Mado Akira's pause gave the ghoul a chance to escape. As soon as the ghoul heard Su Xiao's threatening words, he hesitated briefly, then turned to run. He didn't care about the warning because, to him, running was the only chance. Staying meant certain death, so why not take a shot at survival?
But after only running a few meters, the whistling sound of a flying blade pierced the air.
Thud.
Su Xiao's long sword impaled the ghoul's leg, pinning it deep into the asphalt street.
"Aaaah!" The ghoul screamed in pain, collapsing onto the pavement, his face hitting the rough surface.
"That was the right choice," Su Xiao said as he calmly walked toward the downed ghoul.
In Su Xiao's eyes, the ghoul's decision to run made perfect sense. He would have done the same in that situation. Why not try to escape when staying meant certain death?
"W-what are you going to do?" The ghoul's voice trembled as he struggled to crawl forward, but Su Xiao's sword was embedded firmly in the ground. Su Xiao grabbed the hilt of his sword, pulling it out effortlessly. The ghoul tried to rise to flee again, but Su Xiao's blade flashed, and blood splattered onto the street.
With just four strikes, Su Xiao severed the ghoul's limbs, leaving him writhing on the ground. True to his word, he had turned the ghoul into nothing more than a limbless torso.
Despite the gruesome injuries, the ghoul wouldn't die immediately; their regenerative ability ensured that this was only a heavy injury, not a fatal one.
"What's next?" Akira asked, her face weary after the intense battle. Sweat soaked her uniform, and strands of her blonde hair clung to her forehead.
"We keep going. However many ghouls come tonight, we kill them all," Su Xiao replied.
Akira shivered at the thought. The Western District had hundreds, maybe even thousands of ghouls.
"Are we really going to be okay?" Akira's voice was filled with doubt, but Su Xiao didn't respond. Instead, he began cleaning up the battlefield. He planned to set up a trap using the limbless ghoul as bait.
However, if the street was littered with corpses, it would likely scare the other ghouls away. Su Xiao dragged the bodies into a nearby alleyway, but he left the bloodstains on the asphalt. The smell of blood would attract more ghouls.
He placed the limbless ghoul in the middle of the street as the lure. He didn't need to pull the ghouls in too close—he just needed them to show themselves. With his agility, once they appeared, there was no way they could escape.
Even though the chance of ghouls dropping valuable loot was low, the kill count alone would earn Su Xiao significant contribution points from CCG. Moreover, his innate ability, [Soul Devourer], would allow him to absorb their power, increasing his mana pool.
Now standing in the middle of the street, Su Xiao held his sword, while Akira stayed by his side.
"Will the ghouls really come? There was just a big fight here," Akira questioned, looking around nervously.
Su Xiao ignored her. Ghouls that resorted to cannibalism were more like wild animals. The scent of blood wouldn't scare them away; it would draw them in.
Only two minutes passed before the first ghoul appeared—a frail, elderly one.
The old ghoul hesitated upon seeing Su Xiao standing in the street holding a blade. After a brief pause, the ghoul turned to leave, but it was too late. Su Xiao had already sprinted forward, closing the distance in an instant.
One minute later, Su Xiao returned, blood staining his sleeve, ready to face the next opponent.
From a tall building nearby, two figures watched the scene unfold.
"What do we do? If we don't intervene, all the ghouls here will be slaughtered," said Ayato Kirishima, wearing his signature rabbit mask. He eyed Su Xiao with clear wariness.
Beside him stood a silent, intimidating figure—Tatara, a leader of Aogiri Tree. Tatara stared down at the scene below without speaking.
The Western District was a recruitment ground for Aogiri Tree. The organization often scouted the area for promising ghouls to enlist. Notable recruits like the Bin Brothers had come from this very place.
"We abandon it," Tatara finally said.
Ayato looked frustrated.
"But this is—"
Tatara interrupted Ayato with a stern glare.
"Do you want to try stopping that monster?"
Ayato flinched, remembering the brutal fight he barely survived against Su Xiao. He turned away, too proud to admit his fear, but the memory of Su Xiao's deadly sword haunted him.
"I wasn't suggesting that! I just thought we could gather our forces and kill him."
Tatara's eyes flickered with a hint of murderous intent.
"And what will that cost us? Even if we succeed in killing him, you and I would likely die in the process. Let's leave. Knowing there's a monster like him in the 14th ward is valuable enough."
With that, Tatara turned and left, Ayato reluctantly following. Aogiri Tree had no choice but to abandon this recruitment ground.
As dawn broke, the first rays of sunlight painted the sky with a golden hue. In the middle of the Western District, Su Xiao sat on the bloodstained street, exhausted.
Within half a kilometer, the streets were covered in blood. The overwhelming stench filled the air. Su Xiao had lost count of how many ghouls he had slain. By the end, there wasn't a single ghoul left in the area.
The scent of blood had become so thick that it finally deterred the remaining ghouls. Rumors quickly spread among the ghouls of the Western District:
"Stay away from the center of the district. There's a terrifying human there!"
Although Su Xiao was caked in blood, he carefully wiped his blade clean before sheathing it. He valued his weapon too much to leave it in a messy state. He then activated his imprint to check his gains from the night.
His contribution points had increased significantly, now reading:
[Second-Class Investigator, Contribution: 390/400].
In just one night, Su Xiao had earned 340 contribution points, a clear indication of how many ghouls he had slain.
Not only that, but his innate ability [Soul Devourer] had absorbed 68 points of mana from the ghouls, increasing his total mana pool to 238 points. This would allow him to sustain his [Azure Steel Shadow] for much longer periods.
Inside his inventory space, he also had five white treasure boxes. Despite the low drop rate, he had killed so many ghouls that he managed to collect five of these boxes.
"White Night, can we go back now? I'm done for," Akira groaned, lying flat on the ground, too tired to care about appearances.
"I'm almost at my limit, too. Let's head back to the branch office," Su Xiao replied.
He took a few steps before realizing Akira was still lying there.
"Um... I can't move. I'm completely drained," she admitted, embarrassed.
Although she hadn't fought much, Akira had spent the night handling the bodies and staying alert. Even that had worn her out.
Su Xiao sighed, walked over, and lifted her onto his shoulder.
"Please don't take me back to the branch. I'd be mortified if they saw me like this," Akira said, closing her eyes. She then added, "My apartment is nearby. It's only a few minutes by car."
Su Xiao thought for a moment and agreed. He needed rest too.
They drove to Akira's apartment, a small but cozy space. After entering, Su Xiao, ignoring Akira's shocked expression, took off his bloodstained shirt and headed straight for the shower.
The blood had dried and caked onto his skin, making him feel incredibly uncomfortable. As Su Xiao stood under the warm water, a knock came on the bathroom door.
"White Night, please hurry. I need to shower immediately. I have a... cleanliness issue, and the thought of blood drying on my skin is a nightmare."
(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.