However, even if Bai Ye didn't want to become a ghoul due to side effects, couldn't it still be used for trading?
Just as some people would accept taking ghost blood to become ghosts for strength, naturally, there were also those willing to become ghouls for power.
Moreover, compared to the inability to act during the day after becoming a ghost, the side effect of ghouls needing to eat humans, as long as one could overcome the psychological and spiritual fear and repulsion, the price was even smaller than that of becoming a ghost.
Bai Ye thought as he followed Kirishima Ayato into the factory.
Looking up at his surroundings, he could see a large number of ghouls inside the factory, at least two to three hundred, but their faces were indistinct, all wearing masks.
This was also why Kirishima Ayato immediately mistook Bai Ye for a ghoul.
Ghouls, when not hunting humans, were demi-humans with no difference from ordinary humans, possessing normal human identities within human society.
Therefore, to avoid exposing their identities and to live normally outside of hunting, ghouls would wear masks during hunts.
This way, their identities wouldn't be revealed, preventing the White Wings from pursuing them.
When Kirishima Ayato saw Bai Ye, Bai Ye had previously scanned Lan Qing's information with the Predator's bio-mask, so Kirishima Ayato naturally assumed Bai Ye, wearing a mask, was a ghoul.
Secondly, the way the Steel Slime condensed items, wriggling like mud, had similarities to ghouls releasing their kagune, which also caused Kirishima Ayato to be mistaken.
They walked through the factory and arrived at the front.
The executives of Aogiri Tree were gathered here.
"Ayato, good job." A girl, wrapped in bandages all over, wearing a red jumpsuit and a mask, leaped down from a steel pipe and looked at Bai Ye, saying, "Are you the Eater?"
Bai Ye nodded, "Yes."
The girl smiled, then jumped back onto the steel pipe, saying, "Everyone, Owl wants me to tell you, it's time to usher in a new era!"
The One-Eyed Owl, the leader of Aogiri Tree, possessed immense power but was very mysterious, having almost never appeared in person.
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 that soon, a new era will descend. We won't have to hide anymore. We will be able to live under the sun, 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, an executive asked, "What is Owl's command?"
"Ghoul Detention Center!" the girl said, "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 release them and make them a part of our fighting force."
After finishing, the girl jumped down from the pile of steel pipes and walked up to Bai Ye, pointing a finger at him.
"Newcomer, to demonstrate your strength to everyone, therefore..." the girl said with a smile, "This task will be yours to lead. Any objections?"
"You have received a Forbidden Zone activation quest."
"Invade the Ghoul Detention Center, quest reward: Forbidden Zone (Ghoul Detention Center) Activation x1."
A Forbidden Zone!
This was getting interesting!
Bai Ye grinned and looked at the girl, "Location."
The girl's eyes flashed with a crimson glow, and she suddenly laughed, "I like direct people. Of course, I'll tell you the address. Let's act tonight."
Bai Ye nodded, "Alright!"
Since he had encountered a Forbidden Zone, Bai Ye naturally wouldn't refuse, regardless of the reward for now.
Since he was already caught up in this, it wouldn't be bad to grab some God Stone fragments by activating the Forbidden Zone.
After all, earning money for diapers was difficult these days, and the Steel Slime ate too much.
There was still some time before nightfall, which was allocated for the chosen ones to prepare and adjust their states.
As the activator of a Forbidden Zone, there were certain advantages 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. He didn't seem to have anything to prepare. It wasn't time for the gacha pull yet, and nightfall referred to after dusk. If nothing unexpected happened, he would finish before his gacha pull.
Bored, with nothing to do, Bai Ye could only slouch in a corner and yawn.
Bai Ye felt that he could act immediately, but since time was given, it meant it was a rule.
Two hours later, Kirishima Ayato came to Bai Ye and said, "It's time to go!"
"Ah, are we leaving?" Bai Ye opened his eyes sleepily and said, "We should have left long ago!"
Not all executives 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 likely an individual quest, but to create a chaotic "prison" environment, both factions needed to clash.
The ghouls in this area of Aogiri Tree were primarily here to do just that.
The second possibility was that this was a faction-opposing Forbidden Zone.
Such Forbidden Zones were not uncommon. Bai Ye had encountered them before, for example, 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 likely be automatically divided into two factions to compete.
Of course, there was also a possibility that the chosen ones active in this area had already taken sides.
This was because Bai Ye remembered Lan Qing.
It was understandable that the ghoul investigators thought he had killed that woman last night and arrested him, but why did Lan Qing, a chosen one, get involved?
Clearly, Lan Qing was likely also a White Wing.
For chosen ones to operate in this area, they would either follow the ghouls or follow the White Wings.
Bai Ye felt that he had guessed the general situation fairly accurately. The next step was to see how the Forbidden Zone would present its challenges.
While Bai Ye was lost in thought, Kirishima Ayato suddenly spoke, "We're almost there."
Bai Ye's group consisted of three trucks, all container trucks, with ghouls inside the containers, naturally.
The target was ahead, a building that looked much like a research facility, but was actually one of the largest setups for detaining ghouls, with walls and guards outside.
Kirishima Ayato said, "We need to break through the outer guards first."
Bai Ye said, "That's not difficult. Just drive straight forward. You don't even need anyone to get out of the cars. I can handle it myself."