Tacheng.
This was an ordinary street in East City District, lined on both sides with long-closed restaurants and small shops.
But for some reason.
The entire city had clearly lost power, yet a few streetlights by the roadside still gave off a faint orange glow. In the storm, they were like the wavering light of a firefly's light, flickering between bright and dim.
Under the eaves not far from the streetlights, several stray cats were sheltering from the rain.
Suddenly.
As if they had sensed some terrifying enemy, their backs arched sharply and their fur stood on end. Without hesitation, they darted into the nearby alley and vanished beside the window of a residential building.
A few seconds later.
On the side road opposite them, a wisp of green smoke suddenly rose from the darkness.
Even amid the pouring rain, the smoke was completely unaffected. It slowly rose, forming the outline of a human figure. Then the outline grew denser and clearer.
Before long, a man in a black hoodie abruptly appeared on the street.
A decayed aura radiated from his entire body. His face, covered in grayish-brown patches, made him look like a corpse in the dim surroundings.
After emerging from the green smoke, he warily swept his gaze around. Without lingering, he quickly ran toward the other end of the street.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
His feet struck the pavement with crisp sounds, splashing up flowers of water.
But the man in the hoodie did not care about the mud splattered on his shoes and cuffs. He ran desperately onward, his steps uneven, wanting to leave the street as quickly as possible.
However, after running for several minutes, he gradually came to a stop.
Because several dim yellow streetlights had appeared ahead of him—and they belonged to the entrance