Quink

Time flew by, and winter had already arrived.

Temperatures in Ward 20 dropped rapidly; a light snow had recently fallen, adding a touch of brightness to the distant mountain peaks.

A convoy of transport vehicles sped along the highway late at night; from the logos on the vehicles, it wasn't hard to recognize they belonged to the CCG.

If one looked closer, the slightly deformed thick tires and the tightly sealed cargo hold indicated that the goods being transported were anything but ordinary.

Even the security personnel inside were equipped with a vast array of weapons; based on the firepower, it was enough to wage a small-scale urban skirmish.

In fact, the transport trucks were carrying a batch of Quinque Steel.

This is one of the core materials used to craft quinque weapons; it can fuse with a Ghoul's Kagune to reconstruct a new form of pseudo-Kagune matter.

Weapons of this form are generally known as quinque.

Although quinque do not possess the same capacity for significant transformation and extension as normal Kagune, nor do they have growth potential, their structure is much more stable.

This is currently the best weapon for fighting Ghouls, capable of tearing through a Ghoul's body more easily than ordinary weapons.

Therefore, Quinque Steel has always been a strategic resource strictly controlled by the CCG; for every transport, the CCG dispatches significant manpower for protection.

Even the timing and routes for transport are strictly selected.

However, this time, on the overpass along the mandatory route, three Ghouls had been waiting early for the convoy's arrival.

"I say, why do we have to work for that guy? It's bad enough he cuts my flesh and drains my blood, but now he wants me to risk my life? Am I, the dignified Devil Ape, really going to throw away all my pride?"

Koma Enji squatted on the railing, speaking with a face full of resentment.

It had been a long time since he breathed fresh air outside, making this monkey exceptionally hyperactive; he had been jumping around for a while, acting as restless as if he had hemorrhoids.

"You could have refused at the time,"

Irimi Kaya retorted indifferently.

"Damn, it's hard enough to get out for some air; only a fool would refuse. Besides, who knows what kind of tricks that guy has waiting for me."

Koma Enji couldn't help but shudder as he spoke, remembering some not-so-pleasant images.

Although he called him "that guy" one after another, it wasn't hard to sense that his awe of Chen Nuo was carved into his very bones.

In short, he had been beaten into submission.

As for the blood-draining and flesh-cutting, that wasn't a big deal; which Ghoul hasn't engaged in cannibalism?

Setting aside their positions and identities, the two sides actually had no real grievances; to put it more bluntly, Koma Enji should thank Chen Nuo for sparing his life.

Back then, the reason The Manager could make these two SS-Rank Ghouls submit wasn't his philosophy of non-killing or his smooth talking, but his overwhelming SSS-Rank strength.

Survival of the fittest is almost the survival instinct of all Ghouls.

So despite Koma Enji's non-stop chatter now, in truth, his heart was the first to submit.

Moreover, The Manager and the others were still locked in the lab; that alone was enough to convince him.

"Stop arguing, it's time to act,"

Renji Yomo interrupted, putting on his mask.

The convoy ahead had already entered the trio's field of vision.

"Then let me have some fun!"

Koma Enji was the first to move, taking a great leap and landing heavily on the hood of the lead car, forcibly bringing the vehicle to a halt.

The vehicles behind couldn't dodge in time and had to swerve sharply; some crashed directly into the guardrails.

This sudden attack caught them off guard; by the time the escort personnel struggled to crawl out, they were faced with a hunt by three SS-Rank Ghouls.

Such a lineup was more than enough to not just rob a CCG convoy, but even invade a branch office.

Of course, that's assuming the latter was unprepared.

Before Irimi Kaya and the others acted, they had fully disguised themselves; as long as they didn't reveal their Kagune, it was almost impossible to identify them.

The battle ended very quickly, taking less than three minutes.

"This little gadget is quite handy,"

Koma Enji said, holding a tranquilizer gun and pulling the trigger on each of the transport personnel, his voice tinged with a sense of novelty.

The times were indeed starting to change.

Ghouls using guns instead of Kagune—wasn't this a clear sign of being led astray?

Chen Nuo had provided the trio with various equipment, ensuring they had sufficient combat power even without using their Kagune.

Pre-installed signal jammers cut off all communications in the area, ensuring the outside world wouldn't realize what had happened for a short while.

The entire operation was planned by Chen Nuo; having accumulated vast experience in the Cyber World, applying it to the Ghoul world was somewhat like a dimensional strike.

"Stop talking and hurry over to help."

