The Gentleman at the End

Chapter 60: Chapter 59: Sewer

Four people walked into Viner City,

and Edmund gave a brief analysis of the impending ‘Hunting Plan’:

“The ‘False Moon Incident’ occurred just two months ago, and accidentally surviving ‘Moon Transformation Patients’ under no leadership had developed on their own within the ruins of the city.

Only someone with a gentleman’s foundation like Mr. Li, along with consuming an entire bottle of secret medicine, might possibly become a ‘Severe Patient.’

Other Moon Transformation Patients converted from ordinary citizens could at most reach the ‘Patient’ level. I believe that most survivors are still in the initial phase of infection, not yet fully conscious.

Having already been swept through once by the organization, the ruins of the downtown area should not pose much more threat than Green Lake Town.

Considering the ‘time’ factor, we can gradually increase our hunting speed. Before the time limit hits, we should collect as much Moon Skin as possible to increase our leverage.”

While Edmund was providing this operational analysis, he also scratched the needle marks on his neck.

The skin around the needle marks had begun to grow white hair similar to that of a rat.

Yi Chen also pretended to scratch the needle mark area, acting as if he too was uncomfortable.

He hadn’t informed the team members that Mili had attached herself to the artery and sucked away the Pathogen Medicine as soon as it was injected.

The reason was simple, to share the psychological pressure with Edmund.

After entering the city,

The four did not aimlessly search for Moon Transformation Patients but moved purposefully toward a specific area.

The destination was precisely where they had felt ‘Sensing’ the previous day when crossing the city area by carriage… The source of the prying was probably their hunting target.

However,

They did not explore any specific suspicious building, ruin, or sewer,

but rather intentionally chose to move back and forth in conspicuous areas like open roads, the tops of broken buildings, and intersections while pretending to investigate seriously.

This idle wandering lasted just about ten minutes.

Then, an eye hidden between the teeth suddenly opened, allowing Mili to feel the Sensing once again.

“Hooked~ Southeast direction, Old-John Theater… seems not just one, there are several grapes looking this way.”

As the squad received this critical piece of information, they did not head directly over.

Continuing to pretend to investigate,

they smoothly turned into a side street that could just block the view of the theater.

Click!

Dagbert moved a manhole cover marked with the abbreviation for Viner City [W.N].

When the four successively descended into the sewer, the scene down there could aptly be described as ‘Hell.’

Masses of mutilated, maggot-infested physical remains,

either floating in the foul-smelling channels,

or piled up in the passageways,

indicating that during the ‘False Moon Incident’ many citizens unaffected by the Moon Transformation Disease had initially sought refuge in the sewers… yet their fate was still death.

Not walking far, the group soon discovered fresh ‘traces’ in the sewers.

According to the bloodstains and drag marks on the ground,

as well as signs of rummaging through some corpse piles,

it was almost certain something had long been active in the sewer, selecting some choice bodies for food or other purposes.

Touching a spot of not yet dried bloodstain, Edmund’s eyes lit up,

“An unexpected gain… Let’s deal with the one in the sewer first, then head to the theater.”

Following the trail left by the dragging, @@novelbin@@

everyone felt a mix of nervousness and excitement about the ‘unknown.’

After all, this was their first time facing this rare type of ‘Moon Transformation Disease,’ fundamentally different from Green Lake Town’s ‘Fish Scale Disease.’

This rare disease might bestow unexpected abilities on those infected.

“It’s here…”

Juliana in the squad appeared to have a special tracking ability, quickly locating a rust-streaked iron gate.

Behind the gate was a space connected to a fork in the sewer, once a dwelling place for some city vagrants.

Peering into the depths through the gate, one could faintly see a dim firelight, almost certain something was hiding inside.

Pouring the lubricant they carried on the hinge to ensure the opening process made no noise,

they turned off the kerosene lamp,

edging along the side-walkway deep inside,

the firelight projected from the depths grew brighter, and the raspy sounds of wood burning could even be heard,

also casting a huge monster shadow onto the passageway wall, appearing like a four-legged beast voraciously devouring a corpse.

