Chapter 1 – Major Incident

When the alarm rang, Ying Xize was at the final step of the experiment.

The vesicular fluid gradually dissolved in the reagent, slowly merging into it bit by bit.

The peaceful atmosphere was instantly stirred into life, as if the countless times of differentiation had left a lingering vitality in the tiny, contorted hands, now squirming and struggling.

The test tube used as the container emitted a clear sound with each tap, echoing in the ears.

The alien being, whose origin was unknown, appeared to be aware of its limited time. With its final efforts, it strived to escape but eventually calmed down amidst gradual decay.

All cells collapsed, with every tissue decaying completely.

Assistant Xiang Jiayan pushed the door open and saw Ying Xize leaning against the table at first glance.

The falling rain outside cast a distinct shadow on his face, and his entire expression was filled with indifference. His originally cold and beautiful appearance seemed somewhat icy, but upon closer inspection, it appeared to be merely a very ordinary, nonchalant attitude.

Xiang Jiayan followed Ying Xize’s gaze and saw the test tube, which had completely calmed down.

He had also heard the alarm earlier, but seeing Ying Xize’s calm expression now, he eventually refrained from urging him.

The gradual disintegration in the test tube finally resulted in a flocculent texture, marking the complete end of the fusion process.

The tiny red hands appeared lifeless, as if completely drained of vitality, drifting silently above the reagent.

If one didn’t look closely, it resembled the red algae often seen in heavily polluted water areas.

Ying Xize picked up the experimental file from the table and wrote down the latest report of the project. ‘Experiment Failed.’

Above this report, almost all the records bore the same words.

He conducted such experiments dozens of times every week.

Failure, for someone like Ying Xize, had become common.

After carefully placing the experimental file back in its designated spot on the shelf, Ying Xize took the coat off the rack and casually put it on.

He walked straight past Xiang Jiayan and out the door. Hearing the footsteps following behind, he asked, “Which area is it this time?”

Xiang Jiayan maintained a few steps’ distance and briefly explained what he knew upon hearing the question, “It is the Qiufeng Community located in the Xiacheng District of the neighboring Nan City, with zone number B4123. It is said to be an alien from Chen Mountain Cave, and no one knows how it escaped from the sniper team and appeared in the community without warning. Because no careful measures were taken, by the time they reacted and took action, it was already…”

He paused for a moment, his tone inevitably heavy. “The deaths are severe.”

Ying Xize knew Xiang Jiayan well; the fact that he showed such obvious emotional fluctuations was enough to guess the severity of the incident.

After a moment of thinking, he asked, “How many survived?”

Xiang Jiayan replied, “Currently, it is still unclear.”

Such an answer meant that the probability of survival was approaching zero.

Ying Xize nodded and said nothing more.

After leaving the research institute, he directly got into the business van waiting at the entrance.

Inside the van, all the relevant personnel were already in place.

They were originally discussing something, but upon seeing Ying Xize enter, someone greeted him, “Researcher Ying.”

Ying Xize was good-looking. Although his attitude was often cold and indifferent, it didn’t stop others from wanting to get closer to him.

Ying Xize nodded to everyone in the car, glanced around, and directly sat in the corner of the last row.

Xiang Jiayan also found an empty seat and sat down.

The two were the last to arrive. After closing the door, the business car slowly started moving.

When Ying Xize got in, the people inside were discussing today’s ‘incident.’

At this point, they continued the previous topic.

“I already heard from friends on the scene. This situation occurred too suddenly, without any warning. By the time the Investigation Department responded and started dealing with it, most of the entire community had already been devoured. For now, it seems highly probable that a widespread infection has already begun, and we will likely be busy when we arrive.”

Yu Qingyi was always well-informed in the department. In the short time since the alarm sounded, she already had a comprehensive understanding of the situation. Her tone sounded quite emotional when she spoke up until this point.

“Recently, there have been more and more of these ‘escape’ incidents. I wonder if the aliens have evolved or if the cave people weren’t acting. Regardless of the situation, it is a headache. The alien species that emerged in the Qiufeng Community this time is reportedly unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. We can only hope to bring back some effective samples so we don’t end up making a wasted trip again.”

Wen Ren, an intern who had recently joined, timidly added, “Since so many people were infected, we should be able to get some effective live samples, right?”

Yu Qingyi sighed softly. “Who knows? There were enough infected people at Dawn Tower last time, and the mutation index skyrocketed. We were unable to collect samples before they were all killed; not a single one remained.”