Renji Yomo used a hacking device to open the cargo doors, moving the tons of Quinque Steel stored inside out bit by bit.

"Oh, coming!"

Koma Enji stepped forward to help.

Together, they loaded all the Quinque Steel onto the disguised vehicle Irimi Kaya had prepared.

Before long, the trio left silently.

It wasn't until a few hours later, when the anesthesia wore off, that the CCG realized what had happened.

Truly, the world's morals were declining; they had actually been robbed?

...Chen Nuo looked at the returning trio, then checked the time.

"Hmm, you're back right on time."

"With this Devil Ape on the job..."

Koma Enji was about to brag when he met Chen Nuo's gaze; he immediately pulled back his neck and said honestly.

"It's all thanks to your thorough planning, Boss."

Irimi Kaya couldn't help but roll her eyes at her companion; the supposed Devil Ape had turned into a circus monkey.

Well, after being thrashed by The Manager back then, this trend had already begun to show.

During this time, Irimi Kaya had also figured out Chen Nuo's temperament; having grown accustomed to being with him, her attitude had become much more natural as she asked out of curiosity.

"What do you want all this Quinque Steel for?"

"To make something interesting,"

Chen Nuo said as he stepped forward, picked up a piece of Quinque Steel, and weighed it lightly in his hand; he was quite interested in the properties of this metal.

Metal combined with biology?

Chen Nuo felt a surge of inspiration blooming in his mind.

This seemed applicable to the research and development of biological nanotechnology.

Unfortunately, nanotechnology in the Marvel Universe was only just beginning, so he couldn't just pick up a finished product; however, it was never too early to latch onto someone influential.

Dr. Helen Cho's legs were indeed long and straight; Chen Nuo definitely intended to "latch on" properly, hehe.

"I suddenly have a bad feeling,"

Koma Enji whispered to Irimi Kaya beside him, involuntarily shivering.

Then, his premonition came true.

"Wait, no! I just had some cut yesterday, my kidney hasn't even grown back yet! How about you cut Yomo's instead?"

Koma Enji was pinned to the operating table by Chen Nuo, struggling like a fat pig that had put on winter fat; but with the injection of a needle, he passed out.

"Who wants your useless kidney?" Chen Nuo muttered with disdain.

He hadn't yet broken through the cultivation and breeding technology for rc cells; currently, the best way to obtain a kakuho was still to harvest it directly from a donor.

However, he wasn't worried that frequent harvesting would have negative effects on the donor; Chen Nuo had already developed targeted supplements.

When it came to "harvesting leeks," he was a professional.

In a few strokes, a kakuho was extracted.

The wound didn't even need stitches; with an SS-Rank Ghoul's self-healing ability, it would recover soon.

Akihiro Kanou's lab also stored a large amount of research knowledge regarding quinque; Chen Nuo had studied it for a while, and now it was time for practical application.

The process was unexpectedly smooth, succeeding on the first try.

It should be said that Chen Nuo had far underestimated his current learning and hands-on abilities, and overestimated the difficulty of making a quinque.

Aside from the raw material itself being unique, the technology involved was actually quite limited—at least much easier than hand-building an Arc Reactor.

"Is this my quinque? As expected, it's as powerful as I am!"

Forgetting the pain once the scar healed, Koma Enji leaned in toward Chen Nuo again, excitedly playing with the quinque made from his kakuho—it was a long-handled weapon similar to Adam Smasher.

According to CCG rankings, it was at least SS-Rank.

Then, with a slip-up, he sent himself flying with the hammer.

The difficulty of using a quinque was quite high; even the most common and basic types required the wielder to spend a lot of time practicing to master them.

Clearly, Koma Enji's talent in this area was limited, even though this quinque had a high compatibility with him.

"Why are you making quinque?"

Irimi Kaya asked in confusion; could such a weapon really be of any help to Chen Nuo? With his strength, he shouldn't need it at all.

"Don't underestimate the upper limit of a quinque. I have a great idea: how about using this stuff to create a set of bio-armor?"

"What's that?"

Irimi Kaya's eyes were blank.

Well, he forgot that most Ghouls were illiterate; communicating professional matters with them was like playing a lute to a cow.

"You should just go brew a cup of coffee; you're better at that. Remember to change into the new maid outfit I bought."

Chen Nuo winked at Irimi Kaya.

Feeling inexplicably looked down upon, Irimi Kaya was a bit unhappy and decided to put a few extra cubes of sugar in the coffee later.

