Chapter 62: Bone-Chilling Cold
Su Xiao picked up the Herculean fragment from the ground, and a notification from Reincarnation Paradise appeared.
**Herculean Sac (SSS-grade)**
- Origin: Tokyo Ghoul
- Quality: Green
- Type: Material
- Rating: 24 (Note: Green item ratings range from 10 to 30.)
- Description: The Herculean Sac of Yoshimura Kuzen. Can be used for equipment forging or transplantation into the body. {Transplantation into the body has a 10% chance of becoming a Ghoul, 89% chance of death, and 1% chance of unknown mutation.}
- Selling Price: 2500 Paradise Coins.
Although he hadn’t taken down the manager, he had obtained one of his Herculean Sacs. An SSS-grade Herculean Sac was rare in the Ghoul world, obtainable only from a very few Ghouls.
Losing one Herculean fragment didn’t mean the manager had lost his combat capability. For a Herculean like him, there were multiple Herculean Sacs inside his body. The manager had eight, while his daughter, Takatsuki Sen, also known as Yoshimura Eto, had ten.
Su Xiao stored the Herculean Sac in his storage space. This item was valuable; even if he didn’t go to the CCG headquarters to forge it into a Quinque, he could sell it in Reincarnation Paradise. He had previously learned that forging a Quinque required at least 3000 contribution points. Since contribution points were what he needed most right now, he wouldn’t waste them on forging.
Materials were cheaper than finished weapons but easier to sell. Finished weapons had limitations, whereas obtaining forging materials allowed him to seek out a Worker to craft specific weapons. Su Xiao planned to store these valuable materials and sell them for Paradise Coins once back in Reincarnation Paradise.
“Boom...”
The building at the Aogiri Tree stronghold tilted again, though it wouldn’t collapse immediately. The situation was that the CCG had breached the Aogiri Tree stronghold and driven out most of its Ghouls. Except for the Aogiri Tree executives, over 400 of the 500-plus Ghouls inside had been annihilated, with only a few survivors.
“Quick, evacuate the Aogiri Tree stronghold! Hurry, hurry!”
Marude Itsuki’s roar came through the combat channel. This was a public channel, and only Marude Itsuki, as the field commander, had permission to speak.
“White Night, are you alright?”
Shinohara Yuki was helped over by someone, injured badly by “New.”
“I’m fine. Won’t die anytime soon.”
Su Xiao stood up, a sharp pain immediately shooting through his lower abdomen.
“Let’s retreat. This operation is over. We’ve won.”
Shinohara Yuki and the supporting Kuroiwa Iwa both smiled. Victory in battle meant reclaiming District 11, making it human territory again.
“Kuroiwa Iwa Special Class, the second squad is sending an emergency request. They’re facing a small-scale last-ditch counterattack from Ghouls, about sixty of them.”
Kuroiwa Iwa’s expression changed, and he immediately helped Shinohara Yuki downstairs to provide support. The less injured Amon and Hirako Jo had already gone ahead.
Su Xiao clutched his lower abdomen and walked forward slowly. The injury there was severe; though it wouldn’t kill him, it would affect his combat ability.
Just as Su Xiao was about to leave the balcony, two figures leaped over from a distant rooftop. Judging by their direction, they weren’t coming for him—just passing through.
The distance was considerable. Su Xiao squinted, focusing on the two figures—or rather, three. The one in front was a male of medium build with white hair and a mask covering his face, revealing only one eye. He was carrying a blue-haired girl on his back.
“Is that... Kaneki Ken?”
Following behind Kaneki Ken was a man with yellow glasses—his senior, Nishio Nishiki.
Kaneki Ken had undergone a transformation, evolving from a weakling to an S- or SS-class Ghoul. Unfortunately for them, their route passed right in front of Su Xiao.
Kaneki Ken glanced at Su Xiao from a distance, not too concerned. He recognized Su Xiao as an investigator and also noticed he was injured. Kaneki’s eyes were expressionless, his pupils dull and lifeless, almost dead.
“Be careful...”
Touka, on Kaneki’s back, recognized Su Xiao and murmured weakly. She had recently encountered her brother, who had beaten her badly. Though he hadn’t gone for the kill, she was seriously injured.
“Kaneki, stop. Don’t get near that human.”
Kaneki halted, looking at Nishio Nishiki in confusion.
“That guy is the CCG’s Black Reaper. A terrifying bastard.”
Nishio Nishiki scanned the surroundings, looking for another escape route, but Su Xiao blocked their only path.
“It’s fine. He’s injured—badly.”
Kaneki continued forward, keeping Su Xiao in his peripheral vision to avoid a ranged attack.
“Arrogant little brat. I’m an investigator, and you’re just waltzing past me like this?”
Su Xiao’s gaze turned dangerous as the evening wind ruffled his short hair. If Kaneki Ken and his group had avoided him, he wouldn’t have bothered. But their unafraid attitude made him itch for a fight.
Su Xiao stood at the center of the rooftop, which was about twenty meters wide. Kaneki Ken and the others needed to cross this rooftop to jump to the next building and escape. They couldn’t leave through the building below because it was swarming with investigators. Even if Kaneki Ken had grown stronger, he was no match for that force—over a thousand CCG members. Not even Takatsuki Sen would dare confront such a large group.
The two sides drew closer: twenty meters, fifteen, ten.
Su Xiao stood still, holding Dragon-Slaying Flash, one hand clutching his lower abdomen as blood seeped through his fingers.
“Drip, drip.”
Blood dripped onto the rooftop. Su Xiao seemed to have given up, just standing there without attacking the three.
When Kaneki was about six meters away, a faint smile appeared on Su Xiao’s lips.
Touka, on Kaneki’s back, saw that smile. In that moment, she felt a bone-chilling cold, as if she had been stripped naked and curled up before that man.
“Run...”
Before Touka could scream, Su Xiao moved.
He pushed off the ground hard, enduring the pain in his lower abdomen, and closed the distance to Kaneki in three steps.
Dragon-Slashing Flash cut through the air with a whimper.
“Pfft.”
Blood splattered high, along with a few white hairs.
Su Xiao’s blade slashed across Kaneki’s cheek. The pain in his abdomen slowed his swing slightly; otherwise, it would have taken Kaneki’s head.
Kaneki staggered back a few steps, a crack appearing in his mask. Only then did he realize Su Xiao had already reached him and wounded him.
“Too bad. Didn’t take his head.”
Bright red blood seeped through his fingers. Su Xiao’s attack had aggravated his abdominal injury.
After a few heavy breaths, Su Xiao looked at Kaneki.
“Thinking you can just pass by me like that? Isn’t that a bit too naive?”
Even injured, Su Xiao was confident he could take down all three.
Kaneki’s facial wound healed quickly, and he set Touka down.
“Senior Nishio, protect Touka. I’ll deal with this investigator.”
Nishio Nishiki released his Herculean fragment, shielding Touka.
“Kaneki, let’s just run. Don’t fight this human. It’s too dangerous.”
Su Xiao’s earlier swift slash had instilled fear in Touka.
“It’s fine. I’m not the same as before. I’ll protect the people I care about. Everyone has moments when they must sacrifice one thing to protect something important. Right now, killing him is the only way to protect you.”
Kaneki wasn’t unwilling to flee, but Su Xiao’s ghostly speed told him that running would only get them killed faster.
The battle was about to begin: a severely injured Su Xiao versus Kaneki Ken.
Even injured, a tiger was still a tiger.