The Yaoguang Zombie was dead— but its magnetic field hadn't fully dispersed.
Lu Ye crouched on the scorched ground, fingers brushing across the surface. The residual flame from the particle man still flickered.
He Xuan activated the recorder. Magnetic field rewind began.
Zhao Yang leaned against the wall, pale-faced. His blood mist was pulled in tight— as if afraid the wind might carry it away.
Chen Mo stood nearby, his fists loosening and tightening— like he hadn't hit enough.
The rewind completed. He Xuan frowned.
"It was searching for a place."
Lu Ye:
"What place?"
He Xuan:
"S-Town. Twenty kilometers out."
Lin Lan flipped through his notebook.
"S-Town… population under two thousand. But the ratio of awakened individuals is abnormal."
Zhao Yang:
"You mean… everyone's an ability user?"
He Xuan nodded.
"Almost. The Yaoguang Zombie once tried to go there— but the base intercepted it."
Hu Hao:
"Looks like it was searching for answers."
Lu Ye pulled up the residual magnetic language fragments. The voice was low, with a distinctly human cadence:
"S-Town… they've all changed. I want to know why." "I don't kill people. I just want to live."
Zhao Yang was quiet for a moment.
"It sounds more human than we do."
Lin Lan:
"S-Town's magnetic frequency is unusually stable. Might be linked to ability awakening."
He Xuan:
"Or it's some kind of origin point."
Chen Mo:
"We're going."
Everyone looked at him.
Hu Hao:
"You sure? You were nearly shattered last time."
Chen Mo:
"I didn't die."
Zhao Yang:
"Hu Hao almost did."
Chen Mo:
"But he didn't."
Lu Ye:
"That logic's very Yaoguang of you."
Chen Mo fell silent for a moment…
Lin Lan:
"S-Town is twenty kilometers from base. On foot, that's five hours."
He Xuan:
"Too many magnetic interference zones. Walking's not ideal."
Zhao Yang:
"Then we drive."
Hu Hao:
"You have a car?"
Zhao Yang:
"I have an idea."
They left the base and headed to the abandoned parking lot.
Chen Mo looked around.
"These cars are covered in dust."
Lu Ye:
"If the magnetic field's stable, they'll still run."
He Xuan:
"That black SUV—magnetic feedback's clean."
Zhao Yang:
"Alright then. Let me try."
He walked over. Blood mist extended— like a key sliding into the lock.
Click. The door opened.
Chen Mo:
"What did you used to do?"
Zhao Yang:
"I used to be a good guy."
Hu Hao:
"Still are. Just one who steals cars now."
They climbed in.
Lin Lan took the passenger seat, adjusting the weather membrane.
He Xuan set up the recorder in the back. Lu Ye closed his eyes, constructing a backup particle man. Hu Hao leaned against the window, his magnetic field still recovering.
Zhao Yang sat in the driver's seat. He started the engine. The car shuddered— like an old dog being woken up.
Chen Mo sat in the last row, speaking softly:
"S-Town."
Zhao Yang:
"Let's go."
The car rolled out of the base. Dust kicked up. Magnetic fields trembled faintly.
No one spoke. They just looked ahead.
Twenty kilometers wasn't far. But they knew— this wasn't an ordinary town.
The Yaoguang Zombie was dead. But the questions it left behind remained.
Why did S-Town have such a high ratio of awakened individuals? Why didn't it kill? Why did it remember the names of the children?
Zhao Yang gripped the wheel. Blood mist curled around his fingertips.
Hu Hao rested with his eyes closed, magnetic field slowly repairing.
Lin Lan pulled up S-Town's weather layer— and found the wind pressure unusually stable.
He Xuan murmured:
"Feels like it's being controlled."
Lu Ye opened his eyes.
"Feels like someone's waiting for us."
Chen Mo didn't speak. He wasn't one for words. But he knew— this trip wouldn't be easy.
The car drove on. Magnetic fields grew unfamiliar.
S-Town's outline emerged in the distance— like a forgotten puzzle piece.
They didn't know what was there. But they knew— the Yaoguang Zombie had wanted to go.
Zhao Yang spoke quietly:
"Since he died… we'll finish the journey for him."
No one disagreed.