The CCG also had concepts and products similar to bio-armor—the Kakuja quinque named "Proto," which used Arata Kirishima's Kagune as a prototype.

That kind of full-body black quinque could significantly enhance the user's strength and defense.

Moreover, it could act like a living thing, producing rejection and backlash against the user, devouring their life.

Unfortunately, this technology was only recently developed by the CCG, and Akihiro Kanou didn't have a backup here, likely because he wasn't very interested in quinque technology research.

Touka Kirishima approached at this moment, her tone a bit stiff.

"I have to go to school tomorrow."

"Then go ahead,"

Chen Nuo agreed readily, leaving Touka Kirishima stunned; when did this guy become so easy to talk to? She thought she would have to make some tragic sacrifice for this and had already prepared herself mentally.

"Anyway, I've implanted biological markers in all of your bodies; there's no running away now."

Chen Nuo said as he stretched.

"biological markers? What's that? How come I didn't know?"

Touka Kirishima subconsciously covered her chest; she had long felt that her body was no longer "clean," and it turned out she was right.

"Do I need to notify you of what I do? Forgotten your place? Any more talk, and I'll have you warm my bed tonight."

Chen Nuo snorted coldly, frightening Touka Kirishima so much she ran away as if fleeing, fearing she really would be forced to stay.

She believed Chen Nuo was definitely not just scaring her.

The materials for experiments had been mostly collected, enough to last for a long time; there was no need to forcibly keep Touka Kirishima and the others in the lab, and he'd have to keep feeding them.

Anyway, if needed, he could just call them over.

As for the biological markers, he wasn't joking; Chen Nuo really had implanted them into the back of their heads, with a signal strong enough to cover an entire city.

"Can we really leave here?"

Ken Kaneki was a bit excited because school was about to start for him too, but then he grew troubled about how to explain his disappearance these past few days to his best friend.

The Manager also hadn't expected freedom to come so easily; he thought he'd have to stay in this lab for a long time.

But overall, it was a good thing.

The lab's bed was too hard, which wasn't friendly for an elderly person.

"Kaya, you have to stay."

Chen Nuo looked at Irimi Kaya; one of the two maids had to stay to continue serving him.

Otherwise, who would wear all those stockings in his shopping cart? The Kurona Yasuhisa sisters were still too young to pull off the charm of black stockings; they were more suited for pink and tender styles.

I'm already working so hard to save the Ghoul world; what's wrong with enjoying myself a bit?

"How about letting me stay?"

Koma Enji rubbed his hands, looking like he was about to heroically sacrifice himself.

"Sure, I'll add you; stay and continue being my donor."

Chen Nuo nodded, scaring Koma Enji into quickly shaking his head, giving Irimi Kaya an apologetic look.

If she stayed here, at most she'd be forced into some dress-up game play, but if he stayed, he'd really have a layer of flesh and blood scraped off.

Speaking of which, he was just unlucky; because Touka Kirishima and the others were Ukaku, they could take turns having their kakuho harvested without too much physical pressure, but Koma Enji was different.

Here, he was a rare specimen.

Irimi Kaya said nothing, feeling no resistance in her heart; unknowingly, she had already been dyed in Chen Nuo's colors, though she hadn't yet faced this fact herself.

This wasn't about love; she was simply conquered by that matchless power.

Aren't Ghouls such creatures? The winner takes all.

Even if Chen Nuo allowed them freedom now, in truth, Touka Kirishima and the others had already labeled themselves as Chen Nuo's.

Not to mention Chen Nuo really had the ability to bring new hope to Ghouls.

"Oh, right, you all stay quiet lately; it's not very peaceful outside these days."

Chen Nuo reminded them.

Just a few days ago, Aogiri Tree attacked the CCG branch in Ward 11, killing almost all the branch Investigators; this was undoubtedly a serious provocation to the CCG, and the resulting shock was predictable.

Chen Nuo had been forced to work overtime these past few days.

It was foreseeable what would happen next; the resulting chain reaction would surely affect other regions.

The CCG would definitely make a forceful response; for the foreseeable future, Ward 20 wouldn't be peaceful.

Because Aogiri Tree was after Rize Kamishiro, and the last place she appeared was Ward 20; if Aogiri Tree didn't turn this place upside down, they probably wouldn't be satisfied.

The CCG also seemed to have noticed Aogiri Tree's movements and had mobilized a large number of top-tier Investigators.

If these two sides collided, it would be an explosive clash.