The Dawn Tower incident was the first accident Wen Ren encountered after starting his job, and it clearly brought back unpleasant memories, making his face turn slightly pale.

In comparison, the others were experienced people. After making a few comments, they calmly switched topics.

The business van slowly drove along the main road.

Ying Xize listened to his colleagues’ discussion but did not participate.

His gaze remained calmly fixed on the scenery outside the window.

At this time, it happened to be the evening rush hour, and the roads were crowded with office workers who had been busy all day.

Among the traffic, the scene near the subway entrance was particularly bustling.

They were ordinary workers who worked from nine to five, leaving obvious fatigue on their faces.

At this hour, the dusk settled in, casting a deeper hue over the peaceful background.

Only separated by the van window, yet it felt like two different worlds on either side.

These ordinary people, meticulously protected by the government, would never know what was quietly happening in the world.

One could imagine the panic that would arise when the veil was lifted, but for now, it fully represented the bliss of being completely unaware of what had occurred.

The distance between Nan City and Ning City, where the research institute was located, was about an hour’s drive.

Gradually, the sun set, and the entire sky began to darken.

As researchers, the main task for Ying Xize and his team was to collect samples after the accident. They didn’t need to charge at the front lines like the groups from the Investigation Department.

Therefore, they only needed to arrive safely before everything was resolved.

As they approached their destination, Ying Xize saw the first checkpoint set up on the outskirts.

The ‘Road Construction Ahead’ sign was very conspicuous.

The vehicles were directed to change routes by the security personnel, and the sudden change in road conditions made everyone grumble in irritation.

However, the security personnel’s attitude was quite firm, forcing them to turn around and find a new route.

If nothing unexpected happened, there would be more than one checkpoint like this.

They should have already strictly intercepted all the roads leading to the Qiufeng Community, and all unrelated personnel had been completely blocked outside.

The business van, marked with the emblem of the Research Department, was allowed to enter without any hindrance.

A series of honking sounds echoed from behind.

Others clearly noticed this special treatment, and their dissatisfaction quickly escalated.

Finally, someone couldn’t help but utter a few curses. “Damn it, why do they get to pass through?!”

Only with this single question did others join in and complain.

The tension was about to break out when a group of people in special uniforms approached from a distance.

They began to cooperate with the security personnel to control the situation.

Although the dispute continued, it quickly calmed down with the arrival of these people.

With the car window half open, Ying Xize faintly sensed a subtle disturbance in the air.

He glanced back lightly.

It was obvious that among those who had just arrived, there were some quite capable Guides.

They had used mental suggestions to forcibly calm the almost out-of-control situation.

According to the available data, the awakening of Sentinels and Guides in humans began around one hundred years ago.

Up to the present day, the ratio of such special groups was estimated to be less than 0.1% of the total human population.

They were very rare, but in this special era, it seemed like they had been granted a destined mission to shoulder.

Nowadays, the Sentinels and Guides serving the government were effectively deployed across various areas.

When the incident occurred in Nan City this time, the Sentinels and Guides in the surrounding areas were also deployed. Apart from supporting the checkpoint here, most of them were evidently stationed around the Qiufeng Community, the site of the incident.

When they got out of the van, everyone immediately noticed the invisible protective barrier encircling the entire community.

Since ordinary people couldn’t see the invisible barrier, it was used to completely isolate this dangerous area from the outside world after the surrounding residents were fully relocated.

“Why aren’t we moving forward?” Wang Zheng was the only ordinary researcher in Team E. He was neither a Sentinel nor had awakened the Guide’s abilities. Subconsciously, he blocked out all visual imagery when he looked towards the barrier, but his long-term experience made him realize what he was seeing when faced with the blankness in front of him. “Have we arrived?”

“Yes, we’ve arrived.” Yu Qingyi reached out to Wang Zheng, guiding him slowly through the protective barrier.

Ordinary people could not directly penetrate the guide’s protective barrier, but Yu Qingyi, a B-level guide with considerable spiritual strength, could play a role as a mediator.

After entering the isolated area, Wang Zheng finally saw the scene inside clearly.

Like the others, he sharply inhaled a breath of cold air. “This is…”

He thought the incident at Dawn Tower was already a major disaster at the time, but he never imagined the situation in the Qiufeng Community would be even more deadly.

The once bustling buildings were now riddled with holes, and several private cars lay scattered along the roadside.

