Chapter 11: The Journey
Yi Chen had never worn such elegant and distinctive clothing before.
Although it was ready-made,
it fit him over 90% perfectly, without hindering movement at all, and the fabric against his skin was quite comfortable.
However,
the face of the shopkeeper, hidden behind a thin veil, showed dissatisfaction.
"It's a pity you're not yet a member of the organization, and there's not enough time.
Otherwise, I could have at least semi-customized a more fitting and useful outfit for you... This temporary 'casual wear' will have to do for now. I hope it won't affect the organization's evaluation of you."
"I'm already very satisfied."
"Once you pass the organization's test, you'll get a free [Full Custom] opportunity.
At that time, you can choose any tailor shop under the organization to have your measurements taken and clothes made. You'll truly experience the importance of dressing.
Remember,
a perfect outfit can 'stimulate' your spirit and create a style that belongs to you.
Wrapping your body in precious, ancient fabrics determines how you present yourself to the world, and also determines whether you can survive in the current world.
You must invest a lot of energy in perfecting and pursuing the ultimate in dressing."
"I understand."
Yi Chen took out a complimentary mechanical watch from his pocket,
only to find that it was nearly noon, with only half an hour left before the carriage departure.
After hurriedly bidding farewell to the shopkeeper, he quickly rushed to the town entrance.
Although pressed for time,
when passing by a butcher shop, Yi Chen still spared some time to buy all the pig eyes and cow eyes, totaling thirteen.
Without any processing needed,
when these so-called 'grapes' were handed to the black meat ball,
it directly enveloped them whole in its mouth, bursting the juice in its cavity, then chewing carefully.
All the black fuzz on its body gently fluctuated during the eating process, quite enjoyably.
It was finally satisfied after eating five in succession.
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 these?"
"Grapes are my staple food, the nutrients contained in the juice are indispensable for my body.
Of course, I can eat other food too, but it's just not as important."
"You don't seem to have a name."
"That's right, I was pieced together, fermented, and assembled from incomplete corpse pieces in Cemetery No. 6. All those corpses were nameless, so I certainly don't have a [Name]."
"In that case, how about calling you [Little Grape]?"
"Sure."
The meat ball once again danced its arms like waves, seemingly quite satisfied with its new name.
Rushing in the last five minutes, they finally arrived at the town entrance.
Two sturdy brown horses pulled a large wooden carriage, roughly estimated to accommodate at least eight people.
It's worth noting that,
The horses were wearing specially made breathing masks, and their bodies were covered with multiple layers of fabric, leaving only their hooves exposed.
As it was close to departure time,
the carriage was already crowded with townsfolk wearing masks and wrapped up tightly,
they all carried large and small luggage, preparing to leave Iston Town.
Yi Chen quickly approached the white-haired coachman, quietly showing the cemetery business card.
Unexpectedly,
The coachman, who looked old and frail, quickly cast an eagle-like gaze, sizing up the young man before him.
The mouth holding an old cigarette slowly opened, white smoke and voice emerging together,
"You sit in the back, it's a long journey..."
"Understood."
As he stepped into the carriage,
perhaps due to his elegant attire,
or perhaps because of Little Grape standing on his shoulder.
The townsfolk crowding the carriage made way for him as much as possible, some even showing signs of fear, their bodies slightly trembling,
they pressed against each other as much as possible, making room for Yi Chen,
The carriage started moving,
Although the outer layer of the wooden wheels was wrapped with thick rubber rings, one could still feel the bumps, strong or weak.
Due to the short sleep last night,
The boring carriage journey quickly induced drowsiness, Yi Chen rested his head against the wooden slats of the carriage, falling into a dream amidst the jolts and swaying.
After an unknown amount of time,
A wave of restless movement in the carriage woke Yi Chen up, he habitually looked at his watch.
"Have I slept for over three hours already?"
Some of the passengers in the carriage were gone, presumably having alighted midway.
The originally crowded space became able to stretch out hands and feet, allowing for some movement.
However,
These passengers appeared anxious and uneasy, one could even directly see the fear of death in their eyes.
They took out more fabric from their luggage to wrap their bodies, even wrapping themselves up like mummies.
Just as Yi Chen was feeling puzzled,
the coachman's voice came from the front:
"We're about to enter the [Grey Zone] area. Everyone try to minimize breathing and unnecessary body movements, clear your minds... If any symptoms appear, regardless of severity, it will be treated as 'pathologization'."
After speaking,
The coachman outside spread a black thick cloth, covering the carriage.
Darkness fell,
Only the kerosene lamp at Yi Chen's waist could dispel the darkness in the carriage.
[Grey Zone]
Another unfamiliar term,
Analyzing the coachman's words, it should be a special area infected by pathologization,
At this time,
Little Grape passed on a message:
『With me here, plus you've already accepted a decent quality [Pathogen Essence],
This kind of common ordinary grey zone doesn't pose much threat to you.
The only thing to pay attention to is the other people in the carriage, if you notice any abnormalities in them, you need to act as quickly as possible.』
『Understood.』
Yi Chen actually wanted to see what the so-called [Grey Zone] looked like,
But unfortunately, the carriage was sealed, so he could only focus his attention inside the carriage.
During the journey through the grey zone,
Apart from the bumping sounds, the carriage was completely silent,
The passengers sat like wooden figures, some even making gestures of prayer or kneeling.
One hour,
Two hours,
Still no sound came from the coachman, and no one knew if they had passed through the grey zone.
At this moment,
An old woman wrapped in deep red fabric started to show slight body convulsions.
Due to the long-term bumpy state, such abnormalities were not noticed by other passengers,
However,
Yi Chen had already moved his right hand to the axe handle at his waist.
After a few seconds,
The old woman leaned forward, making a vomiting motion,
Hiss... Black smoke rose.
The mask and fabric worn on the old woman's face were completely corroded by her own vomit.
Exposing a scarlet mouth with torn corners and no lip skin left,
Even her tongue had become tube-like, continuously flowing out corrosive black liquid,
Whoosh!
Yi Chen swung his silver axe almost immediately,
Just as the axe blade was about to cut into the other party's neck,
Suddenly,
A rice-grain-sized micro bullet shot from the front of the carriage,
Accurately hitting the back of the old woman's neck, shattering the "pathogen abscess" hidden in her throat...
With almost no bleeding,
The old woman collapsed on the floor, no longer moving.
At this time, an extremely stern rebuke came from the front of the carriage:
"Did you want to cut open her neck, letting the fluids in her arteries spray out along with the pathogen remnants, infecting everyone here?"
"I'm sorry."
After Yi Chen apologized, the coachman's voice returned to normal.
"However... your only means of killing enemies is an axe.
In terms of reaction alone, it's not bad.
Do me a favor,
See the burlap sack under the seat? Pack this corpse well and stuff it into the compartment in the floor."
"Understood."
Perhaps inheriting the identity of a gravedigger.
Yi Chen was very skilled in packing corpses, quickly packing the body and stuffing it into the floor compartment.
Only to hear... a thud!
The corpse was thrown out through the sliding track at the bottom of the carriage, left to dry and disintegrate in the grey zone or become food.
Another hour passed,
The carriage finally passed through the so-called [Grey Zone]
The surviving passengers began to cheerfully discuss their new lives in the future,
They alighted at different locations one after another,
Yi Chen, as the last passenger, also got off at the final stop.
"We've arrived... prepare to face the organization's test. I hope you can survive."
(End of Chapter)
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