The Last Gentleman

[Mariano Family]

The family to which Edmund belongs is renowned throughout the Fourth Continent. Even in Zion, they maintain a grand estate and continue to expand their firearms industry.

Firearms produced by the Mariano factories, much like the family’s culture, embody the principles of "excellence, speed, and lethality."

Each weapon manufactured by the family guarantees high quality but sacrifices stability in favor of lightness and power.

From the age of five, family members must undergo rigorous firearms training. Those unable to fully adapt to recoil before turning ten are removed from the family’s internal cultivation system and cut off from all resources.

Edmund Mariano

Began firearm training with his father at the age of five. Completed his training early at eight years old by achieving a perfect shooting score.

Was then sent to a specialized training ground under the organization’s banner to develop his physique, reflexes, combat techniques, and mastery of melee weapons.

At thirteen, he earned the qualification for external hunts, accompanying family gentlemen to eradicate nearby pathogenic entities, accumulating early field experience.

Eventually joined the organization with a score of 86 and received the coveted "blue letter," unlocking the rare profession of 'Gunblade Swordsman.'

≮ Profession Characteristics ≯

"Mastery and Synergy": Alternating between firearms and swords improves their "coordinated proficiency." As proficiency increases, attributes such as reload speed, shooting accuracy, and sword speed are enhanced. High proficiency may lead to the realization of unique combat techniques.

"Neural Adjustment": By eliminating pathogenic entities with synchronized gun-and-sword techniques, the growth of the 'Motorics Coordination' attribute is accelerated.

Raised by a noble family and trained as a gentleman from a young age, Edmund’s beliefs were deeply shaken the first time he entered the basement clinic of the parallel space. There, he encountered a decayed and self-indulgent pathogenic gentleman—Mr. Lee.

Resolving to eradicate such degenerates, Edmund did not hesitate when Yi Chen proposed the Rat Extermination Plan. As team leader, he pledged his life and chose to remain on-site.

Now:

The plan has reached its final stage. Edmund, suppressing his long-held fury, unleashes a concentrated burst of effort. His exceptional focus allows him to execute a nearly instantaneous headshot and decapitation.

Although targeting the head doesn’t destroy the pathogenic core within, and thus doesn’t guarantee the death of an abnormal patient, it buys critical time for adjustments.

Seizing this moment, the theater owner completes the reconstruction of his body.

Turning his gaze to the group and to the bedridden Mr. Lee, the owner declares:

"Although I’d love to stay here and help you kill this vile rat... the underground palace outside seems to be swarming with restless entities trying to break into the ward.

"I’ll guard the outside, clear out the palace debris, and ensure no interference. Please make sure to kill this disgusting rat."

The moon mark on the owner’s brow glows with silver radiance as it activates for the first time, showcasing his true power as a Moon Person.

Shedding his white suit, additional arms sprout from his back and upper waist. Each corresponds to his theatrical characteristics:

- Slender, feminine arms with sharp, elongated nails.

- Diseased, decaying arms of an elder, oozing corrosive acid from between the joints.

Two additional faces emerge from either side of his head: one of a young woman, the other of an old man, each displaying distinct emotions and observing the surroundings.

Crack!

The owner steps out of the ward and seals the door behind him.

Sounds of fierce battle erupt from beyond the door. To further minimize interference, Juliana pours pre-prepared fuel at the entrance and ignites it. Most of the rats attempting to squeeze through the cracks are charred.

...

[Scene Shift: Yi Chen]

Maintaining his gentlemanly demeanor, Yi Chen steps forward with a smile.

As Edmund’s gunfire distracts Mr. Lee, Yi Chen’s hand silently slips into his coat, reaching behind his waistband. His fingers grip the hilt of a spine axe, heated by moonlight.

He draws the axe, swings his arm, and carves a near-perfect arc in the air, channeling his full strength. The weapon lands precisely on the moon mark at the side of Mr. Lee’s neck.

Slash!

The sensation of slashing with the new weapon is entirely different. Compared to the rigid hacking of a hand axe, it leaned more towards a sensation of sawing and tearing.

Through the spine-like axe handle, the feedback to Yi Chen’s palm alternated between slow and fast, with gradual progression and a layered richness, even giving him a faint sense of exhilaration.

The slash not only severed the neck but tore through from the shoulders down to the stomach. Mr. Lee’s body was almost split in half.

However, Yi Chen felt no relief. Instead, a flicker of fear flashed in his eyes—the scene before him delivered a shock to his consciousness.

The interior of Mr. Lee’s cut-open body lacked anything resembling organs or a skeletal structure. In fact, it was impossible to describe it using the concept of a human body.

Inside his torso crawled rats—or rather, a cluster of living creatures barely recognizable as “rats.”

These entities adhered to one another, forming organs, muscle tissue, and even skeletal-like support structures. Rather than splitting open Mr. Lee’s body, it was more apt to say Yi Chen had cleaved open a “rat nest.”

Crimson granular eyes stared fixedly at Yi Chen, the “intruder.”

Composing himself, Yi Chen knew there were two tasks at hand:

1. Retrieve the “Moon Skin” from Mr. Lee’s hand before it could be absorbed.

2. Allow the plant roots to grow and search for the hidden pathogenic core within the grotesque body.

Even Little Grape widened his eyes and began scanning the interior of the torso.

However, just as Yi Chen grabbed the 'Moon Skin' and was about to stow it in his bag, and as the root inspection was about to begin, the rat swarm inside Mr. Lee’s body began rapidly coalescing.

In an instant, a primal sense of danger surged through Yi Chen’s body. The plants fused with his system began to tremble, and a desperate shout came from behind him—Edmund’s voice:

“Danger! Get out of there!”

Without hesitation, Yi Chen withdrew the axe and immediately executed a smooth backward roll.

Crunch!

Despite his quick reflexes, the sound of bones being crushed reached his ears mid-roll.

Hiss...

Scarlet liquid sprayed into the air.

Yi Chen’s bloodshot eyes bulged, veins popping as he stared at his left wrist—now severed. Above the wrist, there was nothing left but a bite wound inflicted by sharp teeth, with remnants of egg-like pathogens clinging to the wound’s surface.

His left hand was useless.

Looking up, he saw that the wound on Mr. Lee’s cleaved torso had already been filled by the rat swarm, which had reassembled into a grotesque, twisted structure resembling a giant maw. This mouth, gleefully chewing, was a horrifying sight.

Had Yi Chen hesitated for even a second, it wouldn’t have been just his left hand that was devoured.

Clenching his teeth, Yi Chen fixated not on the loss of his hand but on something far more pressing.

“Damn it! The Moon Skin!”

Gulp!

The temporarily assembled giant rat-mouth swallowed it whole.

The massive maw didn’t continue attacking. Instead, it disassembled back into a rat swarm, returning to Mr. Lee's body and healing the wounds inflicted by the axe.

But that wasn’t all.

The white rats scattered across the hospital floor, under the command of their master, began dragging the decapitated and mutilated corpses of nurses and doctors into Mr. Lee’s body as nourishment.

Buzz!

A beam of moonlight pierced through the layers of the floor and into the hospital room, shining upon Mr. Lee.

The pathogenic core hidden within his body was activated. His silver hair stood on end, and his body began to detach from the hospital bed, gaining a degree of freedom.

However, the silver blood vessels extending from his back were still rooted to the ground, preventing complete liberation.

With eyes glowing fully red like crystalline orbs, Mr. Lee locked his gaze on the three figures before him.

From his torn, grinning mouth, rats crawled out continuously.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just hand in your mission and leave? Must you force me to devour you all?”

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