Ghoul Case

Ghoul Case

Han Dong immediately grew curious.

Was the Holy City not absolutely safe inside, either? Ghouls... monsters from Western literature—why would they appear in a private residence?

From what this Knight-Errant said, there seemed to be a Bounty Mission issued by some organization behind this incident. Resolving such incidents would earn a certain reward.

He must have assessed the ghoul's strength from the extent of the damage to the corpse. Handling it alone was perhaps too much for him, which was why he had chosen to recruit temporary teammates.

If I went up and helped, I could learn more about this kind of incident, why monsters appeared in private residences, and the Bounty Mission itself, while earning some money. I'm quite short on money right now, too.

But there are risks... I could easily expose myself. Besides, I haven't officially entered the Knight Academy yet. Dealing with a ghoul could be dangerous.

Faced with the blond young knight's temporary recruitment call, Han Dong did not act for the moment.

He had not officially entered the Knight Academy, nor had he received any relevant training in mysticism. Other than the tentacle attack that came with the Faceless Head, he knew no mystical skills.

"Wait... I do have one combat skill!"

After waiting for about five minutes, the young knight grew somewhat helpless.

"Most Knight-Errants are studying in the academy. Even if they go out, they wouldn't come 'down' to the Slums to waste time.

"The Bounty Mission only stated that corpses had apparently been stolen from a cemetery at the junction of the Gana Commoner District and the Samael Slums... Since the intervals were not too long, we were asked to capture a newly formed juvenile ghoul whose mind had fallen into depravity.

"Judging from the depth of the claw marks on the corpses and the fungal residue, this is undoubtedly an adult ghoul.

"The information has been sent back to the academy, and the reward has been increased... But if I go back now to find a team, this ghoul will likely slip away.

"A large Copper Coin reward, plus extracurricular Credits... I really don't want to give that up!

"But I can't gamble with my life."

The young knight put away his sword, seemingly deciding not to investigate the house... As long as he was alive, there would be opportunities. Especially since he was already studying at the academy, there was no need to take such a risk.

Just then, a frail brown-haired young man slowly squeezed out of the crowd.

He wore a slightly oversized linen shirt.

Beneath his yellowed skin, the outlines of his bones were clearly visible.

"Danger zone, prohibited..."

Just as a security officer was about to forcibly shove Han Dong back into the crowd, he handed over a golden card.

"A Knight-Errant?!"

For a moment, all the security officers stared at Han Dong in surprise and voluntarily made way for him.

"I don't know if I can help?"

After some consideration, Han Dong determined that helping would bring greater benefits than drawbacks.

"How many points do you have in your main specialization?"

The young knight walked over and looked Han Dong up and down... Honestly, even those bookworms specializing in the library were in far better physical condition than Han Dong.

"Two points in mysticism. My name is Allen Andeva." Han Dong deliberately used a false name. No one could check it anyway.

"Two points... That's barely enough. But the mysticism you specialize in will be somewhat troublesome against ghouls in an environment with limited space.

"Let me introduce myself.

"My name is Cas Martini. I've allocated three Destiny Points to Crusader, so my strength and speed let me confront ordinary ghouls head-on.

"But that is precisely the current problem.

"Come take a look, and you'll understand."

Under Cas's guidance, the two came before the Mistress hanging at the entrance.

"The Bounty Mission I initially received only mentioned a 'juvenile ghoul.'

"But the wounds on the corpse show that the ghoul hiding in this building had long since matured... I even suspect this family deliberately concealed it and secretly raised a ghoul in the basement.

"An adult ghoul is slightly superior to me in every aspect.

"The most troublesome issue is its vitality! Unless I cut off its head or pierce its heart, no other attack can stop a ghoul."

"Mm..."

As Han Dong listened, he examined the claw-shaped wounds on the Mistress's body and silently analyzed them.

The areas torn open by its claws have already begun to show gangrene. The cellular tissue is swollen, and blood circulation has been severely obstructed... Even without suffering a fatal wound, a single scratch would be enough to kill someone quickly.

So this is a ghoul? No wonder this Knight-Errant didn't dare carry out the mission alone.

It is more dangerous than I imagined. If I get injured and cannot receive timely treatment, I could very well die.

"Andeva, tell me what you can do. If you're more inclined toward predictive and investigative abilities like astrology, forget it."

Han Dong was very direct.

He took out a short blade wreathed in a green aura.

Cas was shocked. "A Destiny Weapon that matches your main specialization?! What does it do?"

"It can unleash a single-target, non-targeted plague attack."

"Plague... Ghouls may have some resistance to it.

"But since it is a Destiny Weapon, it will definitely be effective. Fine. During the battle, you must follow my command and not act rashly... And your body isn't in great shape, so you must stay behind me."

"Alright."

Cas secretly tugged on Han Dong's sleeve, leaned closer, and asked in a low voice, "Ahem, by the way... how did you get that Destiny Weapon?"

"A Hidden Event."

"Just as I thought! That's what I said, but Those Guys wouldn't believe me!

"The chances of drawing a weapon from the Destiny Cards rarely obtained from main events are pitifully low. You have to explore Hidden Events as much as possible and obtain Destiny Weapons through hidden rewards... I'm really envious of you.

"My sword and shield are forged from pure silver and have some evil-repelling properties, but they are still far inferior to a Destiny Weapon.

"Wait for me.

"I'll have the security officers here bring firearms and surround the building! That way, the ghoul won't suddenly escape while fighting us."

From Cas's manner of speaking and way of handling things, it was clear that this was not his first time accepting such a Bounty Mission.

After arranging the personnel, they placed the Mistress's corpse in a Corpse Bag and had the relevant staff transport it to the church for purification and cremation.

Everything was ready.

Han Dong followed behind Cas as they stepped into the Victorian-style villa together.

The moment they entered, they smelled the stench of rotting flesh.

Cas was slightly uncomfortable, while Han Dong was completely unaffected.

After all, before his death, Han Dong had dealt with fungal cultures every day. Whenever something went wrong with a culture, the smell... was enough to make anyone immediately want to diet and lose weight.

"Where are your goggles?"

Cas took out a pair of essential brass goggles from his waist and put them on.

"I didn't bring any..."

"You... aren't you afraid of dying? Once you suffer mental contamination, it won't be as simple as merely reducing your 'pressure'... Fortunately, I brought a spare pair of goggles with me today. Take them."

"Thank you."

Han Dong took them and quickly put them on.

Cas said, "You specialize in mysticism, so you should know more about ghouls than I do... Though they are transformed from humans, they also have some connection to the things beyond the city walls. Keep your goggles on!

"If they get damaged, retreat from the battle immediately."

"Alright."

Han Dong did not understand any of it.

After hearing Cas say that, he became even more curious about the purpose of the "goggles" and the Higher Lifeforms that occupied this world.