Bai Zhu did not answer.
The canine monster held a long blade made of particles, the enormous mouth between its head and abdomen still opening and closing.
"Zhang Ye, you're still alive."
The unfamiliar man's voice came through again.
Bai Zhu gripped his blade and stepped back half a pace, keeping its edge in front of him.
That one sentence had already revealed enough.
Zhang Ye had fought it before, and it recognized power outside the Nen system, though it could not tell whether it was chakra or Reishi. That was why the golden particles before him had mistaken Bai Zhu for Zhang Ye.
And the monster's true body was still hiding in the Caspian Sea.
With only this batch of particles that had infiltrated Kakin, it had already devoured thousands of people active in Totorro Port. Many civilians on the surface had likely fallen victim as well. It also possessed several Nen Abilities and could withstand his Kidō head-on.
Bai Zhu lowered his head and tapped the locator twice.
"Old man, are you still there?"
Only static remained in the comms.
"Milluki?"
There was still no response.
The signal light on the locator blinked a few times, then went out with a pop. The golden particles had infiltrated the experimental zone's wiring, and the transmission node Piyu had left behind had also been severed.
There was no way to call for reinforcements now.
Bai Zhu crushed the locator beneath his foot and turned his blade toward the outer passage.
"Unma, can the transport line still run?"
Unma had already returned to the control console.
"There's a sample transfer line in the underground isolation level. Its exit connects to the hospital's northern district. The tracks are still operational."
"Start it."
"Not all the incubators have entered the isolation level yet."