As Yi Chen was influenced by "Skin Stripping" from deep within the Official Residence, Qian Bosen deliberately paused and waited, but offered no assistance.
Minutes passed,
and when Yi Chen had recovered, he softly spoke his assessment.
"It would be even better if you could withstand the 'Whispers of Divine Skin' by your own will next time.
We still need to walk for half an hour,
before meeting the First Gentleman,
I have some personal questions to ask you."
"Okay."
"What else did you experience during the process of eliminating the 'Watcher' at the bottom of the lake? Did you see any special scenes beyond the assessment area?"
Yi Chen had no intention of concealing anything,
and he detailed his experiences of being mentally attacked by a giant eye, his consciousness being packaged and sent to the Abyss Laboratory,
especially the epic music echoing in his mind,
the figure dressed symbolizing the final state of the fish,
and the gold frame appearing above his head,
just as Yi Chen was about to mention the ancient name on the frame,
snap!
Qian Bosen, walking ahead, spun around superfast and covered his mouth with his hand.
"Beware of uttering such ancient, origin-nature names,
not only will it cause severe, fundamental Pathological effects on you,
but it might also expose the specific locations of Zion and the Divine Skin Mansion,
given that you have not fully joined the organization and it's your first offense, I will not pursue this matter.
Surviving such circumstances indeed qualifies you to meet the First Gentleman."
"Mr. Qian Bosen, what exactly is the fish species in the abyss?"
"Beings of ancient times, related to the 'Origin'... far beyond your reach, I too only know the tip of the iceberg.
As for more information, when you reach a sufficient level, seek it out yourself.
Let's not get sidetracked,
tell me about your experience in the Seven-Day Graveyard."
"Alright."
When Qian Bosen found out that Yi Chen was just an ordinary person with no formal training, externally hired,
he was quite surprised,
an ordinary person who, just by receiving enhanced senses, had managed to kill a newly transformed Patient... such a case is almost unseen across all areas governed by the organization.
Not to mention, Yi Chen had also adopted Pathological Traits afterward.
"No wonder Albert recommended you so actively~ I believe the First Gentleman will also be pleased to have such special new blood joining the organization."
As they chatted,
the two had descended a hundred meters down the spiral staircase,
Qian Bosen took out a unique high-rank seal, unlocking the iron door that sealed the lowest level of the staircase,
creeeak—
Due to continuously moving through wall crevices and the spiral staircase in such a narrow space, a sense of claustrophobia overwhelmed his mind.
As the iron door opened,
the sense of space expanded tens of times, and they were greeted by the warm light of candles, sweeping away the claustrophobia.
However,
Yi Chen felt no relief, instead feeling even more oppressed and uneasy.
The so-called "Deep within the Official Residence"
turned out to be a medieval church buried deep underground.
The nave was high, the aisles on either side low, long rows of pillars guiding visitors towards the altar.
But this underground church had no windows,
it seemed uninterested in receiving the divine light descending from Heaven,
nor in communicating with 'the above' in any form,
instead of windows, there were square niches carved out between the walls, within which candles were placed,
creating light artificially,
signifying a certain belief and resolve of the organization.
Next, what made Yi Chen extremely anxious and even more eerie were the 'design' and 'entities'
[Above the Altar]
hung a 'human' whose life or death was unclear,
the reason for the quotes was that his physical structure and proportions were human-like, but he was nearly six meters tall.
His scruffy white hair falling over a middle-aged face,
covering his body was an old, hole-ridden black suit with a few patches,
≮Additional Organisms≯
six foreign organisms were additionally sewn onto his body, only four of which were visible externally.
1. An old arm installed on the right scapula,
2. A sea-blue eye embedded in the back of the head,
3. An ear fitting on the back of the right hand,
4. A spine covered with skin, connected to the lumbar vertebrae, extending out like a tail,
Not visible:
5. A white skin stitched to the chest, featuring strange tattoos,
6. A human-faced heart, fully implanted in the right chest, functioning normally.
All six foreign tissues came from former First Gentlemen, bearing their traits and will from before their deaths.