“Get ready!”

When the fully armed group of four reached the deepest part, what entered their vision was not a monster.

Instead, it was an old man with bare chest, wearing tattered pants, his skinny figure covered and silver hair falling to his waist.

He was sitting cross-legged in front of a bonfire he had built himself, grilling collected limbs.

A quite noticeable “Moon Seal” was left on the back of his neck.

Next to the old man sat obediently a white Chihuahua, enjoying the savory grilled meat handed to it by the old man.

If one excluded the source of the meat, the scene was rather heartwarming.

“Oh… do we have visitors? If you just happened to pass by and don’t mind my surroundings and food, feel free to come over, sit down, eat, and chat.

If you’ve come here with a purpose, please hold on a moment.

‘Mili’ hasn’t had such a good appetite in days, let her eat a bit more before setting off.”

Yi Chen had not sensed any hostility for the time being,

He signaled his teammates to stay still and took the initiative to move forward, sitting cross-legged by the bonfire.

“Let William handle the talks… he seems to have such experience.”

Having shared the experience of fighting enemies the night before, Captain Edmund permitted such behavior,

Of course,

his right hand had already reached his waist where his pistol lay, ready to shoot at the first sign of any hostility or suspicious movement from the old man.

By the bonfire,

Yi Chen noticed the old man’s face, filled with the marks of years, had a pair of silver eyes matching his hair… such a unique eye structure made the little grape continuously drool.

When the old man handed over some food, Yi Chen accepted it graciously,

However,

he did not eat it himself but handed it to a ‘pet,’ like the old man… Although little grape mainly fed on eyeballs, it readily accepted other types of meat and was not picky.

Yi Chen stared into the old man’s silver eyes and first threw out a question:

“Why don’t you leave this place?”

“The sewers are my home, I have more food here and a more comfortable environment than before, why should I leave? And even if I left, where could I go? To become someone else’s food?”

Yi Chen continued to ask questions: “We also found some other survivors ‘similar’ to you among the ruins of the city. Why do they still stay here?”

“You’re talking about the group gathered at the [Old John Theater], right.

More and more survivors are starting to regain full consciousness lately. Everyone’s been invited to the theater for what they call ‘leadership selection.’

They tried to recruit me as well… but, I’m not interested.

I guess once they choose their so-called ‘leader,’ they’d organize everyone to leave together. After all, moving in groups is more effective when looking for a new place to live.”

“Leadership selection.”

An important piece of information,

If what the old man said was true,

Yi Chen and his companions wouldn’t need to run around anymore, as all the Moon Transformation beings had already gathered in the theater.

“Do you know approximately how many people are inside the theater?”

“I’m not sure about that… I am a vagabond and don’t care much about such matters.

By the way, you must be specially dispatched humans responsible for clearing the remnants after the ‘False Moon event,’ those of us who survived by chance, right?”

“That’s right.” Yi Chen did not deny it.

“It shouldn’t be just the four of you, right? Are there more humans hidden above waiting to clean the city?”

As the old man spoke,

Yi Chen keenly glanced at his silver eyes and smiled in response:

“That’s right.

We are just the forward reconnaissance team. As soon as we confirm the survivors among the city ruins, we immediately notify the main troops to come and quickly carry out a clean-up.

Also, I must criticize your poor acting skills.

Initially, you deliberately revealed some information about the theater to lower my guard.

Then, mid-conversation, you couldn’t resist asking us if there were more comrades other than the four of us on the surface.

You tried to dissociate yourself from the theater, yet you set up your ‘den’ near it, and on a sewer route that one must pass.

Even intentionally letting out faint firelight and leaving behind blood stains to catch the attention of passersby.

Too contrived, old man~

If I’m guessing correctly, you’re from the theater, specifically tasked with the sewers as a [Watchdog], aren’t you?”

As soon as he finished speaking,

a silver bullet had already struck, entering the back of the old man’s head.