The Gentleman at the End
Chapter 425 - Chapter 425: Chapter 424: Entering the Game

Chapter 425: Chapter 424: Entering the Game

When all the auction items had been displayed,

Yi Chen, as a premium customer, didn’t need to go through the more tedious process of identity verification, waiting for goods inspection, and payment at the aftersale of the auction,

The Golden Mask had already used “Human Body Preservation Film” to pre-pack and handle the decaying skin, which was then placed into an accompanying briefcase and delivered as soon as the auction concluded.

After transferring twenty thousand ancient coins into the hands of the Golden Mask, Yi Chen also asked:

“What about Mr. Archim Cross? Can I meet him?”

“I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Archim Cross died shortly after ‘shedding.’ In order to ensure that the malignant uncontrolled skin disease on his body would not spread, we performed a ‘Golden Burial’ immediately. That is, throwing the body into a super high-temperature liquid gold, where it would instantly evaporate and return to the arms of the Old World in gaseous form.”

“He died…”

Yi Chen had a very bad feeling. Since entering Light City, this was the first skin slave he met who directly belonged to the Mysterious Skin Factory, yet he died from his own uncontrollable skin disease, which had severely worsened.

A patient dying from the very illness, and one that had reached the Open Source Level, was truly baffling.

Combined with the changes concerning the Skin Factory he had heard from various channels recently, he vaguely felt that something big was about to happen.

Of course, it was also possible that Yi Chen was overthinking it. Perhaps the Skin Factory was merely undergoing modernization reforms to welcome the new era. All skin slaves were required to stay inside the factory to fulfill their respective duties, which would explain why skin slaves were rarely seen outside.

“In this way, the necrotic skin I acquired from the auction is essentially the final relic of this person, and perhaps I can glean some information about his life from the skin.

Moreover, the Duke’s behind-the-scenes push is a hidden reason why I could buy this skin; clearly, he wants me to acquire it, and he might even intend to propel me to establish some important relationships with the Skin Factory sooner.”

With this in mind, Yi Chen no longer lingered at the auction site.

“Thirteen, let’s go!”

“Yes, teacher…”

Back in the top-floor suite of the Golden Hotel, in an environment of absolute privacy, Yi Chen summoned Little Grape alone.

The scarf fell, transforming into a long coat of ashes in the air,

and Little Grape on his shoulder also jumped, executing a front flip and landing steadily into the changing clothes,

The flesh proliferated, eyes multiplied,

using a multitude of eyes as axial points between the bodies, connecting black fur and simulating the structure of a human body, and as the long coat of ashes finally took shape, the interior was filled with corresponding artificial flesh.

But beneath that hood were not the conventional facial features, but a face full of ashen eyes.

[Prophet. Grep]

When Little Grape revealed its gentlemanly appearance, Thirteen, who was leaning against the window, actually put down her book voluntarily, her lantern-like eyes drawn to the sight.

Since she didn’t have the teacher’s permission, she could only watch quietly from the side.

“Little Grape, set up a seal on the room. I will be conducting a comprehensive examination of the skin, make sure that the malignant pathogens do not leave this room and ensure that Thirteen is not affected by the skin disease.”

“Leave it to me.”

When Little Grape’s black-furred hand touched the wall, ashen stripes immediately spread throughout the room. Any pathogens trying to leave the room would be scorched to nothing by residual heat from the Evil Sun.

Then he moved next to Thirteen, unfolding his palm and letting four eyes representing ‘aged corpses’ float up, ready to fire precision lasers at any that slipped through.

Meanwhile, Little Grape’s main eye stayed on Yi Chen, as it was also curious about the skin husk, not even noticing the fiery gaze of the Candle Puppet.

Click!

Opening the briefcase and unwrapping the warm preservation bag, a pungent odor spread instantly along with a sense of danger.

The details of the scene will not be described further. Readers interested in having their meals ruined can search for necrosis on their own.

Even though Yi Chen frowned, he did not dodge his gaze.

Then Yellow Skin initiated communication with Yi Chen through threaded writing, “You’ve found a treasure, William. This is the ‘skin of a loser.’

