The Last Gentleman

Early Morning

"Moon Skin Patient" ×1

"Hairy Moon Skin" ×20

The collected moon skins are evenly laid out on the ground.

Yi Chen and Edmund remove their upper garments, revealing two distinctly masculine physiques, though fundamentally different in nature.

Edmund's muscles conform to contemporary ideals, with well-defined distribution, clear lines, and proportionate structure.

In contrast, Yi Chen's physique seems unusual. Not only is he lean overall, but some muscle groups appear noticeably shorter than expected, and certain unexpected muscles are connected where they shouldn’t be.

The deep muscle lines hint at a history of specialized training.

While it doesn't look out of place at first glance, experts would recognize the extreme conditioning required to achieve such a body.

Nearby, Dagobert, who towers at two meters, nods appreciatively while observing Yi Chen's unique musculature.

Next,

The two men begin attaching the moon skins to their bodies using adhesive. After covering their torsos, they continue with their thighs and lower legs. Once fully covered, they promptly put their clothes back on.

The garments, made from "Gentleman’s Skin," suppress the moon skins, preventing any pathological effects on their bodies.

While adjusting his clothes, Yi Chen remarks, "With this, we now have enough leverage to negotiate with Mr. Lee."

Since the clinic only experiences moonlight and the transition between parallel space at dawn, the team spends the rest of the day at the theater, running simulations of their plan.

In reality,

Even with the theater owner's support, the plan still has many uncertainties. Missing any critical point could exponentially increase the difficulty or even lead to complete failure.

Even if everything goes smoothly, they will ultimately have to face "Pathogenic Gentleman Lee."

Despite Edmund's team having completed five missions, they have never battled a "Severe Patient."

As the owner explained, compared to the Moon People in the city, Mr. Lee is closer to the moon's essence and can access more lunar powers. His abilities as a gentleman are also amplified pathologically.

"The key to defeating a Severe Patient is locating the ‘Pathogenic Core’ hidden within his body.

If we can’t find it quickly, we’ll run out of stamina and ultimately perish."

"I'll take care of the search,"

Yi Chen and Juliana say almost simultaneously.

"Then it's up to you two. Your detection methods differ, so coordinating might expedite the search.

If the plan progresses as expected, during the final confrontation with Mr. Lee... Dagobert and I will create space for you to search and investigate."

"Understood."

"One more thing—Moon People are immune to silver, significantly reducing our weapons' effectiveness.

William, your basic weaponry struggles against regular pathogens, let alone inflicting damage on Severe Patient.

Focus on searching for the core rather than engaging Mr. Lee directly."

"Got it. I'll be careful."

Edmund's concern is justified.

In the sewer battle, an elderly patient had blocked William’s one-handed attack with its palm.

He only managed to cleave through the arm by combining four factors:

- A two-handed axe strike,

- Additional strength from pathological plants,

- Momentum from a full-speed sprint,

- A specialized vision to pinpoint the gap between canine-like arm joints.

All four elements made the strike successful.

Facing Severe Patient Lee, the opponent may possess even greater durability, toughness, or regeneration.

A standard axe alone might not inflict sufficient damage.

"Weapons, then?"

The theater owner, who had just served the crowd fried sausages and potato stew, overheard the conversation.

Sensing an opportunity, Yi Chen immediately inquired, “Do you have any weapons here that are better suited for combat?”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“I don’t have any ready-made ones, but I’m skilled in various crafts. With my experience in disguise performances, I can also temporarily act as a weaponsmith.

If you have suitable materials, we could try forging a weapon.

By the way, what did you do with that guard dog’s corpse?”

“We just skinned it; the body is still left down below.”

“That creature had a particularly sturdy build. A weapon incorporating its arm would have impressive destructive power... Bring its body up here; it will definitely come in handy.

With the theatrical remains and some materials I’ve stashed away, I’ll try to craft a decent rat-slaying weapon by dawn.”

Before long, a severely shriveled corpse, reeking of the sewer, was carried into the theater’s front hall.

“The right arm has been completely cut open, but fortunately, the arm’s bone structure is still intact... Let me confirm, you prefer using an axe, right?”

“Yes.”

Yi Chen had spent the past six months training his body and had little experience or training with weapons.

He wasn’t exactly proficient, but the one tool he found comfortable was a hatchet he brought from the cemetery.

“Shall I forge one based on your current hatchet’s proportions?”

“That would be great. Thank you, Mr. John.”

Yi Chen handed over the axe that had accompanied him out of the cemetery and into the organization.

The owner took the corpse in one hand and the axe in the other, then headed to his private workshop. Soon, strange sounds of breaking flesh and cracking bones emanated from the room.

Every so often, he would drag some hairy corpses from the main hall.

Yi Chen didn’t intervene; he sat alone in a secluded corner, meditating and absorbing the brain matter of early-stage infected beings.

By 10 PM, the theater owner, busy all day, finally emerged from his room. The weapon was wrapped in cloth, with fresh blood still dripping from the bottom.

The four people gathered in the theater’s front hall almost simultaneously caught a strong metallic scent, their eyes quickly fixating on the mysterious weapon in the owner’s hands.

“It has some flaws, but overall, it’s pretty good... Give it a try; it should be better than your previous hatchet.”

Unveiling the cloth, a specially crafted axe made entirely from corpse materials was revealed, presenting a shocking sight.

[Axe Handle] – Made from a suitably curved, slightly polished spine, with bandage-like corpse skin wrapped around the grip for added comfort and friction.

[Axe Head] – Seemingly forged through a special melting and compression process using the guard dog’s right arm as the main material, fusing a large amount of bone. Clear bone patterns were still visible on the surface.

[Axe Blade] – Designed to resemble a dog’s mouth, it featured sharp cutting edges lined with embedded fangs, perfect for tearing through flesh and causing severe bleeding.

Fresh blood still oozed from it, and a network of blood vessels seemed embedded within the compressed bones, giving the axe a semblance of life.

When Yi Chen received the axe and examined it closely, he noticed imperfections in the bone joints and detailing, which added a rugged charm.

Feeling the lingering warmth between the bones and the weight of the compressed structure, he couldn’t help but exclaim:

“What a masterpiece!”