Late-Night Snack for the Butcher

The strangers in Black Gate City were suddenly unsure whether to be excited or afraid.

Excitingly, it turned out that Mister Ye did indeed have some kind of backup plan, and he had formulated a plan with the new chairman.

Does this mean we won't be at their mercy like we were last time?

What I'm afraid of is...

Holy crap, this thing actually ended up in the president's hands. He could totally set it on fire for fun...

However, just as the outsiders in Black Gate City were plunged into deep fear and unease, Xiao Xiao had already left the sanatorium, taking a taxi home. On the way, he silently pondered, "With this bomb, I certainly have a trump card, which gives me a lot of confidence. But without a doubt, this trump card is far from enough..."

"Then what would be enough?"

"..."

The answer is actually quite simple: it's still a matter of ability.

The Hell Organization is far stronger than Black Gate City. Even a powerful figure like the former Old Chairman was killed in their siege. As the new chairman, he has less than 10,000 points. How can he possibly compete with them?

Perhaps the members of Hell Organization are indeed interesting, and I even developed a genuine friendship with one of them.

But the two sides are not on the same level, so how can I be qualified to sit at the same card table as them?

However, how could one possibly upgrade oneself in a short period of time?

I don't even know how to proceed with the fourth stage of enhancement.

The same applies to the enhancement of strangers. Whether they are strongmen, Hunter, or observers, they can easily complete the first three stages of advancement under the influence of the City Will by accumulating points. However, once they have completed the first three stages, it is not so easy to continue. They need certain special items in the city that possess terrifying power.

In other words, there is basically no stock of these kinds of things in the city.

Of course, even if I had them, I couldn't possibly complete them all; I have no idea where to get tens of thousands of points.

Therefore, if I want to improve my strength in a short period of time, there is only one direction left...

Gambling addict!

... Oh no, Collectors!

His own path as an Insightful Observer was inherently that of a mediocre individual with limited personal strength. To combat Aberrant Creature or other outsiders, he often had to rely on the abilities of special items, a skill he was already very familiar with. However, he faced two choices: one, to find more special items and add them to his collection; two, to continue strengthening his existing collection...

Xiao Xiao quickly ruled out the first option.

First, they are hard to find; second, even if you do find them, they come with exorbitant prices depending on their quality.

So, is the second option the only one?

After considering this second option, Xiao Xiao thought about it carefully again:

The three dogs have already undergone two enhancements and are now my capable assistants. Further enhancements would be too risky.

The Record Player Miss's words were too mysterious.

Actually, she was the most suspicious person in the Arcane Compass, but Xiao Xiao didn't think it was very credible.

If it's her, then it's too easy to guess. How could she be worthy of the word "secret" in the name "Arcane Compass"?

Moreover, her role has always been supportive and not very prominent.

Of course, the most important reason is that she has been working hard, so how could I dampen her enthusiasm?

Then your options become simple.

Butcher!

The Butcher is the one I need the most upgrade points for right now; each upgrade costs 10,000 points.

This sounds terrifying, but Xiao Xiao still remembers the terror that suddenly erupted when he entered the Rotten Kingdom. At that time, he even saw him automatically complete the second stage of enhancement without realizing it. Afterwards, he also analyzed it carefully and felt that it must be some thing or phenomenon in the Rotten Kingdom that suddenly triggered his own potential.

These unusual things and phenomena are not hard to guess.

After all, among the three special things, the Butcher is the one Xiao Xiao understands the past best and can empathize with the most.

Although, I'm also most afraid of him.

Furthermore, the Butcher's explanation also mentioned that if he were to undergo another enhancement, there might be a terrifying change. However, upon closer examination, the Hell Organization is already at the gates of the city, and the entire Black Gate City is filled with fear. What could be more terrifying than this?

Do I really have to become the kind of gambler who only goes all in when he's driven to the brink?

No.

I need to prepare for this high-stakes gamble now.

Therefore, the next step is to consider strengthening the Butcher.

Having successfully enhanced himself, he now had the confidence to sit at the same table as the captain of the Hell Organization and the leaders of other Outlander organizations.

The reinforcement failed. Even without the Hell Organization taking action, Black Gate City is practically gone.

After figuring these things out, Xiao Xiao dialed a number and asked softly:

"Has it been found?"

"..."

"No..."

The Rabbit Ears drooped, its voice dripping with frustration. "Big brother, punish me! Use a whip or a candle, anything will do..."

Xiao Xiao was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself, "This is Mingming a reward for you..."

But her voice still sounded gentle, "Why?"

"This person is like a rabbit, disappearing into the city in an instant..."

