The Journey

Yi Chen had never worn such elegant and distinctive clothing,

Although it was ready-made,

it fit him by more than 90% and did not affect his movements at all. The fabric against his skin was also quite comfortable.

However,

The Boss's Wife's face, hidden beneath the Veil, still carried a dissatisfied expression.

"It's a pity you're not a member of the organization yet, and there isn't enough time.

Otherwise, I could at least have made you a semi-custom outfit that fit better and was more useful... For now, you'll have to wear this temporary 'casual outfit.' I hope it won't affect the organization's evaluation of you."

"I'm already very satisfied with it."

"Once you pass the organization's assessment, you'll receive one free Full Customization opportunity.

At that time, you can choose any Tailor Shop under the organization to take your measurements and make your clothes. You'll truly understand the importance of how you dress.

Remember,

a perfect outfit can 'stimulate' your spirit and create a style that belongs to you.

Wrapping your body in precious, ancient fabrics and deciding what kind of you to show the world will also determine whether you can survive in the current world.

You must put a great deal of effort into perfecting your appearance and pursuing the utmost excellence in your clothing."

"Understood."

Yi Chen took a complimentary mechanical watch from his pocket.

Only then did he realize that it was nearly noon, and there were just thirty minutes left before the carriage departed.

After hurriedly bidding the Boss's Wife farewell, he quickly headed for the town entrance.

Although he was in somewhat of a rush,

when he passed a butcher shop, Yi Chen still made time to buy all the pig eyes and cow eyes they had—thirteen in total.

Without needing any processing,

when he handed these so-called 'grapes' to the Black Flesh Ball,

it swallowed each one whole, bursting the juice inside its mouth before chewing carefully.

The black fuzz covering its entire body gently rippled as it ate, and it seemed to be enjoying itself immensely.

Only after eating five in succession was it finally satisfied.

It swallowed the remaining 'grapes' whole as well, storing and preserving them inside its body... It would take them out to eat whenever necessary.

Curious, Yi Chen asked,

"Do you only eat this?"

"Grapes are my staple food. The nutrients contained in their juices are indispensable to my body.

I can eat other foods too, of course. They're just not as important."

"You don't seem to have a name."

"That's right. I was pieced together, fermented, and assembled from incomplete corpses in Graveyard Plot 6. Those corpses were all nameless, so I have even less reason to possess something like a name."

"In that case, how about I call you Little Grape?"

"Okay!"

The Flesh Ball waved its wave-like arms again, apparently quite pleased with its new name.

With only five minutes to spare, he finally reached the town entrance.

Two sturdy brown horses pulled a huge wooden carriage that could roughly accommodate at least eight people.

What was worth noting was that

both horses wore specially made breathing masks, and multiple layers of fabric covered their bodies, leaving only their hooves exposed.

Since departure time was approaching,

the carriage was already crammed with townspeople wearing masks and wrapped up tightly.

They all carried large and small pieces of luggage, preparing to leave Easton Town.

Yi Chen hurried to the white-haired coachman and quietly showed him the Cemetery Business Card.

Unexpectedly,

the coachman, who looked old and frail, instantly cast eagle-like eyes at him and sized up the young man before him.

His mouth, holding an old cigarette, slowly opened as white smoke and his voice emerged together.

"You sit at the very back. It's a long journey..."

"Understood."

When he stepped into the carriage,

perhaps because of his elegant clothing,

or perhaps because Little Grape was perched on his shoulder,

the packed townspeople did their best to clear a path for him. Some even seemed afraid, their bodies trembling slightly.

They pressed themselves as close together as possible to make room for Yi Chen.

The carriage started moving.

Although thick rubber rings covered the outer rims of the wooden wheels, the carriage still jolted from time to time with varying intensity.

Because he had slept too little the previous night,

the boring carriage ride quickly brought on drowsiness. Yi Chen rested his head against the wooden frame of the carriage and entered a dream amid the rocking and jolting.

He had no idea how much time had passed.

