"Huh?"
The words stunned Bai Ye. Shouldn't he be attacking?
The One-Eyed King said, "You are from the Bronze Tree, and you are the leader of my Bronze Tree."
Bai Ye paused, then nodded. He did seem to be part of the Bronze Tree now, having entered the Ghoul Containment Facility with them.
Thinking about it, the One-Eyed King's words made sense?
He didn't seem to have any reason to attack them.
The One-Eyed King glanced at Bai Ye again and said, "Follow me, the battle is not over."
After speaking, the One-Eyed King pierced the wall with his finger, climbed up, and leaped towards the upper level, landing on the skybridge. He used the skybridge for leverage, shattering it, and then continued to leap upwards.
In the blink of an eye, the One-Eyed King had vanished without a trace.
"That's not right!" Bai Ye suddenly realized. "Does it matter if I'm part of the Bronze Tree? The restricted zones are gone!"
The Great Restricted Zone in the Ghoul area was formed when all restricted zones in that area were activated simultaneously.
In other words...
With the Great Restricted Zone activated, all the so-called smaller restricted zones no longer existed.
The entire Ghoul area was now a single, massive restricted zone, and one had to leave before the time limit. Furthermore, there was a limit to the number of people who could leave; otherwise, they would be forever imprisoned in this area.
Although they weren't dead...
It was no different from being dead!
Even if they were alive, they couldn't leave this area. Everything in the world battlefield would be irrelevant to them. They could only wait silently until the world battlefield concluded, and then be buried here.
That felt worse than death.
After all, death was death.
But to be alive like this, unable to do anything, was a more despairing feeling.
So, in such a situation, why would Bai Ye care if he was part of the Bronze Tree?
He was going to run anyway!
Of course, it would be even better if he could take down a few "big guys" and reap some benefits before running.
Bai Ye finally confirmed he had been tricked. However, it was also possible that the One-Eyed King didn't intend to trick him; he genuinely considered Bai Ye one of his own. After all, the One-Eyed King had no concept of restricted zones; he was a native.
Therefore, Bai Ye could only curse a couple of times about this misunderstanding, then spread his wings and flew upwards rapidly.
Soon, he reached the top floor of the Ghoul Containment Facility. Bai Ye retracted his wings and strode out of the building.
As expected, there was no prompt for completing the restricted zone mission. The Ghoul Containment Facility's restricted zone no longer existed, just as he had guessed. All the restricted zones in the Ghoul area had merged into a Great Restricted Zone.
At the same time, he looked up into the distance.
Black smoke, fire!
Everywhere he looked, the entire city was engulfed in black smoke and flames. Faint sounds of fighting could be heard from all directions.
"I really don't know which bastard caused trouble," Bai Ye cursed. "This is just reckless."
Although the Great Restricted Zone was tempting, it was not the right time for it to be activated.
Even with his current strength, which qualified him to experience the Great Restricted Zone, Bai Ye didn't think it was appropriate for it to be activated now.
This was because Bai Ye wasn't confident he could fare well in such a restricted zone.
However, this also sparked a question in Bai Ye's mind.
Who activated so many restricted zones simultaneously?
Coincidence?
That was impossible!
So many people happened to activate their restricted zones at the same time? If it were one or two, it might be possible, but for so many restricted zones to be activated by coincidence was absolutely impossible.
Therefore, Bai Ye dared to assert that it was definitely intentional.
In that case, being able to figure out all the restricted zones in the Ghoul area was already a terrifying feat. And then to activate all of them, forming a Great Restricted Zone...
Bai Ye couldn't help but smack his lips. "Does this person have extreme confidence in their own strength? Do they believe they can do well in the Great Restricted Zone?"
...
Ghoul Area, Southwest Pedestrian Street.
Li Jia Yi was unaware that Bai Ye was pondering him. If he had known, he would have told Bai Ye that he was in a bit of trouble.
Great Restricted Zone?
If Li Jia Yi had known that activating all the restricted zones would lead to this situation, he would never have done it.
Li Jia Yi had simply wanted to activate the restricted zones he had investigated, in sync with Bai Ye's Ghoul Containment Facility.
On one hand, it was to cut losses, lest Bai Ye end up mingling with the Bronze Tree and finding other restricted zones.
On the other hand, Li Jia Yi wanted to accelerate the progress of the Ghoul area and force out the One-Eyed Owl.
Yes, Li Jia Yi's target was the Bronze Tree.
But the reason Li Jia Yi had set his sights on the Bronze Tree was its leader—the One-Eyed Owl.
"But..." Li Jia Yi showed a helpless expression. "I didn't intend to push the progress of this area to this extent, and besides..."
Li Jia Yi looked up.
Standing in front of Li Jia Yi was a white-haired man wearing a white uniform and glasses.
He looked very refined, but Li Jia Yi knew the man was anything but refined.
This was the man with the title "White Reaper."
The undefeated Special Class Ghoul Investigator—Kishou Arima!
This was also why Li Jia Yi felt he was in trouble.
This man was no easier to deal with than the One-Eyed Owl.
"Sigh!" Li Jia Yi watched Arima Kousuke approach, carrying a briefcase, and spread his hands. "Actually, my goal is the same as yours, the One-Eyed Owl. We can cooperate."
Arima Kousuke ignored Li Jia Yi and focused his gaze behind him, on a crimson, centipede-like Kagune.
Li Jia Yi said, "Although I have this, I don't eat people. I'm not an ordinary ghoul."
"Quinque, Narukami!"
Arima Kousuke directly raised his hand, and the briefcase rapidly transformed, fitting onto Arima's arm and taking the shape of a cannon barrel.
Li Jia Yi quickly dodged to the side.
With a boom!
The lightning ball hit the ground and then exploded with a loud bang, shattering a section of the ground.
After the attack, Arima Kousuke didn't stop. A new quinque appeared in his left hand, a black umbrella.
However, soon, the black umbrella dissolved, flowing forward like mud, and suddenly transformed into black spikes, heading straight for Li Jia Yi's face.
Clang!
The fox-tail-like Kagune behind Li Jia Yi split open, dividing into nine tails that spread out in a fan shape, blocking in front of Li Jia Yi.
After a crisp clashing sound, Li Jia Yi leaped backward again.
"It seems you don't believe me," Li Jia Yi sighed. "In that case, there's nothing I can do. If I can't find the One-Eyed Owl, the legendary White Reaper will do. I'm also interested in the quinque you're holding."
As Li Jia Yi spoke, he suddenly formed hand seals.
"Domain Expansion..." Li Jia Yi's gaze deepened, and he whispered, "Malevolent Shrine!"