≮Suspension Method≯
Chains from the top of the church,
wrapped around his limbs,
Nails pierced into his back's skin,
transversely penetrating his nape,
the whole person suspended in a cruciform above the altar,
these iron chains touching his flesh seemed to have been bestowed with some kind of liveliness, the cold steel became warm, and the surface even began to sprout flesh-colored skin.
This was Alexis King Claude, the seventh master of the Divine Skin Mansion.
"This is the First Gentleman…"
Upon seeing this scene,
Yi Chen became puzzled about the reward he was about to receive, and even started to feel uneasy.
As he approached the steps in front of the altar with White Eagle,
the First Gentleman's eyes slowly opened,
and for a moment,
Yi Chen's skin all over his body began to wriggle.
"Since the jury has given you a very high appraisal, step onto the final Holy Rank, and accept my skin," he said.
"Yes."
Only then did Yi Chen realize
that the highest-tier reward, "Gentleman's Skin," was directly taken from the master of Divine Skin Mansion.
Though unaware of the "skin's" utility,
it was bound to greatly assist his future development,
he took a deep breath.
Without much hesitation,
Yi Chen ensured to maintain a standard posture and graceful demeanor as much as possible,
and as he stepped onto the stair,
clang clang~ the iron chains moved.
The once-suspended First Gentleman, Claude, landed on the altar, bending over to gaze at the small youth before him,
"Come into contact with me."
He extended his hand at the same time,
their palms met,
and in that instant,
Yi Chen could no longer control the 'sex change' of his skin, which became completely uncontrollable, flowing like a liquid.
Similarly,
there was an indescribable feeling of skin flowing toward him like a liquid.
It was like a 'Skin Swap'.
This sensation of liquid flowing,
involuntarily reminded him of a memory that should have been deleted, a black sea filled with ink, the sense of the tide's flow sweeping away a part of something inside his body.
Hum!
During the 'Skin Transmission' process, First Gentleman Claude suddenly felt a pull of death from within Yi Chen... even slowly forming a small black vortex that actively sucked his skin.
"Death?"
The old decaying arm attached to Claude's back suddenly swung! Forcibly interrupting the contact between the two.
However,
immersed in the acceptance state, Yi Chen was completely unaware of what was happening outside,
until he opened his eyes again,
there was an additional 10cm×10cm "Gentleman's Skin" in his hand,
he could distinctly feel that the skin was alive.
At the same moment,
White Eagle Qian Bosen standing below the step also revealed a rare surprised expression,
"Such a large piece?"
He had seen some extremely excellent newcomers who had met the First Gentleman before, but had never seen anyone receive such a large piece of skin.
Clang clang~ the iron chains moved,
the First Gentleman returned to a suspended state.
Simultaneously, a black box appeared above the altar.
"Keep your 'skin' and proceed to the acceptance ceremony... I too am curious to see what kind of gentleman you will be identified as," he said.
"Yes."
Yi Chen quickly approached the altar, placed the skin into the box, and held it in his arms.
Before parting,
the First Gentleman added a phrase, more meant for White Eagle to hear.
"From the skin contact just now, I find your constitution very ordinary, devoid of any basic training... more like an 'outsider'.
Qian Bosen, this young man's basic training needs to be accelerated, requiring much more time than others.
If necessary, it's possible to apply to the institute for a long-term secluded study.
In any case, this matter is up to you.
Talent must be properly cultivated, for we do not have much time left."
"Yes."
The conversation ended.
The white skin additionally attached to the First Gentleman's chest bore an incomprehensible ancient pattern.
"Space Squeezing"
In an instant,
Yi Chen and Qian Bosen had returned to the assessment review's side hall.
As if the encounter with the First Gentleman had merely occurred in a fleeting dream,
feeling the black box in his hand and the lively Gentleman's Skin inside,
the thrill of harvesting top-tier spoils surged with excitement, joy, and satisfaction,
"Heading to the bottom of the lake... was indeed the right choice."