The closer they got to the outskirts of Hanhai, the thicker the black fog became. Around Xiao'an Town, it was still tolerable—even ordinary Security personnel could see more than ten meters ahead.
The hazy outlines of the buildings matched the map in Jingtuo God's mind. At least at a glance, Xiao'an Town seemed largely unchanged.
"Everyone we sent out disappeared. The black fog wasn't spreading so quickly before, and the last signal came from here." The Security personnel stuck close to Jingtuo God. They weren't doing it to protect him; under these circumstances, staying near him was their best chance of survival.
As they spoke, they reached the entrance to the town. Xiao'an Town had once been called Xiao'an Village. Later, numerous factories were built nearby, and as its permanent population grew, it expanded into a town.
They had built their own hospital and school. To solve their water supply problems, they had even laid several pipelines from the Hate Mountain Waterworks.
"Xiao'an Town was a desolate place a few decades ago. A lot of inexplicable things happened here. But once the factories moved in and people became better off, far fewer of them believed in that stuff," the Security officer beside Jingtuo God said quietly.
"Did anyone escape from the town when the fog rolled in?" There was something Gao Ming had been wondering all along: how had the Investigation Bureau managed to suppress news of something as huge as black fog engulfing the outskirts of Hanhai?
The Security officer shook his head. "Not a single person escaped. The whole town emptied out. I know you don't believe it, but it's true. Ordinary people react to the black fog completely differently from people possessed by ghost creatures. It's as though they're... they're..."
"Drawn to it," Jingtuo God finished for