Chapter 14: Terrifying Intuition
After arriving at West District, Su Xiao didn’t immediately get out of the car.
“Mado Akira, do you know the specific situation in West District?”
Although ghouls cannibalized each other in West District, some ordinary civilians also lived nearby.
“Of course. After I was assigned to Ward 14, I thoroughly investigated the intelligence here.”
Mado Akira rummaged through the car for a moment and pulled out a file folder.
“Ward 14: Nakano District. This area is rampant with mutual cannibalism. Most ghouls hide among ordinary people. Ghouls from various factions are distributed here, making it a social hub for ghouls. There are many ghoul intelligence brokers...”
Su Xiao lit a cigarette and silently listened to Mado Akira’s description.
Rolling down the window, Su Xiao exhaled a puff of blue smoke.
“Second Class Bai Ye, please don’t smoke. Cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemical substances, 60 of which are highly harmful to the body, including nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, irritating compounds...”
“Moreover, secondhand smoke affects my skin.”
As the blue smoke curled, Su Xiao spoke:
“Can you find a bar called ‘Helter Skelter’? It should be nearby.”
Mado Akira sighed helplessly.
“No problem.”
She took out a small computer and began checking the nearby map.
“Found it. It’s at...”
Before Mado Akira could finish, Su Xiao suddenly straightened up and stared at a pedestrian on the street.
“A ghoul.”
Su Xiao’s sharp gaze startled Mado Akira.
“What?”
Mado Akira looked at Su Xiao in confusion, finding it hard to believe he could identify a ghoul just by sight.
Su Xiao got out of the car and slowly followed a middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man looked tired, like an office worker with an unsuccessful career, carrying a leather briefcase.
“Second Class Bai Ye, wait for me.”
Mado Akira, holding her briefcase, quickly caught up with Su Xiao.
“Can you tell me how you determined that man was a ghoul?”
“Intuition.”
The middle-aged man ahead turned into a small alley, and Su Xiao quickened his pace.
“Intu... intuition?”
Doubt flickered in Mado Akira’s eyes as she watched Su Xiao’s back. She couldn’t help wondering if this Second Class Investigator was really reliable.
In the dark, damp alley, the middle-aged man continued walking slowly.
“Stop right there.”
Su Xiao’s voice, carrying a hint of coldness, came from behind the middle-aged man.
“Who are you?”
The middle-aged man looked at Su Xiao with confusion, his peripheral vision scanning the surroundings.
“Next time, don’t use a leather briefcase to carry human meat. The blood will seep through.”
Su Xiao’s words made the middle-aged man’s expression change, his gaze turning panicked.
“Mind your own business. You’re asking for death.”
The middle-aged man’s expression suddenly turned ferocious. His red eyes appeared, and he charged at Su Xiao.
The ghoul in front of him wasn’t strong, only around B-rank. Su Xiao didn’t even bother drawing [Dragon-Slaying Flash].
The middle-aged man closed in a few steps and threw a punch at Su Xiao’s head. His movements were stiff and slow.
Su Xiao had no interest in dodging such an attack.
He suddenly raised his left leg and kicked the middle-aged man in the abdomen. The man winced in pain, his body folding into a V-shape as he spat out a mouthful of sour liquid.
At that moment, the middle-aged man’s posture brought his head right in front of Su Xiao.
Su Xiao seized the opportunity, wrapping his arm around the man’s neck. He tightened his grip, viciously choking him.
“Let... let me go, you...”
Just as Su Xiao locked his arm around the man’s neck, Mado Akira quickly ran into the alley.
“Crack.”
The crisp sound of bones snapping echoed. The middle-aged man’s body suddenly went limp. Su Xiao released his arm, and the corpse thudded to the ground.
“Call someone to clean this up.”
Su Xiao walked past Mado Akira, who stared in amazement at the dead ghoul.
This made Mado Akira wonder—could he really rely on intuition to find ghouls?
Back in the car, Su Xiao pondered. He didn’t know why, but when he casually glanced at that middle-aged man, he suddenly felt the man was a ghoul.
At the time, the man’s briefcase hadn’t been seeping blood; that happened later.
Su Xiao speculated that this might be related to his attribute enhancement.
As his attributes increased, he felt significant changes in his body. His physique hadn’t changed, but his muscles were noticeably firmer and more powerful.
Before entering Reincarnation Paradise, Su Xiao practiced swordsmanship for long hours every day.
The unscientific training had damaged his right wrist, which ached whenever it rained.
But now, the old injury in his wrist had almost healed, and it would fully recover soon.
Mado Akira also returned to the car. This time, her gaze toward Su Xiao was markedly different.
“Second Class Bai Ye, where are we going?”
“Helter Skelter bar.”
The car started, and five minutes later, they arrived at the entrance of the ‘Helter Skelter’ bar.
“Wait in the car.”
Su Xiao got out, leaving Mado Akira alone.
The ‘Helter Skelter’ bar was run by a female ghoul named Ido.
Although Su Xiao didn’t know the exact location, he knew it was a small intelligence hub.
He wasn’t here to expel Ido but to gather information.
Ido was an SS-rank ghoul. Under normal circumstances, Su Xiao wouldn’t let her go, but she had a more important use.
A ghoul intelligence broker was far more valuable than a treasure chest. Through Ido, Su Xiao could obtain more chests.
Entering the bar, there were no customers since it was daytime.
The bar had a retro style. The walls were unadorned, showing a dull yellow color. There were no windows, and the only light came from a lamp on the counter, making the bar somewhat dim.
“Welcome.”
A slightly lazy female voice came from behind the counter. Su Xiao sat down at the bar.
“What would you like to drink, customer?”
Ido stood behind the counter, her bright orange-red hair strikingly vivid in the dim bar. It was the most vibrant color in the entire establishment.
Ido appeared calm but was actually extremely alert. As an intelligence broker, she immediately recognized Su Xiao’s appearance.
Noticing Ido’s gaze, Su Xiao knew things would be easier.
“Answer one of my questions, and I won’t cause you trouble.”
Ido stepped back a few paces, maintaining a safe distance from Su Xiao.
“Third Class Investigator, Bai Ye. The monster-level human who fought Eto.”
Silence fell over the bar. Neither spoke.
Ido’s intelligence-gathering ability surprised Su Xiao slightly. It was normal for her to know about Takatsuki Sen’s incident, but she even knew he had joined the CCG.
“Go ahead. What’s the question?”
Ido sighed and chose to back down.
“Where is the cannibalism zone in Ward 14?”
“Right here. West District.”
Ido picked up a glass beside her, half-filled with a dark red liquid that looked like red wine but was actually human blood.
Ghouls’ taste buds were different from humans’. Eating human food gave them a strong fishy smell.
Even alcohol was undrinkable for ghouls. Aside from water and coffee, ghouls couldn’t consume any human food normally.
“The specific location of West District. The more detailed, the better.”
Su Xiao was growing impatient.
“Don’t make such a scary face, okay?
Alright, alright. After nine o’clock every night, the center of West District is where the cannibalism is most severe.”
Ido didn’t hesitate much before betraying other ghouls.
Having learned the specifics, Su Xiao left the bar. He had already thought of a way to quickly complete the mission.
If things went smoothly, he could finish Main Mission (2) within a week.
“What exactly does cannibalism look like? I’m really ‘looking forward’ to it.”