The Gentleman at the End

Chapter 56: Chapter 55: The First Taste

Silencers on the muzzle emitted wisps of white smoke,

Having completed the shot, Edmund didn’t hesitate at all and immediately ran to the edge of the rooftop.

At this moment, the figure of Yi Chen, who had been sent flying, had vanished—most likely fallen from the rooftop.

The ‘Defibrillation Palm Strike’ from the male doctor was extremely powerful; if followed by the trauma of a fall, in Edmund’s view, even if one didn’t die, they would be seriously injured.

When he arrived,

Snap!

A palm covered in vine-like marks had just grabbed hold of the edge.

It easily hoisted the body up, returning to the rooftop.

Yi Chen even brushed off his clothes nonchalantly, his gaze shifting towards the patient who had already fallen to the ground not far away.

In his field of vision,

the ancient text naming the creature on the patient’s head—[Heart Saver – Francisco Holt (Patient)]—turned from flesh-colored to gray, indicating the target was dead.

“This guy actually hid a defibrillator in his palm… Ah~ My clothes!”

Yi Chen didn’t care about his body at all but was visibly distressed as he inspected the area around his coat’s chest.

Then, something miraculous happened,

the coat began displaying a ‘shedding phenomenon’; the part on the left chest that was scorched by the electric shock began to peel off by itself,

followed by the growth and interweaving of fibrous threads throughout the fabric.

In just over ten seconds, the area damaged by the electrical burn was as good as new.

Edmund explained from the side, “Such damage is far below the endurance limit of ‘Gentleman’s Skin’… Even if the coat were burned through with a large hole, it could still repair itself.

Not to mention, the leather you used for making the coat came from the [First Gentleman].

By the way, are you alright? You took quite a hit there.”

“The coat can heal itself, too?

As for me, I’m fine. The hit was powerful, but the intent was quite obvious.

And I deliberately chose to take the hit… aligning with the perfect moment when the palm pushed forward, moving backward, the majority of the force was dissipated in the process.

The only unexpected part was the defibrillation from his palm; fortunately, most of the electric shock damage was absorbed by the clothing.

As long as I was sent flying, he would definitely continue to pursue me. The moment he got up, you would be able to aim for the heart and deliver a deadly blow.

All things considered, it turned out pretty well.”

Yi Chen recalled training sessions in ‘Teacher Zede’s Paradise’,

including one where he was repetitively struck by a swinging iron ball weighing several tons, coming at him with entirely random speeds and directions, more than a hundred times a day.

This special training in impact endurance had allowed Yi Chen to quickly learn and master a basic skill—[Receiving Body]

The palm strike had always been visible to the naked eye, completely avoidable.

But on a whim, he had decided to test out the results of his training…

“Let’s go and check out the condition of the body.”

Yi Chen straightened his coat’s collar,

walked toward the ‘male doctor’s’ body with a kerosene lamp in the front, and Hand Axe in hand,

the little grape resting on his shoulder was also keen on searching the body, hoping to find additional grapes… The severely inflamed bitter grape from earlier left it feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Edmund stood still for a while, silently watching Yi Chen’s retreating figure,

“Father was right; though I achieved the best scores in a decade on the family’s internal test, there are certainly others my age who are more formidable and talented across the Fourth Continent.

Being able to join the organization together with William and participate in missions could be considered a form of [Luck].”

Edmund’s eyes became clear and resolute as he quickly followed.

However,

just as he drew closer, the sunny expression on his face suddenly froze.

He seemed somewhat unable to understand what Yi Chen was doing.

…

Crack!

Next to the corpse, William, who appeared to be conducting an examination, suddenly picked up the axe and cleaved along the midline of the torso… Crack! Then he inserted his hands into the chest cavity, carefully prying it apart.

Inside the left side of the chest cavity was the ‘Pathogenic pus’, which had turned to pus water after being hit by a silver bullet—a further confirmation of the target’s death.

On the right side lay another vital organ—’the brain’

This was precisely what Yi Chen was searching for… After all, this male doctor didn’t have a head structure, and hence it was highly probable that his brain was tucked away in some corner of his body.

Crunch, crunch~

Plant root gloves,

skimmed over the ooze in the body cavity, cupping the entire brain in the palm and moving it outside… Since death had not exceeded five minutes, the vitality of the brain tissue could still be distinctly felt.

For some reason.

When this abnormal brain tissue appeared before him, Yi Chen felt as if he could smell the scent of roasted brain. If it hadn’t been for the mask, saliva would have likely dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Edmund tentatively asked from behind, “William, are you…”

“My Professional Characteristics can make use of this.”

“Got it.” Edmund seemed to realize what that meant and turned to look away.

As Yi Chen gazed at the brain, some ancient script once again appeared in his field of vision.

≮Francisco Holt, the brain of a Non-Normality Patient, [Ordinary] quality. Consuming Marrow Fluid can replenish brain power, stimulate one’s spirit, substitute for sleep, and obtain a small number of fragmented memories

There is an extremely small chance to increase Intelligence Attribute≯

『He can’t possibly want me to taste raw brain sushi, can he? Impossible, impossible~ The brain marrow, if absorbed through the plant, should also be possible.』

Yi Chen eventually restrained himself from the perverse idea against human nature,

Crunch~ the roots penetrated the brain,

the brain tissue he cupped in his hand slowly shriveled up as it was absorbed by the root ends.

Buzz!

Yi Chen, who was squatting on the ground, suddenly straightened up,

the book emblem imprinted at the back of his head wriggled again, @@novelbin@@

and he fell into a rare state of mental activity, feeling an unprecedented level of satisfaction in his brain.

A pathological smile appeared on the corners of his mouth,

all sense of drowsiness upon waking up was entirely stripped away,

at the same time, some shattered and incomplete images flickered through his mind, seemingly fighting scenes from the clinic during the False Moon event… but they were too fragmented to see clearly.

Three minutes passed,

the state of excitement gradually calmed down, naturally, the slim chance of [Intelligence] increase did not occur.

However,

this type of mental replenishment surpassing stimulants and with no side effects left Yi Chen quite satisfied.

“To think it can substitute for sleep time… Truly a great thing!

If I can extract more brain marrow fluid, perhaps I’ll be able to piece together the specifics of the clinic on that day.

This feeling is too satisfying~”

Only when Yi Chen was completely upright,

did Edmund turn back, sneaking a peek at the shriveled brain in his hand.

“William… this is your Professional Trait?”

“Yes, pathological brains are also a kind of tonic for me.”

Edmund looked embarrassed, “It seems I need to reassess your function. I had always considered you to be ‘reconnaissance support.’

Now, it looks like you’re more of an all-rounder.”

“Not quite an all-rounder, I’m just developing [Intelligence] and [Physique] simultaneously… Let me handle the close combat role until we regroup with Dagbert and the rest.”

“Alright.”

Yi Chen continued, “Moreover, I have a plan… During the upcoming nighttime exploration, we need not intentionally avoid battle. If we encounter any isolated Patients, we should try to kill them.

Their brains are useful to me.”

“No problem.”

With that said,

Edmund also squatted next to the body of the doctor,

neatly slicing off the relatively intact skin near the pathogen, stacking it, and putting it into his backpack.

“The Patients’ [Skin] brought back to Zion can earn additional rewards from the organization and improve personal and squad ratings.

If the pathogen tissues are well preserved, they too can be collected… either to be processed for Crystals or directly exchanged for a reward.”

“Hmm.”

After a brief tidying up,

the two climbed down from the rooftop to the first floor, preparing to investigate the clinic at night.