anything else?"
"Since I have already disturbed you, I thought I might as well take this chance to say a few words... a reminder." [201] deliberated over his words, "Just a few reminders."
"I noticed that the time you spend with the prisoners in the treatment room is slightly... against the regulations. Of course, this is entirely fine. I assure you no one will use this regulation to offend you, and I'm not here to warn you."
"Were it not to avoid trouble from the Human Rights Association and the Racial Rights Association, we wouldn't have to pretend to be medical practitioners to conduct the ritual here. Those rules merely reduce the chances of encountering trouble, but you, Miss, need not worry about it."
Each of [201]'s words emphasized his humility.
"I am just worried whether you, Miss, while playing, might develop unnecessary feelings for the material, delaying the Blood Embrace Ritual. If your progress with the ritual runs into problems, the boss will hold me accountable."
The medical practitioner shook her head, "I have not forgotten the Blood Embrace Ritual; you can rest assured."
She paused, "All the prisoners I treated have already had the Blood Embrace seed implanted by me. As long as they die in the judgment, the Blood Embrace seed will naturally condense their knowledge and magic power, turning it all into my Source Blood."
The medical practitioner walked into her dormitory, reached up to remove her raven mask, revealing a pair of extremely violent scarlet eyes, gazing at [201] like a hunter, making [201] feel a chill running down his spine.
"We of the Blood Saint Clan never develop feelings for bread."