The Last Gentleman

After finishing the conversation with Mr. Lee, Yi Chen took the elevator back to the clinic and then climbed the stairs to return to their third-floor dormitory.

Throughout the entire process, Yi Chen maintained remarkable composure. He even patted Edmund gently on the shoulder, trying to share this sense of calm.

“Get some sleep. Only with enough rest can we seize any additional opportunities.”

“Hmm…”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Edmund, lying on the lower bunk, let out a long sigh and knocked on his head firmly. His mental resilience, honed through special family training, helped him use closed-eye meditation to slowly push the idea of being injected with pathogens out of his mind. He suppressed the unease and anger welling up within him.

The fatigue from continuous nighttime operations and the tension of entering the underground area gradually transformed into drowsiness, and he soon fell asleep.

However, Yi Chen didn’t rush to sleep. Instead, he leaned over the side of the bed, carefully observing Edmund, who had fallen into slumber.

Before long, something eerie occurred. The moonlight, originally just streaming onto the windowsill, seemed to move like a living creature, actively covering Edmund. In an instant, his body dissolved into particles of light and transferred back to the 'Surface'.

“It seems that ‘sleep’ and ‘moonlight’ are the key factors for transitioning between the Surface and Inner worlds.

There were clearly four of us sleeping in the dormitory, yet only Edmund and I were transferred. If they injected all four of us with the pathogen, they could more reliably control us to do their bidding.

Could it be that they’re afraid having too many of us might lead to a desperate counterattack that threatens them? Even though they control this parallel space within the clinic and have reached the level of a Severe Patient, they still hide deep underground, acting cautiously, even cowardly... like a rat.

If that’s the case, perhaps we can use this 'weakness' to our advantage later.”

While analyzing, Yi Chen felt a squirming on his shoulder. A black, fleshy blob squeezed out from his collar. Little Grape’s mouth formed an uncomfortable wave shape, with a vile liquid still clinging to the corners.

“Ugh! What kind of plague-based conversion agent is this? The taste is worse than that rotten, maggot-filled boot I once found in Cemetery No. 6.

Absolutely disgusting.

You owe me five... no, seven top-quality grapes as compensation for this atrocity.”

Indeed, Little Grape had hidden on Yi Chen’s shoulder. When the nurse injected the pathogen, it bit into Yi Chen’s carotid artery, swallowing all the fluid that was supposed to spread through his body.

“No problem. If we manage to kill Mr. Lee, I’ll prepare a whole feast of grapes for you.”

“Oh! You actually intend to take down that infected gentleman? His ‘occupational traits,’ gained from his gentlemanly facade, will have transformed along with his disease. Plus, his body has already reached the 'Severe' stage. Killing someone like him won’t be easy. You need a solid plan, or you might get yourself killed.”

“Understood.”

Having tasted the pathogen’s effects, Yi Chen wasn’t sleepy at all. He even missed the strange rush and the curious excitement that filled his mind.

Almost silently, he got out of bed and walked to the window.

Changing into his suit, he leaned by the window, basking in the moonlight. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

“How fascinating. I didn’t expect the ‘Lost Secret Medicine’ to lead to an infected gentleman hiding in the shadows.

Based on Mr. Lee’s words, it’s clear that the Twilight Clinic has underlying issues, possibly directly connected to the previous ‘False Moon Incident.’

This whole affair is becoming more interesting.

It seems this mission isn’t just about retrieving the secret medicine. The organization might be subtly guiding us to investigate the situation here.”

As Yi Chen leaned against the window, recalling and pondering the day’s events, he eventually fell asleep.

The moonlight, already cast upon him, wrapped around his body like a thin membrane—and then he vanished.

[Day Two of the Mission]

The light of the morning sun crept over the mountain, spilling into the dilapidated clinic's compartments.

In the apprentice dormitory, four people were gathered around Edmund’s bed, engaged in a heated and divisive discussion.

Juliana was the most knowledgeable member of the team, known for her thorough and rational analyses.

During previous missions, Edmund often relied on her advice for crucial decisions.

But this time, she offered a completely different opinion.

"Abort the mission immediately. Let's head to the crossroads where the coachman awaits, and use Edmund’s family connections to get in touch with a [Doctor] for consultation.

We need to remove the pathogenic agent and secure a chance of survival."

However, Edmund seemed surprisingly relaxed, as if he had come to terms with everything after a night's rest.

"An arterial injection would have spread through my body overnight. Even if there’s a slight chance of removal with current medical methods, the risks are enormous.

For someone like William, with 'pathogenic characteristics', there might be hope. But for someone with a normal human body like mine, even if I survive, I’d be stuck at home, a burden wasting resources."

"That's better than dying! I refuse to trust a fallen gentleman or a heavily pathogenic living corpse to keep his word. Even if you hand over the goods, he’ll never let you go!"

Juliana’s outburst came from deep concern. She and Edmund had trained together since they were ten years old, sharing a strong bond and possibly something more.

At this point, Yi Chen interrupted, speaking meaningfully:

"Whether he lets us go or not doesn’t matter. We just need the antidote to eliminate the inactive pathogen."

Juliana quickly grasped Yi Chen's point.

"Even if the four of us were at full strength, we might not be able to defeat the gentleman-turned-severely ill patient state.

And how can you be sure he’ll hand over a genuine antidote? It could all be a lie."

Yi Chen patiently explained:

"Miss Anna, you weren’t there last night. Otherwise, your analysis would be different.

The 'deal' Edmund and I made with Mr. Lee was revealing. His situation is dire—he’s trapped in the clinic, along with the abnormal patients he controls.

But he desperately needs the 'Moon Skin,' so he tested and met with us. He’s hiding something, probably out of desperation."

"My guess is, he extracts essence of moon transformation from the 'Moon Skin' to reach a higher stage and free himself from the 'Secret medicine's' side effects, regaining the freedom he craves.

If we gather all the remaining 'Moon Skin' in Vinal City, we’ll hold the upper hand, forcing him to hand over a real antidote.

Whether he lets us go is another matter."

Before Juliana could argue, Edmund spoke up, "I agree with William. It’s our only option—and the right one. Plus, I want to take down that fallen gentleman myself.

Let’s head into the city, eradicate the 'Moon-Skinned' Patient and gain leverage.

We’ll also learn more about the Moon Pathogen along the way."

Dagobert, who had been leaning silently against the wall, stood abruptly. Lifting his massive sword, he strode toward the door.

Juliana reluctantly agreed and, as she stood, jabbed Edmund hard in the abdomen. He jolted, hitting his head on the upper bunk.

Bang!

"If you mutate, I’ll be the first to cut off your head."

Clutching his aching skull, Edmond nodded quickly. “Don’t worry, nothing will happen. We’ll all make it back alive.”