Chapter 98

Half an hour later, the warmth inside Su Xiao’s body faded, and he immediately checked his profile.

Contractee No. 13013.

Name: Su Xiao (Hunter).

Level: Lv.2. (First Tier. Every ten levels constitute a tier; leveling up grants no attribute bonuses—it corresponds to the Hunter’s permissions within the ‘Paradise,’ as well as world difficulty and mission difficulty.)

Health: 100%. (This attribute cannot be fully quantified—it changes according to injury severity.)

Mana: 253. (Intelligence × 10; current mana recovery rate: 6 points per hour.)

Strength: 15 (13 + 2)

Agility: 13

Stamina: 10 (6 + 4)

Intelligence: 12

Charm: 3

Luck: 1

Killing Talent: Soul Eater—upon killing a target, permanently steal 1–15 mana points.

This talent can steal a maximum of 100 mana points per derivative world.

…

As expected, Su Xiao’s Strength increased by 2, Stamina by 4.

Su Xiao clenched one fist; a crisp cracking sound echoed as a surge of power filled him.

Moreover, the increase in Stamina made him feel his bodily functions noticeably enhanced—his durability, endurance, and wound recovery speed all improved significantly.

At this stage, 10 Stamina is already substantial; all three of his primary attributes now lie between 12 and 15.

Drinking this [Human Gene Enhancement Serum] may have been his greatest gain upon entering the Ghoul World.

Su Xiao adjusted to his strengthened body; since this time Stamina had increased substantially, no imbalance occurred, and he adapted quickly.

As Su Xiao adapted to his body, fierce combat raged in the underground tunnels of District 24.

…

“Boom, boom!”

Kakuhou clashed with Quinque as a group of investigators fought their way through the underground tunnels of District 24.

“Hurry and confirm the route—I can’t hold out much longer.”

Yuna swung her scythe, slaying one ghoul; she had already donned her ‘New,’ greatly enhancing her combat power.

Even as Yuna kept cutting down the ghouls before her, their numbers were too great—the underground tunnels were packed with them, a dense, unbroken mass.

These were all ordinary ghouls, mostly B-rank and A-rank; otherwise, Yuna would have been dead long ago.

“J-just a moment—I’m identifying the route.”

A young investigator, panicked, used a compass to determine direction, his fear impossible to conceal.

“Yuna Special, can we even survive to reach the surface?”

Behind Yuna stood several young investigators.

Yuna entered District 24 because headquarters assigned her to lead this year’s rookie investigators in training on the outer edges of District 24.

The outer edges of District 24 aren’t too dangerous—a good training ground. After graduating from the Ghoul Investigator Academy, all rookies are sent here for training.

“Hurry!”

Yuna shouted, kicking a charging ghoul away.

“Let us pass, damn CCG.”

One ghoul suddenly spoke—his face showed clear fear.

This puzzled Yuna, but letting them pass was impossible—her back was filled with rookies.

The blood feud between investigators and ghouls left no room for negotiation.

“Bullshit! Step over my corpse if you dare.”

Yuna glanced back at the rookies behind her, sighing inwardly—her two reliable teammates weren’t here; otherwise, these ghouls would be nothing.

“Route confirmed—left.”

The rookie holding the compass beamed with joy—he’d found the exit based on their incoming path.

“You go first—I’ll be right behind you.”

Yuna spun her scythe, spraying blood and flesh as several ghouls fell.

“But Special Yuna, you…”

“No more talk—go!”

Yuna’s beautiful face twisted in irritation—she was furious at these useless teammates.

“O-okay, okay, we’re going.”

The rookie investigators fled in disarray; once they’d put some distance between them, Yuna unleashed a full-power swing with her scythe, then turned and ran.

Dozens of ghouls followed closely behind Yuna—but strangely, they didn’t attack, only kept pace at a steady distance.

Yuna’s slender eyebrows furrowed; though confused, she moved faster.

Since they were in the outer edges of District 24, Yuna’s team soon reached the metal door leading to the surface—the rookies were already waiting ahead.

Yuna tore off the key from her neck and tossed it to the rookies.

The metal door opened; Yuna dashed through, and the door slammed shut, locking from the outside.

“Bang, bang, bang…”

Repeated thuds echoed inside the metal door, faint roars of ghouls audible beneath.

Blood dripped from Yuna’s fingertips as she collapsed onto the ground with a thud.

“Contact the temporary outpost—report an anomaly in District 24’s underground: large numbers of ghouls attempting to breach the surface.”

Supported by the rookies, Yuna returned to the surface; near the entrance of District 24, over a dozen temporary tents had been pitched.

Around the tents stood two dozen investigators, men and women—all young.

This year’s graduating class of rookies was unusually large, so Yuna had set up camp near the District 24 entrance—it was far more convenient.

Each time, she brought a few rookies into the outer edges of District 24 to fight ghouls, helping them adapt quickly to combat.

She chose District 24 because it had the most ghouls.

As long as they didn’t go deep, it wasn’t too dangerous, and there was no risk of getting lost.

Su Xiao had once ventured deep into District 24 for hours; these rookies had only entered five minutes’ worth of distance—no comparison.

The rookies near camp, seeing Yuna drenched in blood, rushed over—they’d never seen her injured before. To them, Yuna, a Special-class investigator, was an invincible figure.

Some rookies who knew basic first aid began clumsily tending to her wounds.

“Kid, what are you doing?”

Yuna glared at a boy, who stepped back two paces in fear.

“I—I want to help you with your wounds.”

Yuna pointed to a girl, signaling her to tend to her injuries.

The boy turned away, visibly downcast; Yuna was young and stunningly beautiful—in his eyes, she was a goddess.

“Special Yuna, we’ve contacted the temporary outpost.”

A slightly chubby rookie stood straight before Yuna.

“What did the outpost say? Did you report the anomaly?”

After bandaging her wounds, Yuna struggled to stand.

“We reported it—but the outpost said Ma Te Special isn’t here.”

Yuna’s expression changed.

“The outpost said they’ll notify Bai Ye Special.”

The chubby boy spoke with labored breaths, but Yuna paid no mind.

“If that guy’s back, then I’m at ease.”

“Keep watching the entrance—that damn door won’t hold much longer. Damn ghouls, have they gone mad?”

Yuna gritted her teeth in fury, accidentally jarring her wound—she hissed in pain.

Yet soon, a satisfied smile spread across her face—she’d already imagined the ghoul’s grim fate.