The Gentleman at the End
Chapter 480 - 478: Zock and His Mask

Chapter 480: Chapter 478: Zock and His Mask

Outside the fully enclosed beast cage labeled with a metal tag "Sheep,"

William stood arm to arm with the beast tamer, pointing and gesturing through the glass imprinted with blood talisman at the bald sheep-man inside.

After a conversation, the beast tamer also introduced himself as the main beast tamer of the Fear Circus,

[Zock Atkins]

William also shared his opinion in advance, "Senior, are you using ’Madness Brain’ to target patients for ’Beastification Activation’? This activation can directly modify genes, allowing them to actively express beast traits and also to accept these changes willingly."

The beast tamer, Zock, nodded, "Exactly! This is the unique ability of my ’Beastification Madness Brain.’

However, it’s not as simple as just activating and modifying genes.

Before the invasion and reform of thought, it’s necessary to conduct ’Selection,’ these animals are not something formed by randomly picking a patient.

Take, for example, the sheep-man,

He previously suffered from severe obesity, even leading to his own feminization, and he was a despicable individual who could instill fear in those around him, a complete pervert.

I encountered him by accident during a holiday, and he was wholeheartedly worshipping the now-defunct ’Flock’, which perfectly provided inspiration for my creation.

After bringing back these high-quality patients, who inherently possess certain malicious, fearful, and perverted traits, I would not infect their brains immediately but directly tame them physically like livestock.

Initially, they were very disobedient, and some even had a very strong will, wanting to commit suicide. Of course, I wouldn’t grant them the chance to die until the taming was complete, followed by ’Brain Beastification.’

It draws out their most primal beastification instincts and then gradually activates certain recessive genes.

After a period of time, they would evolve into the beast forms deep within their hearts, the specific images being directly related to their own perversions, illnesses, malice, and beastification instincts.

The ’Beasts’ created in this way are much loved by the audience, who generously pay their fear.

Moreover, even if I or the circus were attacked, this group of beasts could help solve quite a few problems... Don’t look at them this way, my beast madness brain has fully unleashed their potential, making them extremely dangerous."

"No wonder, Mr. Zock, I admire you."

"By the way, William, your madness brain must also be somewhat different in controlling others’ minds, right?"

"Me? My madness brain is named ’Education.’ Those influenced by it will not undergo many physical or soul changes. I simply bestow upon them the ’Desire for Knowledge.’

They become my students and dedicate the rest of their lives to the path of seeking knowledge, which allows for effective knowledge exchange should we meet in the future."

Zock also made a thoughtful chin-stroking gesture, slowly nodding.

"Hmm... Very tasteful! Knowledge freeranges, and then you gather their minds at the final moment? It seems you’re prepared to walk a solitary path. Your taste is much higher than other madmen I’ve seen,"

William also took the opportunity to discuss some rumors about Zock,

"I just came from another world, Zock senior is the first madman I’ve met. I heard from Catherine that you don’t seem to enjoy staying with other madmen, I was a bit cautious when I first came here."

"What does Catherine know? She just hears the rumors from outside.

I am a ’social animal,’ happy to live with my peers, otherwise, I wouldn’t have come to a gathering place like the circus, nor would I bother raising so many flesh-and-blood beasts.

The reason why outsiders believe I’m shunned by other madmen is because I killed a fool."

Zock deliberately knocked on his strange yet refined skull mask, then continued explaining:

"As the Mad Shell Virus that infects our brains is unique and does not proliferate by using cells,

this characteristic directly affects the ’madmen,’ most of whom are solitary. I once took leave to search for ’Beast Embryos’ in a Neutral City when I unexpectedly came across an older and tougher madman.

I tried to be friendly, but he regarded me as a pervert and even mocked the acquisition of embryos and the breeding of beasts in front of me, denying everything I did."

"This got me very angry, so I killed him right there,"

"After all, this guy was a Madman, and it had taken me a lot of effort and time, plus the incident happened in a city where many people witnessed it, so the rumors you heard began to circulate."

"Following tradition, I ate the old man’s Madness Brain afterward and used his skull as a base material. I combined it with materials of fear from the circus to grind and manufacture it, eventually producing this ’Horror Beast Mask’ which is more conducive to my management and control of beasts."

As Zock explained, William also clearly saw and analyzed the mask on the other’s head,

This was no ordinary skull mask; its bone structure was the most unique William had ever seen. Though said to be modified, the various components on the actual skull appeared as if naturally formed.

1. The mask as a whole still resembled a human, but the cheekbones were very prominent, and the nasal bone had three pairs of small holes, providing respiratory function.

2. The forehead possessed a pair of curved and pitch-black horns, similar in shape to those of a demon, giving off a heavy, oppressive feeling, with bloodstains still remaining at the tips of the horns.

3. The most distinctive feature was the ’Soft Bone Whiskers’ unique to the left and right sides of the mask (corresponding to the cheeks),

These soft bone whiskers, inserted into his cheeks, served as exhaust vents for the brain, constantly ensuring the intake of fresh air and also the expulsion of the ’evil Qi’ produced by the Beastification Mad Brain.

The range of the evil Qi clearly allowed sensing all prey, as the zoo was filled with this evil Qi, and William and Catherine were discovered as soon as they stepped foot in it.

At the same time, any beast within the zoo that inhaled the evil Qi would also gain a blood-strengthening enhancement.

These soft bone whiskers also functioned like screws, ensuring that even in the midst of battle when subjected to great impacts, the mask would not fall off.

"After saying so much, William, wouldn’t you like to join my zoo and explore new knowledge with me about beast cultivation?"

"Well, I’m already an assistant to a magician," William pointed out, pointing to the badge on his chest.

"That’s no problem, I’ll go talk to Jian right now. As long as you’re willing, you can change positions.

Once you’ve completed ’the Path,’ I can promote you directly to Assistant Beast Tamer so we, as a pair of Madmen, could perform together and definitely earn the boss’s praise."

William laughed awkwardly, "Zock senior, that’s exactly the problem here. My reason for coming to the circus is about the Path. My Path is very complicated, and there is no existing intelligence on it even from the Duke.

Probably only Mr. Jian, who has crawled out from the Abyss, could give me effective guidance on the Path.

How about this: since the circus is interconnected, I will come to the zoo to exchange ideas about the Madness Brain whenever I have time, and consider the issue of performing together after I have completed the Path with Mr. Jian."

Zock stroked his chin, "So that’s it? Since there’s no trace of your Path in the visible world, indeed the only answer lies in the Extremely Dark Land... then you stay with Jian for now.

If anyone in the circus dares to mess with you in the future, just mention my name.

By the way, did that woman coerce you?"

As he spoke, Zock suddenly turned his face and stared at Catherine nearby with the bloodshot eyes beneath his mask.

"No, Catherine and I have known each other for a long time, and it was actually her invitation that brought me to the circus; she just took me around the circus."

Upon hearing this, Zock immediately gestured for Catherine to leave, "Catherine, you can go back to the Clown House now! I will take care of William’s tour."

"Who’s going back! William came with me, if anyone should go back, it’s you to your Beast Cage! Nah-nah-nah!"

Catherine pulled her eyelids down to her cheeks, making an exaggerated grimace and immediately looped her arm through William’s.

Unfortunately, no matter how much she pulled, the hand resting on William’s other shoulder didn’t budge an inch.

Caught in the middle, William even felt as if his body might be torn apart,

"Hiss—how about this, the three of us walk around together?"

At William’s suggestion, what was originally a simple tour of the circus turned into a bizarre triple-date.