The Tailor Shop in the Corner

Yi Chen was led by Professor Chamberson.

They crossed the street's arched bridge and took an elevator by the roadside directly to the [Lower Streets].

The streets, divided into three levels, differed not only in vertical distance but also in style, population density, and primary businesses.

The further down they went, the fewer the 'restrictions.'

As a result, the lower streets occasionally featured entertainment venues that didn't quite align with the 'Gentleman' persona, with a generally more relaxed and entertainment-focused atmosphere, and fewer formal establishments.

At this point, Professor Chamberson suddenly said:

"Most of Zion's [Tailor Shops] are located in the upper street districts, especially those on Academy Street, which have long histories and renowned reputations.

However... your hide is different.

Even the tailor shops directly affiliated with the academy, I'm not sure if they can handle such hide perfectly.

I have an old friend I've known for many years who, for some reason, was forced to open his [Tailor Shop] deep within the lower streets... He reached the level of a master tailor thirty years ago, and his craftsmanship will definitely make good use of this hide.

Moreover, he himself really enjoys highly challenging tasks."

Hearing this, Yi Chen recalled the ready-made garment he was wearing, which also came from a [Tailor Shop] under the Organization.

At the time, the proprietress had also mentioned that once he passed the assessment, he would receive a free full customization opportunity.

"Professor Chamberson, it seems the Organization has many tailor shops established outside its direct purview?"

"That's right.

The [Tailor Shop] is one of the important institutions of the Organization.

For Gentlemen, it's indispensable and a crucial supply station.

Every tailor shop established externally receives financial support from the Organization.

Gentlemen on external missions can enjoy basic services within the tailor shops for free, such as cleaning diseased flesh, repairing damaged attire, accepting local related tasks or receiving rewards, and it also serves as a safe house and temporary refuge.

We have been continuously selecting elite Gentlemen with tailoring talent to establish more external tailor shops, thereby combating the spread of corruption and reducing Gentleman mortality rates."

"Understood."

While chatting, the two squeezed through a narrow gap between buildings, just wide enough for their bodies, and officially arrived at the depths of the lower street district.

[Chasm-Street], as the name suggested, was a street situated between narrow gaps.

Here, it was filled with more entertainment-focused shops, and a majority of the storefronts even violated Zion's explicit regulations.

The Gentlemen walking here also appeared more relaxed; they wore masks to conceal their appearances and hide their expressions.

Professor Chamberson, who seemed strict, accepted such a street and said softly:

"The Gentleman's spirit allows us to maintain our 'self' in a world corrupted by disease, but it's inevitable to feel tired at times.

As long as Gentlemen possess sufficient self-control and use [indulgence] as a rational tool for temporary stress relief and seeking balance, it's actually a good thing."

"Mm."

Just then.

A public phone booth not far from them suddenly rang with an urgent bell.

The fixed frequency within the ringing sound seemed to convey some kind of message.

Professor Chamberson instantly squeezed into the small phone booth and placed the old receiver to his ear.

He didn't say a word throughout the call, merely listening silently to the sounds coming from the receiver.

After the call ended, Professor Chamberson emerged from the phone booth, took out a business card with an owl's head printed on it, and handed it to Yi Chen.

"I received a last-minute meeting notice, so you'll have to handle the custom clothing by yourself.

The [Tailor Shop] is at the end of the street; although it's quite remote, it's still quite conspicuous in this area.

When you arrive at the shop, give my business card to that old fellow, and he'll naturally tailor the most suitable clothing for you."

"Okay..."

Yi Chen accepted the card and bowed in thanks.

By the time Yi Chen looked up, Professor Chamberson had already vanished.

"Speaking of which, my temporary accommodation hasn't been arranged yet, has it? Never mind... I'll go get my clothes custom-made first, and worry about sleeping later. Worst case, I can just sleep on the streets."

To minimize trouble, Yi Chen pressed his fingers against his face, Hiss—he quickly constructed a green mask to conceal his features.

He also made an environmentally friendly plant-fiber handbag, hiding the black box of "Gentleman's Skin" within it.

Walking through the depths of the lower district, the streets were lined with peculiar shops, many without signs and with their doors half-open.

Some emitted fragrant scents, while others carried a faint whiff of blood.

Yi Chen ultimately suppressed his curiosity.

He could explore these places later, once he became a Gentleman.

Following Professor Chamberson's description, he finally arrived at a narrower street corner.

A black building with a strong Gothic style caught Yi Chen's eye. It also had no sign.

He stepped onto the stone stairs leading to the entrance.

Just as he was about to knock on the front door, Creak—

The front door, painted with pitch-black paint, opened on its own. The extremely dim interior revealed no living soul.

"Is anyone here?"

Yi Chen cautiously stepped inside.

Unlike the clothing store in Easton Town, this place not only lacked any light source but also didn't have a single piece of clothing.

Instead, there were hundreds of life-sized, stone-carved "human sculptures."

They filled every corner of the room, dividing the spacious, open floor plan into winding, labyrinthine paths, creating a sense of claustrophobia.

Even more unsettling, perhaps because the facial features were not yet carved, the human sculptures all had their heads covered with white cloths, giving off a sinister and eerie aura.

Besides that, piles of large canvases were stacked in the corners of the room, all displaying paintings related to the human body. Some were already covered in cobwebs.

"Did I come to the wrong place?"

Just as Yi Chen began to suspect he had stumbled into a run-down art gallery, Whoosh—a subtle movement occurred.

A white cloth drifted down onto Yi Chen's shoulder.

Simultaneously, a faint breath sounded from behind him.

He could also feel a chill blowing against his neck.

"Huh!?"

Yi Chen reached for the Hand Axe at his waist and swiftly turned around.

He saw a sculpture with uncarved facial features standing behind him. Its stiff arm had, at some point, been raised and was now pointing in a certain direction.

Following the direction of its finger, he vaguely saw a winding staircase leading to the second floor.

At the same time, Tap... tap...

The sound of leather shoes and a cane meeting echoed from the stairwell.

Wearing a brown beret, a mask covering half his face, a middle-aged man in a sharp suit was slowly descending the stairs.

It was worth noting that

the suit was divided into two colors: left and right.

The left side was black, the right side was red with flame patterns (the right side of his face was also covered by the mask).

The man's right hand wore a rubber glove, and he needed the support of his cane to walk downstairs.

"Who introduced a new person like you?"

"Professor Chamberson was supposed to come with me, but he received a meeting notification halfway here... so I had to come alone."

Just as Yi Chen prepared to step forward and present his owl business card, Click~

The human sculptures surrounding him actually started moving, mechanically raising their arms to block his path.

"Ahem... I can smell the owl on you, no need to show any identification. You just need to tell me why you're here."

"Alright."

Yi Chen cut to the chase, directly taking out the 10x10cm "Gentleman's Skin" from the black box. The moment the skin was displayed, all the sculptures in the shop exhibited a 'shedding symptom.' Layers of stone skin peeled away from their bodies, revealing their muscle and vascular tissue (both made of stone).

The shop owner, standing on the staircase, widened his eyes and couldn't help but exclaim, "Such a large piece of 'Initial Skin'? Put it away for now; this kind of thing isn't suitable for prolonged exposure."

"Understood."

As he put the skin back into the box, the unrest of the human sculptures immediately ceased. Yi Chen added, "Professor Chamberson specifically mentioned that only you in Zion City can perfectly handle and process this kind of [Skin]."

"He's not wrong. Most of the tailor shops in plain sight are just filled with a bunch of good-for-nothings. Giving them this kind of skin would be a complete waste. Come with me. The [full customization] process is quite complex and requires a certain amount of patience."