Terrifying Intuition

After arriving at West Block, Su Xiao didn't get out of the car immediately.

"Mado Akira, do you have any specific intel on West Block?"

Though ghouls were devouring each other in West Block, some civilians still lived nearby.

"Of course. After being assigned to Ward 14, I made it a point to learn everything about this area."

Mado Akira rummaged through the car for a moment and pulled out a file folder.

"Ward 14: Nakano District. This area is plagued by cannibalism. Most ghouls hide among ordinary people, and ghouls from various factions gather here—it's a social hub for them, with plenty of ghoul intelligence dealers..."

Su Xiao lit a cigarette and listened quietly to Mado Akira's description.

Rolling down the window, he exhaled a plume of blue smoke.

"Byakuya, Second Class, please don't smoke. Cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemicals, 60 of which are highly harmful to the body, including nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, and irritating compounds...

Plus, secondhand smoke affects my skin."

The smoke curled upward as Su Xiao spoke.

"Can you find a bar called 'Helter Skelter'? It should be nearby."

Mado Akira let out a resigned sigh.

"No problem."

She pulled out a small computer and began checking the local map.

"Found it. It's at—"

Before she could finish, Su Xiao suddenly straightened up, his eyes fixed on a pedestrian in the street.

"A ghoul."

His sharp gaze startled Mado Akira.

"What?"

She looked at him blankly, finding it hard to believe he could identify a ghoul just by sight.

Su Xiao got out of the car and slowly followed a middle-aged man.

The man looked tired, like an office worker down on his luck, carrying a briefcase.

"Byakuya, Second Class, wait for me."

Mado Akira grabbed her suitcase and hurried after Su Xiao.

"Can you tell me how you knew that man was a ghoul?"

"Instinct."

The man ahead turned into a narrow alley, and Su Xiao quickened his pace.

"In—, instinct?"

Doubt flickered in Mado Akira's eyes as she watched Su Xiao's back. She couldn't help wondering if this Second Class Investigator was really reliable.

In the dark, damp alley, the man continued walking slowly.

"Stop."

Su Xiao's voice carried a chill from behind the man.

"Who are you?"

The man looked at Su Xiao with a confused expression, his eyes darting around.

"Next time, don't use a briefcase to carry human meat. The blood will seep through."

Su Xiao's words made the man's face change, panic creeping into his gaze.

"Mind your own business. You're asking to die."

The man's expression twisted into a snarl, his eyes turning red as he charged at Su Xiao.

The ghoul in front of him wasn't strong—around B-rank at best. Su Xiao didn't even bother drawing Dragon Slayer Flash.

The man closed the distance in a few steps and threw a punch at Su Xiao's head. His movements were stiff and slow.

Su Xiao had no interest in dodging such an attack.

He suddenly raised his left leg and kicked the man square in the stomach. The man doubled over in pain, his body folding into a V-shape as he spat out a mouthful of bile.

His posture brought his head right in front of Su Xiao.

Su Xiao looped his arm around the man's neck, tightening his grip and squeezing hard.

"Let—, let me go, you—"

As Su Xiao held the man's neck, Mado Akira hurried into the alley.

"Crack."

The sharp sound of bones snapping rang out. The man's body went limp, and Su Xiao released his arm. The corpse thudded to the ground.

"Get someone to clean this up."

Su Xiao walked past Mado Akira, who stared in astonishment at the already-dead ghoul.

This made Mado Akira wonder—could someone really track down ghouls purely by instinct?

Su Xiao returned to the car. He wasn't sure why, but the moment he'd glanced at that middle-aged man, he'd suddenly felt certain the guy was a ghoul.

At the time, the man's briefcase hadn't been soaked with blood—that happened later.

Su Xiao guessed it might have something to do with his attribute increase.

As his attributes rose, he felt major changes in his body. His build hadn't changed, but every muscle was noticeably firmer and more powerful.

Before entering Reincarnation Paradise, Su Xiao had trained in swordsmanship for long hours every day.

That unscientific training had damaged his right wrist—it ached whenever it rained or the weather turned.

Now, though, the old injury was almost healed. In a few more days, it would be completely gone.

Mado Akira also returned to the car. This time, the way she looked at Su Xiao was clearly different.

"Second-Class Byakuya, where to?"

"The Helter Skelter bar."

The car started. Five minutes later, they arrived at the entrance of the Helter Skelter bar.

"Wait in the car."

Su Xiao got out, leaving Mado Akira alone.

The Helter Skelter bar was run by a female ghoul named Ito.

Su Xiao didn't know the exact location, but he knew it was a small intelligence hub.

He wasn't here to drive out Ito—he was here to gather information.

Ito was an SS-Rank Ghoul. Under normal circumstances, Su Xiao wouldn't let her off, but she had a more important use.

An intelligence dealer who understood ghouls was far more valuable than a Treasure Chest. Through Ito, Su Xiao could obtain more Treasure Chests.

He walked into the bar. Since it was daytime, there were no customers.

The bar had a retro style. The walls were bare, a dull yellow, and there wasn't a single window—only a lamp on the counter, making the place somewhat dim.

"Welcome."

A lazy female voice came from behind the counter. Su Xiao sat down at the bar.

"What would you like to drink, customer?"

Ito stood behind the counter, her bright orange-red hair standing out sharply in the dim bar—the most vivid color in the whole place.

Ito looked calm on the surface, but she was actually extremely alert. As an intelligence dealer, she recognized Su Xiao's face immediately.

Noticing Ito's gaze, Su Xiao knew things would be easier.

"Answer one question, and I won't cause you trouble."

Ito stepped back a few paces, keeping a safe distance from Su Xiao.

"Third-Class Investigator, Byakuya—the monster-level human who fought Eto."

The bar fell into dead silence. Neither of them spoke.

Ito's ability to gather intelligence surprised Su Xiao a little. It made sense she knew about Takatsuki Sen, but she even knew he'd joined the CCG.

"Go ahead. What's the question?"

Ito sighed and chose to back down.

"Where's the Cannibal Zone in Ward 14?"

"Right here, in West Block."

Ito picked up the glass beside her. It held half a glass of dark red liquid that looked like red wine but was actually human blood.

A ghoul's taste buds were structured differently from a human's. Eating human food gave them a strong fishy smell.

Even alcohol was undrinkable for ghouls. Aside from water and coffee, they couldn't consume any human food normally.

"The exact location in West Block. The more specific, the better."

Su Xiao was already losing patience.

"Don't make such a scary face, okay?

Alright, alright. Every night after nine, the center of West Block is the worst area for cannibalism."

Without much hesitation, Ito sold out the other ghouls.

With the details in hand, Su Xiao left the bar. He'd already figured out a way to complete the mission quickly.

If everything went smoothly, he could finish Main Mission (2) in under a week.

"What exactly does cannibalism look like? I'm really 'looking forward' to it."

He suddenly remembered that Swordsman still hadn't paid back his owed chapters. If this kept up after going on the shelves, with the leader and steward bonus chapters added in, he'd probably die from exhaustion.