The Gentleman at the End

The ascent of the Patient is inseparable from the diseases they suffer from within. All changes in illness directly associate with the Old World's Focus of Infection.

It can even be said that with each ascent, the Patient moves closer to the center of the Focus of Infection.

This is particularly evident during the passageway phase when the Patient finds a [Door] suitable for their illness and heads to the [Transit Station] near the Focus, where they perform Silver Murk and Composition,

The personnel at the Transit Station directly serve the World Will.

At the same time, those who reach the Silver Circle are referred to as the Old Day Patients, recognized by the World Will as true Patients.

For Silver Circle Patients to advance further is several times, even tens of times, harder than all previous ascents combined.

Only the truly outstanding can obtain "Qualification" and ascend the steps connecting to the Focus core, reaching the end of the steps signifies arriving at the world's deepest part, the source of all plagues.

There, the Patient will complete the final, most original "Original Gene" associated with the world's Origin.

The physical manifestations of the illness will undergo unprecedented complete development, even acquiring genetic expressions capable of affecting the world's rules to a certain extent. This is why the Plague Master cannot be shaken by local entities.

It is only with the arrival of Outer Realm forces that the original structure of the Plague Master is disrupted,

The term "Qualification" refers not so much to becoming a Plague Master but rather to completing the Original Gene Qualification.

The Patients living in the Old World see the ladder to the Focus core as the highest goal, naming it [The Final Ascent].

At this moment,

Art Kramer, whose pupils shine with golden light, steps on a stairway constructed from the Blood Lord's remains, heading towards the world's deepest part.

Each of his steps is 'down to earth', and careful observation of Art's foot reveals at least a thousand 'followers' absorbed by him, maintaining a supportive posture.

The path of ascent is not simple, especially for someone like Art, who is not recognized by the Focus, nor is he seen as a malignant illness carrier, thus facing tremendous repulsion forces.

But Art had long been prepared for this,

Determined to establish a special organization capable of contending with the so-called Source Epidemic Area, from when he was betrayed by those around him to when he was expelled from the Cancer Palace.

He is well aware that a new Qualification would not appear in the Old World, and even if it did, it would not befall him.

Therefore, the only path is 'Qualification Plunder'.

Art's first step was to seek out the [Abyss], a special organization created by the First Abyss, which should not have existed in the Old World - the "Fear Circus".

After all, a discarded and hunted organization from various Source Epidemic Areas suited his taste, and the malignant outgrowths resulting from the First Abyss, the Old World's dark side, were quite similar to him.

However, after a long period of association,

Art found that the extreme darkness corresponding to the Abyss did not suit him. What he pursued was not this darkness, but the glistening flesh-red of tumors, the crimson proliferation capable of breeding throughout the world.

An unexpected invasion war, in turn, brought Art a huge opportunity,

With patience, strength, and the infiltration of malignant tumors, he acquired divinity from the outer world, a relatively rare Heavenly Divinity.

With this divinity, he could manage the malignant tumors more effortlessly and naturally, even establishing an internal step system for the losers absorbed by him, infusing them with faith to better bestow upon himself, becoming the first existence in the Old World capable of fully controlling malignant tumors.

Art drew ever closer to his ultimate goal.

Using the Circus's downtime, he secretly found the malignant patients roaming in the Old World, challenging them, defeating and absorbing them, integrating all the scattered malignant tumors of the Old World.

Even his title changed because of this,

The Last Malignancy - Art Kramer

As he prepared to try and break away from the Circus, expand the Smile Fan Club worldwide, create his own Clown Circus, and absorb others on a grand scale, relying on quantitative change to reach the level of a Plague Master,

A 'confidant' suddenly visited, none other than his colleague William.

Disclosing important information about "Blood People Carrying Coffin", allowing Art to see a more stable opportunity, and resolving to achieve his ultimate goal ahead of time.

Right now,

He finally stepped onto the steps of the Final Ascent, despite the difficulty of crossing them, the instinctual opposition of the Blood Lord's remains, and the Old World Focus's reluctance to allow his approach.

