Early Departure

Standing outside the door, Jin maintained his pose of a temporary farewell wave, as if the gears within him had jammed and time had frozen.

He only resumed his normal posture when Yi Chen walked out of the Tailoring Room again.

Seeing Yi Chen in a formal, elegant suit that exuded an academic aura, one could roughly guess his vocational direction.

"The academic style~ It seems your profession leans towards learning and thinking.

I can smell the ancient aura emanating from your clothes even from this far away. Is this the Gentleman's Skin?

Unlike me, I can only make do with this diluted old skin for now, sigh~"

Jin dismissed the concept of skin with an 80-point assessment score, which exuded an old-world aura, as insignificant.

He had long since discarded the storage box.

The "Gentleman's Skin," which others regarded as a treasure, was casually tucked inside his shirt.

Jin's gaze turned to the entrance of the Tailoring Room. "Mr. Ivan~ Can my outfit be made now? Just whip something up, as long as it can check my physical condition.

I'll come back to you for a proper remake once I get the same skin as William."

"Having too much skin isn't necessarily a good thing. You'll understand that later.

Besides, I won't treat my creations carelessly. Hurry up and come over~ After I finish your order, I need a good ten days to half a month's rest."

Jin shrugged and walked directly towards the Tailoring Room.

Since Yi Chen was standing in the middle, they brushed past each other... Jin's fingers also slid onto Yi Chen's shoulder.

"Hey~ I have an idea.

How about we form a special squad later? With our level, we'll definitely clear missions quickly. We can even consider applying for higher-level missions.

We can accumulate a large amount of high-quality skin in a short time to complete our outfits, and reach the limit of our Status sooner. Then we can do more truly meaningful things."

Faced with Jin's invitation to team up, Yi Chen still had many unknowns about organizations, the world, and the new occupational abilities he had just acquired; he was practically a blank slate and naturally declined.

"Our growth patterns might be different. We'll talk about it later."

"Boring man."

As Jin's fingers were about to slide off Yi Chen's shoulder, he suddenly exerted force!

The sudden sense of danger stimulated the plants within him, attempting to form a defensive layer on his shoulder.

However, his fingers slid normally off his shoulder, and nothing happened, as if it were some kind of trick that completely deceived Yi Chen's instincts.

Jin placed his hand, wearing a patterned glove, behind his back at hip level and shook it slightly in farewell... indicating he was still looking forward to their future cooperation.

After Jin walked into the Tailoring Room and the secret door closed, a drop of cold sweat slid down his temple and cheek, simultaneously being absorbed by his collar.

"This person... is so dangerous, more dangerous than any corrupted creature I've encountered."

At the same time, Little Grape squeezed out from his collar, stretching its body.

"He is indeed an extraordinary human~ Even I could feel a momentary killing intent and a sense of danger... but he could control it perfectly, as if nothing had happened.

William, why don't we team up with this guy?

With him around, we can save a lot of effort in fighting enemies.

After all, the Profession you chose, combined with the Senses I provide, allows us to legitimately call ourselves support Gentlemen."

"We'll see. I'll consider it later."

Little Grape did not comment on Yi Chen's choice of Profession or Gentleman's outfit.

However, from the way it jumped around on his shoulder, swaying its arms like seaweed, it was clear that it was quite satisfied with Yi Chen's changes.

Yi Chen recalled their recent conversation.

"According to Jin's statement, after becoming a Gentleman, completing various missions issued by Zion will also grant skin, used to complete, alter, or even remake outfits.

In this process, one can seemingly gradually touch the Human Limit and break through to the next Status stage."

Little Grape swayed its arms, "But it's not that simple! Your human race has been confined in restrictive physical prisons for generations. To break through the limit and shatter such a 'cage' requires immense sacrifice."

"Then let's reach the limit first... By the way, Little Grape, do you know what the next stage is?"

"My memories do not contain knowledge of that matter~ It is likely directly related to ancient beings and your Profession."

"Oh~ Speaking of which, Little Grape, will you kill me?"

The casual conversation was suddenly thrown into a strange and tense atmosphere by Yi Chen's question.

However, Little Grape wasn't unhappy. Instead, it rubbed its eyeballs with its teeth and said with a smile, "It seems like your outfit detected something, right? Is your evaluation of me particularly dangerous?"

Yi Chen nodded, "That's about the gist of it."

Little Grape put its small hands on its chest, its mouth narrowed into a slit like eyelids.

"I might indeed kill you... but that's with conditions. If I find you're no longer 'interesting,' filled with disgust for yourself and this world, abandoning the desire to explore the outside, and becoming a meaningless coward, I will end your life prematurely."

Hearing Little Grape's answer, Yi Chen looked relieved, as if this was the final answer he wanted.

"That's good... Please supervise me seriously, Little Grape. If I really become like that, or show signs of changing, I'll give you my two grapes. Remember to tell me how they taste."

"You're really interesting!"

This simple exchange significantly boosted Little Grape's interest.

It extended half of its eyeball and rubbed it against Yi Chen's cheek, smearing sticky fluid all over his face.

Two laughter, as suppressed as possible, echoed on the second floor.

Just then, The sound of a door opening downstairs could be heard again.

"Hmm? This tailor shop doesn't seem very discreet... Why are more people coming?"

As footsteps ascended to the second floor, a familiar owl came into view.

"Professor Chamberson? Did you finish your business?"

"It was an impromptu emergency meeting, and it was very short... Huh?! That's your outfit!"

When Professor Chamberson noticed Yi Chen's suit, his eyes widened dramatically.

The owl on his shoulder also stared with its bulging eyes, observing together.

About a minute passed.

"Perfect! Ivan's craftsmanship hasn't diminished due to his injury; it's become even more personal! It's simply too perfect... In fact, you're not worthy of this outfit yet. To be precise, you can't bring out the true potential of this outfit. As the 'First Gentleman' said, you're still a completely blank slate. I will give you a series of long-term special training so that you can catch up to other gentlemen on a 'fundamental level.' Report to the academy tomorrow, and then come directly to my office... Never mind! Let's not delay. Let's go to my office now and draft the relevant special training plan."

Professor Chamberson was already eager to polish this rare unpolished gem that was Yi Chen.

"Um... Manager Ivan asked me to stay here for a follow-up inspection of the outfit."

"With me here, you don't need to worry about that. I'll handle the follow-up inspection."

Professor Chamberson took out a fountain pen adorned with white feathers. The nib was carved with the organization's logo, and the body was decorated with ancient lacquer art depicting a half-body owl hidden within a tree trunk.

He wrote a note and slipped it into the seam of the hidden door.

The two were about to head to the Arfros Tistic Academy (Omphalo-Centric-Academy, or OCA).

Located deep to the north of Zion City, the academy's exterior is protected by towering walls that separate it from Zion City, giving it the feel of a city within a city. The academy is permanently shrouded in an aurora-filled night, with no day or night cycle, and all external observation is blocked, making it extremely sealed. It is a special academy that most gentlemen (excluding those with Black Letters) must attend. Gentlemen trained by the academy can significantly reduce their mortality rate when carrying out missions, exploring the Gray Zone, and facing the Diseased. It also effectively guides the gentleman group to touch the Human Limit faster and more stably.