The Last Gentleman-Chapter 134: Companions and Friends

Chapter 134: Companions and Friends

Zed, also known as the "Corpse Maker."

A certified "Chief Surgeon" from Gethsemane and a Ph.D. holder in Pathology from the Hippocratic Grand Hospital, he became a distinguished professor at the Alfarostic Academy within just five years—earning the title of the youngest professor of his time.

With unparalleled strength, talent, and a unique understanding of the human body, he once attracted the First Gentleman’s keen interest and was regarded as one of humanity’s beacons of hope for the future.

Unfortunately, during a deep exploration of the Gray Zone, he was stripped of his [Eye] authority. His already eccentric personality grew even more unhinged.

Even after an extended period of treatment, recuperation, and psychological counseling following his return from the Gray Zone, his behavior remained unpredictable.

During his time back at the academy, Zed was frequently the subject of complaints from newly admitted Gentlemen, until one incident...

Perhaps it was due to Zed’s own worsening condition,

Perhaps an arrogant newcomer relied too much on their family background and spoke out of turn,

Perhaps an unexpected event occurred in the classroom,

Perhaps the lingering influence of the Gray Zone still festered within him, refusing to dissipate—

In the end, seven newly enrolled Gentlemen lost their lives.

Following an official investigation, the details of the case were classified as confidential.

Considering the peculiar circumstances of the incident, Zed’s invaluable contributions, and his irreplaceable expertise, the tribunal decided to imprison him for life in the depths of the academy’s teaching complex. However, he was provided with adequate resources for his experiments, daily life, and other needs—allowing him to continue his research on deceased patients under confinement.

At the same time,

Hogni Zed was officially designated as a "Specially Noted Combat Asset" to be deployed in the event of future crises.

Zed’s reputation within the academy was unparalleled—everyone knew his name.

Even the cafeteria manager personally stationed himself outside Zed’s private dining room whenever he ate.

Should the notoriously eccentric Zed make any excessive food requests, the manager could immediately arrange for them. Likewise, if Zed engaged in any violations, he would report them to the academy authorities as necessary.

The manager checked his watch and let out a relieved sigh.

“Phew~ Everything seems fine.

They should be finishing up their meal now. Zed’s outdoor activity time has only twenty minutes remaining.

If he doesn’t leave in time, a professor-level Gentleman will come to forcibly escort him back.

Let’s hope nothing goes wrong.”

Just as the fat manager took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat off his forehead—

Boom!

A deafening explosion rocked the private dining room.

The shock made his entire plump body tremble, and he immediately rushed inside, completely forgetting about his expensive handkerchief, now lying on the floor.

Inside the room—

Zed’s upper body, shredded into pieces, had landed perfectly upright on the dining table.

His lower half, having been forcefully launched by a massive impact, had ricocheted off the wall and gotten stuck in the ceiling chandelier.

Despite his body being torn apart, not a single drop of blood had spilled.

"What’s going on?!"

The manager was horrified and, using his hefty body, tried to tackle Yi Chen, who was still holding a firearm.

But before he could act—

Zed’s upper half suddenly crawled toward him, sternly scolding:

"Who gave you permission to come in?"

The manager froze in confusion. "I… I was just…!"

At that moment, Yi Chen had already put his gun away, sealing it within oak resin before shutting the container. He quickly stepped forward to explain:

"It’s fine!

Professor Zed and I were just testing a new weapon. We didn’t expect the noise to be this loud—our apologies."

Yi Chen deliberately glanced at his watch and acted shocked.

"Huh!? It’s already this late?

Professor Zed, you only have twenty minutes of outdoor time left!

If you stay out too long on your first outing, it’ll be even harder to get permission for future excursions."

"Ah~ Then let’s hurry back."

Clatter—

The chandelier shook, and Zed’s lower half dropped back onto the table with a thump.

Ssssshh—

A faint, ancient energy leaked from the wounds as both halves rapidly fused together, restoring him to perfect condition.

He then spat out several metal bullets onto the table, returning them to Yi Chen.

His eyes gleamed with appreciation for the firearm.

Edmund and the others naturally accompanied Zed back to the teaching complex.

However, none of them had clearance to enter the underground section where Zed was confined, so they could only bid him farewell at the entrance.

