Departure

Perhaps because it was his first time swallowing a hard object the size of a ping-pong ball,

perhaps because what came next would determine whether he lived or died,

or perhaps because of the sensory enhancement Little Meatball had brought him,

Yi Chen could actually feel the digestive reactions taking place inside his stomach,

The crystal's smooth, embryo-like surface bubbled continuously under the corrosion of stomach acid, breaking down... The digested surface turned into nutrients and was absorbed by his stomach,

Eventually exposing the diseased material within the crystal's core,

A "green strip" somewhere between a roundworm and a root filament.

It entered his intestines through his stomach, where digestive enzymes, bile, and the like broke it down and absorbed it, sending it into his bloodstream.

In an instant,

The blood throughout Yi Chen's body glowed fluorescent green,

The structures of his blood vessel walls actually began undergoing a process unique to plants: secondary growth, a process resembling the interlocking combination of plant vascular bundles within blood vessels.

The entire process was excruciating, as if his blood vessels were being torn away from the rest of his body,

Far surpassing the violent pain caused when his feet were pierced through and pulled free earlier,

Just as his consciousness was about to be scattered by the pain,

The diseased essence mixed within his blood finally flowed into the depths of his brain, carrying his thoughts into a strange memory from the past.

It was a fragmentary signal memory stored among plant cells,

Using Yi Chen's brain to integrate and process it, before ultimately projecting it into his memory region for him to "experience firsthand."

He could feel the entire process of a tree sprouting from a seed, growing into a sapling, and forming its trunk.

He experienced roots growing downward into the earth, drinking in water from deep within the soil, and the subtle sensation of forming a symbiotic structure with the bacteria in the soil.

He felt the unique photosynthesis between plant cells and breathed in the carbon dioxide in the air.

He experienced the stages of transformation—primary growth and secondary growth—establishing a complete and healthy plant system before becoming an inconspicuous guardian of the Cemetery.

Until he was ultimately infected by an unknown pathogen and transformed into a Living Corpse through mimicry.

What Yi Chen himself did not know was that while he was reading this plant memory,

His physical body in the Surgery Room was undergoing a bizarre transformation.

Green primary stems sprouted from his pores one after another, poking out through his cuffs, collar, and waistband.

Writhing fungal hyphae emerged from the gap between his lips, his nostrils, and his ear canals.

His widened pupils were dyed green, constantly expanding and contracting to different sizes.

No one knew how long this state lasted,

When the reading of the memory ended and his thoughts returned to reality,

"Did I survive?"

Yi Chen hurriedly examined his entire body. He found no trace of bark or branches—they had already retracted into his body... His body was still the same as before, though he vaguely felt that his physical abilities had improved somewhat.

The Cemetery's Administrator, Mr. Wilbert, wore a satisfied smile.

"I knew you could do it."

He seemed to have expected Yi Chen to survive.

He brought over the unprocessed vegetarian food he had prepared in advance,

When Yi Chen saw the vegetables,

He felt as if he were a starving vagrant looking upon a feast, and he wolfed them down without the slightest concern for his appearance, eating a full five or six pounds of vegetarian food.

During the meal,

The wounds caused by his earlier battle with the Living Corpse actually began healing at a visible rate, and the fine-hair sutures provided by Little Meatball were covered by new flesh.

Yi Chen muttered, "My body... has undergone some kind of change."

The Administrator explained, "That's right. You have perfectly accepted the 'diseased trait' within the crystal. As for exactly how it has changed your body, you'll have to investigate that yourself.

"Once you officially become a member of the organization, you'll be able to conduct a detailed search of this trait."

As he spoke,

The Administrator took a special metal Business Card from his pocket. It was silver from top to bottom.

The organization's G&D emblem was engraved on the back,

While the front bore the word Seven-Day in an elegant, flowing italic script, representing the Seven-Day Graveyard where they currently were.

As he handed over the card, he continued,

"Since you fulfilled the 'requirements,' the little fellow on your shoulder belongs to you as well.

"Note that if anyone asks about the little fellow's origins, you may choose not to answer.

"If necessary, simply show them this Business Card. It will save you a great deal of trouble.

"The world is diseased.

"Even healthy creatures have become suspicious by nature. When traveling alone, avoid trouble whenever possible."

"Thank you."

Just as Yi Chen took the card, Wilbert suddenly remembered an important question.

"It seems I never asked for your own wishes before taking it upon myself to guide you into joining the organization.

"Let's start over... Do you want to become a member of the organization?

"If your desire isn't strong or you feel resistant, you can continue working at the Cemetery. Once your contract expires, you'll receive a generous salary."

Yi Chen answered without hesitation:

"I want to see what the outside world is like."

"Good.

"Tomorrow at noon, go to the East Exit of the town.

"Show the coachman your Business Card, and he'll naturally take you to an area connected to the organization."

As he spoke, the Administrator tossed over a small Linen Pouch filled with heavy coins.

"These are the wages you've gone unpaid for over the past few months, along with a special bonus for this incident.

"Since your Work Clothes were destroyed during the battle,

"Before you leave, remember to visit the finest Clothing Store in Easton Town... Show the Business Card to the Boss, and she will make you a set of high-quality clothes suited to your identity.

"The organization has certain requirements regarding a person's attire and appearance.

"Don't throw away the gentlemanly etiquette you learned at the Orphanage... Elegant habits can effectively shield the mind from the influence of disease."

"Understood. But..."

Yi Chen looked somewhat reluctant at the Silver-Plated Hand Axe in his hand. Whether in craftsmanship or in the Disease Removal effect brought by its silver composition, the axe was quite impressive.

The Administrator waved his hand.

"Take this Basic Weapon made by an Organization Craftsman, along with the specially made Long-Lasting Kerosene Lamp. The journey to the organization won't be smooth, and a light source and a sharp weapon are indispensable."

"Thank you."

There was not much time left before dawn the next day,

After saying goodbye, Yi Chen returned to the Wooden Cabin to sleep and rest.

When the faint sunlight pierced through layers of mist and squeezed through the narrow gaps between the branches and leaves into the Cemetery,

The young man, with the Kerosene Lamp and hand axe stored at his waist, bowed deeply toward Graveyard Plot 7 before setting off...

At the same time,

At the entrance to Graveyard Plot 7,

The Cemetery Administrator, Mr. Wilbert, watched the young man's departing figure through crow-like eyes that pierced past the buildings and trees in the Cemetery. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

He seemed extremely reluctant to part with some "item" the young man had taken away.

It was not the high-quality crystal extracted from the corpse,

But the Cemetery's important product, Little Meatball, clinging to Yi Chen's shoulder.

"I wonder whether such an expensive investment was worth it.

"The Consciousness Mature Body of the Nameless Graveyard hasn't appeared for over a hundred years, has it?

"And it just happened to appear alongside a Potential Person capable of killing a Living Corpse and accepting a crystal.

"Coincidence? Or some kind of synchronicity?

"Forget it... I'll treat it as a huge gamble."

During his conversation with Yi Chen yesterday, the Administrator had deliberately avoided explaining Little Meatball in detail, merely glossing over it with "pet" and "Cemetery Product."

What was more, Yi Chen did not know that

The division of the graveyards corresponded not only to differences in corpse forms, rules of management, and gravestone types.

The order from 1 to 6 also held great significance.

As the number increased, the production cycle for the corresponding "products" of the graveyard grew dramatically, while the complexity and danger of the corpses buried there increased step by step.

In other words,

The Nameless Strange Corpses buried in Graveyard Plot 6, with no names and unknown origins, were the most dangerous.