The piercing scream put everyone on high alert.
The last ones to enter, Wu Liang and He Zhan, immediately turned their heads to look behind them, trying to find the source of the scream.
"Nothing... There’s nothing!"
To He Zhan’s horror, he discovered that not only was there no victim behind him, but even the entrance they had just come through had disappeared!
This compelled everyone to closely scrutinize their surroundings, fearing something might suddenly leap out from the shadows.
Wu Liang also narrowed his eyes and looked around.
The ground, paved with blood-red pebbles, was lined with signposts made from skeletons everywhere.
Gym equipment such as horizontal bars and ribwood bars were frames made from interlinked severed arms, and even the large screen in the central square was a curtain stitched from flesh-colored skin.
Hmm... nothing unusual.
At least, when Wu Liang found that everyone except He Zhan seemed to completely ignore these bizarre sights, he knew—perhaps to them, these things really seemed normal!
"Captain, there’s someone on that gym equipment!"
Cannon’s rough voice echoed as he noticed a blurry figure on the treadmill ahead.
This place was already covered by a supernatural incident! And it was clear a victim had already emerged; surely anyone trapped here should have sensed something wrong!
How could someone still be working out?
"Stand guard first! Don’t act rashly, approach slowly!" He Zhan immediately ordered.
In his eyes, he saw a little boy on the treadmill made of bones, unconsciously running with a vacant stare, as if possessed.
Following the command, Cannon cautiously approached what he saw as a normal adult working out.
Just as he was about to call out to the person, Wu Liang quickly stepped forward and gestured for silence.
Before the others could react, a thick white mist emerged from behind Wu Liang and surrounded what they perceived as the "victim."
As the mist enveloped the runner, a sound of something collapsing came suddenly from within.
A moment later, with a wave of Wu Liang’s hand, the mist dispersed.
What was revealed wasn’t the adult Cannon saw, nor the possessed boy in He Zhan’s eyes, but a disassembled mannequin!
Only, the mannequin’s face was artfully stitched with bloody eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, leaving a stark blood-red mark on its off-white body.
The mannequin, typically used for displays in clothing stores, appearing in this situation, brought to mind that what they thought was running was actually a sinister mannequin.
The uncanny valley effect followed.
Every person shuddered involuntarily. This text is hosted at novel⦿fire.net
Especially Cannon, who cast a grateful look at Wu Liang. Had he really approached that mannequin earlier, who knows what might have happened!
"Close call, lucky you noticed something was amiss," He Zhan stepped forward, expressing his relief.
Wu Liang, frowning, glanced once more at the eerie surroundings, saying, "Everyone hold off on any action. Let me ask, what does the square look like to you?"
"Just ordinary gym equipment, can’t see anyone," replied the Priest.
After hearing this, Liuyun frowned, saying, "Gym equipment? What I see is a stage set up for an event, but no one is there either."
At this moment, Cannon also rumbled, "I also see gym equipment, but there seems to be people playing around nearby, the whole square even looks no different from usual."
Finally, He Zhan shook his head and described his perspective, "What I see in the square are bizarre machines made from severed limbs, a scene from hell on earth, and it seems like someone is trapped in the distance, calling for help."
After speaking, everyone turned to Wu Liang.
Since he was the first to pose the question and everyone indeed realized they each saw different images, it meant he must have discovered something.
Facing everyone’s gaze, Wu Liang, after a moment of thought, said, "Maybe the bizarre equipment Captain He sees is the real state of the square right now, and as for the other people you see... they might all be these mannequins!"
He himself possessed the ability of several Fierce Ghosts, with the Mist Ghost being an expert in creating Ghost Walls and causing sensory confusion.
Thus, the visual influence the Fierce Ghost in this square applied to them didn’t affect Wu Liang at all.
He Zhan’s Awakened Ability naturally had a certain suppressive effect, so he saw part of the truth, but it was still impacted.
After hearing Wu Liang’s explanation, everyone’s eyes involuntarily turned towards the square ahead.
In the eyes of the Priest and Liuyun, there was no sign of any activity, realizing that even if a twisted, eerie mannequin ran in front of them, they wouldn’t be able to notice.
They couldn’t help but feel a chill of fear.
And the expressions on Cannon and He Zhan’s faces were equally grim; the two of them saw people moving and calling for help from time to time, logically, these should all be victims.
But they couldn’t distinguish between these people and actual victims, perhaps saving what appeared to be a victim, only to find out it was just a mannequin capable of backstabbing them.
A cold sweat broke out on them as well.
"It’s really lucky you came today..."
He Zhan could well imagine that if they hadn’t discovered these eerie mannequins from the start, when truly rescuing victims, their team would inevitably suffer casualties.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—Boom-boom—
While the group discussed where to explore next, Wu Liang suddenly twitched his ear.
He heard a series of massive footsteps, shaking the ground as if an army was advancing.
In just a few seconds, the others also caught the eerie sound of running, and involuntarily looked towards the only building by the square.
It was a commercial entertainment area, primarily containing restaurants and clothing stores.
Wait... clothing stores?
Thinking of this, the expressions of the group changed drastically!
The next second, countless mannequins burst out from the building!
Some poured out in a frenzy from the entrances, while others leapt straight out of the windows, splintering upon impact, then the shattered limbs writhed and assembled back into whole mannequins, joining the frenzied advance.
This scene, like a siege of zombies, was hair-raising!
"They can restore themselves after falling apart?" Cannon suddenly realized, hurriedly turning to look at the mannequin Wu Liang had shattered.
He discovered that sometime unnoticed, it had already stood back up, the bloody mouth stitches on what was a plain white face now attempting to roar.
Watching as the mannequins nearby distortedly rushed toward him, Cannon charged at one and punched it squarely in the abdomen.
With a heavy impact and a deafening crash, the mannequin before them was blown to pieces, scattered irreparably as though it couldn’t restore anymore.
"Cannon! You and I will defend front and back, Wu Ming, try to cloak us as much as possible, Priest and Liuyun, since you can’t see the mannequins, stay in the middle and adapt! Let’s charge into the center of the square!"
Upon sweeping a look and noticing the mannequins in the center weren’t charging at them, only those from the building going wild, He Zhan immediately sensed something was off. Perhaps the Fierce Ghost’s true form was among the group of mannequins calling for help or working out in the center!
He glanced up at the swarm of mannequins rushing towards them from not far away.
Now the only question was—
They were sweeping down like a horde of ants; clearly, this was going to be a tough battle...