The Last Gentleman

Through their conversation with the theater owner, Elton John, the group had gathered foundational information about the "Moon Disease" before the battle.

[Manifestations]:

As long as an individual engages in visual interaction with the "False Moon," which acts as the pathogenic medium, a corresponding moon mark will appear on a part of their body based on their physical constitution.

This is a type of mental disease that only affects higher organisms with "cognition."

[TL Note: Hey guys, Moon Person, Moon Citizen, Moon People and now Moonfolk is basically the same, sometimes it just becames a little too awkward to have to put them in cohesive way, and Moon-Folk seems to check all those boxes, so will just call it that from now on]

The more active and unique an individual's thoughts are, the shorter the progression of the disease. Once the moon mark crystallizes, the individual transforms into a special kind of infected being known as a "Moonfolk", characterized by the following:

1. Immunity to silver (with silver eyes and silver hair as external traits).

2. Enhanced physical capabilities.

3. The individual's prior "talents" as a human become materialized, magnified, and practical.

The third trait is the most unique and difficult-to-counter aspect of the Moonfolk transformation.

For instance, a homeless person who enjoys keeping pets might find that their pet dog shares the moon mark and gains the ability to merge with them.

The theater owner, who loves performing, can conceal his presence, disguise himself as different people, and even manifest multiple limbs and faces to engage in combat simultaneously.

However, Mr. Lee is quite different.

He was originally a gentleman who had chosen the white letter, corresponding to the class [Beast Tamer].

Perhaps due to his upbringing, family background, and personal preferences, Mr. Lee had a fondness for rats from a young age. After obtaining the Beast Tamer class, his primary controlled creatures were also rats—albeit in greater numbers and with stronger control.

He could command swarms of rats to rapidly search an area, making him an excellent reconnaissance-oriented gentleman.

Yet Mr. Lee was naturally timid. When on missions, he would always hide in the background, acting only when absolutely certain of success. He avoided trouble whenever possible.

The arrival of the Moon Disease amplified and enhanced his "profession," granting him an extraordinary power beyond human capability.

Moreover, for self-preservation, he forcefully injected himself with the exclusive secret medicine from the Twilight Clinic—"Twilight Silver Liquid"—bringing him closer to the moon and driving his condition into a deeper state of transformation: "Severe Patient." RÅŊỐᛒƐ𝓢

......

In the Ward

Yi Chen stared at his severed wrist.

The roots of a plant had already extracted the rat egg while sealing the blood vessels and smoothing the wound.

However, the plant-based pathogenic adaptations he commanded were far from sufficient to reconstruct a limb. The team's medical supplies could, at most, stop the bleeding and replenish blood. For true regeneration, a high-grade secret medicine with matching attributes was required.

The persistent pain from his wrist did not bother him much. Instead, it sharpened his nerves, increasing his focus.

Just then, a cold gun barrel lightly tapped his shoulder.

"William, stick to the original plan.

I'll handle the main assault and draw this guy's attention. You and Anna must locate his 'pathogenic core' as quickly as possible."

"Understood..."

Yi Chen took a quick step back, pressing his body against the wall.

Now, adjustments to the original strategy were necessary, taking into account both Mr. Lee's terrifying display of power and his own severed hand. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Thinking, integrating, and analyzing—these were the keys to breaking the deadlock.

At this moment, he could only trust his teammates to buy enough time.

‘Grape, how long can mental intrusion affect a severe case like Mr. Li‘

‘Based on our previous encounters with regular Moonfolk, "Moon Disease" enhances all attributes, including resistance.

Even with direct mental intrusion, the effect on him wouldn’t last more than three seconds.

Moreover, attempting it again within 30 minutes would be ineffective.’

‘…So, it’s only useful for the decisive moment.’

‘Exactly.

We had a great opportunity when you slashed his body earlier, yet we couldn’t locate the "pathogenic core." Severe patient like his have incredibly elusive weaknesses, and the core might even be mobile.