Everything that needed to be said had already been discussed back in the cafeteria.

Edmund simply waved and turned away with his teammates.

As the three of them walked further away, their distance from Yi Chen also grew.

But then—

"Wait!" Yi Chen suddenly called out.

"Miss Julianna, if you don’t mind, I can offer regenerative treatment on weekdays while on campus. Although the effects aren’t very strong, it should shorten your recovery time by about ten days."

"If you ever need someone for a suitable mission, feel free to call me anytime."

Edmund did not respond verbally. He simply raised his right hand behind his back, making an "OK" gesture before slowly disappearing from sight.

At this moment, Zed spoke in a rare, teacher-like tone:

"In this regard, Edmund is better than you.

This place is far from a peaceful world—it's a place where a single mistake can lead to sickness and death.

If a natural gap exists between people, and that gap only continues to widen as they grow… then there’s no need to consider past relationships, nor is there a need to deliberately lend others a hand.

Doing so would not only slow your own growth,

but it would also prevent the other party from receiving the necessary trials and development."

"Understood."

"That being said, that kid's family is quite impressive. To think they could harness such a living ill-substance entity to create such a flawless firearm…

Its weight, length, and attack mode all suit you perfectly.

It also proves how well Edmund understands you—he truly is a good brother.

Helping him out from time to time isn’t a bad idea either. It’s up to you.

From now on, let’s include this gun in our physical sparring sessions. The feeling of being blasted at close range is just too exhilarating.

You also have a real talent for firearms. The way you handle a gun doesn’t resemble that of a beginner at all.

Practice well, and in the future, this weapon might just become your means of purging disease."

"Alright."

"No time to waste—let's begin our physical training."

Time passed.

Before he knew it, Yi Chen had already spent an entire year in Zion.

During this time, he never slacked off—

reading, special training, and occasionally going to Gethsemane with Jin for tactical and combat drills.

His two main attributes, Physique and Intellect, hadn’t increased,

but he could clearly feel his Intellect approaching an improvement threshold,

while his Physique underwent subtle changes during training.

As long as he accumulated enough, he might experience a breakthrough in an upcoming field mission.

Meanwhile, his Motorics—which represents neural response and physical speed—underwent a noticeable change.

A month ago, during a combat drill in Gethsemane,

Yi Chen miraculously dodged a flying dagger from behind with an impossible reaction speed.

The moment he evaded, his Motorics attribute increased to 3.

That dagger served as a catalyst, breaking through a barrier, converting a year’s worth of accumulated reflex training into an immediate stat boost.

One year after becoming a Gentleman, Yi Chen’s base stats were as follows:

[Physique]: 4+

[Motorics]: 3

[Intellect]: 5+

[Psyche]: 3

[Luck]: 3

Although he still couldn't compare to Jin,

these stats already surpassed most rookie Gentlemen.

There was also an important matter at hand.

Alfarostic Academy was about to conduct an Evaluation for all first-year Gentlemen,

especially those who only took on easy tasks every month to scrape by.

If they failed the evaluation, the academy wouldn’t expel them outright,

but their privileges would be reduced, and they would face stricter requirements in their second year.

Failure to meet these new conditions would result in forced expulsion.

Due to his record of completing a five-star difficulty mission, Yi Chen was granted an exemption from the test.

However—

Both his first mentor, Professor Chamberson, and his second mentor, Zed, insisted he participate.

Professor Chamberson believed the academy's evaluation would be interesting, potentially allowing Yi Chen to learn something new or even gain the academy's recognition, which could grant him access to better resources.

Zed, on the other hand, simply wanted to show off his student.

In his eyes, Yi Chen had fully inherited his physical combat expertise.

If Yi Chen performed well, he might even be granted early leave privileges from the academy.

Early Morning

Zed slapped Yi Chen awake, dragging him off the treadmill where he had been sleep-running.

"Get up already!

I specifically freed up two hours of my outdoor time. We need to arrive at the evaluation site early, so those guys can witness what my student is capable of!"

Dark circles under his eyes and a pale complexion, Yi Chen weakly muttered:

"Ah… right, the evaluation is today. I stayed up too late training yesterday and completely forgot… so sleepy~"