The Gentleman at the End

Chapter 50: Chapter 49 Kerosene Lamp and Secret Medicine

Expensive.

And not just ordinarily expensive.

Yi Chen’s salary from working in the graveyard for several months plus the special bonus amounted to just over a hundred silver coins, yet the cheapest kerosene lamp here costs 500 silver coins.

But it must be said that—

the kerosene lamps sold here are quite good,

minimizing the size while ensuring lighting properties and, no matter how you shake it, it won’t affect the combustion inside.

The lantern and base are both made of impact-resistant materials; some of the pricier kerosene lamps even have defensive, mysterious runes etched into them to greatly reduce the chances of damage during battle.

At that moment,

Edmund stepped out from a special partition in the shop, holding a particularly unique kerosene lamp.

“William, what do you think of this one! Feels like it suits you.”

The lamp Edmund chose was primarily black, with a raven specimen perched on the top of the lantern.

The corpse of the raven had undergone special treatment, filled with a kind of firm yet flexible special material, never decaying.

It’s worth mentioning that—

the raven’s eyeballs were replaced with two distinctive rubies, bestowing a strange liveliness to the dead raven.

In addition,

the opening for replacing the fuel was specially designed in the style of a ‘black-framed wooden door,’ making the kerosene lamp resemble a private cabin; the campfire burning inside shining out of the windows, illuminating the outside world.

The shop assistant, as if encountering a big customer, introduced it enthusiastically:

“The kerosene lamp in your hand is named [The Crow Night]. The inspiration for this kerosene lamp comes from Mr. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”.

Handcrafted by our senior lamp master—Gnome,

featuring flexible glass and imprinted with a ‘Resilience Rune’,

the lamp base, handle, and all metal decorations are made from cold iron from gravesites over ten years old,

and our shop also provides a lifelong free replacement of long-lasting fuel,

priced at 4,800 silver coins.”

Edmund furrowed his brow slightly, “It’s a bit pricey~ William, what do you think?”

“Too expensive, let’s look somewhere else.”

“Alright.”

Yi Chen decisively left the shop. Such an amount was something he couldn’t afford. When the team members saw this, they left one after another,

though Edmund lagged behind slightly in pace. When he came out, he carried an extra delicately packaged handbag bearing the Holy Fire trademark in his hand.

A step caught up beside Yi Chen, and the handbag was deftly hung upon his wrist.

Contained within the handbag, to his surprise, was precisely the raven-decorated kerosene lamp.

“Hmm!?”

“After you left the graveyard, you’ve been resting at the academy, and probably don’t have much money… For me, this is just two months’ living expenses.

Once we successfully complete a three-star or higher difficulty mission, we’ll naturally receive a generous silver coin reward.

Since it’s a subjective purchase on my part, I’m not sure if this kerosene lamp is to your liking.

If you really want to repay me, just give me half of your share when the mission is done.”

Seeing Edmund’s sincere face,

and also considering the upcoming, rather challenging Gentleman mission, Yi Chen eventually accepted the gift.

“Thank you.”

Yi Chen took the kerosene lamp out of the handbag,

the sense of lightness and comfort in his hand was beyond imagination, as if holding the soft surface of a bird’s body, soft and comfortable.

At the same time, this dark-style kerosene lamp also matched Yi Chen’s overall temperament.

Edmund had already pulled some distance away, evaluating Yi Chen from head to toe.

“My judgment was indeed not wrong; this kerosene lamp seems tailor-made for you.

By the way, William, do you want to tidy up your [Black Long Hair]? Although it also fits the aura of coming out of a graveyard, this long hair might hold you back in battle.”

“Long hair, huh?”

Yi Chen touched his shoulder-length hair that had grown quickly during his physical recovery. He himself didn’t mind it, in fact, he liked it somewhat.

In his previous life, he almost always had short hair,

but now, he wanted to try this longer hairstyle. Maybe it was related to the changes in his body, but he also wanted a change.

Moreover, this long hair also served as a ‘record’ of this extraordinary half year, with its own commemorative significance.

“It feels pretty good this way; no need to trim it.”

“How about this—let Anna help you tie it up, then? This way, you’re fitting for battle and can keep the long hair. Give it a try.”

Coaxed by Edmund, Yi Chen agreed.

With Juliana’s skilled handling,

keeping the bangs and sideburns, and tying a bun in the middle at the back, he instantly looked much more refreshed.

“Hm~ very nice! This hairstyle suits you… Oh right, do you want to change your weapon?”

Edmund’s demeanor suggested he was prepared to give Yi Chen a ‘major makeover.’

“No need, I’m quite comfortable with this Hand Axe.”

