The Last Gentleman

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

After returning to the office, Teacher Zed relaxed as if he were at home, his movements becoming exaggerated and flamboyant, as if deliberately displaying himself in front of the monitors.

He enthusiastically began introducing his “home.”

“The [Corpse Storage Room] and [Medicine Warehouse] are off-limits. Some dangerous items are inside, and academy rules state that only I’m allowed to access them. Also, before you enter my room or the laboratory, you must get my permission. Other areas are open for you to move around freely.”

Zed then led Yi Chen to an empty room, saying, “This room isn’t used often. Sometimes, when there are too many body materials to store, any excess is temporarily piled here. If our training sessions run late, you can stay here overnight.”

“Uh... alright.”

Looking at the dark, cramped, temporary body storage room before him, Yi Chen nodded a bit awkwardly.

Just then, a pair of steady, powerful yet cold, eerie hands landed on his shoulders.

“Professor Chamberson is one of the few people in this academy who has treated me well. Because of his ‘opposing vote’ years ago, I was granted protection by the academy and avoided facing Zion’s judgment. So, since it’s his request, I’ll consider this a priority, doing everything possible to develop and enhance your ‘physical body.’

“Your performance in class was excellent, but you didn’t exhibit the full potential of your body. So, before we create a training program tailored just for you, I must ‘thoroughly understand’ your physical structure. Come now—I can hardly wait.”

A droplet of saliva landed on Yi Chen’s shoulder as Zed appeared extremely excited. His Adam’s apple moved up and down as more saliva trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Despite anticipating something unpleasant, Yi Chen still followed Teacher Zed to his laboratory—or more precisely, his “human laboratory.”

Previously, all the animated corpses used in teaching were processed here. The tungsten light buzzed, with a few candles adding extra illumination. A surgical table, not yet clean and still stained, stood in the center, while some decayed eyeballs lay on the ground, even the little grapes had lost interest in them.

“Class ran a little tight today, so I didn’t get a chance to clean up. Don’t mind it.”

“Uh… sure.”

After wiping the slime off the surgical table with a large rag, Zed made a gentlemanly ‘please’ gesture. “If there’s no problem, go ahead and lie down.”

“Alright.”

Yi Chen was aware of Zed’s dangerous nature from the start. Gazing at the surgical table, he could almost guess what “thorough understanding” would entail. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at the lab’s monitors to confirm that the eyeballs in the corner were observing.

He packed his clothes into his bag and lay flat on the table, like a corpse.

Click! Concealed restraints sprang out, locking his limbs, neck, forehead, and waist in place. However, Yi Chen’s gaze remained calm, adjusting his breathing to keep his heart rate steady.

“You’re not struggling; you really are different from the others! The previous students I examined always resisted at first. This is how it should be! Only by accepting my methods can we jointly explore the secrets of the human body.”

"Next, I will 'open' your body, observe and document the specifics within, for subsequent 'physical analysis.'

During this process, you will experience pain continuously and intensely. Do not resist it, or you may faint midway, and with bad luck, possibly even die.

Pain is a precious gift bestowed upon higher life forms, one of the most important evolutionary products for brain development. You must learn to understand, control, and even fall in love with 'her.'

Once you adapt, she will become an addictive sensation, a beautiful presence you can’t forget or resist.

Let us begin."

In the hours that followed, the candlelight in the operating room flickered in sync with the rising and falling sounds of agony.

The 'cries of misery' that struggled from the depths of Yi Chen’s throat sounded like delightful notes to Zede, who even danced through the procedure. Every time Yi Chen's body was near its limit, Teacher Zede would cut his own flesh, and through "vascular connection," inject vitality, sustaining life… This 'intimate exploration' continued for six hours.

Even Ms. Oressa, on the other side of the monitor and responsible for the security of the school building, frowned slightly, wanting to intervene several times, doubting if Chamberlain bore a personal grudge against this student.

Yi Chen’s consciousness did not last until the end of the procedure; it reached its limit and slipped into a deep coma.

In his daze, he once again saw the black sea, feeling the waves lift his body and finally carry him to shore.

A dark blur crossed his vision.

Awakening,

he found himself lying in that narrow, dark, empty room, or rather, tossed there like a corpse.

His backpack, containing his formal attire, was placed nearby. The first thing Yi Chen did upon waking was inspect his body from head to toe, checking if he was missing anything.

The examination revealed everything was intact, with hardly any signs of stitching.

The only difference was that his skin now bore thick black lines, similar to those on Teacher Zede and other 'living corpses,' marking his physical structure, including various measurements and proportions.

Just after changing into his clothes,

Teacher Zed entered, still wearing only a black coat, unbuttoned, barefoot on the ground.

In one hand, he carried a large bowl of primarily vegetable-based food; in the other, a stack of data sheets.

"Eat up. These are 'supplements' from those guys upstairs, chosen according to your taste to help you recover quickly… I know that adapting to pain is a rather lengthy process, so we can take it slow.

Additionally,

I am very pleased with your performance.

During the physical examination, you endured for four hours and fifty-six minutes, far surpassing any of the new gentlemen I have trained before.

Most of them barely lasted half an hour before passing out.

By the way, have you had similar, prolonged pain stimuli before?"

"Yes... you could say I did, in my childhood."

Another buried memory surfaced briefly, but Yi Chen quickly suppressed it.

"No wonder you have such good adaptability. You already have a certain foundation.

Through this ‘in-depth examination’, we’ve already determined your physical foundation, potential, developmental direction... and the best way to reach the 'limit membrane' physically.

Overall,

your body is excellent and suits my style well.

When possible, I must thank Professor Chamberlain in person for introducing such an outstanding student."

While consuming the food, Yi Chen quickly scanned through his physical examination report.

Detailed, even ‘meticulous’ would describe this report.

Each blood vessel, each bone was recorded, and every analysis was spot-on.

'Though this Teacher Zed is indeed... twisted, if I can fully adapt, I will surely gain something valuable here, fully unlocking the potential of my physical form.'

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