At the moment he crushed the rat, it also signified the end of Mr. Lee's life.
In Yi Chen's vision, the name writhing in Old Ancient living Script—[Jesmin Lee (Severe Patient)]—turned from flesh-toned to gray.
The rats infesting Mr. Lee's body perished simultaneously, remaining inside him like rotting flesh, resembling human organs more than anything else.
The rodent-like body lost all vitality; its fur became dull, and the crescent mark on its neck completely dimmed.
Yi Chen collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
Even Little Grape experienced a momentary weakness, retracting its disguise on Yi Chen's left hand, partially retreating into its original position at the shoulder.
Using his other hand, Yi Chen injected a life-restoring serum into his neck, attempting to activate the plants within his body to gradually repair the severe wounds inflicted by rat bites on his right side.
Although his right side was severely injured, Yi Chen was still in the best condition among the three.
Using his rat-like characteristics, he hid in the clinic's basement and narrowly avoided disaster.
deepening his resonance with the moon mark and turning him into a severe afflicted patient, even allowing him to communicate with the 'moon' to some extent.
due to his incompatibility with the secret medicine, its potent side effects fused him with the basement walls, rendering him unable to leave.
To avoid detection by the Gentleman Team tasked with recovering the secret medicine,
he attempted to communicate with the moon for power, accidentally creating a [Co-Spatial Realm] that enveloped the clinic.
Of course, this also bound him even more tightly, forcing him to absorb more moon essence to break free.
This led to his encounters with Yi Chen and Edmund.
"This guy... He couldn't channel his intelligence and caution in the right direction. Instead, he kept running away.
The cowardice etched into his heart hastened his demise.
But the real problem still lies with the clinic."
Yi Chen chose not to disclose the clinic's secrets to Edmund for the time being.
He pulled out a prepared burlap sack and professionally packed up Mr. Lee's corpse.
If this relatively intact infected patient body could be brought back to Zion, it might yield a high-quality pathogenic crystal.
Dragging the enormous, rat-like corpse, Yi Chen,
and carrying Anna on his back, Edmund extinguished the flames at the infirmary door and pushed it open.
With Mr. Lee's death, the dangers in the underground area were entirely eliminated...
However, the theater owner also vanished, likely having returned to the clinic's surface.
Riding the elevator slowly upward,
Yi Chen and Edmund exchanged glances, their facial muscles managing to squeeze out a strained smile.
At least it was over, and everyone had made it out alive.
In a low voice, Edmund said:
"Mr. Lee is dead. The moon above will inevitably fade away too... Once we go up and rendezvous with Dagobert, we just need one night's sleep to return to the real world."
When the elevator arrived,
a towering figure stood like a fortress before them.
Dagobert, wielding a massive greatsword, guarded the elevator entrance like a war god, the clinic hall strewn with dismembered and abnormal patient.
Likewise, his body was riddled with wounds, his stamina long since depleted,
held together only by sheer willpower as he waited for his teammates to arrive.
"Is it... dealt with below?"
Upon receiving the affirmative response, Dagobert's massive body collapsed onto the ground.
After a brief check and infection treatment, no severe injuries were found—he had merely fainted from exhaustion.
at this moment, Yi Chen felt a sense of unease.
Stepping on the remnants of abnormal infected patient bodies, he felt the lingering warmth within and walked toward the clinic's exit.
As he stepped outside, the moonlight, alive as if it were a sentient being, immediately fell upon him.
It felt like a pale, delicate hand was caressing his skin.
The moon hanging in the night sky had not disappeared. Instead, it grew rounder and larger,
resembling a white, living organism.
As the applause grew louder and closer,
a silver-haired youth gracefully emerged from the hillside.