The Gentleman at the End-Chapter 772 - 770: The Duke’s Proposal

DUKE

Two large front teeth, each emblazoned with letters, entered his field of view,

Duke Garrieson altered his usual lazy demeanor, propping up his enormous arm, leaning forward,

closely observing the youth before him who bore a high degree of similarity to William and whose soul structure was almost identical, but a closer examination would reveal deeper levels of difference.

What the Duke saw in William was diversity, while in Yi Chen, it was the pure singularity that brought the best viewing experience to this performance.

"Among the invaders who once set foot in the Old World, none possessed such a broad Death Divinity like yours, resembling the vast ocean, even capable of having those you kill permanently follow you.

With a battered body and relying on the cooperation of a unique Parasite, you’ve fought against a tumor that only appears once in ten thousand years in the Old World, earning the respect of the trade houses.

When I first met William, I had already glimpsed your existence.

At that time, you were not yet complete, or rather, you had not awakened, sealed deep within William’s consciousness... It’s unexpected that you have now separated on your own. This is the first time I’ve seen such a case of shared identity; now that you are an independent individual, would you like to become a distinguished guest of my trade house?"

"Thank you, Duke."

Yi Chen did not refuse, he had also touched upon many neutral organizations in his lifetime—these organizations had provided much help to him... and it was naturally with this help that he was ultimately able to return to the orphanage alone.

As the "Transaction Seal" was branded, the Duke laid back into his pile of treasures.

"This performance has garnered the attention of the Old World, and soon your reputation will spread across the globe... do you have any plans? For example, establishing a death-related religion and partnering with William’s theater for joint development?"

Yi Chen shook his head, "No... I’m not very accustomed to dealing with others; that’s something William excels in.

The two main things I need to do next are, firstly, to delve deeper into Death to retrieve the stripped concept of my body. The second is to find a weapon powerful enough to kill Art.

At the moment, these are the two issues I’m focusing on."

The Duke mysteriously produced a large bag of living snacks, tossing a giant centipede-like creature into his mouth, chewing while speaking:

"Killing Art is not an easy task; he is currently the only individual in the Old World capable of controlling ’Malicious proliferation’ on his own. Defeating him is a possibility, but to kill such a being is difficult.

However, you indeed have a chance.

As for weapons, I currently have none. Yet, you needn’t actively seek one out—I’ve talked with William, and his next performance is likely to be near the Skin Factory.

There lies a special weapon; it all depends on whether you are capable of acquiring it."

"The Skin Factory also produces weapons?"

"Of course, it’s not the product of the Skin Factory, but an ancient relic passed down by the Blood citizens... even I am very interested in it, it’s just that those fellows guard it very tightly, and even though I offered a very high price, they are still not willing to sell."

"Hmm."

The Duke continued, "As for your pursuit of deeper knowledge of Death, if I’m not mistaken, you’re planning to visit the Original Tomb, right? After all, you and William have been there once when you were still one."

"Yes."

The Duke, however, pulled out a toothpick, prying away the rotten flesh stuck in his wisdom tooth, extracting nearly ten pounds of it, kneaded into a ball at his fingertips, and continued to chew in his mouth.

Then he offered an entirely different suggestion,

"Personally, I don’t recommend you go, although the First Dead Man reached a far deeper level of Death than you, your nature of Death is not the same.

Your source of ability is not illness, Death Plague may be used as a slight enhancement, but it won’t allow you to reach further depths. If you could return to your original world, you should be able to advance quickly.

However, there is a place I would suggest visiting, or to be precise, a person I’d recommend you meet."

"Who?" The Duke’s words piqued Yi Chen’s curiosity.

"The original leader of the Death Plague Knights."

"The Monastery?"

Yi Chen still had a clear memory,

he had heard rumors about this person while within William; said to be the only person who had comprehended something different from the ’Death Plague,’ an individual who instilled fear in invaders and was specifically targeted, eventually driven to mental breakdown by massive killings of patients and imprisoned deep within the Monastery.

