Chapter 57

With the explosion, the CCG convoy halted; armed with assault rifles, Ghoul Investigators poured out of the vehicles, using them for cover as they scanned the surroundings warily.

“White Night First Class, are you alright?”

Shinato Akira sprinted forward, gripping his Quinque.

Su Xiao hid behind a vehicle and signaled Shinato not to approach.

The earlier explosion was likely just a probe—trying to see if they could kill him outright.

Now, Su Xiao is surrounded by dozens of Ghoul Investigators; unless the enemy Contractee is an idiot, they won’t engage him now.

The firepower of these hundred Ghoul Investigators is not to be underestimated.

Unless the enemy Contractee can eliminate them all in an instant.

The street was unnaturally silent, save for the hissing of burning vehicles.

“Someone seems to want to kill us—why?”

Suyu Shikizo peered out cautiously, his expression eager and restless.

As Su Xiao scanned the surroundings, trying to pinpoint the enemy’s location, the enemy Contractee struck directly.

A green shockwave erupted instantly, sweeping over Su Xiao in the blink of an eye.

【You have been afflicted by 'Nature's Wrath.' Intelligence attribute check in progress.】

【Check result: Intelligence exceeds 10 points. Immune to sleep effect.】

【You are immune to 'Nature's Wrath' control. Vitality restored to 100%.】

After the green shockwave passed, the Ghoul Investigators beside Su Xiao began collapsing one after another—they weren’t dead, only asleep, and slept with unnatural sweetness, their bodies glowing faintly green.

Suyu Shikizo beside Su Xiao swayed like a drunkard, yet clung to consciousness and refused to fall.

Su Xiao seized Shikizo’s head and slammed it hard against the car door.

“Thud.”

A large dent dented the car door’s metal; a trickle of blood seeped from Shikizo’s white hair.

Shikizo’s dazed eyes slowly regained clarity, staring at Su Xiao in confusion.

Su Xiao still gripped Shikizo’s head.

“Awake yet?” If not, he’d hit him again.

Shikizo nodded. Su Xiao released him.

“What just happened? I felt like I wanted to sleep.”

Shikizo held no grudge; he leaned closer to Su Xiao.

“Shikizo, enemies will appear soon. Hold off one or two of them—kill them even if they’re not Ghouls. Understood?”

Shikizo nodded.

This was why Su Xiao brought Shikizo—he had almost no sense of right or wrong. Shinato would never accept such an order.

For Ghoul Investigators, killing a Ghoul and killing a human were fundamentally different.

“Hide here and wait for my command.”

As Su Xiao spoke, he took Shinato’s Quinque and tossed it to Shikizo.

Shinato was already asleep—he hadn’t resisted the sleep effect.

Su Xiao stood, drew Zhan Long Shan, and stepped out from behind the vehicle, his focus at its peak.

The street was utterly silent, save for the sleeping Ghoul Investigators.

The enemy had planned this: first, explosives to block the road; then, area control to weaken Su Xiao’s forces.

In a narrow alley several hundred meters away, the green-clad girl Ye Zi gazed sadly at a parchment in her hands, covered in intricate, mysterious patterns—now marred by large cracks.

It was a green skill scroll, usable only once.

“Sis Queen, if this guy doesn’t drop a health card, we’re screwed.”

The Queen’s crimson lips curled.

“No problem. Even without a health card, the follow-up 'Source of the World' will more than compensate us—and we’ll make a fortune. I’ll get you a healing staff then.”

At the mention of a healing staff, Ye Zi’s eyes lit up—but then she remembered something.

“Never mind. I need to revive 'Kaka' first—that requires a huge cost.”

The Queen’s expression darkened; she knew the cost of reviving ‘Kaka’ too.

“Fine. When this world ends, we’ll revive ‘Kaka’.”

Ye Zi was moved, about to speak—but the Queen raised a hand to stop her.

“He’s out. Hei Bai, prepare for the shot.”

The Queen pulled out a metal shield as tall as a doorframe, ready to meet the enemy.

“Understood.”

On the rooftop of a tall building, Hei Bai lay prone at the edge, a thick brown cloth spread beneath her.

Hei Bai spat out her gum; her long purple ponytail fell down her back as her pale fingers pressed lightly against her temples.

“Hum~.”

The whir of precision machinery echoed.

“Click~. Click~. Click~.”

A small piece of head armor rose above Hei Bai’s scalp; a targeting device appeared before her right eye—similar to night vision, but glowing red, and exquisitely detailed.

It was a green-tier item, with night vision, thermal sensing, ultrasonic detection, and more—the perfect gear for a sniper.

Hei Bai’s slender fingers rested on the rifle’s trigger; the red crosshairs in her scope locked onto Su Xiao.

Previously, Hei Bai had dared not do this—Su Xiao’s perception was too sharp.

Su Xiao, walking down the street, suddenly halted. A prickling sensation crawled up his skin.

He was being watched—by a lethal weapon.

By instinct, Su Xiao sensed the danger’s origin and quickly pinpointed its location: his upper left.

He looked toward it—only a building loomed in the night.

Through her scope, Hei Bai saw Su Xiao raise his head, staring directly at her position. She snorted, exasperated.

“Damn intelligence specialist.”

As she spoke, Hei Bai pulled the trigger…

Su Xiao remained standing. The sense of danger peaked—suddenly, a faint pain pierced his chest. His body instinctively twisted aside.

“Bang!” A gunshot shattered the night.

A gust of wind grazed his shoulder, leaving a trail of heat; behind him, the asphalt erupted into a hole dozens of centimeters wide, shards spraying outward.

Sniper!

Su Xiao had dodged the bullet not because he was faster than the round, but because he’d anticipated its path.

Su Xiao, who had stood still, suddenly surged forward, sprinting toward the source of danger.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Hei Bai fired three shots in rapid succession—only one grazed Su Xiao’s sleeve.

The distance between them shrank rapidly—from 700 meters to 400.

Hei Bai’s scalp prickled; she felt like a beast had locked onto her.

Her fingers hammered the trigger.

But Su Xiao seemed to predict the bullet trajectories—each shot evaded.

In this life-or-death moment, Su Xiao’s perception sharpened further, reaching unprecedented levels.

Wherever the unseen sniper aimed next, the spot he was targeted would throb faintly—that was how he dodged bullets.

“Queen, this guy’s perception is insane—I can’t lock onto him. Buy me time. I’m using that move.”

“No problem.”

The Queen, hidden in the alley, nodded.

“Ye Zi, stay hidden here. Find a chance to heal me.”

Ye Zi nodded. Before the Queen left the alley, a flash of emerald light appeared in her hand.

“Honor Badge.”

The Queen’s body blazed with green light; her arm muscles visibly swelled.

“I’m going. Watch my HP.”

The Queen burst from the alley, roaring as she charged toward Su Xiao.

Though the Queen’s primary stat was Strength, her speed increased as she closed in—until she became nearly a blur.

Su Xiao noticed the charging Queen and reluctantly abandoned pursuit of the unknown sniper.

“Shikizo, go to the rooftop of that mall. Eliminate the enemy up there.”