The air in the incineration room was so thick it was almost solid. White fumes mixed with the smell of burnt grease rolled beneath the dim yellow ceiling lights.
At the moment the young operator pushed the corpse into the iron-gray furnace.
The metal doorframe let out a rusted screech, as if this old incinerator, which had been in service for over a decade, was groaning in dissatisfaction.
"We've only processed twelve this week."
He lifted his mask and gulped in a breath of foul air, his Adam's apple sliding along his sweat-soaked neck.
"The investigator death rate has dropped to less than half of previous years. If this keeps up, is that really okay?"
The conveyor belt suddenly let out a clicking sound as gears engaged. The corpse hanging at the furnace entrance dropped straight down without warning.
As the body brushed against the scorching furnace wall, blue smoke rose, and in an instant it was swallowed by the underground passage.
The old technician had no interest in continuing the conversation.
Having worked here for so long, he knew exactly what should and should not be said.
He glanced at the young man and said coldly,
"Two years ago there was another chatterbox like you. He's fertilizer in V14 now."
"Just because no one is watching doesn't mean you can run your mouth here. Put your mask on."
After saying that, he walked to the side of the furnace, where ashes mixed with bone fragments were piled up.
He casually scooped up a large handful and sprinkled it into a gilded urn like pepper.
"Tell them to send another batch over. It's been busy these days. This little bit isn't enough."
"Got it."
The young operator nodded, pulled his mask back on, and wisely shut his mouth.
The ventilation fan in the corner suddenly stopped. A faint smell of blood seeped into the damp, moldy air.
The red light of the surveillance camera blinked rhythmically in the shadows, like countless eyes that never closed.
"Interesting. Pretty convincing act, but saying nothing won't do."
Mephisto's eyes glowed with an eerie red light, and the ring of blue-black feathers around its neck stirred without wind.
........
The operation against the Non-Killing Owl had ended.
Anteiku was completely destroyed, and Aogiri Tree had suffered heavy losses.
The CCG's top combat forces were almost entirely unharmed. Aside from the deaths and injuries of many Rank 3 Investigators and Investigator Assistants, there were no major casualties.
This was a complete victory for humanity, and its achievements were enough to be recorded in history.
But while some celebrated, others mourned.
Yoshimura Eto and Arima Kishou both had complicated feelings. Yoshimura Kuzen's death and the loss of an experimental subject were minor issues.
After all, there were many Washuu breeders. Finding another with similar bloodline was possible.
But the real problem was no longer the experiment.
With Uesugi Ryu as a variable, even if the One-Eyed King were cultivated, it might be meaningless.
Uesugi Ryu's strength had already exceeded their expectations. The One-Eyed King plan had completely collapsed.
At present, the only thing that might rival him was the dragonized First One-Eyed King beneath the 24th Ward.
But the problem was that the First had no consciousness. Even with overwhelming power, it could not be used.
No matter how others felt, Uesugi Ryu himself was in a very good mood.
"I wonder what changes will happen after devouring the Soul of the Broken Dragon."
He thought with anticipation.
"Fifteen points is the safety threshold set by the system. My intelligence has just reached 15. Matters of the soul aren't trivial. I should be cautious."
After thinking for a moment, Uesugi Ryu decided to proceed carefully.
He had gained 5 attribute points from killing Yoshimura Kuzen. He had used 4, leaving 1.
He immediately added the final point to Intelligence.
According to the description of the Soul of the Broken Dragon, that black dragon was referred to as "It."
No matter which existence that dragon was, being addressed that way meant it held an extremely high status.
Even the smallest fragment of such a soul was terrifying for Uesugi Ryu at his current level.
After assigning the point, Uesugi Ryu immediately took out the Soul of the Broken Dragon from the system space.
A flash of light passed, and the terrifying object appeared in his hand.
It was a pale gray orb, quietly floating above his palm.
This time, perhaps sensing imminent danger, strange and indistinct murmurs and roars came from within the orb.
In the world of dragons, those of higher rank held absolute control over those below.
Even those with only a trace of dragon blood could not escape that fate.
Last time, when faced with the terrifying pressure from the orb, Uesugi Ryu could only tremble.
But now, things seemed different.
Whether it was the awakening of Devour Soul or the increase in his own strength, the pressure from the orb was clearly weaker than before.
Uesugi Ryu could handle it easily. However, his golden eyes were still suppressed and could not fully manifest.
A trace of greed flashed through his originally brown eyes.
Immediately after, an intense hunger from the depths of his soul surged up like a tide.
Almost at the same moment, a dark vortex rapidly formed in his left hand.
Sensing the vortex, a miniature ferocious black dragon appeared within the soul orb.
It bared its fangs and claws, struggling wildly to break free from the orb.
The terrifying pressure struck again. Inside his skull, it felt like ice spikes bursting through his pineal gland.
Uesugi Ryu let out a muffled grunt, but a crazed smile spread across his face.
He exhaled sharply through his nose. The desire surging within him far surpassed fear.
Like a starving dog catching the scent of bloody meat, every cell in his spine screamed to tear and devour.
The gluttonous pull twisted the dragon soul into a fluid form. The closer it came, the stabbing pain gradually lessened.
Uesugi Ryu clenched his teeth, his face tense.
His teeth ground together with a creaking sound.
In the end, he won this struggle.
Once pulled into his soul space, the dragon soul immediately became docile, remaining there quietly.
The overwhelming pressure vanished. Drops of sweat slid from his chin.
The sound of a soul being crushed echoed. This time, no soul essence formed.
Soul Devour seemed impatient, instantly consuming the Soul of the Broken Dragon completely.
At the same time, Uesugi Ryu's golden eyes suddenly lit up.
The originally narrow, reptilian pupils gradually faded, returning to a normal human shape.
But the golden glow within them did not diminish in the slightest, shining like direct sunlight.
A ring-shaped black mark appeared within the golden eyes, like an eclipse consuming light.
The remaining trace of dragon blood in his body was expelled. Illusory black dragon scales appeared across his skin.
These scales shimmered with a cold metallic sheen, clinging tightly to his body.
After flickering a few times, they rapidly contracted, forming a ferocious black dragon pattern that covered most of his torso.