“Hmm, it’s indeed well-made, but it falls into the category of basic equipment.

If we could acquire Pathological Crystals or even more precious materials during this mission, once we return to the city, you could use them to craft weapons that are more suited to your hand.

The weapons used to hunt Patients are as important as our limbs.”

“Hmm.” @@novelbin@@

…

It must be said,

the family behind Edmund is quite wealthy; they even own a mansion in Zion.

Later, he treated everyone to a lavish meal and enjoyed a full-body massage before battle.

After a day of conserving energy, both physically and mentally adjusted to their peak, they headed to the Gentleman Hall early the next morning to submit their task execution letter.

A high-end carriage from the organization was also waiting at the entrance of the hall,

which was several grades higher than the carriages Yi Chen had taken before. It was drawn by horses that had undergone genetic enhancement, their physical strength far exceeding that of ordinary horses, and they possessed traits of disease resistance and self-healing.

You could even see muscle tissues similar to feathers on the sides of the horses.

The carriage, with its compartmented windows and closed curtains, was solid and steady, and it also came equipped with an emergency power generator,

so that if anything were to happen to the horses, it could still rely on electrical power to maintain high speed and escape from certain pursuing dangers.

After the coachman emphasized some basic issues, the journey to the destination — Viner City — officially began.

Although the distance on paper was 51 km,

due to various mountainous terrains, the trip was expected to take three and a half hours.

While everyone was casually discussing the mission, Yi Chen suddenly brought up a question that had been weighing on his mind.

“Speaking of which, what is ‘secret medicine’? It wasn’t mentioned in the course.”

For a moment,

the carriage fell silent.

In the end, it was Edmund who answered the question:

“It seems that, William, you have spent most of your time over the last six months on yourself, so you haven’t learned about information related to the organization… Let me give you a brief explanation.

When we talk about secret medicine,

we must introduce two other important concepts, ‘Doctor’ and ‘Clinic’.

When we first came to Zion, we met a doctor on the bridge, you should remember.”

“Hmm…”

Yi Chen remembered Edmund mentioning that doctors are a special group of people among the gentlemen, with unique and powerful abilities, and after being recognized by the organization, they are bestowed with a ‘Doctor Certificate’.

Edmund continued:

“‘Clinics’ are somewhat similar to tailor shops; they are important institutions that are recognized and supported financially by the organization and are set up externally.

Clinics provide medical services such as treatment and removal of Pathological traits for gentlemen who are nearby or in transit on missions. They also serve as a special armed branch, providing support when emergencies arise in the surrounding areas.

But the most crucial and important aspect of the clinic lies in the ‘secret medicine Nostrum.’

To set up a private clinic and obtain the organization’s support in terms of manpower and materials, a doctor must submit a ‘secret medicine manuscript’ and samples,

The organization will conduct thorough checks and evaluations, and only after confirming the value of the secret medicine will it approve the clinic,

while also requiring the clinic to regularly send a fixed amount of the secret medicine to the organization.

If the production is high and the value exceeds expectations, the organization will also increase the clinic’s budget, increase the number of apprentices, and various other forms of support.

Typically, the raw materials for secret medicine are often taken from Patients,

After processing and refinement through the doctor’s unique, personal methods, a potent medicine that does not carry Pathogens will be produced.

This is the most important and core secret of each clinic.

In general, we can divide secret medicine into three categories.

1. Healing Class

The effects of healing class secret medicines far surpass ordinary medicines, enabling a rapid recovery of physical strength, and breaking through one’s original limits.

Some can even provide a temporary state of Superfast Regeneration, keeping an individual in an ‘Undying State’.

2. Combat Class

This category of secret medicine activates and enhances a certain trait possessed by the gentleman, granting a significant enhancement for a certain period.

If the secret medicine does not match the individual’s trait Attribute, it may cause a rejection reaction, and in severe cases even lead to Death.

3. Potential Class

This category is relatively rare and extremely valuable.

It can enhance an individual’s ‘Sensing Psyche’ for a certain period.

It is often used for exploring important areas in the Gray Domain or achieving a breakthrough in Rank.

The above three categories are what I’ve learned from my family’s books. Given how many years the organization has developed, there may well be entirely new categories of secret medicine.

In summary, secret medicine plays an irreplaceable role in our fight against Pathological conditions.

There are also cautionary aspects,

the dosage of secret medicine for different individuals is very strict.

If taken in overdose, it can cause irreparable and massive damage to the individual, and even lead directly to death… It may also induce hidden illnesses from the secret medicine, causing internal Infection in the user.

As we progress beyond the stage of being newcomer gentlemen,

we will gradually come into contact with more and more secret medicine, substances that can save our lives in times of crisis.”