Chapter 76: First Signs

Su Xiao stepped into the dark entrance, a swift, fishy-smelling wind brushing past his cheeks.

The entrance sloped downward, gradually leading underground.

After advancing a distance, the tunnel narrowed slightly, yet remained at least five meters high and seven or eight meters wide—no one knew how long the ghouls had labored to carve out such a space.

Once inside, he realized that though it was underground, it was not pitch-black.

Along the tunnel’s ceiling grew plants with gray stems, their roots dense and bearing peculiar flowers.

The flowers hung from the ceiling, emitting a faint white glow that kept the tunnel from feeling dark.

“Drip… drip…”

Water droplets fell from the ceiling; Ma Gui and Yuna immediately retreated far away.

“Don’t touch that liquid—it’s the secretion from the ‘Light Flowers,’ highly toxic.”

Yuna promptly warned Su Xiao, who nodded.

“Don’t let your guard down—over fifty investigators have died from the toxin of the Light Flowers.”

Seeing Su Xiao wasn’t paying attention, Yuna warned him again.

“Hmm, thanks.”

Though Yuna was somewhat neurotic, she was a solid teammate.

After advancing several hundred meters underground, the three faced a metal door.

“We’re here.”

Ma Gui reached into his collar and pulled out a necklace with a golden key hanging from it.

He inserted the key into the metal door—it swung open with a thunderous clang.

“Every time I go through this damn door, I feel like I’ll never get out—who the hell designed this thing? Damn it.”

Yuna muttered under her breath, then fell silent again.

This checkpoint was built long ago by the CCG to prevent ghouls in District 24 from escaping; only two keys existed—one held by Ma Gui, the other by Hoshimiya Jishi (CCG Director).

As the metal door opened, a foul, stinking odor surged out.

Beyond the metal barrier lay two branching paths.

Outside and inside the metal door were entirely different worlds.

The walls inside the door were no longer earth—they were dark red, fleshy membranes.

Su Xiao drew Zhan Long Shan and stabbed its tip into the flesh-wall; the material was hard and highly resilient.

“Pthss.”

After the blade sank in a short distance, the flesh-wall began to tighten, attempting to clamp down on Zhan Long Shan.

“Ma Gui, which way do we take?”

Yuna and Ma Gui were well-acquainted, longtime partners.

“You decide.”

Ma Gui held two Quink weapons—one in each hand: ‘Ming Shen’ and ‘IXA.’

Yuna pulled out a coin and flipped it.

“Heads—then right it is.”

Ma Gui nodded.

Su Xiao watched, puzzled—was there no fixed route?

“Strange, isn’t it? Choosing paths like this.”

Yuna smiled at Su Xiao.

“No fixed route?”

“None—and there never can be.”

Yuna’s words deepened Su Xiao’s confusion.

“These flesh-walls aren’t static—they shift constantly. The branching paths ahead? Sometimes two, sometimes three, even five.”

That’s why District 24 has never been fully explored—it’s all alive.”

Hearing Yuna’s explanation, Su Xiao frowned.

“How do we get out after going deeper? With this, getting trapped to death isn’t impossible.”

“Of course there’s a way—this makes leaving no problem.”

Yuna tossed a compass in her hand.

Ma Gui spoke beside her.

“This exploration is limited to two days. If we find nothing by then, return to the surface and regroup at the temporary branch.”

Ma Gui paused, then continued:

“White Night, what are you best at?”

Ma Gui wanted to assess Su Xiao’s capabilities.

“Frontal assault, perception, breaching.”

“Good.”

Ma Gui adjusted his glasses.

“I’ll lead, Yuna in the center, White Night at the rear.”

Su Xiao had no objection to this formation—but Yuna pouted.

“I’m not a rookie—why am I stuck in the middle? Annoying.”

Yuna sized up Su Xiao, realized she wasn’t his match, and reluctantly accepted the center position.

The trio began advancing into the depths of District 24.

“Roar!”

Before they’d gone far, a roar echoed ahead.

“Damn it, are we really this unlucky?”

Yuna cursed, spun on her heel, and ran.

Ma Gui reacted the same—without hesitation, he bolted backward.

“Fall back! Something’s coming!”

Even without Ma Gui’s shout, Su Xiao turned and ran the moment he saw them flee—his position subtly overtaking Yuna.

“What was that?”

While running, Su Xiao asked Yuna.

“It’s a ‘monster.’ District 24 isn’t like District 14—there’s more here than just ghouls.”

Soon, the three reached the fork again.

Though District 24’s terrain shifts, the changes follow cycles—major alterations occur roughly every seven or eight days; otherwise, only minor adjustments happen.

“The right path is blocked—the Blood Eye is on the right.”

Yuna panted heavily, glancing fearfully at the right tunnel entrance.

Su Xiao frowned—what kind of monster made Ma Gui flee?

“Ma Gui. The Blood Eye is active—should we retreat?”

Yuna was beginning to consider withdrawal.

“No. The Blood Eye’s range is limited—explore the left passage.”

Ma Gui led, and the three entered the left tunnel.

Before even encountering a ghoul, District 24 had already delivered two warnings to Su Xiao:

Constantly dripping poison, and a monster powerful enough to force Ma Gui to run.

The trio advanced deep into District 24 smoothly—hours passed without incident, not a single ghoul appeared. Su Xiao grew puzzled—weren’t there supposed to be many ghouls here?

“Boom.”

A thunderous crash echoed through the tunnel, shaking it, dust raining down.

“The Blood Eye’s gone berserk again.”

Yuna’s face darkened—she clearly feared the creature known as the Blood Eye.

“It’s entering its molting phase. I fought it last week.”

Ma Gui’s words stunned them—he’d actually clashed with the unknown monster.

After another hour of advancing deeper into District 24, Su Xiao was thoroughly lost.

District 24 deserved its name as a labyrinth—along the way, they’d passed at least dozens of branching paths.

Ahead, another corner appeared.

“Wait.”

Su Xiao suddenly spoke; Yuna and Ma Gui turned to him.

“What is it?”

Yuna tensed her whole body.

“There’s fresh blood—right around the corner.”

Yuna eyed Su Xiao skeptically, then crept quietly toward the corner, peering around it.

She turned back and nodded to the two.

Ma Gui glanced at Su Xiao, then both moved forward with silent, careful steps.

As Su Xiao neared the corner, he saw two ghouls devouring a corpse.

From the red eyes on the corpse, he was also a Ghoul.

Su Xiao had never seen a Ghoul from District 24 before; the Ghouls here were vastly different from those outside.

It wasn’t their appearance that differed, but their clothing.

These two Ghouls from District 24 were wearing grass skirts; one even had a necklace made of bone teeth.

Su Xiao stood frozen—had he encountered primitive Ghouls?

PS: (As usual, requesting recommendation votes)