Eclipsia Ashen Syndrome

'Activate my Search Skill', Benjamin instructed the system.

Immediately, a display with the message [Search Skill Activated] popped up in front of him. 

Benjamin placed one of his cuffed hands on his chin and wondered how to structure his next sentence for the system, as it would be entered into the search box.

It didn't take a genius to know exactly what to search for in the current situation, especially while looking at the patriarch lying unconscious on the bed. With that, Benjamin typed into the search bar: 'What is wrong with Sebastian Foster?'

Immediately, those words filled the search bar. 

Benjamin looked at the search icon at the top right of the display and wondered how he was going to tap it without looking weird to those around.

Fortunately, everyone's attention was on Doctor Kingsley, who was checking the patriarch again to make sure he got the right diagnosis.

"I guess they have more important things to worry about than paying attention to what I'm doing," Benjamin thought. Then, he discreetly extended his hand to the display and pressed the search icon on the top right.

Immediately, the system started searching for an answer to his question. 

A second later the display presented Benjamin with answers in the form of a medical report on Sebastian. 

Benjamin opened the report and saw a detailed record of the sick man's body. From his blood group to his genotype to his allergies. Everything he needed to help identify what was really wrong with Sebastian was right there. 

Benjamin skimmed through the basic stuff and went straight to where it showed what really afflicted the patriarch. 

He read in his head, starting with the name of the sickness and then the description.

"The Eclipsia Ashen Syndrome, also known as The Phantom Sickness, is a non-naturally occurring illness that targets the atoms of the body, inverting the charges and that in turn affects the chromosomes and cells of the body, slowly reverting them to a state unfit to support the current condition of the body, resulting in the body shutting down to prevent death and leaving only the basic function like breathing. In essence, it causes a forced comatose state. However, the continuous existence of the illness in the body makes the cells deteriorate and death will then be inevitable. The reason why it's impossible to test for this disease is that modern medicine isn't advanced enough to identify abnormalities at an atomic level." 

Benjamin groaned and grimaced, shocked at how severe the sickness was. However, something he read stood out to him.

"Non-naturally occurring? Does that mean man-made?" He wondered and asked the system if that's what it meant. 

"Yes, Axel Blade. Non-naturally occurring means man-made"

Benjamin furrowed his eyebrows.

"Wouldn't that mean that whatever is happening to the patriarch was done by someone?" He asked the system again. 

"It would appear so"

Benjamin's eyes widened.

He quickly looked around the room and wondered if any of the people around him knew that the patriarch was sick because someone made him that way.

From what Benjamin had seen, Sebastian Foster was a very rich and influential man, so it was expected for him to have enemies and maybe one of them managed to do this to him. 

Just then, Benjamin's attention was stolen from the report on the search skill display by Kingsley, who had confirmed the diagnosis he had made and stood up from the bed.

"So, what's wrong with my husband, doctor?" Elizabeth asked. 

Benjamin paid close attention, wanting to see if the doctor would arrive at the same diagnosis as the one the system gave him, even though he strongly doubted it. After all, the doctor had only used a stethoscope and basic diagnostic procedures to reach his conclusion, so what were the chances he was right?

"Since doctor…umm… doctor umm…" Kingsley snapped his fingers multiple times— trying to remember Doctor Johnson's name.

"Johnson, doctor" Johnson helped him.

"Thank you, Johnson", Kingsley grinned proudly and continued to address the family.

He said: "Since Doctor Johnson and all the doctors before me were unable to figure out what was wrong with the patriarch, I realized that conventional tests wouldn't work, and it reminded me of a patient with a similar problem a while back. After a couple of experiments, I was finally able to use a special diagnostic method I came up with to find out what was wrong with him and that's the same thing I did with the patriarch."

The family members of the patient all smiled. Meanwhile, Benjamin stared at the doctor skeptically. 

"So what did you figure out, doctor?" Henry asked.

"It's a rare disease called Whistle Blight sickness and the reason the test done by the previous doctors wasn't able to identify it is because it hides in the patient's antibodies and turns them against the patient," Kingsley said and Benjamin frowned. 

"Wait a minute. That's wrong", Benjamin said out loud, and everyone looked at him. 

"Who are you supposed to be?" Kingsley asked condescendingly.

"Don't worry about him, doctor. He's a pest that another nuisance brought here to annoy us. Please go ahead with what you were saying" Henry glared at Benjamin, then he returned his gaze to the doctor. 

"Of course", Kingsley replied, and everyone continued paying attention to what he was saying.

"Because antibodies are meant to protect the body from harm, it turning against the body makes it next to impossible to track as it tricks the tests into thinking that it's still doing its job when it's not. Fortunately, my special diagnostic procedure can't be deceived", Kingsley said proudly. 

"That's terrible! So is there a way to cure it and return my husband to normal?" Elizabeth asked desperately. 

Meanwhile, Miss Anderson, who looked at Benjamin through the corner of her eyes and saw the face he was making, became concerned. 

"Benjamin" she called and Benjamin quickly looked at her.

"Come here for a moment," she said, using her head to gesture that he should move away with her.

The two distanced themselves a little from everyone.

"What's going on? Why did you say that the doctor was wrong?" Miss Anderson asked. 

"Because he is", Benjamin replied with an annoyed look on his face.

"Explain", Miss Anderson instructed, as she crossed her arms and gave him her undivided attention.