# Chapter 19: The Strongest Healer?
Inside the Great Yuan Auction House, east side of District 14.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this item is absolutely not to be missed..."
As the host on stage introduced the item, bidders below called out their offers one after another.
It was daytime now, so this was the human world. Of course, even during the day, a few ghouls inevitably mixed in.
The atmosphere in the auction hall grew increasingly heated. Two stern-faced old men had both taken a liking to the item on display and began competing with their wealth.
Su Xiao also sat among the audience, but his focus differed from everyone else's.
This auction house was quite spacious, capable of accommodating several hundred simultaneous bidders. The entire venue had three exits:
The main entrance, the back door, and an emergency escape route.
The emergency escape route was usually kept closed, only opening during emergencies like fires, but it still needed to be sealed off.
If there were three passages to cover, Akira Mado alone wouldn't be enough. It seemed he needed to dispatch others from the branch office.
Su Xiao stood up, walked through the crowd, and entered the auction house restroom. He pulled out his phone.
"Special Class Shinohara, this is Bai Ye."
Yukinori Shinohara seemed to be on duty, as the background noise on the phone was quite chaotic.
"What's the matter, First Class Bai Ye?"
Shinohara's address made Su Xiao pause. The other party had called him First Class, which meant headquarters had already promoted him.
"I've discovered a large gathering of ghouls. I need manpower, a lot of it."
Su Xiao deliberately emphasized "a lot." Purging District 14 with just him and Akira Mado would be difficult.
It wasn't that Su Xiao lacked combat power, but purging District 14 required many people to help block off routes.
"How many people do you need?"
As a First Class Investigator now, Su Xiao had the authority to assemble personnel, but he couldn't mobilize too many.
"A lot. But the combat strength required isn't high. As long as they can block roads, that's enough."
Shinohara on the other end of the line considered for a moment.
"There aren't many investigators at the District 14 branch. Below Third Class, there are probably only about 80 people.
But first, tell me your plan."
Su Xiao recounted his plan to Shinohara. After hearing it, Shinohara was visibly stunned.
"Purging District 14? That's no simple matter. Although there aren't many ghouls in District 14, they hide very well. Do you have a way?"
"I have a way."
Shinohara was silent for a long time.
"I'm in. But if this doesn't go well, it could have a major impact on your future."
Su Xiao chuckled lightly. He couldn't care less about his future.
"It doesn't matter. I'm moving tonight."
"I can't make it there now. I'll send Shisho instead. As for the manpower you need, they'll arrive soon."
Su Xiao was about to hang up when Shinohara called out to him.
"Bai Ye, you've been promoted to First Class Investigator. Your credentials are at the branch. I'll have Shisho bring them to you."
"Mm."
Su Xiao hung up the Den Den Mushi.
Just as he was about to leave the restroom, he accidentally spotted a mouse.
This mouse was somewhat special. Its fur was a light yellow color. Upon closer inspection, Su Xiao realized it was actually a hamster.
Finding a mouse in a restroom wasn't surprising, but why was there a hamster? Was it a bidder's pet? That wasn't impossible either.
The light yellow hamster wasn't afraid of people. It stood upright on the edge of the sink, its two front paws holding something it was gnawing on.
"Crunch~, crunch~, crunch~."
In the quiet restroom, only the sound of the hamster eating echoed. The little creature puffed out its cheeks as it chewed rapidly, looking quite adorable. Its small, pitch-black eyes curiously stared at Su Xiao.
For some reason, Su Xiao suddenly felt as if he was being watched. It was as if this wasn't a hamster, but a person.
"Squeak~."
The hamster let out a sound. Its two front paws held a small piece of carrot, and it actually extended it toward Su Xiao.
The meaning was obvious—it wanted him to eat it.
Su Xiao gave a wry smile, turned around, and walked away. Aside from being too intelligent, there was nothing unusual about this hamster.
After Su Xiao left, the hamster quickly finished the carrot in a few bites and patted its belly with satisfaction.
A flash of blue light flickered in its small, pitch-black eyes. With a few agile leaps, the hamster disappeared from the restroom.
...
In a civilian residence 500 meters from the auction house, a young girl in a light green dress suddenly opened her eyes.
"Sister, I found him."
The green-clad girl had a pure appearance, with long hair cascading over her shoulders. If one stood beside her, they would smell a faint scent of grass and trees—not any perfume, but the fragrance of nature.
"What's he like? Is he really as strong as Cold Fish said? That guy is very cunning. On the surface, he fears us, but deep down, he harbors ulterior motives. If it weren't for that person's sake, I would have wiped him out long ago."
A tall, mature woman in knight armor, holding a metal shield the size of a door panel, spoke.
This tall woman's equipment weighed at least two to three hundred jin, but judging by her demeanor, she handled it with ease.
"Cold Fish might have lied. According to Kaka's (the hamster) perception, that man has simultaneously strengthened three attributes: Strength 13, Agility 13, and Intelligence 12.
His individual attributes are similar to ours, but he's following a balanced route."
The green-clad girl yawned, a hint of fatigue showing on her delicate face. It seemed remotely controlling that hamster wasn't easy.
The knight-armored woman frowned deeply.
"I can understand high Strength and Agility, but what's with this Intelligence? He's a warrior who uses a blade, yet he's strengthening Intelligence?"
The green-clad girl lay on the bed, her two fair calves raised, occasionally swinging them.
"Who knows? Weirdos pop up every day, but today there's an extra special one."
After saying this, the green-clad girl giggled.
"Should we take him out?"
A slightly hoarse female voice came from the corner of the room. That corner was pitch black, and only the vague silhouette of a woman in a tight-fitting outfit could be seen.
If this woman hadn't spoken, no one would have noticed her.
The knight-armored woman was clearly the leader of the three. She thought carefully for a long time.
"Of course we take him out. Being alone in a faction is absolutely abnormal. Killing him will disrupt the balance of this derivative world, and then this derivative world will produce a large amount of World Source.
The three of us used exemption scrolls to enter this low-level world. We don't even have main quests. If we don't do something, we'll be at a huge loss. This is an opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
The other two women in the room nodded.
"So, Queen, when do we make our move?"
The green-clad girl yawned again, looking like she could fall asleep any moment.
"Just call me Queen. Don't add 'Lady.' That's too tacky."
The knight-armored woman glared at the green-clad girl.
"I understand, Queen~."
A seductive laugh came from the corner.
"Black and White, stop messing around with 'Flatty.'"
Upon hearing the word "Flatty," the green-clad girl bristled and sat up from the bed.
"I'm not flat! My 'milk output' is super huge! If it weren't for my 'milk output,' you would have been lying dead in that giant's mouth long ago."
The Queen suddenly thought of something and revealed a gentle smile.
"Yes, yes. You're the healer with the biggest milk output in this layer. No more jokes. We'll make our move tonight."
When it came to serious matters, the other two women's expressions turned stern.
"I'll go find a high vantage point."
The woman who had been hiding in the shadows stepped out. A purple tight-fitting suit outlined her voluptuous figure. Her purple hair was tied into a ponytail, and on her back was a heavy sniper rifle at least a meter long.
"Then I'll leave that to you, Black and White."
And so, these three women of unknown origin began preparing to ambush Su Xiao. Su Xiao was completely unaware of this, as he was busy planning to annihilate the ghouls in the auction house.