After arriving at the West District, Su Xiao didn't immediately get out of the car.
"Mado Akira, do you have any detailed information about the West District?"
Although there was cannibalism among ghouls in the area, some ordinary civilians also lived nearby.
"Of course, I've been assigned to the 14th Ward and have thoroughly studied the intel here."
Mado Akira rummaged in the car for a moment and pulled out a folder.
"The 14th Ward: Nakano District. This area is plagued by ghoul cannibalism. Most ghouls hide among regular people, and various ghoul factions are scattered around. It's a social hub for ghouls, with many ghoul information brokers…"
Su Xiao lit a cigarette, silently listening to her explanation. He rolled down the window, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"Second-class investigator White Night, please don't smoke. There are over 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes, with about 60 being harmful, including nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, and various irritants. Second-hand smoke also affects my skin."
As the smoke curled in the air, Su Xiao spoke calmly, "Can you locate a bar named 'Helter Skelter'? It should be nearby."
Mado Akira sighed helplessly. "No problem." She pulled out a small computer and started checking the local map.
"Found it. It's just…"
Before she could finish, Su Xiao suddenly straightened up, his gaze locked on a pedestrian walking on the street.
"Ghoul."
His sharp eyes startled Mado Akira.
"What?" Mado Akira looked at Su Xiao in confusion, unable to believe he could identify a ghoul just by sight alone.
Su Xiao stepped out of the car, slowly following a middle-aged man. The man looked tired, like a worn-out office worker, carrying a briefcase.
"White Night, wait for me!" Mado Akira grabbed her suitcase and hurried after him.
"Can you tell me how you figured out that man is a ghoul?"
"Intuition."
Ahead, the middle-aged man turned into a small alley, and Su Xiao quickened his pace.
"In... intuition?" Mado Akira watched Su Xiao's back, growing doubtful. Could this second-class investigator really rely on something so vague?
In the dark, damp alley, the man continued walking at a steady pace.
"Stop."
Su Xiao's cold voice echoed behind the man.
"Who are you?" The man looked back at Su Xiao with a confused expression, glancing around nervously.
"Next time, don't use a briefcase to carry human meat. The blood will seep through."
Su Xiao's words made the man's face change, his eyes filling with panic.
"Mind your own business! You're asking for death."
The man's expression turned vicious, and his eyes turned red as he charged at Su Xiao. This ghoul wasn't particularly strong, only about B-rank, so Su Xiao didn't even bother drawing his sword, Dragon Slayer.
The ghoul rushed at Su Xiao with a clumsy punch aimed at his head. It was slow, lacking any real speed or precision.
Su Xiao didn't even feel the need to dodge. His left leg shot up, delivering a powerful kick to the man's stomach. The ghoul doubled over in pain, his body folding into a V-shape as he spat out a mouthful of bile.
Now the ghoul's head was right in front of Su Xiao.
Without hesitation, Su Xiao wrapped his arm around the man's neck and tightened his grip, choking him violently.
"Let... let me go, you...!"
As Su Xiao was choking the ghoul, Mado Akira hurried into the alley.
Crack.
The sound of bones snapping echoed through the alley, and the man's body went limp. Su Xiao released his grip, and the ghoul's corpse collapsed to the ground.
"Call someone to clean this up," Su Xiao said as he walked past Mado Akira, who stared in shock at the dead ghoul.
She couldn't help but wonder if it was really possible to identify a ghoul just by intuition.
Back in the car, Su Xiao thought about what had just happened. He hadn't known why, but the moment he laid eyes on that man, he had an overwhelming sense that he was a ghoul.
At the time, there had been no blood seeping from the briefcase, that only happened later.
Su Xiao silently guessed that this might have something to do with his recent physical enhancements.
As his attributes improved, he had begun to feel significant changes in his body. Though his appearance hadn't changed, his muscles felt noticeably tighter and stronger.
Before entering the Reincarnation Paradise, Su Xiao used to practice swordsmanship for long hours every day.
His grueling and unscientific training had damaged his right wrist. Whenever it rained, it would ache.
But now, that old injury had nearly healed. It wouldn't be long before it fully recovered.
Mado Akira returned to the car, now looking at Su Xiao with a different expression.
"Second-class White Night, where are we headed?"
"Helter Skelter bar."
The car started up, and five minutes later, they arrived in front of the 'Helter Skelter' bar.
"You wait here in the car."
Su Xiao got out, leaving Mado Akira alone.
The 'Helter Skelter' bar was run by a female ghoul named Itori.
While Su Xiao didn't know the exact layout of the place, he knew it served as a small information hub.
He wasn't here to hunt down Itori. Though she was an SS-ranked ghoul, Su Xiao had more important reasons for coming.
An informant who understands ghouls is far more valuable than a treasure chest. Through Itori, Su Xiao could obtain many more chests.
As he walked into the bar, it was empty due to the daytime.
The bar had a vintage style, with dark yellowish walls that were unadorned. There were no windows, and the only source of light came from a lamp on the bar counter, casting a dim glow over the room.
"Welcome," a somewhat lazy female voice came from behind the bar as Su Xiao took a seat at the counter.
"What would you like to drink?" Itori, standing behind the bar, asked. Her long, bright orange hair stood out starkly in the dimly lit room, making her the most vivid presence there.
Though Itori appeared calm, she was extremely cautious. As an informant, she immediately recognized Su Xiao.
Noticing her gaze, Su Xiao knew this would make things easier.
"Answer one question, and I won't cause you trouble."
Itori took a few steps back to maintain a safe distance from him.
"Third-class investigator White Night—the human who fought Eto, the monster."
The bar fell into complete silence as neither of them spoke.
Su Xiao was slightly surprised by Itori's information-gathering skills. It wasn't surprising that she knew about Takatsuki Sen, but the fact that she knew he had joined the CCG was unexpected.
"Go ahead, what's the question?" Itori sighed, choosing to back down.
"Where is the cannibalism zone in the 14th Ward?"
"It's here, in the West District."
Itori picked up a glass beside her, which was half-filled with a dark red liquid. It looked like wine, but it was actually human blood.
Ghouls have a different taste bud structure than humans. If they consume human food, it tastes overwhelmingly foul to them.
Even drinks like wine were undrinkable to ghouls. Apart from water and coffee, they couldn't properly consume any human food.
"Give me a more precise location in the West District. The more specific, the better."
Su Xiao was beginning to lose patience.
"Don't make such a scary face. Fine, fine. Every night after 9 p.m., the center of the West District is the area where cannibalism is the worst."
Itori didn't hesitate much before betraying the other ghouls.
Having learned what he needed, Su Xiao left the bar. He had already come up with a quick way to complete his mission.
If things went smoothly, he could finish the main mission (2) within a week.
"I wonder what cannibalism looks like. Something to 'look forward to,' for sure."
(End of Chapter)
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Translator's Note :- I am Not that familiar with a lot of the fictional worlds mentioned in the story. So if I make a mistake naming something please correct me by writing a paragraph comment on the mistake. Thank you.