Yi Chen had never worn such elegant and chic clothes before,
though they were ready-made,
their fit was over 90% perfect, not hindering movement at all, and the fabric that touched the skin was quite comfortable.
However,
the dissatisfaction was evident on the boss lady's face, hidden behind the thin veil,
"It's a pity you are not yet a member of the Organization, and there is not enough time.
Otherwise, I could have at least semi-custom made a more fitting and useful outfit for you... For now, this temporary 'casual wear' will have to do, I hope it won't affect the Organization's evaluation of you."
"I am already very satisfied,"
"Once you pass the Organization's assessment, you will get a chance for a free [Full Customization],
At that time, you can choose any tailor shop under the Organization to measure and tailor, truly experiencing the importance of dressing.
Remember,
a perfect outfit can 'stimulate' your spirit, and can create a style that's uniquely yours.
Wrapping your body in precious, ancient fabrics will decide how you present yourself to the world and whether you can survive in this current world.
You must invest a lot of energy in your attire, striving for perfection."
"Understood,"
Yi Chen pulled out a mechanical watch that was included as a bonus from his pocket,
only to realize that it was almost noon, with only half an hour left before the departure of the carriage.
After hurriedly saying goodbye to the boss lady, he quickly rushed to the town entrance.
Despite being in a rush,
when passing by a butcher's shop, Yi Chen still managed to spare some time to buy all the pig and cow eyes available, a total of thirteen.
Without any processing needed,
when he handed these so-called 'grapes' to the black meatball,
it directly gulped them down whole, bursting with juice inside its chamber, then slowly chewed.
The black fuzz all over its body gently fluttered during the eating process, seemingly enjoying it.
It finally felt satisfied after swallowing five.
The remaining 'grapes' were also swallowed whole into its body, stored and preserved... to be taken out and eaten when needed.
Yi Chen curiously asked,
"Do you only eat this?"
"Grapes are my staple, the nutrients contained in the juice are vital for my body.
I can eat other foods, of course, but they are not as important."
"It seems you don't have a name."
"Right, I was assembled from fermented incomplete corpse pieces from Grave No. 6, those bodies were all unnamed, so I essentially don't possess anything like a [Name]."
"How about I call you 'Little Grape'?"
"Sure."
The meatball once again waved its arms like waves, seemingly quite pleased with its new name.
In the last five minutes, Yi Chen finally reached the entrance of the town.
Two sturdy brown horses were pulling the large wooden carriage, which could accommodate at least eight people.
Noteworthy was,
both horses were wearing special breathing masks, their bodies covered with multiple layers of fabric, only exposing their hooves.
As the departure time was nearing,
the carriage was packed with masked, tightly wrapped townsfolk,
all carrying large and small luggage, ready to leave Easton Town.
Yi Chen quickly approached the white-haired coachman and discreetly showed the cemetery's business card.
Unexpectedly,
the seemingly aged and frail coachman quickly shot a piercing gaze like that of an eagle at the young man before him.
With a mouth full of old smoke slowly opening, smoke and voice emerging simultaneously,
"You sit in the back, the journey is long..."
"Understood,"
As he stepped into the carriage,
perhaps due to his elegant attire,
or perhaps due to the Little Grape perched on his shoulder.
The cramped townsfolk made way for him as much as possible, some even exhibiting a sense of fear, slightly trembling,
they pressed close to each other to make space for Yi Chen,
As the carriage started,
despite the rubber-coated wooden wheels, one could still feel the varying intensities of jolting.
Due to lack of sleep the previous night,
the boring carriage ride quickly brought on a sense of drowsiness, and Yi Chen rested his head on the wooden ledge of the carriage, entering into a dreamworld amidst the shaking and swaying.
After an unknown amount of time,
a restless unease inside the carriage woke Yi Chen up, and he instinctively looked at his watch.
"Have I slept for over three hours?"
Some of the passengers had left at a stop,
turning the previously cramped space into one where one could stretch out a bit and move around.
However,
the remaining passengers seemed anxious, and one could even directly see the fear of death in their pupils.
They pulled more fabric from their respective luggage to wrap around their bodies, even coiling it around themselves like mummies.
Just as Yi Chen was beginning to wonder,
the coachman's voice came from up front:
"We are about to enter the Grey Zone. Everyone try to minimize breathing and unnecessary physical activities, clear your thoughts… If any symptoms appear, regardless of severity, they will be treated as 'pathological'."
With that,
the coachman outside unfurled a black, thick cloth, sealing off the carriage.
Darkness fell,
and only the kerosene lamp at Yi Chen's waist could dispel the darkness inside the carriage.
Grey Zone
Yet another term I hadn't heard before,
analyzing the coachman's words, it must be a special area afflicted by pathological infection,
At this moment,
Little Grape sent a message:
"With me here, plus the fact that you have accepted a not-so-poor quality of Source Essence,
common Grey Zones like these pose little threat to you.
The only thing you need to be cautious of is the other people in the carriage. If you notice anything unusual about them, act as quickly as possible."
"Understood."
Yi Chen actually wanted to see what this so-called Grey Zone was like,
Unfortunately, since the carriage was sealed, he could only focus on the inside of the carriage.
As they journeyed through the Grey Zone,
aside from the jolting sounds, the carriage was silent,
the passengers sat like wooden figures, some even striking poses of prayer or kneeling.
One hour,
Two hours,
without any word from the coachman, nobody knew whether they had passed through the Grey Zone.
Just then,
a woman wrapped in deep red fabric began to show slight convulsions.
Because of the constant jolting, this anomaly went unnoticed by the other passengers,
However,
Yi Chen had already moved his right hand to the axe handle at his waist.
A few seconds later,
the woman leaned forward, making a vomiting gesture,
Hiss… black smoke rose.
The mask on the woman's face and the fabric were completely corroded by her own vomit.
It revealed a scarlet mouth torn at the corners, her lips no longer intact,
Even her tongue had turned into a hose-like shape, continually leaking corrosive black liquid,
Buzz!
Yi Chen swung the Silver Axe almost instantly,
Just as the axe blade was about to slice into her neck,
suddenly,
a bullet the size of a grain of rice shot from the front of the carriage,
striking precisely at the back of the woman's neck, shattering the 'pathogen abscess' hidden between the throat…
With almost no bleeding,
the woman collapsed onto the floor, no longer moving.
Then, a stern rebuke from the coachman came from the front of the carriage:
"Did you intend to cut open her neck and let the bodily fluids mixed with residual pathogens spray out, infecting everyone here?"
"My apologies."
After Yi Chen apologized, the coachman's tone returned to normal.
"However… your only means of killing is the axe.
Still, considering your reaction, not bad.
Do me a favor,
see that burlap sack under the seat? Wrap up this corpse and stuff it into the compartment in the floor."
"Understood."
Perhaps because he had inherited the role of Tomb Guardian,
Yi Chen was quite adept at wrapping up bodies, quickly stuffing the wrapped corpse into the hidden compartment in the floor.
Only a splash was heard!
The corpse slid through a chute at the bottom of the carriage, thrown out to either dry and disintegrate in the Grey Domain or become fodder.
Another hour passed,
and the carriage finally crossed the said Grey Zone
The surviving passengers began to discuss their future new lives with laughter and cheer,
They disembarked at various places,
and Yi Chen, as the last passenger, got off at the terminal station.
"We've reached the end… Get ready for the organization's assessment, I hope you survive."