Art relied on absolutely strong determination,

Relying on the malignant tumors even the Source Epidemic Area Cancer Palace couldn't control,

Relying on the Outer Realm Divinity and internal system,

To climb upwards.

Finally, he stepped onto the final step, also signifying the collapse of the entire Blood People system, and a new illness system would emerge within the Old World.

Buzz!

Art, with a mouthful of yellow teeth, arrived at the World's Heart, standing before the Origin,

Unlike those once arriving here as quasi-Plague Master, whether respectful, cautious, or focused on accepting the Original Gene.

Art exhibited no excitement, tension, or seriousness,

He was just laughing,

Laughing comfortably, laughing without reservation, even almost forgetting who he was, what he was doing, laughing so much that the entire Focus was overflowing with the Clown Virus created by Art himself.

Then, a person appeared in his mind, a person who once reached out but stood high above.

"Ah~ my beloved Lord. Now, we are on equal footing... The future world will only have your Cancer Palace and my Cancer Palace as the two Source Epidemic Areas.

All other lowly illnesses do not qualify to compare with us."

Art did not face the world's core directly, just calmly took off his clothes to reveal the [Swollen Cathedral] built within him.

The Original Gene, coveted by countless illnesses and regarded as the ultimate goal, like a Holy Relic, was sent into the Church, placed on the Altar, perfectly accepted by Art.

At this moment,

The golden-colored ancient memories flooded the brain.

The frame floating above his head was already exuding threads of gold, signifying Art had become a "Quasi-Plague Master" who obtained the Original Gene.

Golden liquid continuously seeped from his eyes, his mouth opened to the fullest extent, "I see, hahaha! I see, this is the answer I've been seeking all along ~ Infinite, endless, boundless! There's no such thing as a malignant tumor, I am the most perfect cancer!

My cancerous genes have been completed, next, I just need to conceal myself, complete the transcription and final expression, I will officially ascend the [Plague Master's] Throne and spread and cover the entire Old World."

Art planned to complete the final breakthrough right at the Focus center. After all, he had reached the peak of the Silver Circle, and it wouldn't take a few days for him to complete the 'Golden Transformation' from a quasi-Plague Master to a Plague Master.

Who knew,

Buzz! A repulsion force forcefully pushed him out, expelled from the World's Heart.

"Ah~ even after I ascended the stairs, still unwilling to acknowledge me? What a despicable world... Fortunately, I had set up a sanctuary in advance."

Art was decisive, once again performing a [Self-Destruction] in the world's depths.

Abandoning this 'child' flesh he obtained with William, though he had found William quite interesting and even felt good about him from their interactions during this time.

But the betrayal by his childhood close friend had long been imprinted in his soul, Art would no longer trust anyone, even if this chance seemed smooth throughout, with no sign of William's betrayal; he always regarded William simply as an 'interesting person' or a 'collaborator'.

Boom!

A strong explosion occurred deep in the world, even setting off alarms in the Transit Station.

Due to the characteristics of the Clown Virus,

As long as there remained any Patient infected with the Clown Virus in the Old World, Art would perfect regeneration, and his Life Force had long transcended the 'limit' given by Cancer Palace and the Fertility Forest.

An incredibly remote outpost of the Smile Fan Club, unknown even to collaborator William and Assistant Clown Catherine.

A young man laughing suddenly began to swell all over, with the sound of church bells ringing in his ears.

In seconds, he transformed into Art's appearance, the completion of the Original Gene brought about faster "Cancer Cell Transference".

With golden liquid trickling from his eye sockets and a crown structure growing on his head, Art swiftly opened the dark door leading to the deep cellar, descending the winding steps to the deepest, airtight secret room.

Scratch~

A match was struck, also igniting a black cigarette in someone's mouth.

A cross-shaped smoke ring exhaled from the mouth,

"Art, congratulations~"

The firelight revealed half of an aged but smiling youthful face.