Getting nervous yet? This situation is pretty grim for you all—total annihilation isn’t off the table.’

Unexpectedly, Grape’s words gave Yi Chen a spark of insight.

‘Wait! You said the pathogenic core might be mobile. Could it be hiding inside one of the rats? After all, his entire body structure is made up of rats.’

‘Trust your instincts and deductions, William. Survive no matter what.’

......

While Yi Chen leaned against the wall, lost in thought,

Mr. Lee, bathed in moonlight, began to exude killing intent...

Snap!

With sheer brute force, he tore the hospital bed in half and hurled it toward the nearest person—Edmund.

Buzz!

Edmund sidestepped gracefully, moving with fluid agility, perfectly dodging the attack.

The shattered hospital bed smashed into the wall, leaving a visible dent that attested to the immense strength behind the throw.

“Oh, such a quick reaction… Your 'Motorics Coordination' must be very high.”

A smile appeared on Edmund’s face beneath his golden hair. He raised four fingers with the hand holding his gun.

“As expected, quite high. Keep pushing, and perhaps within six months, you could reach the ‘Limit Threshold’—qualifying to apply for long-term vacation privileges from the organization and embark on an exciting journey to seek relics.

Unfortunately, you won’t live to see that day.”

"Rat Mutation"

Swish! Mr. Lee’s arm suddenly detached at the elbow joint, releasing an enormous swarm of rats that quickly filled the gap with flesh and skin.

Through forced compression and rearrangement of tissue, the swarm reconstituted itself into a new arm structure.

Now, Mr. Lee’s arm had a three-segmented structure—front, middle, and back—longer, more flexible, and highly adaptable.

The transformations didn’t stop there.

White fur sprouted,

muscles thickened, and hardened, cord-like strands bulged visibly on the surface.

His palm developed claw-like structures, while each fingertip grew tiny, bead-like rat eyes that seemed ‘alive,’ capable of effectively tracking targets.

And this was only his arm’s transformation.

Swish!

His spine elongated, detaching entirely and falling behind him.

Hissss! A horde of rats poured out, crawling over the exposed spinal bone. Their bodies merged and compressed into a grotesque, pathogenic tail structure.

It was as if nearly a thousand rats had fused together, forming a tail tipped with a gaping mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth.

This tail could lash out with immense force, simultaneously tearing and devouring chunks of its target's flesh in a single blow. A direct hit could mean instant death!

As Mr. Lee revealed his full pathogenic form,

he wore a nearly maniacal smile and muttered to himself:

“I was born human, physically weak. Only rats were willing to be my friends.

Even after becoming a gentleman, certain people in Zion—like that damned Dr. McCoff—still looked down on me.

I’ve never experienced the strength of the flesh firsthand; I could only rely on my friends to gather intelligence and gain advantages.

But the moon, that great one, let me feel the power of tearing my enemies apart with my own hands. It gave me an entirely new experience in life.

This is my destiny... Being sick feels incredible!”

As his voice trailed off,

his silver hair floated,

his limbs hit the ground,

and Mr. Lee lunged at Edmund with horrifying speed, killing intent overflowing.

Claws crossed,

Mr. Lee already envisioned the beautiful scene of his target being torn apart.

Ding!

A sharp metallic clash rang through the ward—not the sound of flesh being shredded.

Just as his claws were about to strike,

they were perfectly deflected by the precise angle and timing of Edmund’s blade.

The flawless parry even caused Mr. Lee’s pathogenic body to lose balance to a certain degree.

Almost simultaneously,

the insignia on Edmund’s neck glowed red-hot, emitting faint wisps of smoke.

He stepped forward with his left foot,

extended his arm,

and aligned the barrel of his gun—parallel to the ground—straight into Mr. Lee’s unbalanced, open mouth.

Click!

Bang!

The wall behind was instantly painted red, speckled with fragments of pink tissue.

Special Combat Technique – "Blade-Gun Rebound"