Chapter 77: Thread

“These ghouls’ attire is strange.”

Yuna murmured; she had never seen ghouls dressed like primitive savages before.

“Are such ghouls rare in District 24?”

Su Xiao asked casually.

“They should be rare—I’ve explored District 24 for half a year, and this is the first time I’ve seen ghouls dressed like this.”

Yuna stared in astonishment at the ghouls.

“Special Class Kaku, have you ever seen ghouls like this during your longer exploration of District 24?”

Kaku Masa didn’t answer Yuna’s question; he simply stepped silently from around the corner.

Somewhat vaguely, Su Xiao sensed that Kaku Masa might know something.

When Su Xiao first met Kaku Masa, he had felt something odd—the man’s immense physique could only belong to a ghoul.

But this was merely Su Xiao’s speculation; he had personally seen Kaku Masa eat human food, and after spending long periods alongside him, he had noticed no abnormalities.

Based on Kaku Masa’s behavior, he could not possibly be a ghoul.

Kaku Masa’s physique resembled a ghoul’s, yet his actions were nothing like a ghoul’s.

As Su Xiao pondered, Kaku Masa stepped out from the corner, and his Quinque, “Meishin,” appeared.

“Meishin” is an S+ class Quinque with three forms.

The first form is cannon-shaped, capable of releasing wide-area electrical currents.

The second form is pincer-shaped, able to fire electric spheres at a distance.

The third form is sword-shaped, extremely durable and suited for close combat.

Kaku Masa was now using the sword form.

“One each. We must resolve this quickly.”

Kaku Masa looked at Su Xiao; the meaning was clear.

Kaku Masa’s actions now made Su Xiao even more suspicious—the two ghouls weren’t particularly strong; one person could handle them easily.

Was he testing Su Xiao’s strength? Unlikely—the two ghouls’ power fell far below testing standards.

Since entering District 24, Su Xiao had sensed something deeply off; there must be some secret here, and Kaku Masa might know part of it.

But he wasn’t close to Kaku Masa, and the man wasn’t the type to offer help—he’d have to uncover it himself.

“Fine.”

Su Xiao gripped Zhanlongshan and stood shoulder to shoulder with Kaku Masa.

They were positioned behind the two ghouls, who were feasting and hadn’t noticed them.

Kaku Masa extended three fingers and began counting down.

As Kaku Masa closed his final finger, both men sprinted toward the two ghouls.

During the charge, Su Xiao noticed Kaku Masa’s speed was astonishing—nearly equal to his own.

This deepened Su Xiao’s suspicion about Kaku Masa’s humanity; his agility was 13 points. Could an ordinary human in the ghoul world truly reach 13 points?

After a rapid flurry of footsteps, Su Xiao and Kaku Masa simultaneously reached the rear of their respective targets.

Only now did the two ghouls react.

A flash of brilliant blade-light sliced through the air—a head with a gaping mouth full of rotten teeth flew upward.

Fast, precise, brutal—a single decapitating strike. Su Xiao eliminated his target.

Looking up, he saw another headless corpse lying before Kaku Masa.

Far away, Yuna stared blankly at the two; she had long known Kaku Masa’s strength, but she hadn’t expected Su Xiao to be this powerful.

“Damn it, I’ve become the weakest.”

Yuna’s face twisted with frustration, but she had no choice.

After Su Xiao killed the ghoul before him, the Cycle Paradise gave a prompt.

【You killed a resident of ‘Diaykeman’.】

【CCG contribution points increased by 46. ‘Diaykeman Tribe’ reputation decreased by 92. Current ‘Diaykeman Tribe’ reputation: below -50. The Diaykeman Tribe will now actively attack you.】

After receiving the Cycle Paradise’s prompt, Su Xiao grew even more confused.

What was this ‘Diaykeman Tribe’? In the plot he knew, no such organization existed.

“Pfft.”

Kaku Masa sliced open the ghoul’s back and extracted a Kaku.

“This Kaku is valuable. If you seek status, you can submit it to the Information Investigation Division of District 24.”

Kaku Masa spoke, pulled out a bottle of clean water, rinsed the blood off the Kaku, and placed it into his backpack.

Su Xiao imitated Kaku Masa, extracting the ghoul’s Kaku. Upon contact, the Cycle Paradise gave a prompt.

【You obtained a Kaku (Type I), usable for exchanging 40 CCG contribution points.】

Whether killing primitive ghouls or extracting their Kaku, one gained substantial CCG contribution points.

The contribution points from killing a primitive ghoul were more than ten times those from killing a surface ghoul.

Su Xiao still didn’t understand why—mystery after mystery emerged, making District 24 seem ever more mysterious.

Just as the three prepared to advance deeper, a pair of crimson eyes glared at them from afar—at the end of a corridor one hundred meters away stood a ghoul.

“Trouble.”

Kaku Masa, rarely showing expression, now looked worried.

The ghoul in the distance also wore primitive attire; upon seeing his two fallen companions, he let out two strange cries.

“Ou~. Ou~.”

The primitive ghoul’s cries were short and shrill, carrying far.

Kaku Masa changed “Meishin” into its ranged form.

“Bang.”

A golden electric sphere shot out, striking the ghoul squarely.

The ghoul convulsed and collapsed, a smell of burnt flesh filling the air—he was reduced to charcoal and died.

Behind his glasses, Kaku Masa’s eyes narrowed slightly; his expression darkened.

“Prepare for battle. Yuna, get behind me.”

Kaku Masa pressed a button on his briefcase, and another Quinque appeared.

Quinque “Ixa,” an S+ Quinque, capable of multiple forms—a weapon of both offense and defense.

“Where’s the enemy?”

Su Xiao’s expression turned serious; though he hadn’t sensed anyone, Kaku Masa’s uncharacteristic behavior had put him on high alert.

“Soon…”

Before Kaku Masa finished speaking, Su Xiao felt a faint tremor beneath his feet.

“Boom~~~.”

As if a vast army thundered through the corridors on both sides, dust rained from the ceiling.

“Ou~, Ou~, Ou~…”

The strange cries echoed again.

From both front and rear of Su Xiao, countless ghouls surged forward—escape and retreat routes were both blocked.

All these ghouls wore primitive attire—grass skirts and bone-necklaces were standard; some had crude paintings drawn on their faces.

If one looked closely, the patterns resembled bloated fish.

Bare, calloused feet pounded the ground, kicking up dust as the primitive ghouls charged forward, howling wildly.

“Damn it.”

Su Xiao muttered under his breath; conservatively estimated, at least three hundred primitive ghouls surrounded them from both sides of the corridor.

“We haven’t fought together before, but cooperate—if not, we all die.”

Su Xiao looked at Kaku Masa, who gave him a solemn nod.

“Cooperate. You handle the left, I’ll take the right. Don’t let the ghouls surround you.”

In battle, bonds form quickly—especially under life-or-death pressure.

“Then… what should I do?”

Yuna frowned helplessly.

“Support us both at any moment.”

Su Xiao gripped Zhanlongshan tightly, preparing for battle.

“Leave it to me.”

Though Su Xiao was only a Senior Investigator, one rank below Yuna, rank meant nothing now—strength was the only truth.

“Jiujio~.”

A chieftain-like primitive ghoul let out a sharp cry; he held a long tree root in one hand and wore several bird feathers stuck in his hair.

After the cry, the ghouls bared their teeth and lunged at Su Xiao like wild beasts.

PS: (Recommending a friend’s One Piece novel, “The Stormblade Swordsman of the Pirate World”—quite good, check it out.)