Liu Jialin looked particularly at Zhang Xiao and reminded her, "Especially you. Stop always thinking about charging to the front."
"Don't worry, Captain." Zhang Xiao patted the weapon at her waist, the composite metal reflecting a cold gleam.
The five-person squad entered the cordoned-off zone, treading on withered yellow leaves. The leaves crackled beneath their feet, the crisp sound carrying far across the silent wilderness.
The morning mist had yet to disperse. The distant woods looked like silhouettes blurred in ink, while the wind threaded through the bare branches with a mournful whine.
Following the map's directions, the group advanced toward the site where the outdoor variety show had been filmed. Billboard after billboard still displayed celebrity posters along the way, their brilliantly smiling faces looking somewhat eerie in the tense atmosphere.
"It's here." Liu Jialin raised a hand and signaled for the whole team to stop.
Three hundred meters ahead, steel frames from a half-built stage lay scattered across an open lot. Colorful backdrop cloth snapped and flapped in the wind.
A dozen or so figures wandered around the site. Some wore hoodies printed with the show's logo, while others were still dressed in elaborate performance costumes.
At that moment, every one of them staggered as they walked, their eyes empty as dust-covered glass marbles.
The entire site was frighteningly silent. There were no insects chirping or birds calling, only the rustling of canvas in the wind, making the wandering figures seem like ghosts.
"Check their vital signs." Liu Jialin lowered her voice.
The investigator wearing gold-rimmed glasses pushed up the glasses that had slipped to the tip of his nose and used his awakened ability. Pale golden ripples of energy spread from his palm like ripples stirred on a lake.
The ripples trembled slightly as they swept over