On a late-autumn afternoon, the sun over Haizhou was still blazing, and the air was scorching hot.

Outside Spring City, the white mist drifted and swirled. A line of exhausted figures wearing gas masks slowly walked out of it. Their specially made protective suits were covered in bloodstains.

The trailblazer at the front walked with his back perfectly straightened. In his hands, he held a rolled-up flag, using it to break through every obstacle in their path. Behind him, almost everyone was injured. They looked as if they had just gone through a fierce battle, and some were even lying on stretchers.

At the very back, a burly giant dragged along a cargo bed that had been torn off a truck. It was piled high with a mess of enormous corpses, several altars that had been dismantled into pieces, and a few bodies so mangled they were no longer recognizable.

The person behind the captain looked up at the sky, which was nearing dusk, then took off her mask. Her long hair spilled down her back like flowing water.

“It’s already this late? Everything was so hazy there, and the sense of time was completely messed up.” Ji Xue[1] sighed. “I thought we’d make it back in time for lunch. I’m starving.”

Her twin brother, Ji Liu[2], yawned behind her. “Hey, dinner’s not bad either. That huge thing exploded and sprayed all over me. It’s so sticky I feel like my limbs are glued together. Can’t wait to shower. What about you, Mr. Tong? Want to join us for dinner?”

Tong Shan, who was walking at the very front with the flag, took off his mask and said calmly, “You guys go ahead. Everyone, make the most of your time and get some proper rest. Once our supplies and equipment are replenished, we’ll try to finish exploring all the areas we missed before.”

Ji Liu was shocked. “We’re going back into...