The Forging City danger zone observation team had completed their mission, and the return journey was even quieter than the trip there.
The convoy traveled along the highway. The sky had already darkened, with only a smear of dark red remaining on the horizon, soon to be swallowed by the night.
Lin Mou sat in the passenger seat of the first vehicle, holding the observation report he had already read many times. His gaze, however, was fixed on the wilderness flying past the window.
Zhao Wu sat in the back seat, hunched over his laptop. His fingers flew across the keyboard, occasionally stopping as he frowned in thought before continuing to type.
He was organizing the data from this observation and writing the mission report.
Lin Mou glanced at the rearview mirror. The remaining team members were in the vehicles behind them.
There were technicians from the information group, members of the combat troops, and the drivers. What were their names again?
Lin Mou thought for a moment but couldn't remember.
Forget it. It wasn't important.
Zhao Wu looked up to ask, "Group Leader, how should we handle the anomalous figure from Forging City in this report? Should it be included in the official report or filed separately?"
Lin Mou replied, "File it separately. We'll wait until the technical analysis group reaches a definitive conclusion."
Zhao Wu nodded and made a note on his laptop. "What are your thoughts on that person's identity?"
Lin Mou said, "I don't have any. The captured footage is too blurry; you can't see anything clearly. Once we're back, I'll communicate with the technical analysis group personally to see if they can extract more information from the frames."
Zhao Wu didn't ask further and went back to his report.
Lin Mou's fingers tapped lightly on his knee twice. He was waiting—waiting for the right moment, a chance for the team members to all "reasonably disappear."
The opportunity came sooner than expected.
As the convoy crossed an abandoned bridge, the communicator in the pilot car suddenly emitted a burst of harsh static:
【Anomaly ahead... all vehicles... detour immediately...】
The driver slammed on the brakes, and the wheels skidded across the gravel road for a short distance.
The vehicles behind followed suit and came to a halt.
Lin Mou pushed the door open, jumped out, and walked quickly to the front of the car, staring at the road ahead.
There was nothing on the road, yet a vague sense of oppression hung in the air.
The feeling was abstract, as if something was watching from an invisible place.
Lin Mou gave orders in a steady voice. "Zhao Wu, contact the rear and confirm the extent of the anomaly."
"Groups One and Two, dismount and set up a perimeter. Group Three, stay in the vehicles and be ready to turn around at any moment."
The team members scattered quickly upon hearing the orders, taking their positions.
Inside the car, Zhao Wu used the communicator to contact the rear command center. His expression grew increasingly grim. "Group Leader, the command center says the anomaly zone ahead is spreading rapidly. The radius has already exceeded three kilometers. They suggest we try to handle it, or wait for support if we can't."
Lin Mou shook his head. "We only brought observation equipment this time; we're ill-equipped to handle this. We can't stay here and wait either. The anomaly zone is expanding; waiting here just means getting swallowed by it."
He glanced at the surrounding terrain and pointed to a derelict dirt road to the west. "Where does that road lead?"
Zhao Wu pulled up the electronic map and zoomed in. "It leads to an abandoned mining area, about fifteen kilometers away. You can loop back to the main road from there, but the road conditions are terrible—completely unsuitable for driving. Plus, the mining area itself is a low-level danger zone."
"Better than being trapped here," Lin Mou turned and ordered his team.
"Everyone, abandon the vehicles and proceed light. We'll take the dirt road to the west, enter the mining area, and loop back to the main road. Keep your formation and do not fall behind."
The team members quickly unloaded essential gear, donned their backpacks, checked their weapons, and followed Lin Mou down the derelict dirt road.
No one noticed that a small black button-like device had been attached to the chassis of every vehicle.
Those were "baits" Lin Mou had purchased from the black market. They released a specific signal designed to attract certain types of supernatural creatures.
He had used these to set people up before, and now he was using them on his own teammates.
The convoy hadn't been surrounded by an anomaly zone due to bad luck; it was because these baits had been broadcasting signals, drawing something in.
The dirt road was difficult to traverse, riddled with potholes, gravel, and standing water. On either side were desolate fields where withered yellow straw swayed in the wind, making a rustling sound.
The horizon had faded into total darkness. Lin Mou walked in the middle of the group, flanked by technicians. The combat troops were clearing the way up front, while Zhao Wu brought up the rear.
Lin Mou looked back occasionally to ensure no one was falling behind.
A technician caught up to him, panting. "Group Leader Lin, what exactly was that anomaly zone just now?"
Lin Mou shook his head. "It's not clear yet. But judging by the speed of its expansion, it doesn't seem like a typical source of contamination. It feels more like something conscious is actively expanding."
The technician's face turned pale. "Something conscious?"
"Just a guess. Don't scare yourself," Lin Mou consoled him.
In truth, he knew exactly what kind of horrors were lurking nearby. After all, he had paid more attention to Forging City than anyone else over the years in his search for that Evil God; he had long ago mapped out everything in the vicinity.
Beneath the ground in that area dwelt an anomalous entity unrecorded by the Bureau. Its abilities were unknown, but it was known to release a peculiar scent at night that lured nearby creatures into its territory to be devoured.
It moved quickly and covered a vast area.
Lin Mou knew its location, its behavior patterns, and exactly how to lead it toward his intended targets.
He had successfully used it to force the team to abandon their cars and change their route.
By changing routes, they had walked right into Lin Mou's trap.
The team had been moving for about twenty minutes when the combat specialist at the very front suddenly stopped and raised a hand, signaling for those behind to halt.
Lin Mou quickened his pace and walked up. "What is it?"
"There's someone ahead." The team member crouched by the roadside and pointed to a clearing dozens of meters away.
Lin Mou looked where he was pointing. There was indeed a person in the clearing, their back to the team. They stood perfectly still, dressed in tattered clothes with hair hanging over their shoulders, their face hidden.
Lin Mou said softly, "That's not a normal person. Likely a contaminated mutant. Don't get close; go around."
The team members bypassed the figure and continued forward.
Lin Mou noticed that as they passed, the figure's head tilted slightly.
Lin Mou said nothing and even helped obscure the view; he needed it to follow them.
As the team pressed on, Lin Mou gradually slowed his pace, letting the technicians move ahead until he was positioned toward the back of the group.
Then, he called Zhao Wu over. "Lead the team forward. Keep going along the dirt road and don't stop. I'll cover the rear."
Zhao Wu hesitated. "Group Leader, maybe I should cover the rear while you command from the front?"
"No need," Lin Mou patted his shoulder. "I trust you."
Zhao Wu nodded, looking touched, and quickened his pace to move to the front of the line.
Rate on N.U.
