Yes, they looked completely human. The men were handsome, the women alluring, and they carried an air of elegance unlike anything one would associate with typical ghouls. Compared to those grotesque, hideous beings outside, the difference was truly like heaven and earth.
One was monstrous and vile, the other refined and attractive—as if they were entirely different species.
But clearly, they were the same race.
On the table before them sat massive platters, and on those platters… lay corpses. Corpses of children. Some were even newborn infants. All had grown cold, lying motionless, transformed into gourmet delicacies in the eyes of these creatures. Compared to adult humans, the flesh of children was more tender, more favored.
They were eating corpses.
They, too, were ghouls.
Yet these were clearly a nobler breed of ghouls. Like nobles among monsters.
As they devoured the flesh, their faces radiated pure ecstasy. What's more, as they ate, their auras subtly changed—growing stronger, more potent.
"Human flesh tastes far better than that of other races. Among all the corpses I've tried, they rank at least in the top ten," said one elegant ghoul.
"Indeed. Humans are like weeds—they just keep growing back. Their birthrate is high, and the flesh of their infants is the most tender. The more I eat, the closer I feel to evolution and transformation."
"I've tasted werewolf meat—tough and gamey, with a foul stench. Not good at all. Definitely bottom-tier."
As they feasted, they chatted casually, discussing which races tasted better. It was a heated, passionate debate.
Clearly, humans ranked high on their menu.
This was a ghoul tribe.
Yet these seemingly human ghouls were no ordinary flesh-eaters—they were ghoul nobles.
Ghouls, also called "Shugūn", are a type of demi-human who can only feed on the flesh of other races. Most of the time, they appear indistinguishable from normal humans, but when fighting or feeding, their eyes turn red. They possess a predatory organ called a Kagune Core (赫子命窍), which is their most vital organ and primary weapon.
🔹 [Kagune Core (赫子命窍)] — the core life node of a ghoul that manifests during combat or feeding. Each ghoul's Kagune differs in form and power, and it is essential to their survival and strength.
Ghouls cannot reproduce with humans or any other race—only with each other. Attempts to interbreed always result in stillbirths. Their bodies are far tougher than humans', with enhanced agility and strength. Minor wounds heal rapidly; even fractures can mend overnight.
They can regenerate quickly by consuming corpses, making their recovery ability brutally efficient.
Their power is savage—and as expected, they are hated by all races. After all, no race wants their dead devoured. That is a horror beyond death itself.
Suddenly—whoosh whoosh whoosh!!
The sound of crashing waves echoed around them.
The ghoul leader paused, then pulled out a conch shell—yes, a conch, but not just any conch. It was a Sound-Transmitting Conch, a treasure from the Aquatic Race. Somehow, the ghouls had acquired it. The tide-like sound signaled an incoming message.
"What's going on?" the ghoul leader asked.
"Chief! It's bad! The humans have left Iron-Blood Great Wall!"
The voice that came through the conch was tense and urgent.
"Left the wall? Humans regularly leave the Iron-Blood Wall to hunt beasts. That's nothing new. What's so strange about that? Could they really be launching a campaign now?" the leader frowned, impatience in his tone.
Human activity outside the wall wasn't unusual. The border zone was long a battleground between humans and other races. With the rise of the Myriad Beast Court, it seemed unlikely the humans would launch any major offensive now—they should've been laying low.
"No—it's different this time! It's the elite army of Great Yi Dynasty. They brought an entire Immortal City with them! The moment they appeared, archers in the city shot down most of our sentries and scouts. The city's moving—headed straight for us. Great Yi is going to war!"
Panic bled through the speaker's voice.
"What!?"
The ghouls at the table froze, horror flashing in their eyes. The words exploded like thunder in their minds. Their confidence wavered. Their hands stopped.
"Don't panic. Which direction is the city heading? Report clearly," said the leader, forcibly suppressing his own fear.
Everyone knew what the appearance of an Immortal City meant. Entire tribes had been erased by one. Once it settled, it became nearly immovable. Unless you had ten times the human force, an Immortal City couldn't be taken. It was a nail driven into the wild—once embedded, it could not be removed.
"It's heading directly toward our tribe. At its current speed, it'll arrive very soon."
The voice on the other end fell silent after that.
A chill spread across the ghoul chamber.
There was no escape—not unless they abandoned the entire settlement. But even that would take time they didn't have. Worse, once the humans discovered the enslaved captives and meat larvae in the tribe, war would be inevitable.
It would be a battle to the death.
"What should we do, Chief?"
All eyes turned to their leader—Shu Wuwei (喰无畏).
"At this speed, there's no avoiding it. And if the humans find us, they'll never let us go. We'll fight. We are the Ghoul Race—have we ever feared battle? What is our goal!?" he roared.
"Bring the dragons and phoenixes to the table!"
The ghouls shouted in unison, flames of fanaticism in their eyes.
Yes—their dream was to one day feast on the flesh of true dragons and phoenixes. No prey was off-limits. As long as it was a corpse—even dragon meat—they would devour it.
Their ambition was boundless.
"But how do we fight? That Immortal City... Great Yi's military strength is monstrous. Even the Beastmen failed to break their wall."
"Hmph. They have their Immortal City—we have our own strength. I'll lay down the Devour Heaven Grand Array (食天大阵). No matter what forces they bring, we'll turn them into our next meal."
🔹 [Devour Heaven Grand Array (食天大阵)] — a powerful formation created by ghouls to consume enemy forces and potentially even counter an Immortal City.
Shu Wuwei sneered, eyes glinting with madness.
"Good! Set the formation. Let the world know the might of the Ghoul Race!"
Reluctantly, but with determination, the other ghouls agreed. They had no choice—their tribe was moments away from destruction. Delaying meant death.
The ground began to rumble.
The ghouls could already hear the tremors. The Immortal City was coming. Fast. They had no more time to run.
The Immortal City advanced swiftly, a colossal juggernaut. Beasts that failed to flee in time were crushed beneath it, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.
Yet Guan Yu remained ever vigilant.
They had entered the wilderness—danger could strike at any moment. Demons, beasts, monsters, or worse.
Their greatest advantage now was speed—striking before the enemy could prepare. Catching them off guard.
"Help us! Please save us!"
"We're human! Help!!"
Without realizing it, they had arrived at the Ghoul settlement…