The Gentleman at the End

Chapter 212: Chapter 211 Magician Association

[Nameless Clothing Store]

As Yi Chen led Zede downstairs, Mr. Ivan, who was working on a brand-new mannequin, immediately sensed a strong, mysterious, and powerful scent of death.

“Who is the person with William? Why would he willingly take them to the important [secret chamber]? Only Qian Bosen and I should know about it.

Has that fellow been brainwashed or coerced?”

Considering the potential risks, Ivan paused his mannequin creation, changed into a two-color suit, and covered his completely charred right face with a half mask. He then walked towards the next door secret chamber, leaning on a special cane.

As he followed the hidden passage between the warehouses down to the basement, Yi Chen, who was examining the spherical relic, didn’t notice his arrival.

Meanwhile, Zede, also in the basement, had removed his mask and covered his face, now blinded by black bandages.

This image immediately reminded Ivan of a familiar name.

“Hogni Zede~is that right? I have often heard old man Qian Bosen mention you… I didn’t expect the organization to relax the restrictions on you and agree to let you leave the academy to move around, did they?”

Zede didn’t respond but instead formed a precise image of Ivan in his mind through unique physical perception, even clearer than what the naked eye could see.

The captured image caused Zede to furrow his brow,

because he discovered that the other’s entire right half was in a state of “soul-burning,” continuously eroded by an everlasting curse flame.

“Your right side is in bad shape, yet you manage to move around like a normal person… Is it by some kind of ‘puppeteer’ means? Those corpse wax puppets above must be your work, right?”

Ivan didn’t intend to hide anything and explained the situation with his right side.

“In the first ten years, I had thoughts of suicide over a hundred times. But gradually, I accepted this indelible burning curse and turned it into a part of my body, even enhancing my tailoring craft.

Making models during the day helps distract from the burning pain. Once I create the most perfect model, I will be able to transfer my soul into it, breaking free from the curse’s erosion.”

Having said that, Ivan slowly descended the steps, reaching out to touch Zede’s clothing.

“It seems you haven’t maintained your [clothing] for decades, have you? No wonder, being confined in the academy has its limitations, and there aren’t many tailors in the organization who dare to repair your clothes on their initiative.

The craftsmanship of your clothing itself is quite ordinary, not quite fitting your body, or rather, not worthy of your body.

If you don’t mind, you can come to my tailor shop, and I will make some minor alterations for you.”

Zede was also quite the gentleman, politely declining, “Thank you very much, but I may not have sufficient time to stay out, with only forty-four minutes left before I must return.”

“The time is indeed short, but I could take your body measurements in advance. Next time you have the chance to come out, we could go straight to the revision steps.”

“Alright.”

Ivan’s motive wasn’t purely charitable; he had never seen a body like Zede’s before. The brief touch had allowed him to glimpse an entirely new domain of the body.

It was both a personal pursuit and part of his nature as a tailor.

Or rather, he could be inspired to create the perfect mannequin from Zede’s body.

…

Half an hour passed.

Yi Chen still had not discerned any information from the sphere and, with a sigh, withdrew his gaze, retracting the blade as well… When he turned his head, he found himself alone in the basement.

“Did teacher Zede leave early? Yes, it’s probably better to return early on his first trip out. The academy might give him more freedom in the future.”

When he repacked the relic into the Golden Box, the chest reverted to its original rectangular shape, easy to carry.

“It’s getting late today; I’ll pay a visit to the Principal tomorrow.”

Exiting the secret chamber and locking the rolling door.

Yi Chen lowered the brim of his hat, grabbed his suitcase, and hurried to the elevator leading to the upper streets.

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, a white figure squeezed in at the last moment, carrying a bag emitting a strange fragrance.

“Isn’t that William? What a coincidence!”

The white figure coincided with Lotson in his white robe, greeting with a sunny smile on his face.

“Mm,” Yi Chen simply responded with a brief reply.

Even though he seemed uninterested in Lotson, Yi Chen still took the opportunity to stealthily observe through the concealed eyes of the grape, feeling that the ‘sense of disharmony’ emanating from the other party only intensified.

He had a sneaking suspicion that their meeting was not by chance, but an ‘accidental encounter’ deliberately orchestrated by Lotson.

“William, are you free tonight? Would you like to come with me to the Magician Association? I happen to be delivering a batch of special materials there,” Lotson said with a friendly squinting expression, deliberately lifting up the cloth bag in his hand and emphasizing it with a pointed gesture.

In the past, Yi Chen would have certainly declined.

But coincidentally, he had no plans this evening, his physique had broken through its limit, and the formal meeting with the Principal would not be until tomorrow.

Most importantly, Yi Chen was also curious to find out if there was anything wrong with this white-haired individual before him.

“Lead the way,” he said.

[Magician Association]

Gentlemen hold various professions, and some groups with similar professions and abilities establish small to medium-sized gatherings to enhance mutual exchange of experience under the authorization of an organization.

Among them, the Magician Association ranks among the top four of all gathering groups, primarily because of a large member base, with many professions related to magic.

For example, Professor Qian Bosen’s expertise in Wind Magic.

Yi Chen’s original plant disease could also be classified under magic, as could the newly awakened Death, which he had not yet mastered.

The main building corresponding to the Magician Association occupies a large area in the street district, looking like a medieval academy from the outside, open all day.

Inside, there are discussion rooms for various types of magic, potion supply rooms, and a library. All the books therein are donated by members to share their insights and knowledge, and occasionally, high-ranking members will even place valuable Magic Books there for free.

The main entrance of the building leads to a spacious reception hall with candles floating in midair under the effect of Gravity Magic. Organizational tasks related to magic are pre-distributed here, with members enjoying the priority to undertake these tasks.

After wandering around with Lotson, Yi Chen actually began to entertain the idea of joining the association.

“This place is nice, isn’t it? William, you are also preeminent in [Intelligence] with amazing talent. You can submit an application right now to become our prospective member.

Once you graduate from the academy, you’ll be able to convert to full member immediately, enjoying all the privileges here,” Lotson said.

“Let’s talk about it after I graduate, thanks anyway, Lotson.”

Seeing Yi Chen preparing to leave, Lotson gently tapped his shoulder and pointed to a window on the side of the hall:

“Since you’re here, why don’t you check if there are any magic tasks that suit you.

You might find some magic materials that fit with us, which can be used in the creation of magic tools or even assist in our future Extreme Breakthroughs.

If I’m not wrong, William, you’ve already been preparing for an Extreme Breakthrough recently, haven’t you?”

“Okay.”

Yi Chen was indeed curious to see what differentiated the tasks pre-distributed to the Magician Association.

A member on duty today received them and handed over a booklet, which recorded all the tasks that hadn’t been accepted in the last three days.

Generally speaking, tasks are updated at eight in the morning, and most of the ‘cost-effective’ tasks are taken in the morning.

The remaining tasks have a low cost-benefit ratio or are characterized by uncertainty and instability, making them often untouched and eventually ending up at the Gentleman Hall.

Browsing the front part of the booklet left Yi Chen somewhat disappointed; the tasks given priority by the Magician Association were only related to magic based on target objectives, regions, and Magic Elements.

The tasks were basically not different from those in Gentleman Hall, and some even seemed quite subpar.

But when he got to the last page,

An exclusive, time-limited task that was about to end and would be sent to Gentleman Hall the next morning caught Yi Chen’s attention.

★★★★★ A full five-star difficulty with an added question mark element, as well as repeated mentions of the word ‘Death,’ piqued Yi Chen’s interest.