Invasion Begins! The Day the Walls Are Broken (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

"Special Management Department... hehe!"

From the depths of the darkness, a hoarse voice reached his ears.

Eyes covered in black and red blood vessels stared wide at Bai Zhou.

A mouth filled with black blood split open, revealing a terrifying and chillingly meaningful grin.

"You are also a cockroach..."

"--!!!"

Bai Zhou jolted awake from his bed.

What met his eyes was the familiar ceiling... oh, wait, the familiar colorful posters.

"You're awake."

A cold, slightly raspy voice came from beside him.

It made Bai Zhou jump in a startle, yet paradoxically, it also brought him a sense of relief.

"Morning, Ya."

Bai Zhou rolled over from the bed, sat up, and looked up.

With her dark hair cascading like a waterfall, the Maiden leaned against the window ledge.

One leg was stretched out casually, her toes lightly tapping the edge of the sill, while the other was bent at the knee, supporting her frame. Her slender wrist rested nonchalantly atop her knee.

Her delicate fingers hung down naturally, and the light from outside filtered through the gaps in the curtains, faintly revealing the pale blue blood vessels on the back of her hand.

She tilted her head slightly, resting it against the window frame. Her face was habitually half-hidden in the shadows, yet fine specks of light illuminated the other side of her face, her neck, and her straight, flowing hair.

The air flowed slowly, and the lazy, burnt-sweet scent of coffee drifted languidly through the room.

--At this moment, Ya turned her head to look at Bai Zhou, her half-lidded, iridescent eyes opening wide.

It was as if a sharp, cold bolt of lightning had flashed through the bedroom.

She spoke softly:

"Are you ready, Bai Zhou?"

A new day had arrived.

August 28th.

Tonight, the Blood Worship Cult would invade the base.

And Deputy Han would come to the Resting Mausoleum to conduct another "transaction."

"Cockroach..."

Bai Zhou thought of the dream he had just had.

The words once spoken by the "Doctor" he had encountered at Hengtan Elementary School lingered inexplicably in Bai Zhou's mind.

So, that was what he meant...

Only now did Bai Zhou realize it in hindsight.

Perhaps Bai Zhou was overthinking it.

Maybe the "Doctor," that uncle who seemed to hold a significant position within the Blood Worship Cult, knew some inside information about this place.

Cockroaches like to hide in dark places during the day; they are gregarious insects with a fairly stable social structure.

Most importantly, Cockroaches will eat the corpses of their own kind because they are a source of high-quality protein.

--How much like the Special Management Department here?

The so-called elite Commissioners and high-ranking Officers of the Special Management Department.

They were nothing more than a group of... ghouls living in the shadows underground.

Thinking of this, Bai Zhou took a deep breath.

"As for being ready, one can never have enough."

"So, if you're asking me if I'm ready..."

Bai Zhou answered very seriously, and because he was serious, he hesitated.

Before anything truly arrives, it is always difficult to answer with confidence and cheer, "I am ready."

Because life is not like cooking; you cannot prepare all the ingredients in advance, and you don't even know what kind of dish you will end up with.

If he had to give an objective, affirmative answer, Bai Zhou could only say that, in truth, he was not ready.

Because the gap between the enemy and himself remained indelible, and being inside the base, no one could say for sure what kind of variables might arise.

But when a person is about to be devoured by a beast, they won't stop running just because they lack shoes;

Nor will they lose the courage for a final struggle when facing danger just because they lack a handy weapon.

Relatively speaking, Bai Zhou had already done everything he could.

So his answer was:

"I will do my best."

Do what one can, and leave the rest to fate.

Regardless of how things turned out, he had already made it this far.

Then... he would just have to summon his courage and keep moving forward!

"...Not bad."

Ya seemed quite satisfied with Bai Zhou's answer.

"By the way, Ya."

"What is it?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

Bai Zhou raised a hand to smooth down the cowlick on his head that stood tall every single morning, looking at Ya as he asked earnestly:

"Why is it that whenever I see you, you're either appearing and disappearing like a ghost or sitting on ribbons or the window ledge? Doesn't it hurt your butt?"

"..."

Ya kept a cold face and said nothing.

...Could it be because it looks cool?

Bai Zhou tried to understand, but he just couldn't.

So, for the sixth time, he earnestly proposed his idea:

"How about you sleep on the bed from now on?"

"I really don't mind sleeping on the floor."

"..."

Ya remained cold-faced and silent.

But looking at Bai Zhou's rather sincere and concerned expression, Ya finally spat out two words stiffly:

"No need."

Then, she continued: "That is not important."

"--What matters is something else."

Bai Zhou blinked: "What?"

Ya raised a hand and pointed toward the bathroom:

"--Now, go take a shower, and make sure you wash thoroughly."

"Eh? Why is that important?"

The topic jumped so abruptly that Bai Zhou couldn't grasp the meaning:

"Why? Didn't I just shower before bed last night..."

Ya immediately tightened her little face: "If I tell you to go, then go! There is a reason for it!"

"...Fine."

It was a trivial matter anyway.

Bai Zhou raised his arm, sniffing his own body in confusion.

He didn't smell.

He still had the milky, fresh scent of body wash on him.

With a "click," Bai Zhou went into the bathroom and carefully locked the door.

...The sound of splashing water soon rang out from next door.

The Maiden landed lightly on the window ledge, silent as a shadow.

Then, with a "swish"—

She pulled the curtains open.

The cold White Light from outside shone in, illuminating the posters on the walls one by one.

On the ceiling, on the side walls, colorful posters everywhere...

All of them were ones Bai Zhou had asked Section Chief Liu for, one or two at a time, every day.

After all, Section Chief Liu was his only channel.

Section Chief Liu thought Bai Zhou wanted to learn about this world and suspected nothing else, never imagining that Bai Zhou was trying to cover up the messy traces of his special training in the dormitory.

However.

At this moment, one poster, directly facing the window, was shrouded in light, as if it were glowing itself.

Hidden behind the poster were the corrosive marks left on the wall from the first time Bai Zhou tested the Mechanical Spear-Gun using the Little Green Bottle.

The image on the poster depicted a ragged man with his arms spread wide, welcoming a raging storm from behind.

--Above it was written a line of dialogue:

"You know, some birds are not meant to be caged; their every feather shines with the radiance of freedom."

"Click..."

Ya took one final look around the small dormitory.

In the end, her gaze settled on the calendar hanging by the wall.

Today was August 28th.

Jiashen Month, Wuyin Day.

Suitable for bathing.

And...

Broken House, Ruined Wall.

--Meaning the day to break through the walls.

Night fell in the blink of an eye.

12:01 AM.

The lights in this dormitory remained on, yet it had long been empty.

"Skree—"

A shrill alarm sounded, sweeping across the sky above Branch 36 like a howling ghost.

The entire Special Management Department base was violently mobilized as a result.

The various pre-deployed fire points stirred for a moment before returning to silence.

The Blood Worship Cult, punctual as ever, had arrived right on schedule.