Chapter 108: Clearing the Mist

"Well?"

"Yes, a well. A deep well leading underground. These 'primitive species' originated from there. What we need to do is drive these 'primitive species' back into that well."

After hearing Kisho Arima's description, the expression on Su Xiao's face was as if to say, "Are you kidding me?"

There were at least a few thousand "primitive species" in the underground city. Don't talk about fighting these ghouls; now, as long as their location was exposed, the two of them would absolutely die without a burial place.

"Arima, wish you success."

Su Xiao patted Kisho Arima on the shoulder, turned, and intended to retreat. The decisive attitude made Kisho Arima stunned.

"Are you going to disobey the Bureau Chief's order?"

Kisho Arima's speaking speed was steady, without a hint of threat, as if testing something.

"I am an investigator, that's true, but I won't execute a mission that is certain death."

Getting Su Xiao's answer, Kisho Arima's eyes narrowed slightly, and a different light appeared in them.

"Disobeying the Bureau Chief's order will generally get you expelled from the Bureau, but the situation is different now. If we two don't complete this matter, returning to the surface will be our death date."

Su Xiao stopped his footsteps and looked at Kisho Arima. Kisho Arima was somewhat abnormal today, but he couldn't detect where it was different; it was just a kind of intuition.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think the ghouls here are normal? Most investigators will never see primitive species.

If I haven't guessed wrong, your mission this time is to reinforce me. The Bureau Chief will arrange one or two Special Class investigators for you. Is it Iwao Kuroiwa? Kiyoko Aura? It could also be Yoshitoki Washuu. Others are unlikely."

Kisho Arima had been deep in the 24th Ward. He had a phone call with Su Xiao before, and then because there was no signal underground, he lost contact with the outside world. He actually guessed the Special Class investigator sent by the Bureau Chief to the 24th Ward. Su Xiao absolutely didn't believe there was no trickery in this.

"What do you want to say?"

"Complete this mission, must, must complete it. If you can return to the surface alive, pretend nothing happened. Remember, even if you are unwilling, you must pretend to obey."

Su Xiao stared at Kisho Arima, pondering whether Kisho Arima was trustworthy.

In the original work, Kisho Arima always appeared to be obedient to Yoshitoki Washuu, like a pawn.

But now it seemed that Kisho Arima was absolutely not a "gun" in anyone's hands. He should understand many secrets of the CCG. If he didn't listen, he would be cleaned up.

"Answer me one question: if I return to the surface now, who will Yoshitoki Washuu send to kill me?"

Kisho Arima let out a long sigh, as if he had been examining Su Xiao before.

"Ghouls."

Two simple words revealed too much information.

"What if we two join forces to resist?"

Su Xiao didn't know yet whether Kisho Arima was trustworthy, so he was testing.

"If we two join forces, there is hope for survival. However, after that, we will face overwhelming pursuit. Those enemies are all beyond your imagination."

Silence, long silence.

Around them, except for the occasional low roar of "primitive species," it was dead silent.

"With just the two of us, driving these ghouls is looking for death. We need to think of other ways."

The attitude Kisho Arima just showed was almost a subtle solicitation. After Su Xiao said "What if we two join forces to resist?", Kisho Arima didn't show anger or loyalty to the CCG, but instead answered Su Xiao's question clearly.

Neither of them knew whether the other party was trustworthy, so they could only test each other inadvertently.

One point Kisho Arima just mentioned, Su Xiao thought it was still relatively trustworthy: that if they didn't complete the Bureau Chief's order this time, they would encounter danger even if they returned to the surface.

Su Xiao knew more and more about the CCG, and his strength was outstanding. The CCG might want to cultivate him into a second Kisho Arima, an "obedient" "gun."

Kisho Arima's attitude toward the CCG was fake obedience. This guy should be planning something.

Su Xiao sighed. He only watched two seasons of the Ghoul anime, and didn't watch the subsequent manga. Most of what he knew was from fragmented words on the forum.

This made him secretly decide that after returning to the real world, he must binge-watch. Binge-watch massively.

Binge-watching wasn't for entertainment, but to understand intelligence.

Kisho Arima picked up the Quinque box and smiled rarely, seemingly having figured something out.

"We need a plan, and my idea is this..."

Kisho Arima described his plan in detail. It was very simple: use fresh flesh as bait to attract the surrounding primitive species.

The trust crisis was temporarily lifted, but a new problem appeared: where to find fresh flesh?

"In short, leave here first. Nothing can be done here."

Su Xiao looked at the primitive species around. There were only a few, and as long as they were cautious, they wouldn't be discovered.

"What have you been doing here before?"

When Su Xiao found Kisho Arima, the other party was lying on the roof.

"Cough~, dehydration plus hunger, I was a bit exhausted, resting here temporarily.

Leave here first, let's go find 'bait'."

Kisho Arima was somewhat embarrassed. After all, being so hungry that he had no strength and waiting for death here was somewhat shameful.

Cautiously avoiding the primitive species, both were extraordinary in skill. If it were about concealment ability, Su Xiao was even stronger than Kisho

Leaping across the roofs of the steel buildings, Su Xiao arrived at the entrance to the underground city before long.

Giving a standby signal to Mado Akira and Suzuya Juuzou above, Su Xiao and Arima Kishou entered the passageway.

Fresh flesh and blood to be used as bait had to be found within the underground tunnels.

After entering the tunnel, Su Xiao breathed a sigh of relief; previously, it had been as if he were in silent mode, where even speaking required a whisper.

"Arima, are you clear on the route? You won't get lost, will you?"

Arima Kishou shook his head.

"No. Such a massive change occurred in the Central City that all the ghouls in the control room fled. Those primitive ones cannot operate the machinery in the control room."

It seemed Arima Kishou was very knowledgeable about the underground city of the 24th Ward.

Noticing Su Xiao's confusion, Arima Kishou continued.

"The Central City is this underground city. This is the largest gathering place for ghouls in Tokyo; most ghouls live here, just as humans live on the surface."

"The control room is complicated to explain. Simply put, the control room is one of the most important buildings in the Central City. It can manipulate the flesh walls of the 24th Ward, causing them to constantly change. It is precisely because of this that we would get lost in the underground tunnels."

Arima Kishou revealed a secret: the 24th Ward beneath Tokyo was the city where ghouls lived.

Humans lived on the surface of Tokyo, while ghouls lived beneath it, as if some kind of balance had been reached. Only the CCG could maintain this order.

Yet, in Su Xiao's view, this order was somewhat twisted. Humans and ghouls were mortal enemies and could not coexist. Why, then, did the CCG force both sides to coexist?

Su Xiao could now confirm one thing: the CCG did not exist to protect humanity, or the reality was far more terrifying than imagined.