The Last Gentleman

Observing the filth in the isolation containment chamber, the atmosphere on the scene was truly a bit awkward.

Anyone unaware might think that Yi Chen and Barry had lost their minds, fishing out a pile of muck from the sewer and claiming it was related to a dead patient.

But Director Dis could tell at a glance that this filth was not ordinary, or rather, there was something hidden within the filth that possibly ‘connected’ the various refuse together, forming the image of the old woman they had seen before.

After shedding the bondage of the Gentleman’s Skin,

the black liquid between the pieces of filth slowly became active, transforming into viscous threads that linked the different pieces of waste, not to revert back to the old lady’s form, but to construct something else.

Gradually,

a cross-like structure, synonymous with linking various animal corpses, was about to take shape.

Suddenly, Director Dis dug into his own right eye, a move that immediately piqued the intense curiosity inside Yi Chen’s inner grape, but then it quickly turned to disappointment, as it seemed that it wasn’t entirely a grape.

The extracted eyeball was stained with a golden-yellow liquid and had no neural connections at the tail, forming a perfect sphere.

Pop!

With a snap of the Director’s fingers,

the eyeball immediately burst into a brilliant glow, like a miniature sun.

Ahh~

Sizzlesss~ The black liquid, upon being irradiated, emitted a terrible scream, no longer forming a cross, quickly breaking down into many different parts and hiding between pieces of filth, avoiding direct sunlight.

Differently,

when Yi Chen and the others were bathed in the sunlight, their bodies felt as though they were charged with energy, filled with power, and the iron chains infused with plant attributes even became lively under the illumination, as if undergoing a different kind of photosynthesis.

“Well done!”

Director Dis’s hand gently patted the shoulders of the two, his right eye fully restored.

Yi Chen modestly explained, “I guess I got lucky. On the way back, I saw a light in a house that was supposed to be empty, and I happened to spot the shadow of someone moving inside.

I suspect there are many similar situations in the city. We could deploy people to search houses where deaths have occurred; we might find more patients like this one.”

Director Dis looked at him with an appreciative glance, “You have keen insight~ An ordinary person wouldn’t notice such things during a routine patrol.

You must have had a specialized tutor or instructor back in Zion, no?”

“Professor Qian Bosen was my first tutor.”

“The White Eagle, huh? No wonder your vision is so sharp… Have you considered pursuing a career as a doctor? If you like the idea, after this incident is over, you can come directly to me.

I can help you skip the apprenticeship stage and start directly as a probationary doctor.”

“Thank you for your recognition, Director, but I’m more inclined towards the path of the ‘Watcher’.”

“…Oh, that’s a shame.”

Director Dis did not insist and moved on to another topic, “The contribution you’ve made will greatly accelerate our investigation of death, and as we tap into the pathogen, real danger may emerge.

I can write you a letter of commendation related to the mission right now; with that letter, you can return to Zion to report the task.”

But Yi Chen immediately declined with a wave of his hand, as he wasn’t here solely for the mission reward. The real excitement was just beginning, and what came next was even more intriguing.

“I would like to stay here and continue assisting with the investigation. Barry… do you want to go back?”

Yi Chen could see that Knight Barry deeply regretted coming here and was not very adept at handling such events. It would be a good opportunity to let him return.

“Let’s continue with the investigation.”

Though his reply seemed resolute, underneath Barry’s bucket helmet his expression was a bundle of nerves.

For some reason, a sudden surge within him completely overcame his fears; he wanted to keep working with Yi Chen, to at least prove that he was of ‘use’.

With just one day of cooperation, Barry could tell that Yi Chen was a veritable monster, one who would surely surpass him within a few months.

This was their only chance for collaboration, and he wanted to cherish the opportunity.

Seeing them so resolute, Dean Dis said no more. He took a Sun Badge from his pocket and handed it to the two of them.

“Once you put this on, you’ll have access to the Sun Church’s privileges. You can directly enter some of the sealed areas within the city district. In critical moments, it might even save your lives. Of course, it mainly depends on you.”

“Thank you, Dean.”

“I hope you’ll make some breakthrough discoveries… Oh right, here’s a ‘pattern’ Mr. Helvoye extracted. During your investigation, avoid any visual contact with symbols like this one.”

“Hmm! Have you confirmed it’s transmitted visually?”

Yi Chen accepted the paper, glanced at the pattern to get a rough idea, then quickly returned it. He had absolutely no knowledge of this symbol, a cross encircled by a small loop, and had never seen it before.

The Dean patted their shoulders again, “It’s late tonight. You should rest at the nearest concentration camp for the night. With the badges you’re wearing, they’ll arrange good rooms for you.”

“Okay.”

Yi Chen did not reject this suggestion; good rest was important when facing unknown pathological threats on a mental level.

However, there was something he needed to do before heading to the concentration camp.

As he walked out of the isolation area, a hand suddenly patted his shoulder from behind—it was White-haired Lotson.

“William, I knew you could make a remarkable investigative breakthrough—this is great! Now we may be able to finish the mission ahead of schedule and return for the organization’s reward.

I will also try my best to assist Mr. Helvoye in making anatomical breakthroughs.”

Lotson’s squinted eyes and his words made Yi Chen very uncomfortable.

“Hmm, let’s hope nothing goes wrong.”

Yi Chen’s remark was also deliberately intended for the other person to hear.

“Don’t worry, this is the Sun Clinic, and Mr. Helvoye is a strong man who breaks through limits. What problems could there be with him here? Good night, go to the concentration camp and rest well.”

Lotson waved goodbye in his trademark style, watching Yi Chen and his companion leave.

A carriage had been prepared outside of the hospital to take them to the concentration camp, but Yi Chen politely declined it, saying it wasn’t very late and he wanted to walk to familiarize himself with the city district.

Moreover, the nearest concentration camp was a large hotel, less than a kilometer away from the hospital, just a few minutes’ walk.

However,

Just as they were about to reach the hotel, Yi Chen suddenly turned into another street.

“William, where are you going? Isn’t the hotel just ahead?”

“It’s still early, and going back to rest now feels like a waste. Now that we’ve been granted the Dean’s identity, we should make good use of the opportunity.

I plan to visit a cemetery area, Barry, will you come?”

“Damn it—haven’t we surmised that it’s very easy to be targeted by death when alone? How could I possibly refuse?”

“Then let’s go.”

Half an hour later,

On a street with no residential buildings and all the street lights extinguished, fog engulfed the entire street like a river. Even with a kerosene lamp in hand, visibility did not extend beyond three meters.

Barry, cloaked in heavy armor, felt some fear, constantly staying close to Yi Chen, making sure there was continuous contact between his armor and the other’s clothes.

After an indeterminate amount of time,

Yi Chen suddenly turned around and turned the kerosene lamp up to maximum brightness, thrusting it forward.

Through the mist, a majestic and sinister black gate came into view,

A stone gargoyle seated atop the gate suddenly opened its eyes, deep red pupils fixating on the two unfamiliar newcomers—crack! The rocky layer covering it began to crumble as if about to come to life.