At noon, under the bright sunlight, the backyard of the 24th Ward's temporary base was peaceful. In front of a shimmering pool, the gentle breeze made the trees rustle, and birds chirped on the branches.
Su Xiao lay back on a lounge chair, with a glass of orange juice and some delicate snacks placed beside him.
"Hey, White Night, why don't you come down?"
Yuna, dressed in a bikini, swam leisurely in the pool.
"I can't get my wounds wet."
Su Xiao's upper body was wrapped in bandages as he relaxed in his chair.
The three had returned to the temporary base of the 24th Ward for a day now. Although time in the derivative world was precious, Su Xiao had been seriously injured, and his physical strength was severely depleted. He needed proper rest.
"Ugh, you're so boring."
Seeing that Su Xiao wouldn't join her in the pool, Yuna turned her attention to Arima Kishou, who sat nearby.
Arima, sporting a new pair of glasses, sat cross-legged by the pool. His body was also wrapped in bandages as he focused intently on a book titled The Egg of the Black Goat.
This book was written by Takatsuki Sen. Despite being a ghoul, Takatsuki was undeniably a talented writer. Every one of her books was a bestseller.
In the original story, Takatsuki Sen, through her identity as a novelist, even managed to interview top CCG investigators, which showed her widespread fame.
The Egg of the Black Goat tells the story of a female serial killer who gives birth to a child. The child appears normal in its early years, but later develops an inexplicable desire to kill. The story explores the child's internal struggle between living a normal life and succumbing to the desire to kill.
Su Xiao had skimmed through parts of it and concluded that the book was likely Takatsuki Sen narrating her own experiences.
Arima read the book with great focus, occasionally nodding as though he agreed with the content.
At this moment, all three were in a relaxed state, far from the fierce warriors they had been in the 24th Ward.
Arima, who had just turned thirty, looked like a scholar as he read.
Yuna, carefree in the pool, seemed nothing like the fierce warrior who had wielded a scythe and hacked through ghouls with abandon.
And Su Xiao, looking lethargic as though too lazy to move, occasionally flashed a sharp glint in his eyes that could send chills down one's spine.
With nothing else to do, Su Xiao took out his weapon, Dragon Flash, along with some maintenance tools, and began to care for it.
His movements were practiced and skillful. Although the sword's durability could be restored in Reincarnation Paradise, he still cherished it deeply.
A sword is the most reliable thing a warrior can have, and Dragon Flash had saved his life many times.
Unfortunately, Dragon Flash was starting to fall behind him in terms of power. Su Xiao held the sword up horizontally in one hand, the blade gleaming with a cold light.
Due to prior damage, Dragon Flash had once been discarded by the Sword Master Ryuma. If not for that damage, it would at least have been a blue-grade weapon.
Su Xiao had thought about finding a way to repair Dragon Flash. With the array of magical abilities available in Reincarnation Paradise, it was possible, but the price was beyond his means.
The system had provided him a list of repair materials, most of which he had never even heard of. Three were blue-grade materials, while others didn't even display a grade, with only a series of question marks next to them.
Even if he managed to gather all those materials, he would still need to find a blacksmith with a "master-level" or higher forging skill in Reincarnation Paradise.
Blacksmiths of that caliber were treated like royalty. Every time they entered a derivative world, they were protected by entire teams, fearing even the slightest injury to them.
It was said that some of those blacksmiths could forge blue-quality equipment, an ability almost beyond belief.
Of course, all this information came from Xiluo's intel—Su Xiao had never seen such blacksmiths with his own eyes.
"Ugh..."
Su Xiao sighed. He had grown attached to Dragon Flash and was reluctant to replace it. But with its current white quality, the lowest grade of equipment, it could no longer keep up with him, despite its high 10-point rating.
After finishing the maintenance, Su Xiao slumped back into the lounge chair. His health had recovered to over 80%, and most of his injuries were healed. The free medical supplies provided by the CCG were highly effective, equivalent to white-grade items.
However, while the medication was good, it was only available for free use. If he wanted to keep some for himself, he would need to spend contribution points.
Since his injuries were work-related, he was entitled to use the medication for free.
After two days of rest at the temporary base, Su Xiao had mostly recovered. At the very least, he could fight without being hindered.
...
Inside an office, Arima Kishou sat behind a desk.
"That's the situation. The last exploration was quite fruitful. The headquarters gave us some commendation."
Su Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"What kind of commendation?"
"A verbal one."
Su Xiao scoffed. The CCG's headquarters was surprisingly stingy.
"Our next exploration will be tomorrow morning. The three of us again. Be prepared."
The work in the 24th Ward was like dancing with death, but Su Xiao didn't mind. He needed to quickly accumulate CCG contribution points.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. After Arima gave permission, a staff member entered.
"Special Investigator Arima, White Night, sorry to interrupt. There's a phone call for you."
The staff member respectfully handed the phone to Su Xiao.
Investigators held high status in the CCG, far above the regular staff.
Su Xiao took the phone.
"This is White Night."
There was a lot of noise on the other end of the line, and he could hear someone shouting, "The call is connected!"
"White Night, this is Marude. I've got good news for you."
Marude's voice had a hint of laughter, and he seemed to be in a good mood.
"It's me. What's the good news?"
"The higher-ups have issued a temporary order regarding the operations in the 11th Ward. They want you to come and assist."
On the other side of the line, Marude patted Shinohara Yukinori's shoulder. Somehow, they had managed to convince the CCG's top brass.
"Oh? I see. No problem."
Su Xiao agreed without hesitation because Reincarnation Paradise had just issued him a mission.
[Faction Mission: Cover Operation]
[Difficulty Level: Lv. 4]
[Mission Summary: Assist the Special Countermeasures Unit in fighting the Aogiri Tree, ensuring the victory of your faction.]
[Mission Information: CCG faction mission. This will not affect the overall completion rating.]
[Mission Duration: Until the end of the 11th Ward operation.]
[Mission Reward: 10,000 faction contribution points.]
[Failure Penalty: None.]
...
This faction mission wasn't easy, but the rewards were significant, and Su Xiao desperately needed CCG contribution points.
With the 24th Ward's temporary base's exchange system in place, contribution points had effectively become equivalent to Paradise Coins.
The two items in the 24th Ward's logistics department were things Su Xiao was eager to get his hands on, and he was confident he could.
After hanging up, Su Xiao placed the phone back on Arima's desk.
"Looks like I'll be away for a while. The headquarters has temporarily assigned me to assist the Special Countermeasures Unit."
Arima nodded.
"That's fine. The exploration of the 24th Ward can be delayed, but the operation in the 11th Ward cannot."
Arima didn't object and readily granted permission.
Half an hour later, Su Xiao was sitting in a vehicle heading for the 20th Ward. Although the battle would be in the 11th Ward, the Special Countermeasures Unit was assembling in the 20th Ward, as the 11th Ward's CCG branch had already been overrun. This was the only option left.
(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.