The Last Gentleman

Guided by Jin, Yi Chen arrived at an upper street he had never set foot on before. At the end of the street stood an odd arch bridge, flanked by numerous sculptures of black-veiled, grotesque little figures.

"Cross this bridge, and you'll reach Gethsemane."

Yi Chen had already prepared a plant-based mask to conceal his appearance.

"Jin, are you sure I can enter your training ground?"

"Let's give it a shot. I'll explain our current team arrangement to the instructor... After all, among my peers or even those a year ahead, no one is currently willing to team up with me.

Special circumstances call for special treatment, right?"

"Alright."

As the two crossed the bridge, the scene before them unexpectedly transformed into an orchard, filled with bizarrely shaped fruit trees in dense clusters. Black-veiled gentlemen, with their eyes covered, were carefully tending to the trees.

"What are these?" Yi Chen asked.

"The tasks assigned here primarily involve 'rapid execution.' Some people get so addicted to the thrill of meaningless killing during missions that they lose control.

So, every two weeks, we have a mental evaluation. Those who fail are blindfolded and sent here to tend the orchard until the instructor deems them fit to return to training.

Just so we're clear, my evaluations have never been a problem!"

"Got it," Yi Chen nodded, understanding the necessity of such measures.

The special gentlemen who choose black envelopes for their missions undertake covert tasks to eliminate pathogenic threats. Such missions often attract individuals with a proclivity for killing.

Yi Chen himself had once received a black envelope but chose not to accept it. However, he had always felt a certain allure and impulse toward the act of killing—enough that he requested Professor Chamberson to arrange physical training for him.

He understood that indulging in this impulse would lead to mental decay. To maintain independence and moral clarity during such tasks, special methods were necessary.

Perhaps, tending and caring for these fruit trees allowed individuals to reflect on themselves.

Still, when Yi Chen saw the blindfolded gentlemen, he couldn't help but think of his physical mentor, Hogni Zed.

The two of them proceeded to a small wooden cabin deep within the orchard. In front of the door sat an elderly man with a prosthetic limb. He was lounging on a wooden chair, a handmade pinecone cigar in his mouth.

Jin approached the old man and, unusually, bowed slightly. "Mr. Begus, I’ve brought a new teammate. We’re here to take on tasks from the instructor."

The old man exhaled a ring of smoke along with his words. "Have you been granted permission to go below?"

"Once we get there, we’ll inform the instructor."

The old man stood up, his collapsed, wrinkled nose and mouth twitching slightly as he sniffed near Yi Chen.

"A recipient of the First Gentleman’s approval... but you reek of minced flesh and blood. Fill out this confidentiality agreement, and don’t cause trouble for me. Report to the instructor immediately when you go below."

The old man handed over a yellowed piece of paper listing numerous prohibited actions.

As an 'external visitor,' Yi Chen was strictly forbidden from disclosing anything he saw below, and his movements would be heavily restricted. Any violations would result in memory erasure.

After Yi Chen signed the agreement, the old man moved his chair aside. Inside the cabin was a single sealed elevator leading underground—a completely isolated lower area, separate from the [Street District].

Zion had only one entrance to this underground facility.

[Gethsemane – The Executioner’s Greenhouse]

This was the training ground built specifically for the gentlemen who chose black envelopes.

When the elevator reached the bottom, Yi Chen saw a narrow stone corridor with numerous hidden doors on either side. From within, faint sounds of tearing, metal clashing, and even screams could be heard.

Behind each door lay some form of specialized training room.

Led by Jin, they navigated the labyrinthine passageways until they arrived at a single, deep corridor. At the end of this corridor was a solitary hidden door, illuminated by a single torch.

As the two approached the door, a mature female voice emanated from beyond the wall.

"Come in." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Jin turned the torch by the entrance, and a secret door opened.

Inside was a surprisingly spacious office, dominated by a gray-white color scheme.

A barefooted woman stood before a display cabinet against the wall. She wore a white shirt with a black tie, a gray plaid skirt that reached below her knees, and black stockings. Her movements were slow and deliberate as she admired and carefully adjusted the items in the cabinet—her unique collection of hand-finger specimens.

Her golden hair, tied into a ponytail, draped over her shoulder. One hand rested on a pair of gold-framed monocle glasses as she meticulously inspected each finger specimen.

Through the glass reflection of the specimens, she caught sight of the two people who had entered the room.

"Mr. Begus actually allowed you to bring an outsider down here. Speak—what's the matter?"

Jin casually rested an elbow on Yi Chen's voice shoulder, using his other hand to make an exaggerated arrow gesture. "William here? He's a powerhouse who scored a solid 96 points on the Gentleman’s Examination! We were even in the same cohort.

We bumped into each other on the street earlier and decided to team up temporarily to tackle some higher-difficulty missions for fun."

The woman didn’t respond. She continued organizing the specimens.

After finishing her adjustments, she slowly turned around.

Her face, appearing just over thirty years old, was well-maintained. However, her light green eyes never focused on the two of them.

It wasn’t until she sat back at her desk that her pupils gradually moved to meet theirs. In just an instant of eye contact, Yi Chen felt an intense discomfort spread throughout his body.

"Did you bring your personal profile?"

"One moment."

Yi Chen opened his briefcase and produced a prepared personal résumé, which he always kept handy.

As the woman skimmed through the document, her expression shifted slightly.

The keywords "eliminated a severely infected patient" and "interacted with an open-source patient without adverse effects" caught her attention, sparking an interest in the young man before her.

However, she also noticed something unusual.

"It seems you took a six-month leave before completing the 'Secret Medicine Retrieval' mission. Why?"

"I was undergoing special ‘physical training’ at the academy. It took six full months."

"Physical training..."

The woman could discern from Yi Chen's movements and physique that there was something extraordinary about his body.

"At the Alfarostik Academy? That place is full of bookworms. Even the physically inclined there only rely on brute strength. Your physique doesn’t match that mold at all. Who trained you?"

"Professor Zed."

The moment he said this, the woman’s expression changed dramatically. She sat up straight.

"Hogni Zed?"

"Yes."

"That blind man is still alive?

I remember he was put on trial by the organization years ago after causing the deaths of numerous students. Later, he was imprisoned by the academy for some reason. How did you get in contact with him?"

"Professor Chamberson arranged it for me. Right now, Professor Zed only interacts with me privately."

As soon as he finished speaking—

Without any visible movement, the woman’s slender leg was suddenly suspended in front of Yi Chen.

Her foot, wrapped in black silk stockings, landed squarely on his chest. Crack! A rib shattered.

Yi Chen’s body spun like a drill, crashing hard against the wall. The entire office trembled from the impact.

The woman, having completed an ultra-fast kick, maintained her pose—one hand propped on the desk, her body parallel to the ground in a side-kick position.

She gracefully retracted her leg and landed in front of the desk with elegant poise.

Her eyes remained fixed on Yi Chen, who lay crumpled in the corner. He might have been unconscious.

Yet, to her surprise—

Yi Chen casually dusted off his chest and stood up with a smile. The shattered rib didn’t seem to bother him at all; in fact, he appeared to be slightly exhilarated.

"In just six months, your physique has already transformed. Are you even crazier than that madman Zed?"