A restless commotion inside the carriage woke Yi Chen. He habitually glanced at his watch.

"Have I already slept for more than three hours?"

Some of the passengers had left the carriage, presumably getting off partway through the journey.

The cramped space had become roomy enough for him to stretch his arms and legs and move around a little.

However,

the remaining passengers appeared agitated, and the fear of death could even be seen plainly in their eyes.

They took more fabric from their luggage to wrap around their bodies, even winding it around themselves like mummies.

Just as Yi Chen began to wonder what was happening,

the coachman's voice came from the front.

"We're about to enter the Grey Zone. Everyone, reduce your breathing and unnecessary bodily movements as much as possible, and empty your minds... If any symptoms appear, no matter how mild or severe, you will be treated as having undergone 'disease infection.'"

After saying this,

the coachman outside spread a sheet of thick black cloth and sealed the carriage.

Darkness descended.

Only the Kerosene Lamp at Yi Chen's waist could dispel the darkness inside the carriage.

The Grey Zone.

It was yet another unfamiliar term.

Analyzing the coachman's words, it should be a special region affected by Disease Infection.

At that moment,

Little Grape sent him a message.

*With me here, and considering that you've already accepted a decent amount of Pathogen Essence, an ordinary Grey Zone like this common one won't pose much of a threat to you.

The only thing you need to watch out for is the other people in the carriage. Once you notice anything abnormal about them, act as quickly as possible.*

Understood.

Yi Chen actually wanted to see what the so-called Grey Zone looked like.

Unfortunately, the carriage was sealed, so he could only focus his attention on the people inside.

As they traveled through the Grey Zone,

apart from the sound of jolting, the carriage was utterly silent.

The passengers sat like wooden figures. Some had even assumed postures of prayer or prostration.

One hour.

Two hours.

The coachman's voice never came again, and nobody knew whether they had passed through the Grey Zone.

Just then,

an elderly woman wrapped in deep-red fabric began to twitch slightly.

Because the carriage had been jolting for so long, the abnormality went unnoticed by the other passengers.

However,

Yi Chen had already moved his right hand to the handle of the Silver Axe.

After only a few seconds,

the old woman leaned forward and made a retching motion.

Hiss... Black smoke rose.

The mask and fabric covering the old woman were completely corroded by her own vomit.

Revealed beneath them was a scarlet maw with torn corners and no lips remaining.

Even her tongue had turned tubular, continuously dripping corrosive Black Liquid.

Buzz!

Yi Chen swung the Silver Axe almost at once.

Just as the axe blade was about to cut into the old woman's neck,

suddenly,

a miniature bullet the size of a grain of rice shot from the front of the carriage.

It struck the back of the old woman's neck with pinpoint accuracy and shattered the "Pathogen Abscess" hidden inside her throat.

With almost no blood spilled,

the old woman collapsed onto the floor and stopped moving.

At that moment, the coachman's extremely stern reprimand came from the front of the carriage.

"You wanted to cut open her neck and let the bodily fluids in her arteries spray out together with the pathogen residue, infecting everyone here?"

"Sorry for the trouble."

After Yi Chen apologized, the coachman's voice returned to normal.

"However... your only method of killing enemies is an axe.

As far as your reaction speed goes, it's not bad.

Do me a favor.

See the burlap sack beneath the seat? Pack this corpse up and stuff it into the compartment in the floor."

"Understood."

Perhaps because he had inherited the identity of a gravedigger,

Yi Chen was extremely skilled at packing corpses. He quickly stuffed the wrapped corpse into the hidden compartment in the floor.

Then came a... thump!

The corpse was sent through the chute beneath the carriage and thrown outside, where it could dry up and disintegrate in the Grey Zone or become food.

Another hour passed.

The carriage finally passed through the so-called Grey Zone.

The surviving passengers began chatting cheerfully about their new lives in the future.

They got off one after another at different locations.

As the last passenger, Yi Chen got off at the terminal.

"We've arrived... Prepare to face the organization's assessment. I hope you survive."