The Gentleman at the End
Chapter 529 - 527: Corpse, Plague Rain and Hotel

Chapter 529: Chapter 527: Corpse, Plague Rain and Hotel

William had just used some ability to rid himself of the vendors, an act witnessed by the aged white rat who was responsible for guiding him, but the old rat showed little change in expression. More than awe or concern, he was primarily interested in money.

"Boss, it seems we haven’t settled on a price for the guiding. My service is charged by the hour, five every..."

Before he could finish,

a bag containing at least a hundred coins had landed in the hands of the white rat, accompanied by William’s voice that pierced directly into his brain.

"During these few days in Rat City, you’ll stick closely to me... Besides leading the way, you’ll also need to introduce me to this place. If you do well, you’ll receive additional rewards."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

The white rat struggled to make a living in this city and had never seen so much money in his life. His price quote was an impromptu increase based on the young man’s displayed strength; the normal rate was just one coin per hour.

Clutching the heavy bag of coins, the white rat’s brain whirled rapidly, considering how to secure and hide this money, for if such great wealth were targeted, not only would it be stolen, he could end up becoming part of the city wall himself.

With a swoosh, the white rat opened his already rotting body, stuffed the bag of coins inside, wrapping and supporting it with internal tumors... Despite the pain, this made him feel somewhat relieved.

When the white rat looked up again after securing the money bag, he saw that the young boss was already standing at the gnawed city gate,

and he hurried forward to advise:

"Boss, Plague Rain falls year-round in the city. The rainwater carries various virulent infectious diseases, especially a cancer-causing strain known as ’Rat Plague Basal Variant Bacteria.’

Any non-rat beings who come into contact with it will be invaded; the pathogen concentrates rapidly in the individual’s neck and head, causing targeted carcinogenesis. Eventually, the individual will shed their original head and grow a ’Rat Skull’ resembling ours."

"Even without the rain, breathing alone can introduce some of the bacteria into the body. Thus, it’s best if you wear a full-body protection suit with a respiratory filter,"

"Don’t worry, I already have enough pathogens in me~ A few more won’t matter,"

Snap! William snapped his fingers.

A gentleman’s clothes immediately detached a pitch-black umbrella, used to block the rain... not to isolate the plague, as William simply did not want the foul-smelling raindrops to fall on him.

Squelch~

Stepping through the city gate, he stepped onto the green, muddy streets.

Looking down, William was surprised that even the roads inside the city were paved with the corpses of rats. They were solidified and compacted by years of trampling, coupled with the compactness of the rat meat and internal carcinogenesis, resulting in a fairly stable road structure, albeit extremely nauseating.

The sky’s vomit continuously struck the surface of the umbrella in the form of raindrops,

A single breath by William introduced more than a hundred varieties of virulent pathogens into his body, including the Rat Plague variant that the white rat had mentioned, capable of causing the disease-induced skull transformation.

However, when the bacteria were inhaled into William’s body, he felt nothing, as if they had sunk into the ocean.

If William’s body were seen as an underground club, the current situation resembled a gang of weird mutant lieutenants led by a rat boss coming to smash up the place.

Luckily,

The club’s boss was a Black Madman, an elegant gentleman, sitting in front of a black piano, tapping at the brain keys, playing a symphony of thoughts.

The Black Knights, bodyguards breathing in the Dead Plague Fog State Bacteria, directly walked out wielding great swords from the employees’ passage at both sides of the club, their physiques incomparable to the puny rascals causing trouble.

Moreover, the ceiling was hung with monks covered in thorns, suspended upside down by iron chains and swaying constantly, mocking the intruders,

Between the star-magic-lit dance floors, many Stargazers along with horned, tailed, and hoofed women were dancing elegantly to the piano’s tunes,

The ballroom lights were like an Evil Sun-like bizarre eye, staring intensely at the intruders.

The poor rats didn’t even have the chance to utter a sound before they were gone,

...

"I haven’t introduced myself to you, Boss. My name is Keith White Teeth. I’ve lived in Rat City for over sixty years... Although not too well, I know this city inside out.

Except for some strictly forbidden areas I can’t take you directly to, I can guide you through shortcuts to other areas quickly.

Where would you like to go?"

Keith rubbed his tiny arms across his chest, trying his best to squeeze out a smile on his rat face.

"First, find me the cleanest hotel available. Once we have a base, we can discuss other matters."

"Understood... However, even the cleanest hotel might not be suitable for you."

"Just take me there."

"Come with me."

However, the way Keith led was quite unconventional; his so-called ’shortcut’ was not any secret path or damp alley, but instead went directly through the homes of residents.

In the city, only a few of the rat folk could afford to use corrosion-resistant stone to construct their houses,

most improvised with materials on hand, using rat carcasses for building, since the bodies were abundant and also possessed corrosion-resistant properties.

Such houses, built up of carcasses, naturally lacked the concept of ’doors or windows,’ some even being completely open,

and as they passed through these homes, one could occasionally see quite private scenes,

far from feeling awkward, the rat people would even greet Keith, showing that he was quite well-connected here.

After more than ten minutes, a fairly normal building finally appeared,

a hotel constructed from dark stone, five stories high, with a vertical sign hanging by the door displaying text arranged with rat tails.

[Blacktail Hotel]

"This hotel is considered the cleanest in Rat City. Its building materials come from the Dark Nest Mine, not far from Rat City. This type of ore effectively resists the city’s plague rain erosion, but it is also quite pricey.

The cost of staying in this hotel might now be 30 coins a day, and because more foreigners have been coming here recently, the hotel may have raised its prices."

"It’s okay, let’s go in and see."

This hotel was very particular, its doorway structured as a corridor with multiple partitions to block the foul smells from the outside,

and inside the corridor, there was a strong cross breeze designed to blow as much dirt as possible off the guests.

When William stepped through the corridor and entered the hotel,

the sight refreshed his senses; several tall rat people, clothed in employee waistcoats, were serving guests in the lobby area,

Though there were still some odors, it was much better compared to the city streets.

"It’s quite crowded..."

The rest area was filled with several normal-looking patients, all wearing masks and exuding an aura of Open Source, negotiating something with the staff.

As William approached the front desk to inquire about lodging, the handsome black rat behind the counter bowed in apology, "We are truly sorry, but our hotel is fully booked today, and even the rooms that are about to be canceled have been reserved."

The black rat also pointed towards the newcomers waiting in the resting area.

"When might there be a room available?"

"At least three days from now."

As William prepared to educate the person before him, the black rat’s pupils suddenly shifted, as if a dark sediment had formed within, and he looked up at the young man:

"Are you staying alone?"

"If Candle Puppet doesn’t count, then yes, it’s just me."

"We have a special offer room available. It has no windows and the interior is relatively small, but if you don’t mind that, I can arrange your stay."

"That will do."

"The special offer room is 30 coins a day, an attendant will take you up later."

"Okay."

With the stone key, its end carved into a rat head, in hand, William turned his gaze to Keith White Rat, who had led the way.

"If I need anything further, I will contact you directly... You can go about your business now, no need to stay in the hotel waiting for me."

"Alright."

William waved to Thirteen at the door and followed the black rat attendant to the ’special offer room’ located in a corner on the fourth floor.