The Rabbit Ears said, "To investigate him, I sent out my most capable people to investigate his company, his business, and his marital status. These things were easy to find; they were practically obvious. However, whenever I went a step further in the investigation, I always encountered an invisible obstacle, as if some mysterious force didn't want me to find out these things..."

"Um..."

Xiao Xiao paused for a moment, then said, "Don't use the 'rabbit' analogy; he's still my dad."

The Rabbit Ears paused for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Is the father-son relationship that deep?"

"I just feel a little uncomfortable."

Xiao Xiao said, "In that case, you can do me another favor first."

Rabbit Ears quickly perked up. "Sure, which relative are we investigating this time?"

"They're not relatives."

Xiao Xiao sighed and explained softly, "I want you to help me investigate the twisted, paranoid, and disgusting monsters in Black Gate City, or rather, the underworld. Perhaps some of them are pedophiles, perhaps some are serial killers, perhaps they are human traffickers, perhaps... In short, find out anyone with these kinds of traits and give me the information... try to have evidence."

The Rabbit Ears were stunned. "Why?"

Xiao Xiao smiled and said into the microphone, "Because I've been a bit bored lately and wanted to use them as a subject for an experiment?"

He didn't even notice that when he said those words as if no one else was around, the taxi driver in the front seat shuddered.

The Rabbit Ears were also deeply shocked.

After a long pause, he sighed and said, "I've always wanted to learn your unique temperament, but you are truly gifted..."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Xiao asked the taxi driver to turn around and go to the hospital, where he chatted with his mother for a while.

Then he went downstairs again and returned to his home.

The alley was dark and quiet. The Record Player Miss was probably working at the bar at the moment, so there was no sound. Two of the three Thorn Hound still wagged their tails excitedly when they saw Xiao Xiao. Erha Xiao Xiao's hand, saw that it was empty, and then lay down again. Xiao Xiao affectionately patted the two dogs' heads and then came to the butcher shop at the end of the alley.

The Butcher had already closed his shop, but a faint glow emanated from the window next to the shutter door, indicating that he was still awake.

Xiao Xiao slowly approached the window, thinking about what topic to talk about with the Butcher.

But when he got closer to the window, he suddenly realized that the Butcher was standing inside, staring intently at him.

She was slightly startled, but her face remained expressionless.

The two stared at each other through a rusty window. Looking into the Butcher's cold eyes, Xiao Xiao suddenly realized that he didn't need to talk to him. As an observer, he could clearly sense that the Butcher didn't care about anything. He didn't even care about the subtle bond between them, or the consequences of making him do something.

In his eyes, there was only a faint expectation, wanting to know what the next cut would be.

"Bite..."

Just then, a message arrived on my phone. The rabbit earphones are quite efficient:

[1st Floor, No. 154 Dongqing Lane, Zhongcheng District. Crime: Kidnapping and imprisoning two female high school students until their deaths. He was arrested by the Guard Hall but released due to insufficient evidence. Afterwards, while drunk, he boasted to others that there was no evidence because he had eaten it all.]

We investigated him, but we couldn't find any evidence.

[...]

[...]

Xiao Xiao held his breath slightly, then simply said nothing, picked up his phone, and handed it to the Butcher.

The Butcher's breathing suddenly became heavier.

He stared intently at the screen, memorized the contents, nodded, and turned to leave.

Xiao Xiao heard the sound of a chainsaw being picked up inside.

After taking a few steps back, Xiao Xiao turned around and went home, a strange thought arising in his mind.

He knew he was doing something he had never done before, but he didn't know if he was releasing a demon or something else entirely.

He patiently went home, found the ingredients, and quietly prepared a late-night snack.

About twenty minutes later, as he sat down at the table, ready to enjoy his late-night snack, a message suddenly flashed before his eyes:

[Special Dangerous Item: Bloody Butcher]

[Danger Level: B]

[Pain Substance detected are increasing. Strengthen/Decline?]

[Enhancement Cost: 9500 points]

[...]

"It really works..."

Xiao Xiao suddenly felt a little better, put down his phone, and picked up his chopsticks.

But just then, the phone rang, and the Rabbit Ears voice sounded both shocked and excited, "What are you doing, little brother?"

"After you asked me just now, I immediately arranged for people to keep an eye on that serial killer. I didn't expect that as soon as my men arrived, I heard that the guy had been murdered, dismembered, and even cut into mincemeat. Was this something you..."

"..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Xiao interrupted her, saying politely, "I'm having a late-night snack."

"Don't bother me yet."

"..."

Suddenly, there was complete silence on the other end of the phone, except for a hissing sound of gasping for breath...

It's out now, let's keep going!