"Exactly, that person is as special as Art, even more special. You might find something quite useful from him."

"The Monastery isn’t somewhere one can simply enter, right?"

The Duke then pulled out a five-meter-tall goblet and started drinking some sort of trade house beverage,

"I’m only responsible for giving advice... Of course, Mr. Yi could spend heavy gold to buy a channel to the Monastery from me. Still, even I can only get you a ’tourist certificate’ for the surface level at best; if you want to go to the criminal detention layer, you’ll have to find your own way.

Would you like one?"

"Thanks for the suggestion, Duke. I still need to consider it."

"You have to spend money when it’s necessary, your body won’t last for long."

"Then let’s start with one, how much?"

"After taking a look, it seems you don’t have anything valuable on you, but since William carries a treasury with him, I’ll just deduct it from his account first."

"Alright then."

Digging here and there, the Duke finally pulled out a metal card from some obscure corner, its text nearly unreadable and somewhat sharp to the touch.

"Take this card to the Monastery, someone there will meet you.

However, before you go, you should think about how to get to the Deepest part and do your research in advance. If you’re not confident, it’s better not to waste resources.

After all, this card is worth a whole thirty thousand."

At the same moment,

William, who was sorting things out in his office, was suddenly approached by a figure with a Golden Mask, who took a ring from his hand and swiped away a whole thirty thousand from his account as easy as one would use a card.

Leaving William standing there, dumbfounded.

He quickly caught up to inquire and learned that Yi Chen had incurred an expense of thirty thousand at the Duke’s, and since he had no money, William’s card was charged directly.

For some reason, William felt this manner of card-swiping was somewhat familiar.

... 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

In the grand hall of the castle,

The Duke’s attitude towards Yi Chen was exceptionally courteous,

"You don’t seem to enjoy chatting much... as it is, since I have already pointed you in the right direction for free, what you do from here is up to you.

I am very grateful for the contributions Mr. Yi has made for our World,

As long as Mr. Yi’s actions are beneficial to the Old World, we will always be friends."

Facing the Duke’s words, Yi Chen simply nodded and then turned around to leave.

He didn’t wander the streets, nor did he search for the so-called Deep Sea Group; instead, he immediately returned to the Yin Head suspended in the sky and went to the temporarily constructed Fake Moon Clinic.

The team of nurses brought by Lorrian was already busy,

Many members of the Audience who had undergone Chaos Transformation were receiving treatment in different wards,

Yi Chen did not disturb the nurses; following the Aura, he proceeded to the deep, to a room with a massive pool where a gargantuan Amoeba was floating inside.

Compared to its originally transparent Body Shape, it was now somewhat blackened, and what turned black were the important neurons and organs within.

More importantly, it coiled into a strange spiral shape, seemingly expressing a unique form of Death.

Looking at Nash’s condition, Yi Chen said, "As expected... highly talented. There’s no need for treatment, just go and experience the real Death directly."

With that, he approached the edge of the pool, and raised his right arm!

Unbeknownst to him, a young nurse responsible for the area sensed danger to the Patient; the red cross on her face instantly shot out squirming threads that enveloped her entire body, radiating a Bright Red aura.

As she was about to stop the intruder,

Yi Chen by the pool turned his head, and with just a Pupil exchange, scared the nurse back into her normal form. She recognized Yi Chen’s identity and no longer interfered, simply standing to the side obediently.

The next Instant,

Woosh! With a Hand Blade, Yi Chen slew the Parasite, and the black Blood that flowed out from within quickly turned the entire pool black.

The fractured body of the parasite slowly settled to the bottom,

One minute,

Five minutes,

Ten minutes,

Gurgle gurgle~ bubbles surged upward.

A young man with disheveled black hair and constantly-shifting pupils emerged in the middle of the pool, skeletal but emitting an aura of Killing Intent that sent shivers down one’s spine.

At the sight of Yi Chen, his Scattered Eyes stopped moving and his expression softened,

"Big Boss Yi!!"