It was obvious that some residents had noticed the abnormal situation and attempted to flee, but they were all forced to stay under an unknown threat.

Each car window was tainted with crimson stains mixed with viscous greenish fluid. As for the person who should have been in the driver’s seat, they had long vanished without a trace.

The damage was severe inside and out, indicating that both the interior and exterior had suffered intense attacks.

The entire scene was horrifying.

The research team members exchanged glances silently.

It was clear that these people were either eaten alive or had already been mutated.

Team E’s leader, Chen Sining, saw the on-site supervisor rushing over, so he went to meet the other person.

He began to gather the detailed information about the scene.

Ying Xize didn’t pay too much attention; he calmly put on his gloves.

He simply put on the protective suit and walked towards the nearest car.

The car, positioned almost within arm’s reach of the community gate, collided directly with the guard booth.

The damaged engine continued to emit faint white smoke, and the car owner’s deepest despair could be understood with a little imagination of the scene at the time.

Ying Xize’s gaze lingered for a moment on the teddy bear in the back seat, clearly belonging to a child.

He then gently pulled the severely damaged car door and slowly leaned halfway inside.

A brush was gently swept over the dense green and black fluid on the seat, carefully scraping it into the test tube.

Just like countless times before, the sample collection was carried out meticulously.

All the horrifying scenes did not seem to cause any disturbance in Ying Xize’s heart.

Throughout the entire process, his slender and beautiful fingers did not show the slightest tremor.

Without warning, the ground shook violently.

A sudden, loud explosion resounded, causing the surrounding area to tremble.

Ying Xize had just finished collecting a satisfactory number of samples.

Looking back, he saw a figure appear like an insect’s limb emerging from the wall of a nearby high-rise building.

He estimated the limb to be over one meter in width.

At its tip, there was something hanging that appeared to be a human figure pierced by it.

Dense green fluid surrounded the figure, producing a nauseating sound as it dripped.

Bit by bit, the fluid dripped, revealing the uniform beneath, presumably that of a deceased member of the Investigation Department.

There were no signs of life left, just hanging in mid-air lifelessly. It resembled clothes hung out on high-rise buildings every day, waiting to dry in the wind, swaying gently.

This scene did not last long. Within moments, the limp hand of the deceased, which had been hanging lifelessly, suddenly appeared to be controlled by some mysterious force, twisting into an extremely weird distortion.

Part by part, the lifeless hands twisted into an unusual angle, resembling tampered-with old toys. Even from a distance, one could still imagine the ‘cracking’ sound emitted throughout the whole process.

Finally, under the gaze of everyone present, it turned into a completely unrecognizable mass, and something began to seep out from various parts of the bones. More and more, until it spread across the ground. These grotesque appendages, which resembled those of the alien queen in the building, developed as a result of the instant mutation of the entire cell.

The ‘devouring,’ or perhaps it could be called ‘hatching,’ happened so suddenly, and no one could have imagined witnessing the entire process of mutation after infection.

The communication device of the on-site supervisor echoed with an urgent voice seeking support from the front line. “Requesting immediate support! Team S998 has encountered a mutation and urgently needs support! Please provide immediate support!” The voice was hoarse and almost exhausted.

Then, after a subtle series of crunching sounds, the communication fell silent once again. The atmosphere grew even more tense.

The on-site supervisor’s eyes were bloodshot from the intense mission. He clenched the communication device tightly until his knuckles turned white. Just as he was about to issue an order, a group of vehicles suddenly broke through the protective barrier with a roar, and the screeching sounds of the brakes stirred a cloud of dust.

Seeing the number plates of the vehicles, the expression on the on-site supervisor visibly relaxed. Before he could open his mouth, a group of people in a special black uniform had already jumped out of the vehicles as they rushed straight toward the high-rise building without looking sideways.

The people in the forefront were still shaken by the previous scene, standing in a daze. Seeing the newly arrived squad, they instinctively made their way. As the group of people went in, someone muttered, “Is that the… Seventh Squad?”

Everyone knew there was only one Seventh Squad in the Investigation Department.

When Ying Xize looked in that direction, he saw only the tall, slender back of the captain. The black uniform outlined his powerful frame. He couldn’t see the face of the other party, but even one glance was enough to feel the imposing aura emanating from a Sentinel.

It was evident that this person had repeatedly stood on the verge of death.

---

The author has something to say:
The story had begun~~ This time, the background and character design are super exciting, guaranteed!