Three Quests

[Gentleman Hall]

Everyone sat on benches painted brown, waiting quietly.

Edmund took out a pocket watch from inside his coat lining, etched with his family's winged emblem.

"Today's pace is a bit slow... is it because William joined the team? Usually, a mission list arrives within ten minutes, but it's been nearly half an hour today."

Julianna, her face veiled in black gauze and her hands resting lightly on her lap at the edge of her seat, said softly:

"William is on his first mission in half a year due to special circumstances, and he's actually met the First Gentleman. It's difficult to assess his strength accurately, so perhaps those above are still discussing and deliberating."

"That makes sense.

Generally, individuals who score above 95 points will frantically take on missions whenever they have free time... it's truly rare for someone to take a six-month leave of absence. Let's wait a bit longer."

Forty minutes passed.

A middle-aged man wearing a black tailcoat, white bow tie, and a tilted top hat approached them.

His sunken cheeks and prominent cheekbones exuded a serious aura.

He also wore a badge on his chest, symbolizing his special status.

"Supervisor!"

Edmund, who was well-informed, recognized the position indicated by the badge at a glance. This person was one of the supervisors of the [Gentleman Hall], primarily responsible for handling troublesome matters above and communicating with powerful individuals such as high-ranking gentlemen and doctors. He rarely appeared in the lower districts.

The man did not reply.

Instead, his gaze settled on Yi Chen, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

His purpose in coming down was to personally see what the recipient of the "First Gentleman" title looked like and why he had taken half a year to recover.

After a period of observation, apart from the unknown pet hidden on his shoulder and the "emblem" that was not outwardly displayed, he could only conclude two words: [Ordinary].

Compared to the geniuses who had met the First Gentleman shortly after arriving in Zion, Yi Chen showed neither madness nor any particularly outstanding characteristics... If judged solely by his outward appearance, Edmund and the other two seemed more exceptional.

"Considering your team's conditions objectively, I've personally increased the difficulty slightly and selected three missions.

The list is right here; please choose yourselves.

If you believe the three missions on the list are unsuitable, I can help you switch to another batch. Of course, the difficulty won't change much."

"Alright."

After handing over the envelope, the supervisor showed no signs of leaving.

He sat down on an adjacent bench, awaiting their choice... and proactively indicated that they didn't need to rush, as he had plenty of time.

The envelope was opened, revealing three exquisite letters made of cowhide.

1. [Ghost Village Sacrifice]

Event Location: Southeast jungle of Herwin Valley (72km from Zion)

Pathogenization Detected: Confirmed (100%)

*Category: Mental Pathogenesis

Requirements: Infiltrate the primitive village, investigate the root cause of the pathogenization. Implement effective area containment, and eradicate the source and all villagers, leaving none behind.

Difficulty (Persons): ★★★☆

Special Reminder: There is a high probability of encountering "Severe Diseased" among the villagers, and an extremely small chance of encountering "Patient Zero."

*Patient Zero: An extremely rare type of the Diseased. Although infected by the pathogen, they can completely break free from all control by the pathogen's main body upon reaching the "Diseased" stage, possessing absolute independence.

If encountered during the mission and confirmed as Patient Zero, persuade them as much as possible and bring them back to Zion or a nearby [Clinic] or [Graveyard].

Base Reward: Several silver coins, 20cm x 20cm of "Gentleman's Skin" with an ancient aura, Mission Points (Quality) +1.

*Additional rewards may be given based on completion, discovery of extra clues, etc.

*If more than 20% of the villagers escape, the mission will be considered a failure.

2. [Suspected Pathogenized Apartment Building]

Event Location: Dexterton City (103km from Zion)

*Previous Report: According to information transmitted by investigators from the incident site, tenants have frequently gone missing in an apartment building at 73 Lycan Street (eleven cases). Investigators found no abnormalities through conventional means.