“What loser?”

“Pathway failure, the master of this skin suffered from an ‘Epidemic Value’ that had reached the final phase of ‘Fourth Rank’ before his demise, and due to his outstanding performances across the Skin Factories, was honored with a high-rank skin but afflicted with a particularly deadly aggressive form of ‘Necrotizing Pyoderma’.”

Among those living in the Skin Factories, the Skin Slaves, the principal focuses are universality and defense,

making this type of purely offensive and fatally contagious skin rather rare. This person had to be at least a workshop director, if not someone like a head of research and development.

After leaving the Skin Factory, he embarked on his own path, regrettably met with failure… During his journey, the skin, influenced by the Root, yearned to attain a higher plane and consequently deteriorated beyond the control of its host.

However… there’s one thing that’s rather odd.

“What is it?”

“Patients who fail in their path are not few; they are in fact the majority. Someone like him, who managed to survive after such failure, could be considered a strong individual. He could have completely returned to the Skin Factory to resume his prior position, as the Factory was willing to cover the costs of his failure.

And yet, he did not return, instead he came here with heavy gold to the Duke’s place, attempting to purchase a complete skin for a transfer.”

“Pride couldn’t bear it? Ashamed to return to the Skin Factory because of failure?”

“Skin Slaves are utterly loyal to the Skin Factory. As long as their lives haven’t run out, they are bound to return… even if their ultimate fate is to be made into skins, it’s the same.

They would not abandon their duties over a single failure. Don’t apply your human thought process to the patients, William~ Although I disdain these lowly, opinion-less Skin Slaves, I do recognize their loyalty.

It’s very likely that some kind of emergency occurred at the Skin Factory, perhaps a complete overhaul or a terrible situation has arisen. You should go and see for yourself in due time.”

Yi Chen gazed at the withering skin in front of him, “Let’s prioritize the matter at hand. I feel like if this thing is left any longer, it’s going to spoil. We need to find a way to use it quickly.

Yellow Skin, it’s time for your performance.”

“Hmm.”

Without taking any physical precautions, Yi Chen reached out and touched the ‘skin of the failed,’

and in the instant his fingertips made contact… Buzz!

The skin, which should have been as inert as a dead object, violently sprang to life, click click click~ Numerous necrotic appendages, resembling the limbs of arthropods, emerged from the skin, crawling onto Yi Chen’s flesh and completely clinging to the front.

It was akin to a magnified version of a Facehugger.

Witnessing this scene,

Thirteen instinctively lit a White Candle, intending to aid the teacher but was stopped by a young vine extended by little Grape.

Pathogen spillage!

The floor of the Golden Suite began to show necrotic tissue, and as these tissues reached the walls, they were instantly consumed by Embers, preventing the disease from spreading outside the door.

At this moment,

the skin encasing Yi Chen’s entire body underwent further transformation, bulging out to form an extremely grotesque face on the surface, muttering in Old World language,

“Really now, I thought by using Duke’s auction I could find a sufficiently powerful Skin Slave to attempt a physical Possession, but I ended up with a human mongrel, dressed in such low-quality skin… However, since the Duke selected you as a premium customer, there must be something special about you.

I’ll be taking your body, let’s see just how special you are.”

By this time, he had completely overtaken Yi Chen’s gentleman’s clothes and Physical surface. Next was the most crucial part, the occupation of consciousness. Once successful, this Physical form would belong to him, until it was worn out and he would then seek the next target.

As the necrotic skin touched Yi Chen’s forehead, the true consciousness of the Skin Slave burst into Yi Chen’s brain.

However, upon gazing into the dark and bizarre Madness Brain, he froze.

“A Madman? What’s going on?”

Before he had time to react, the Madness Brain suddenly produced a strong suction force, dragging the intruding Skin Slave consciousness into its depths, into a Consciousness Space that had been prepared in advance.

A young man donned in a yellow robe executed an elegant gentleman’s bow, seemingly waiting for his arrival.

“Welcome to my brain, Mr. Archim Cross, or should I say… ‘Skin Bag Guest’?”

“Yellow Skin… impossible!”

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