The Last Gentleman

Thin wisps of white smoke curled from the suppressor’s muzzle.

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

At this moment, there was no sign of Yi Chen, who had been blown away. He had likely fallen off the rooftop.

The “defibrillator palm strike” from the male doctor packed immense power. If combined with fall injury, Edmund assumed it would leave Yi Chen severely injured, if not dead.

As he arrived—

Snap!

A hand covered in vines grasped the edge of the rooftop.

Effortlessly, the figure pulled himself up and returned to the rooftop.

Yi Chen casually dusted off his coat, his eyes settling on the fallen patient nearby.

The ancient worm-like text hovering above the patient—[Heart Savior – Francisco Holt (Patient)]—turned from flesh-toned to gray, indicating the target's death.

"This guy hid a defibrillator in his palm... Ah, my coat!"

Yi Chen, unconcerned about his body, seemed more distressed about inspecting the singed chest of his coat.

A miraculous event occurred.

The coat began to “shed skin.” The charred part on the left chest peeled off,

and fibers grew and intertwined to repair it.

In just over ten seconds, the burnt section was as good as new.

Edmund explained beside him, “This level of damage doesn’t reach the ‘Gentleman’s Skin’ limit. Even if the coat were burned through, it would repair itself.

"Especially since your coat is made from the ‘First Gentleman.’

"By the way, are you okay? You took a direct hit.”

“Self-repairing clothes? Incredible.

"As for me, I’m fine. The impact was strong but predictable. I even chose to take it deliberately... by timing my body’s backward movement, most of the force was dissipated. ᚱ

"I didn’t expect the defibrillator in the palm, but luckily, the coat absorbed most of the electric damage.

"As long as I was knocked back, this guy would continue his pursuit. Once he got up, you could target his heart for a fatal strike.

"The overall outcome looks good.”

Yi Chen recalled the ‘Paradise’ training from Teacher Zed:

One drill involved withstanding daily collisions from a multi-ton iron ball swinging at random speeds and directions—over a hundred times each day.

This brutal training taught Yi Chen a fundamental skill: [Ukemi (Breakfall).]

He could’ve easily dodged the palm strike he saw coming,

but on impulse, he decided to test his training results...

“Let’s check the body.”

Yi Chen adjusted his coat collar, grabbed a kerosene lamp, and approached the male doctor’s corpse with an axe.

The little grape on his shoulder hoped to find more grapes, dissatisfied with the last bitter, inflamed one.

Edmund stayed back momentarily, silently watching Yi Chen’s back.

"Father was right. I may have scored the best in family tests over the last decade, but there are stronger, more talented peers in the Fourth Continent. Being able to join the organization and work alongside William is a kind of 'luck.'"

His eyes grew clear and determined as he quickened his pace.

However,

As he drew closer, his cheerful expression froze.

He struggled to comprehend what Yi Chen was doing...

---

Crack!

Beside the corpse, William, seemingly inspecting it, suddenly grabbed an axe and split the chest along the midline... Crack! He then carefully reached into the thoracic cavity, prying it open.

On the left side of the chest was a festering mass—the 'pathogenic pus' from a silver bullet wound—confirming the target’s death.

The right side, however, concealed another critical organ—the brain.

This was precisely what Yi Chen was looking for. After all, this male doctor had no head structure, suggesting that his brain was likely hidden somewhere inside his body.

Creak...

Plant roots formed gloves, weaving around his hands.

Gently sliding through the thoracic fluid, he carefully lifted the entire brain and brought it outside. Since the time of death was less than five minutes ago, the brain tissue still retained some activity.

For some reason, when this malformed brain appeared before him, Yi Chen imagined the scent of roasted brain tissue. If not for the mask, saliva might have dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Behind him, Edmund tentatively asked, “William, what are you...?”

“It’s a special trait of my profession,” William replied.

“I see.” Edmund, somewhat understanding the situation, turned away.

As Yi Chen gazed at the brain, ancient symbols appeared in his vision once again:

≮ *Francisco Holt, an abnormal patient's brain. [Common] quality. Consuming the cerebral fluid restores mental energy, invigorates the spirit, reduces sleep time, and grants fragmented memories.

There is a slight chance to improve intelligence.* ≯

‘It wouldn’t seriously suggest I eat the brain raw, would it? No, surely not... Absorbing it through plants should work too.’

Yi Chen resisted the inhuman urge.

Creak! Roots pierced the brain.

The organ, cradled in his hands, slowly shriveled as the roots absorbed its contents.

Buzz!

Yi Chen’s body tensed. The emblem on the back of his head stirred, sending him into a state of intense mental clarity. Satisfaction washed over him.

A twisted smile played at the corner of his lips.

His midnight fatigue vanished, and fragmented images flashed through his mind. They seemed to depict the clinic battle during the "False Moon" incident... though too incomplete to discern clearly.

Three minutes passed.

The excitement faded, and the rare intelligence boost didn’t occur.

However, this mental stimulant—surpassing any drug and free from side effects—left Yi Chen deeply satisfied.

“It even eliminates the need for sleep... This is incredible! If I can absorb more cerebral fluid, I might piece together what really happened at the clinic that day. It’s too satisfying.”

As Yi Chen stood up, Edmund turned around, sneaking a glance at the shriveled brain.

“William... is this your special ability?”

“Yes, pathogenic brains are a kind of supplement for me.”

Edmund looked awkward. “I’ll need to rethink your role. I always considered you ‘recon-support.’ But now... you seem more like a generalist.”

“Not quite. I’m just developing both 'intelligence' and 'physical strength.' Until we regroup with Dagobert’s team, I’ll handle close combat.”

“Alright.”

Yi Chen continued, “I have a plan. During our night exploration, we won’t avoid fights. If we encounter any lone infected, we’ll eliminate them. Their brains are useful to me.”

“No problem.”

With that, Edmund squatted beside the corpse, carefully cutting away the skin around the pathogen. He folded it and placed it in his pack.

“Infected skin can be turned in at Zion for extra rewards and higher team ratings. If the pathogenic tissue is intact, we can refine it into crystals or trade it directly.”

“Um.”

After a quick cleanup, they climbed down from the rooftop to the first floor, preparing to investigate the clinic at night.