The Last Gentleman

Standing outside the door, Jin maintained his temporary farewell wave, as if his internal gears had jammed, freezing time.

It wasn't until Yi Chen emerged from the dressing room that Jin returned to normal.

Upon seeing Yi Chen’s formal, elegant suit that exuded a scholarly air, Jin could roughly guess the career direction he was aiming for.

“An academic style—seems like your profession leans toward learning and thinking.”

“Even from a distance, I can smell the ancient aura emanating from your clothes. Is this the ‘First Gentleman’s’ skin?”

“Unlike me, I have to make do with this diluted, old skin. Sigh…”

In Jin’s eyes, the skin assigned to those scoring in the 80-point range, infused with the essence of the old world, was hardly worth mentioning. He’d even discarded the storage box long ago. The ‘Gentleman’s Skin’ that others considered a treasure was something he casually stuffed between his shirts.

Jin glanced toward the dressing room door. “Mr. Ivan, is my outfit ready yet? Just make it functional enough to inspect my physical condition. When I get the same skin as William’s later, I’ll come back for a proper piece.”

“Having a high skin content isn’t necessarily a good thing; you’ll understand this naturally in time. And I never treat my work lightly. Come in—after I finish this order, I need a good ten or fifteen days of rest.”

Jin shrugged and headed straight into the dressing room. Standing between them, Yi Chen and Jin brushed past each other...and Jin’s fingers glided over Yi Chen’s shoulder.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we form a special squad in the future? With our abilities, we could clear missions quickly and even apply for higher-level assignments. In no time, we could accumulate a large collection of high-quality skins to complete our outfits and reach the pinnacle of our positions sooner, allowing us to do something truly meaningful.”

In response to Jin’s invitation to team up, Yi Chen, still a blank slate when it came to the organization, the world, and the new abilities he’d just acquired, naturally didn’t accept.

“Our growth paths might differ. Let’s see in the future.”

“Boring guy.”

Just as Jin’s fingers were about to leave Yi Chen’s shoulder, he applied a sudden force. A sense of imminent danger surged through Yi Chen, activating his instincts to form a defensive layer on his shoulder. However, Jin’s fingers slid off as if nothing had happened, like a trick that completely fooled Yi Chen’s instincts.

With a wave of his hand in his floral gloves as a farewell, Jin hinted that he still looked forward to their future collaboration.

After Jin entered the dressing room and the hidden door closed, a drop of cold sweat slid down Yi Chen’s temple and cheek, disappearing into his collar.

“This guy… he’s more dangerous than any pathogenic creature I’ve encountered.”

At that moment, Little Grape slipped out from Yi Chen’s collar, stretching its tiny body.

“He’s certainly an unusual human. Even I could sense that flash of murderous intent, yet he contained it so easily, as if nothing had happened.”

“William, why don’t we team up with him? With him around, we wouldn’t have to exert much effort in fighting enemies. Besides, the profession you chose, paired with the senses I provide, would allow you to fully claim the title of a auxiliary gentleman.”

“We’ll see; I’ll consider it later.”

Little Grape didn't comment on Yi Chen's career choice or gentleman's attire.

However, from its constant bouncing on his shoulder, waving its arms like seaweed, it was clear it was quite pleased with Yi Chen's transformation.

Yi Chen recalled the recent conversation.

"According to ‘Jin,’ becoming a gentleman and completing the various tasks assigned by Zion can earn one skins, which can be used to enhance, modify, or even redesign clothing.

In the process, one seems to gradually approach the Limits of Humanity, eventually advancing to the next persona stage."

Little Grape waved its arms.

"It's not that simple! You humans have been trapped for generations in the restrictive prison of flesh. Breaking through these limits and shattering such a 'prison' requires an immense price."

"Then let's reach that limit first... By the way, Little Grape, do you know what the next stage is?"

"My memory doesn’t cover that knowledge~ But it's probably directly related to ancient beings and your profession."

"Oh~ By the way, Little Grape, would you kill me?"

The casual chat suddenly took on a strange and tense atmosphere with Yi Chen's question.

But Little Grape wasn't upset. Instead, it grinned, rubbing its eye with its teeth as it replied, "Seems like your outfit detected something, right? Are you assessing me as a serious threat?"

Yi Chen nodded, "That's about right."

Little Grape crossed its small arms over its chest, its mouth narrowing like closed eyelids.

"I might indeed kill you... but only under certain conditions.

If I find you are no longer 'interesting,' are filled with loathing toward yourself and the world, abandon any curiosity about the outside, and become a meaningless coward, I’ll end your life in advance."

Upon hearing this response, Yi Chen looked relieved, as if this was the answer he had been hoping for.

"Good... Little Grape, please monitor me closely. If I ever become like that or start to head in that direction, my two grapes are yours. Let me know how they taste."

"You're quite amusing!"

This brief exchange only heightened Little Grape’s interest.

It half-popped out its eye, rubbing against Yi Chen’s cheek, leaving a trail of sticky slime.

Their suppressed laughter echoed on the second floor.

Just then, the sound of the door opening came from downstairs.

"Hmm? This tailor shop doesn't seem very hidden... more visitors?"

As footsteps approached the second floor, a familiar owl came into view.

"Professor Chambers? Are you finished with your business?"

"An emergency meeting called on short notice, so it was brief... Hmm!? Is this your outfit?"

Chambers widened his eyes at Yi Chen's suit, as did the owl on his shoulder.

After a moment, he exclaimed:

"Perfect! Ivan's craftsmanship hasn't diminished with injury but instead has become more personalized! It's utterly perfect... In fact, you don’t yet fully match this outfit.

More precisely, you can't yet bring out its full potential.

As the 'First Gentleman' said, you're still a completely blank slate.

I'll be conducting a series of extensive training sessions to ensure you can catch up with the other gentlemen at a foundational level.

Report to the academy tomorrow and come straight to my office... Actually, there's no time to waste. Let's head to my office now to finalize the training plan."

Chambers was eager to shape Yi Chen, this rare raw gem.

"But... Shopkeeper Ivan wanted me to stay here; he still has to review the outfit."

"Don't worry about that; I'll handle the review."

Chambers pulled out a pen adorned with a white feather, with the organization’s symbol carved on the tip and an ancient lacquered owl partially hidden behind a tree trunk on the pen's body.

He scribbled a note and slipped it into a crack in the secret door.

...

They were about to head to *[Omphalo-Centric Academy (OCA)]*

located in the northern depths of Zion City.

Surrounded by towering walls that separated it from Zion, the academy felt like a city within a city.

It was permanently cloaked in an aurora-filled night, with no day-and-night cycle. All external observation was blocked, maintaining strict isolation.

Most gentlemen, except those marked by the black letter, were required to study at this special academy.

Gentlemen trained here had a significantly lower mortality rate when undertaking tasks, exploring the Gray Domain, and confronting Pathogenic entities.

The academy also effectively guided the gentlemen to more swiftly and stably touch the Limits of Humanity.

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