Chapter 67

Edge of District 14.

The geography here is excellent, the scenery beautiful, an ideal place to live.

But the proliferation of ghouls has driven away many humans, gradually turning the area desolate.

Inside an abandoned building, hundreds of ghouls have gathered, sharing intelligence, selling “food,” or seeking mates.

“Did you hear? The auction house and the Co-feeding Zone were both wiped out by the CCG. Those guys really asked for death.”

“How could you not have heard? Every ghoul in District 14 knows—CCG’s District 14 branch brought in a madman. That guy’s name is something like ‘White…’”

“His name is White Night. A friend of mine mentioned him—he used to operate in the Co-feeding Zone and saw the guy firsthand…”

The ghoul dressed like a student fell silent mid-sentence.

Several surrounding ghouls closed in.

“Tell us, don’t stop halfway—what does this White Night madman actually look like? We’ll avoid him if we ever see him.”

The student ghoul slipped his hands into his pockets, smirking at the others.

“Ugh~ I’m starving. CCG’s crackdown has gotten worse lately—I haven’t eaten in half a month.”

The other ghouls exchanged glances, understanding the student ghoul’s meaning.

“Takagawa, you still have some ‘rations,’ right? Give him some.”

“Why me? My ‘rations’ are for emergencies. And I don’t care what that White Night madman looks like.”

The ghouls’ curiosity ignited; their gazes turned hostile toward the student ghoul.

“You bastard~ are you going to talk or not?”

“I’ve got Co-feeding habits too.”

The student ghoul was young and timid, showing signs of fear.

But surrendering now would be humiliating.

“I’m not telling you because I’m scared. We’re all ghouls—survival isn’t easy.”

The surrounding ghouls exchanged amused glances—they had no real fighting spirit either, just trying to intimidate the student.

“Honma, we understand your position. Just tell us quickly.”

The student ghoul cleared his throat and began recounting what he knew; the others listened intently.

…

Among the tall grass around the abandoned building, waist-high and thick, large shadows crept closer.

“Team One, left flank. Team Two, right flank. Team Three, frontal assault. Team Four, seal off the rear major exit.”

Su Xiao crouched in the grass, advancing toward the abandoned building.

This target involved many ghouls. Thermal detection confirmed at least 240 ghouls inside the building—possibly more.

If he charged in alone, he’d be overwhelmed. But with other investigators supporting him, things changed.

He’d lead the charge; the investigators would cover his back. After a bloody battle, they’d annihilate every ghoul here.

“Team One, ready.”

“Team Two, ready.”

“Team Three, ready.”

“Team Four, in position.”

Zhanlong Flash appeared in Su Xiao’s hand; his fingertip tapped his Bluetooth earpiece.

“Execute.”

At Su Xiao’s command, Teams One, Two, and Three raised their grenade launchers simultaneously.

“Bang, bang, bang…”

Dozens of iron canisters resembling tear gas grenades were fired into the abandoned building.

Originally, Su Xiao planned to use high-explosive grenades to obliterate the ghouls.

But strangely, the CCG’s arsenal didn’t stock many grenades.

The arsenal’s explanation: grenades couldn’t reliably kill ghouls and might endanger civilians.

This left Su Xiao puzzled—and suspicious. They were conducting a clearance operation in the suburbs; no civilians were nearby.

Perhaps CCG headquarters feared extreme investigators might use mass-kill weapons in urban areas?

Possible—but the reasoning felt weak.

Whatever the real reason, Su Xiao had no interest in investigating further. His priority was completing the main quest.

“Crack, crack…”

Muffled thuds echoed from within the building; a white mist spread outward.

This wasn’t tear gas—it was CRC gas.

At sufficient concentration, CRC gas severely impaired ghouls, suppressing RC cell activity, causing kagune to shrink and preventing kakuja from manifesting.

The timing was perfect. Su Xiao charged toward the building, followed by dozens of investigators.

Rapid gunfire, clashing weapons, and screams erupted inside the abandoned building.

The battle erupted instantly into full-blown chaos.

“C-CGG’s here! Run!”

The ghouls panicked. The sudden CRC gas rendered them unable to manifest kakuja.

But the building wasn’t sealed—the CRC gas was already dissipating.

Su Xiao slashed forward, blade flashing; several ghouls fell, carving a bloody path. The investigators defended his rear.

With their cover, Su Xiao moved with far greater ease in the melee—ghouls fell one after another beneath his blade.

…

Two hours later, Su Xiao sat on the ground, drenched in blood.

He tore a strip of cloth from a ghoul’s corpse and began wiping Zhanlong Flash.

The battle had lasted two grueling hours. The ghouls had tried to flee, but Su Xiao’s outer team blocked them.

By then, the CRC gas had been blown away; the ghouls went berserk, fighting desperately.

He discarded the blood- and flesh-smeared cloth, sheathing Zhanlong Flash.

Before him lay a sea of ghoul corpses—but not a single treasure chest.

Perhaps that earlier flash had used up all his luck.

He gained 367 CCG contribution points from slaughtering these ghouls.

His mission progress updated: 【First-Class Investigator, Contribution: 1264/2000.】

Though he’d cleared over 200 ghouls, not all were his kills—many fell to other investigators. He received only a fraction of the contribution points.

As he neared his main quest goal, Su Xiao entertained a thought: if it came true, he’d gain significant freedom of movement.

“Xiao, report casualties.”

Shinato Go’s death had deeply affected Shinato Xiao.

Yet Shinato Xiao didn’t request leave today—this woman was stubborn, fiercely determined.

“128 deployed. 78 lightly wounded, 15 seriously wounded, 23 dead. 12 others suffered only minor scrapes.”

Shinato Xiao stood rigidly after reporting—she, too, was lightly wounded.

Su Xiao wasn’t surprised by these losses.

Clearing ghouls wasn’t simple—it demanded lives. Only 23 dead? That was a decisive victory.

Without Su Xiao leading the charge, deaths might have exceeded half the force.

It sounds exaggerated—but it’s the truth.

“Reorganize the teams. Send the dead to headquarters. Transport the seriously and lightly wounded to the hospital.”

“How many can still fight?”

Su Xiao planned to clear the next ghoul gathering point—time was running short.

“About fifty-some can still fight.”

“Exact number.”

In the midst of slaughter and combat, Su Xiao had unconsciously developed a unique aura.

“Fifty-three.”

Shinato Xiao instinctively straightened her posture.

“Fifty-three? Not enough. Contact Special Investigator Shinohara—we’re short on manpower.”

Shinohara Yukiki had previously discussed with Su Xiao: clearing District 14 was acceptable only if casualties stayed under 100. Beyond that, he’d halt the operation.

To clear large numbers of ghouls, losses were inevitable. Deathless battles existed only in Rexue stories. Su Xiao wasn’t naive; Shinohara wasn’t either. Both understood this perfectly.

Those who kill must be ready to die.