The Last Gentleman

Juliana carefully folded and stored the intact piece of moon skin she had just cut off. It would be a crucial item for trading her teammates' survival. At the same time, she glanced briefly at Yi Chen, who was squatting next to a corpse, doing something unknown.

"How is this guy so fast? Isn’t his strength supposed to lie in intelligence? Judging by the pursuit earlier, it’s not just speed—his movements in mid-air and the execution were incredibly smooth. His physical prowess isn’t lacking at all. Is this the power of the one chosen by the ‘First Gentleman’?"

Edmund and Dagobert soon arrived after her.

When Edmund received the "moon skin," he unexpectedly noticed that a moon-like crystalline structure, resembling jade, was attached to the underside of the dermis corresponding to the moon mark.

“A crystalline pathogenic core? That’s quite rare… It aligns perfectly with the moon mark’s position. Peeling off the skin directly removes it.

However, only ’Patient’ are like this. Advanced Afflicted Patient would undoubtedly conceal this weakness.

I must admit, this rare condition known as ‘Moonscar Disease’ is truly troublesome. It’s not only immune to silver but also significantly enhances the individual’s physical abilities.

As for the ‘pathogenic characteristics,’ we’ll need to kill more Moonscar individuals to draw a conclusion.”

After his brief analysis, Edmund folded the moon skin symmetrically and stored it in his backpack.

He glanced at Yi Chen by the corpse and signaled the others not to disturb him.

About five minutes later, Yi Chen completed the process of ‘Central Tasting.’ Suppressing his brain’s excitement, he shared the extracted memory fragments with his teammates.

“In the Old John Theater, there are at least six ‘Patients’ and around twenty initial-stage Moonscar individuals who have yet to develop full awareness.

This aligns with what that old guy mentioned. All the remaining Moonscar in the city have gathered in the theater, saving us the trouble of hunting them down.”

Edmund, who had witnessed Yi Chen’s abilities the day before, wasn’t particularly surprised. Instead, he voiced his concerns:

“This group gathering together has its pros and cons.

If the four of us charge into their base at the theater, the danger is self-evident.

It’s even possible that the Moonscars' can communicate telepathically over short distances.

Our actions in the sewers—killing the old man and revealing our combat styles—may have already been leaked.”

Yi Chen, however, was unfazed by this possibility.

“If they can indeed communicate via the ‘moon marks,’ and the old man managed to report the events in the sewers to those in the theater, it actually works in our favor.”

Hearing this, Edmund suddenly realized something, his eyes lighting up.

“William, you… You deliberately fed false information during your conversation with the old man? You made him think we’re just an ‘vanguard team?’”

Yi Chen pointed to the small grape-like creature on his shoulder.

“Since I can communicate with this little guy, I hypothesized the old man might have a similar ability with the ones in the theater.

Considering the old man was clearly part of their group but stayed here as a ‘watchdog,’ the possibility of telepathic communication exists.

Based on this assumption, I deliberately implied during our conversation that we are merely an advance team, with a larger force of gentlemen following behind.

This will make the Moonscar in the theater consider retreating from the city.

Moreover, killing the watchdog so quickly would disrupt their mental state, pushing them to decide on evacuation sooner.

At that point, only the initial-stage Moonscar individuals—those lacking full awareness—will remain in the theater.

Mr. Lee’s request was simply for ‘moon skins’ within the city limits. Those who flee the city won’t be part of the quota.

We don’t need to risk our lives to gather numerous high-value patient skins for him.

With the old man’s high-quality moon skin as a foundation, we can supplement it with the skins of other initial-stage Moonscar individuals.

Of course, if the Moonscar can’t communicate telepathically, it doesn’t change anything. We’ve already killed the watchdog. We’ll deal with the theater later if needed.

It’s that simple.”

“Amazing…” Juliana, her face veiled in black gauze, murmured softly.

Edmund stepped forward and patted Yi Chen on the shoulder. “As expected of you, William!”

“Just an idea that came to mind while talking to the old man.

Let’s move quickly to the sewer area directly opposite the theater. If we can catch significant movement upstairs, we’ll be able to further confirm that the ‘infected patient’ in the theater are beginning to evacuate.”

The stamina Yi Chen had expended during the battle had been mostly restored by absorbing brain matter, leaving him in excellent condition.

Just as he stood up,

§Good-Job§

A strange voice, from an unknown source, reached Yi Chen’s ears.

He looked around but couldn’t locate the origin of the sound.

‘Little Grape, did you hear anything just now?’

The eye partially embedded in his shoulder peeked out slightly and gave him a disdainful glance.

‘You’re not seriously tripping, are you? Hearing things now?’

‘I’m not joking. I really did hear something just now.’

Seeing Yi Chen so serious, Little Grape began analyzing the situation:

‘If the sound came from the outside, both I and your teammates would’ve heard it. At least one of them has better hearing than you.

If it came from within your skull, as your symbiotic partner, I should’ve heard it too.

Since only you heard it…

Putting aside hallucinations, it might be related to the brain you just consumed.

After all, this "Moon Disease" is rather peculiar. My memories contain no related information; it’s an uncommon and rare type of illness. Some oddities are to be expected.’ n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

‘Hmm.’

Yi Chen decided to stay cautious. If he heard a similar voice again, he would do his best to trace its source.

---

The group exited the old man’s dwelling and soon arrived at the sewer area directly beneath the theater.

“Let me handle this!”

Juliana leaped lightly, plunging her twin daggers into the stone structure of the passageway’s ceiling, suspending herself in midair.

Using her daggers as a medium, she sensed the activity above.

“You were right. These guys are evacuating, and there’s quite a commotion…”

“Good.”

Yi Chen clenched his fists silently.

This way, they could minimize the team’s risks and energy expenditure, ensuring they would be in peak condition to negotiate face-to-face with ‘Mr. Lee.’

The group stayed in the sewers until dusk. Only then did the commotion upstairs finally cease.

Clang! The manhole cover was pushed aside.

Under the cover of night, the four of them emerged onto the street in front of the theater.

Here, without any moonlight, everything was pitch black.

Lighting their kerosene lamps, they entered the theater’s foyer through its wide-open doors. The Old John Theater, an establishment with some history, greeted them in eerie silence, devoid of any prying eyes.

However, the open lobby area was completely empty—no suspicious figures, no sign of movement.

“Could it be that even the early-stage Moonscar individuals were taken away through some form of control?”

As they followed the corridor deeper into the building, they arrived at the theater’s heart—the “performance hall.”

Tap!Tap!

One by one, silver-white spotlights turned on, illuminating the stage.

“I knew it! Only the four of you would come here. Those self-proclaimed gentlemen, the so-called elite of humanity, would never commit significant manpower to a ‘second round’ of urban cleanup.

What a pity.

Your hollow show of force scared off all the timid ones.

Now, only I, the theater’s owner, and a group of pitiful, yet-to-awaken individuals remain.

I must admit, your performance in the sewers was convincing. You’ve got quite the ‘actor’s’ talent.

How about we put on an impromptu performance? Let’s reenact Vinal City’s False Moon Night. What do you say?”