However, even if Bai Ye didn't want to become a ghoul due to the side effects, couldn't it still be used for trade?
Just as some people would accept taking ghoul blood to become a ghoul for power, there were naturally those who would be willing to become a ghoul for power.
Moreover, compared to the inability to act during the day after becoming a ghoul, the side effect of eating humans after becoming a ghoul was, as long as the psychological and spiritual fear and rejection could be overcome, the price was even smaller than becoming a ghoul.
Bai Ye thought as he followed Kirishima Ayato into the factory.
Looking up around, he could see a large number of ghouls in the factory, at least two to three hundred, but their faces were indistinguishable, all wearing masks.
This was also why Kirishima Ayato immediately took Bai Ye for a ghoul.
Ghouls, when not hunting humans, were sub-races with no difference from humans, possessing normal human identities in human society.
Therefore, to avoid exposing their identities and to live normally outside of hunting, ghouls would wear masks when hunting.
This way, their identities would not be exposed, and they would not be pursued by the White Wings.
When Kirishima Ayato saw Bai Ye, Bai Ye had previously scanned Lan Qing's information with the Predator's biological mask, so Kirishima Ayato naturally took the masked Bai Ye for a ghoul.
Secondly, when the Steel Slime solidified items, its wriggling like mud bore similarities to the process of ghouls releasing their kagune, which also gave Kirishima Ayato a false impression.
Walking through the factory, they arrived at the front.
The cadres of Aogiri Tree were gathered here.
"Ayato, good work." A girl, completely wrapped in bandages, wearing a red bodysuit and a mask, leaped down from a steel pipe and then looked at Bai Ye, saying, "Are you the Eater?"
Bai Ye nodded, "Yes."
The girl smiled and then jumped back onto the steel pipe, saying, "Everyone, Owl wants me to tell you, it's time to start a new era!"
The One-Eyed Owl, the leader of Aogiri Tree, possessed immense power but was extremely mysterious, almost never showing himself.
As the girl's voice spread, the surrounding ghouls suddenly became excited.
They cheered loudly, whistled, and applauded continuously.
The girl continued, "Owl wants me to tell you, a new era will descend soon, we will no longer have to hide, we can live in the sunlight, and those White Wings will no longer be able to act with impunity against us."
The cheers from the surroundings instantly reached their peak.
At this moment, a cadre asked, "What is Owl's command?"
"Ghoul Detention Center!" the girl replied, "That ghoul prison holds a large number of S-class and SS-class ghouls, their hatred for the White Wings is no less than anyone's, so what we need to do is to release them and make them a part of our fighting force."
After finishing speaking, the girl leaped down from the pile of steel pipes and walked up to Bai Ye, pointing at him.
"Newcomer, to show everyone your strength, so..." the girl said with a smile, "This task will be carried out by you and your men, no problem?"
"You have obtained a forbidden zone activation quest."
"Break into the Ghoul Detention Center with your men, quest reward: Forbidden Zone (Ghoul Detention Center) Activation x1."
A forbidden zone!
This is interesting!
Bai Ye grinned and looked at the girl, "Location."
The girl's eyes flashed with a crimson glow, and she suddenly smiled, "I like decisive people. Of course, I'll tell you the address. We'll act tonight."
Bai Ye nodded, "Alright!"
A forbidden zone, since he encountered it, Bai Ye naturally wouldn't refuse, regardless of the reward for now.
Since he was already involved, it would be good to get some God Stone fragments by opening the forbidden zone.
After all, milk powder money was hard to earn these days, and the Steel Slime ate too much.
There was still some time before nightfall, which was for the chosen ones to prepare and adjust their state.
As the opener of the forbidden zone, there were certain benefits at this time.
At least the other chosen ones who were forcibly pulled into the forbidden zone had no preparation time.
However, Bai Ye pondered for a moment, it seemed he had nothing to prepare. The time to draw from the gacha had not yet arrived, and nightfall meant after dusk. If nothing unexpected happened, he would finish it before drawing from the gacha.
Bored, with nothing to do, Bai Ye could only curl up in a corner and yawn.
Bai Ye felt he could act immediately, but since time was given, it meant it was the rule.
Two hours later, Kirishima Ayato came up to Bai Ye and said, "It's time to go!"
"Ah, time to go?" Bai Ye opened his eyes groggily and said, "We should have left long ago!"
Not all cadres of Aogiri Tree would participate in this operation; Bai Ye and Kirishima Ayato would lead.
However, what use could these low-level members of Aogiri Tree be?
Bai Ye speculated based on his past life experience.
The first possibility was that the forbidden zone quest was still a solo quest, but to create a chaotic "prison" environment, it required both sides to fight.
The ghouls in this area of Aogiri Tree were primarily there for this purpose.
The second possibility was that this was a forbidden zone with factional opposition.
Such forbidden zones were not uncommon; Bai Ye had encountered them before, such as the Order faction and the Sin faction in the City of Sin.
And here, it would naturally be the ghoul faction and the White Wing faction.
Chosen ones entering the forbidden zone would most likely be automatically divided into two factions for confrontation.
Of course, there was another possibility that the chosen ones who frequented this area had already taken sides.
This was because Bai Ye remembered Lan Qing.
It was understandable that those ghoul investigators thought he killed that woman last night and arrested him, but why would Lan Qing, a chosen one, join the fun?
It was clear that Lan Qing was likely also a White Wing.
For chosen ones to frequent this area, they would either follow the ghouls or follow the White Wings.
Bai Ye felt he had roughly guessed the situation and that the forbidden zone would give him the questions next.
As Bai Ye was contemplating, Kirishima Ayato suddenly spoke, "We're almost there."
Bai Ye's side had a total of three vehicles, all container trucks. The containers naturally contained ghouls.
The target was ahead, a building that looked like a research institution but was actually one of the largest facilities for detaining ghouls, with walls and guards outside.
Kirishima Ayato said, "We need to break through the outer defenses first."
Bai Ye said, "That's not difficult. Just drive straight ahead. You don't even need to let others get out of the cars. I can handle it alone."