The bandages wrapped around the nurse's face conveyed expressions through the amount and position of blood seeping through them.
At the moment, the bloodstains on the surface of the bandages formed a somewhat twisted, crimson smile, seemingly delighted at having completed a task given by the "Master."
The nurse used a needle extending from her fingertip to puncture a fleshy button marked with the number [-13].
Pop! The button burst.
With a rhythmic vibration, the elevator began its descent underground.
Every floor they descended reduced their chances of escape.
Ding! Basement Level 13 reached.
The moment the elevator doors opened, a flood of white mice surged in like flowing water, filling the space and brushing against their shoes and pants. Their bright white fur and soft bodies created an extremely unsettling sensation.
The nurse, limping, led the way forward. The mice crowded the floor but parted automatically at their approach.
Both men followed closely behind.
Edmund, born into a prestigious family, had been trained professionally since childhood. Yet, his instincts recoiled in this mouse-infested area, leaving him visibly uncomfortable.
In contrast, Yi Chen seemed at ease. His time in the orphanage had accustomed him to living with rats—some even became his companions, each named personally.
In such an environment, rats had often proven more trustworthy than humans.
However, as Yi Chen glanced at the swarming mice, he felt an unsettling incongruity.
"These mice might seem ordinary, but they share a singularity… as though controlled by one entity, or perhaps forming one cohesive whole."
"They aren't mere rats but a pathogenic collective linked to disease."
Basement Level 13 wasn't a straightforward corridor but a labyrinth with numerous branching paths, resembling an elaborate rat's nest.
Mr. Lee, who managed the "inner world" of the clinic's parallel space, seemed to reside at its deepest point.
They knocked on a rust-stained iron door covered in mouse-skin patterns. A raspy voice echoed from within:
"Have they arrived? Let them in."
Pushed by the mass of mice, the iron door to the ward slowly opened.
Contrary to expectations, "Mr. Lee" wasn't terrifying or indescribable. Compared to the clinic's other abnormal patients, he looked almost human.
Under his disheveled silver hair was a gaunt, sharp-featured face, appearing to be around thirty.
His limbs were intact, but he lay weakly in a custom-made hospital bed.
IV bottles connected to his forehead, neck, wrists, and ankles. Three bandaged nurses and a curvaceous female doctor attended to him.
The center of his bed had a large opening through which numerous silver-white blood vessels grew from his back, penetrating the floor like tree roots. They seemed to connect him to the ward, the entire underground space, or perhaps the whole clinic. �
Having been bedridden for so long, his back had fused seamlessly with the bed. There were no visible gaps, and he couldn’t turn over.
Yi Chen's sharp eyes noticed a significant detail: Mr. Lee had a conspicuous "moon mark" on his neck, a definitive sign of lunar infection recorded in the "False Moon Incident" archives.
It could be roughly inferred that Mr. Lee was one of the survivors of the "False Moon Incident." Hidden deep underground, he had quietly grown, creating a co-location space similar to the clinic using the unique properties of "lunar disease."
One more surprising thing stood out to Yi Chen and Edmund:
Mr. Lee wore a tattered ‘gentleman's suit’, still exuding the aura of "Gentleman’s Skin."
Before the two could speak, Mr. Lee turned his head, his silver eyes staring straight at them.
"Did the organization really send newbies like you for this task? Short-staffed, huh? Seems like the Zion bunch is falling apart.
If I’m not mistaken, you’re here to retrieve this item, right?"
Mr. Lee moved his fingers, and the rats on the ground delivered a worn, old bottle to their feet. The label read, "Twilight Clinic’s Original—Twilight Silver Liquid."
"Sorry, but I’ve already used it! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have survived or established a direct connection with the moon.
You’re just rookies, but your skills are decent!
You adapted quickly to the ‘Moonlight Clinic’ I created, neutralized an abnormal patient swiftly, and escaped the main building.
So, I might just let you work for me. If you succeed, I'll offer you three rewards:
1. Freedom from the confinement of my Moonlight Clinic.
2. The empty vial of the secret medicine to take back and complete your mission.
Upon hearing the word "antidote," Yi Chen and Edmund reacted, but before they could move, the nurse behind them had already injected with her fingers a special agent into their necks.
"Don’t worry, it’s my specially crafted Plague Converter. It has a long incubation period—about a week. Inject the serum within that time, and it’ll be completely suppressed.
Relax! We’re all gentlemen here.
Even though I’m corrupted by disease, I haven’t lost my gentlemanly integrity. Complete the mission, and all three conditions will be met."
In such a passive situation, refusal was not an option.
Edmund clutched his neck wound, trying to resist the infection’s spread. Meanwhile, Yi Chen stepped forward, performing a perfectly executed gentleman’s bow beside Mr. Li's bed.
"William Behrens, pleased to cooperate with you, Mr. Lee. What task do you need us to complete?"
Mr. Lee looked slightly surprised but also impressed by the young man’s quick composure.
"I need you to go to 'Vinal City' in the real world.
Your mission is to eliminate ‘moon disease patients’ hiding among the city ruins. Your target is the moon-marked skin—collect whole sections, at least 15×15 cm in size.
Bring the samples to me. Remember, the deal is strictly between you two. Don’t think about involving your teammates."
"Go on—return to the clinic building, head back to your original dorm, and get some sleep. When you wake up, you’ll be back on the surface.
Oh, and if you bring high-quality moon skin in good quantity, I might share some secrets about the clinic."