Half an hour later, the warmth inside Su Xiao's body faded, and he immediately checked his personal status.
[Contractor No. 13013. (For the protection of the Hunter, this is a fake number. No means can track the Hunter.)]
[Name: Su Xiao (Hunter)]
[Level: LV.2 (Tier 1) (Every 10 levels represent one tier. Leveling up does not provide any attribute bonuses but corresponds to the Hunter's permissions in the 'Reincarnation Paradise,' as well as world and mission difficulty).]
[Health: 100% (This attribute cannot be fully digitized and changes based on the level of injury).]
[Mana: 153 (Intelligence × 10; current mana recovery rate is 4 points per hour).]
[Strength: 15 (13+2) (related to attack power, carrying capacity, etc.).]
[Agility: 10 (related to movement and attack speed).]
[Stamina: 10 (6+4) (related to health, defense, and resistance to abnormal statuses).]
[Intelligence: 12 (related to spell damage, mana, and perception).]
[Charm: 3 (related to social interactions and summoning).]
[Luck: 1 (related to item drops, crafting, etc.; this attribute is very difficult to improve, so Hunters should cherish any opportunity to raise it).]
[(Note: The standard attribute value for an adult male is 5, with Luck being 1).]
[Slaughter Talent: Soul Devourer – After killing a target, the Hunter permanently absorbs 1 to 15 points of mana. The maximum mana that can be absorbed in each world is 100 points.]
...
As expected, Su Xiao's Strength increased by +2, and Stamina increased by +4.
Su Xiao clenched his fist with one hand, and the cracking sound of his joints echoed as a surge of power filled his body.
Moreover, the increase in stamina made him feel his body's functions significantly enhanced, including his ability to take hits, endurance, and the speed of injury recovery.
Currently, with a stamina of 10, his main attributes—strength, agility, and stamina—ranged between 12 and 15, which was already quite high.
Drinking this [Human Genetic Enhancement Serum] might be the greatest gain Su Xiao had since entering the Tokyo Ghoul world.
Su Xiao adjusted to his stronger body. Since this was a significant increase in stamina, there was no imbalance, and he would adapt quickly.
While Su Xiao adapted to his enhanced body, fierce battles were unfolding in the underground tunnels of District 24.
...
"Boom, boom!"
Kagune and quinques clashed, as a group of investigators fought and retreated within the underground tunnels of the 24th Ward.
"Hurry up and confirm the route. I can't hold on much longer!"
Yuna swung her scythe, cutting down a ghoul. She was now wearing her new armor, significantly boosting her combat ability.
Although Yuna was cutting down the ghouls one after another, their sheer numbers were overwhelming, the entire tunnel packed with them.
These were all ordinary ghouls, most of them ranked B or A. If they were higher ranked, Yuna would have already died.
"I'm almost done! Just give me a moment!"
A young investigator was frantically trying to confirm their escape route with a compass, his face pale with fear.
"Special Investigator Yuna, do you think we can make it out of here alive?"
Several young investigators behind Yuna voiced their panic.
Yuna had entered the 24th Ward on a mission from headquarters to train these newly graduated investigators in the outer layers of the 24th Ward.
The outer areas of the 24th Ward weren't too dangerous, making it a good training ground. Fresh graduates from the Ghoul Investigator Academy would often be sent here for practical experience.
"Move it!" Yuna shouted, kicking away a ghoul that lunged at her.
"Let us through, damn CCG!"
One of the ghouls suddenly shouted, and strangely, it sounded a bit fearful.
This puzzled Yuna. However, there was no way she could let the ghouls through; the newbies behind her needed protection.
The blood feud between investigators and ghouls left no room for negotiation.
"Over my dead body!" Yuna snarled as she glanced back at the rookies she was protecting, feeling frustrated that her capable teammates weren't around. If they had been, these ghouls would've been wiped out long ago.
"I've got it! Turn left!"
The rookie with the compass shouted excitedly after finally determining the route.
"You all go ahead, I'll catch up."
Yuna swung her scythe in a wide arc, blood splattering as she cut down several more ghouls, before turning and running.
The ghouls followed closely, but oddly, they didn't attack, only trailing behind her at a constant distance.
Yuna frowned, puzzled, but sped up nonetheless.
Since they were in the outer layers of the 24th Ward, Yuna and her team soon reached the metal gate leading to the surface, where the rookie investigators were already waiting.
Yuna pulled the key from her neck and tossed it to the rookies.
The metal door clanged open, and Yuna dashed through it, slamming it shut and locking it from the outside.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
The sound of pounding fists echoed from the other side of the door, mingled with the roars of angry ghouls.
Blood dripped from Yuna's fingers as she collapsed to the ground.
"Contact the temporary division, tell them that something abnormal is happening underground in the 24th Ward. There are massive numbers of ghouls trying to reach the surface."
Supported by the rookie investigators, Yuna returned to the surface, where about a dozen temporary tents had been set up near the entrance to the 24th Ward.
Around 20 investigators, both men and women, milled about the campsite, all of them young.
This year's graduation class had been unusually large, so Yuna had set up a camp near the entrance for convenience.
Each time, she would take a few rookies into the outer layers of the 24th Ward to battle ghouls, helping them quickly adjust to fighting.
As for why she chose the 24th Ward, it was because of the abundance of ghouls.
As long as they didn't venture too deep into the Ward, it wasn't too dangerous, and there was little risk of getting lost.
Last time, Su Xiao had ventured several hours deep into the Ward, while Yuna and her team only went about five minutes in. There was no comparison between the two situations.
The rookies rushed over as soon as they saw Yuna covered in blood, alarmed at seeing her injured for the first time. In their eyes, she was a near-invincible figure as a Special Class Investigator.
Some of the rookies who knew first aid clumsily began treating her wounds.
"Hey, kid, what do you think you're doing?"
Yuna snapped at a young boy, causing him to step back in fear.
"I-I just wanted to help with your wounds."
Yuna pointed to a girl, signaling for her to take over instead. The boy turned away, looking dejected. To him, Yuna was like a goddess—young and incredibly beautiful.
"Special Investigator Yuna, we've contacted the temporary division."
A slightly chubby rookie stood straight in front of Yuna.
"What did they say? Did you report the anomaly here?"
After her wounds were bandaged, Yuna stood up with some difficulty.
"Yes, we reported it, but they said Special-Class Investigator Arima isn't there right now."
"The temporary branch said they'd report it to Associate Special-Class White Night."
The chubby boy spoke heavily out of breath, but Yuna didn't mind.
"White Night's back? That's a relief."
"Keep an eye on the entrance, that damn door might not hold for long. These damn ghouls, are they insane?"
Yuna gritted her teeth, inadvertently pulling on her wound, causing her to take a sharp breath.
But Yuna soon showed a satisfied smile as she imagined how miserable the ghouls would be later.
(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.