At dawn, Lu Ye convened a tactical meeting on the top floor of an abandoned library.
A city map was spread across the table, red dots marking the zones where Zhao Yang had sensed abnormal blood activity the night before.
"Zhang Ming isn't waiting for us to strike." "He's waiting for us to hesitate."
Lu Ye's gaze was cold as his finger traced the map.
"We don't wait." "Starting today—we go on the offensive."
He split the squad into two teams:
Assault Team: Lu Ye, Zhao Yang, Chen Mo
Recon Team: Lin Lan, He Xuan, Qin Hao
Objectives: Track the infection source, locate conversion sites, and tag Zhang Ming's network nodes.
On the eastern edge of the city, Zhao Yang stood before a derelict hospital. Blood mist slowly expanded around his feet. His pupils glowed faintly red, and thin threads of blood seeped from his fingertips.
"The blood here… isn't dead." "It's flowing—but there's no heartbeat."
He descended into the basement, where rows of empty beds lined the walls. Blood symbols were smeared across the surfaces— not splattered, but deliberately drawn.
Chen Mo muttered, "Looks like some kind of ritual." Zhao Yang closed his eyes. "No. It's navigation."
"He's using blood to mark the city."
Meanwhile, on the western side, Lin Lan discovered a "conversion site"— a dozen half-zombie figures sat motionless in the ruins. Their eyes were hollow, their skin pale gray, but they were still breathing.
He Xuan sealed the exits with metal constructs. Qin Hao attempted to read their neural signals. The result: no consciousness, but a clear "signal reception structure."
"They're not alive." "They're… waiting for orders."
Lin Lan analyzed the data.
"Zhang Ming's infection isn't viral. It's a form of consciousness formatting." "He's building a city that obeys."
Lu Ye deployed a Spatial Fold Net across the city, sealing off each infection node. He didn't rush to destroy them—he marked, isolated, and waited for Zhang Ming's response.
"We don't spook the snake." "We let him know—we're already inside."
At each node, Lu Ye left behind a World Eye Marker, capable of real-time energy monitoring. Zhao Yang etched Blood Mist Residue near every blood symbol, forming reactive barriers.
From atop a high-rise, Chen Mo looked out over the city.
"He's watching us." Lu Ye replied quietly, "Then let him see clearly—we're not here to negotiate."
As night fell, the city's broadcast system suddenly activated. A familiar voice echoed through the streets and alleys:
"You've worked hard." "But you're too hasty." "True order isn't built with fists." "It's built with patience—you will all belong to me."
Zhao Yang looked up at the sky. Blood mist rose silently behind him.
Lu Ye said nothing. He embedded the final marker into the city's core.
"Zhang Ming." "You're exposed now."