Pathogenization Detected: Not yet detected (suspected deep concealment, pathogen is in a latent growth stage)

Requirements: Assist Gentleman Investigator Lambert Chenovi in uncovering the cause of the tenant disappearances.

Difficulty (Persons): ?? (Difficulty cannot be assessed until the presence, level, and category of the pathogen are identified)

*If a hidden pathogen is discovered, act according to the judgment of Investigator Lambert to eliminate it, request organizational support, or evacuate immediately.

Special Reminder: The difficulty of this mission is unassessable. It is possible that the apartment building itself is the pathogen, so please choose whether to accept this mission with caution.

Reward: To be determined based on the final investigation and handling of the incident.

3. [Secret Medicine Recovery]

Incident Location: Vinal City (approx. 51km from Zion)

Previous Excerpt: Two months ago, Vinal City was struck by the "False Moon Incident", resulting in the deaths of over 90% of its residents. The entire city was paralyzed and eventually turned into ruins.

The [Twilight Clinic], built on the outskirts of the city, was also severely affected and recently forced to be abandoned.

One week ago, A gentleman squad responsible for recovery work within the organization went to the Twilight Clinic to perform 'Secret Medicine Recovery'.

Due to incorrect information provided by the clinic, a subsequent manual verification revealed that one bottle of Secret Medicine had not been recovered.

Pathogen Detection: There is a small probability of residual pathogenization from the "False Moon Incident".

*The pathogenic entity that caused the False Moon Incident has been completely slain by gentlemen from various organizations; there is no need to worry.

Requirements:

1. Proceed to the [Twilight Clinic] and recover the missed Secret Medicine.

2. If the Secret Medicine cannot be found, use the instant camera provided by the organization to photograph every corner of the clinic to obtain proof that the Secret Medicine may have been stolen.

Difficulty (Person): ★★★+? (It is uncertain whether the remnants of the False Moon Incident are capable of rapid growth, so the difficulty may exceed three stars)

Special Reminder: Upon accepting this mission, you may apply to view partial information about the "False Moon Incident".

Base Reward: Several silver coins, 20cm x 20cm of "Gentleman's Skin" with an old-world aura, Mission Points (Quality) +1.

*Depending on completion, discovery of additional clues, etc., additional rewards may be given.

*If the Secret Medicine bottle is brought back, depending on performance, each person may receive one or more drops of Secret Medicine Source Liquid.

These three missions made Edmund's scalp tingle.

Each one had more variables than the last. Except for the first mission, which had a relatively stable difficulty, the other two had variable difficulties.

The most difficult mission he had taken before was only two and a half stars. During one mission, they encountered unexpected danger, which almost caused Dagobert to permanently lose an arm. After returning, everyone took half a month to recover.

Of course, After half a year of study and practical experience, all three had improved. Furthermore, their team had gained Yi Chen, an acceptor of the "First Gentleman".

Facing three-star or three-and-a-half-star missions was now considered reasonable.

Julianna, who rarely spoke, suddenly suggested in a low voice:

"Captain... should we consider the third mission? Missions related to [Secret Medicine] are very rare and are considered rare missions that only high-level gentlemen can access.

According to the previous excerpt, since the recovery team went there a week ago, they must have also cleaned the clinic during the Secret Medicine recovery.

If we can obtain the Secret Medicine Source Liquid in advance through this mission, it will be beneficial for our subsequent breakthroughs in Status."

"We don't even know what type of Secret Medicine it is, and the "False Moon Incident" likely involves something ancient... I'm having trouble deciding.

William, what do you think?"

Yi Chen simply replied, "My thoughts are similar to Julianna's; benefits and risks coexist."

"Alright. Even if I ask the supervisor to change it, the difficulty probably won't be much lower. Besides, this mission is relatively close. If we're lucky enough, we might be able to bring the Secret Medicine back in a day.

However, I personally have one request.

Let's formally execute this mission tomorrow, or the day after.

This is our first time facing a three-star, or even higher difficulty mission. We need to make thorough preparations before departing."

"Okay."