21 Chapter 21: Unraveling a Mystery in the Dark
On the second floor of a middle-class Zhongyuan Apartment, Jin's attention is caught by the dimly lit corridor. The silver light from the moon shines through the window, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
At the end of the corridor, a gruesome sight. Mutilated corpses lay piled up, blocking the intersection and the area near the window. Their lifeless bodies were twisted into unnatural positions..
The air was thick with the putrid stench of death, making it hard to breathe. Blood from their wounds pooled around them, creating a macabre scene that sent shivers down people's spines. Many gigantic bat corpses are also strewn among them.
The desolate hallway is silent, except for the sound of several footsteps echoing in the distance. A group of armed individuals, pointing their flashlights at a certain shadow in the distance, break the silence.
"Demon!" one of them suddenly shouted as they spotted Jin's striking appearance in the dimly lit corridor, with his black Vest of the Crimson Knight armor piece catching their eye immediately.
The deep black color of the armor contrasted beautifully with the blue trimmings along its edges, giving it an air of elegance and sophistication despite its battle-worn appearance. The armor was now stained with dark liquid blood from the creatures.
Despite his striking appearance, Jin was hidden in the lack of light. The only visible details were his glowing amber eyes, which seemed to pierce through the darkness with their intensity. His slit pupils gave the other party a sense of fear, and giving him a feral look.
Coupled with the mysterious veil, his towering height exuded a sense of power and authority that was difficult to ignore, reflecting the fear of those people.
The next moment, several flashlights pointed at him, temporarily blinding him with their intensity as he shielded his eyes from the glaring lights.
When the light shone on him, Jin could hear many gasps from the people, amidst the cries of the women in the hallway.
"My daughter, my precious daughter, please don't leave me here!" The middle-aged woman's hands began to glow with a soft, warm light.
The light spread throughout her dead child's body, healing the wounds and easing pain. But still, a dead person was a dead person and could not be revived.
No matter how much the body was restored, the head and the body were already separated, leaving only the shocked, wide eyes open from her daughter.
Seeing her power had no effect, the middle-aged woman's cries kept ringing. But when she saw the monster that killed her daughter, her emotions boiled over.
With clenched fists and furrowed eyes, a tense expression, and a killing intent emanating from her gaze, Madam Mei charged at Jin, who was just standing there, blinded by the light.
"You demons! How dare you kill my daughter! Arghhh!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, flailing her arms and legs in a frenzy.
Suddenly, a pair of slender, white, and smooth hands grabbed Madam Mei's chest as she charged forward. "Madam Mei, stop! That demon is dangerous!"
Madam Mei kept resisting, but surprisingly, she found the hands to be incredibly strong. "Madam Mei, please listen! Look at the surroundings.
Even the giant monsters on this floor have been killed!" The soft tone and voice brought Madam Mei's logical sense back.
As she realized what had just happened, a young woman with a striking presence emerged in her view.
She had long, wavy hair cascading down her back in loose waves, drawing attention to her delicate features and bold makeup.
She had expertly applied makeup, with bright red lipstick that accentuated her full lips, and smokey eye makeup that brought out the intensity of her eyes.
"Ah." Madam Mei's mouth slightly opened as she realized she almost killed herself. She looked at the young woman before her with wide and bright eyes, conveying a sense of warmth and appreciation.
"Thank you, Little Liu." Madam Mei thanked her as she felt the surprisingly strong grips from tender arms loosened.
The next moment, she couldn't help but let out a burst of cries and immediately lowered her head and covered her face.
Little Liu, or Liu Yifan, the woman who stopped Madam Lei, looked downcast as she unconsciously hugged Madam Mei.
"The world is changing. I hope Madam can be as strong as a woman should be," she said with empathy in her voice.
"Let me handle this, Yifan," Amidst the silent cries, a confident and cold tone was heard. Emerging from behind Liu Yifan was a tall young man in his twenties.
The person stood at an impressive height of 180cm, with bulging biceps and a chiseled chest that exuded a sense of strength and power.
His spiky hair was neatly trimmed, and he wore a plain T-shirt and jeans that hugged his athletic frame.
In his hands, he held a sharp machete, and his steely gaze remained fixed on the hazy silhouette that crept closer towards them with each passing second.
"Wait a minute, Lao. This monster seems more intelligent than the others we faced," someone mentioned.
Lao Yan, who just wanted to test his power, agitatedly glanced to the side with his eyes furrowed. "What? Chen, do you think my speed is slower than that trash?!" he shouted in a high-pitched tone.
Chen Hao rolled his eyes at Lao Yan and ignored his shout, keeping his focus on the monster.
"As Sister Yifan said, we need to be more cautious. Do you think you can handle these groups of gigantic bats alone?" he replied with a sneer.
Chen Hao was a young man in his twenties.
Unlike Lao Yan, who was towering in height and had a muscular build that suggested he spent more time in the gym than in the classroom, Chen Hao's appearance was more understated, with neatly trimmed hair and a clean-cut look.
"YOU-" Just as Lao Yan wanted to vent his anger, another young male who had the same height and build as Lao Yan held his wrist.
"Stop, Brother Lao. What Chen Hao said is true. Look at what the monster did on the ground," Liang Jun, the one who stopped Lao, directly shifted the topic.
He was tall and lanky, and his lean frame was accentuated by his relaxed posture and easy-going demeanor.
His messy black hair added to the overall casual appearance, and his style of dress reflected this laid-back attitude, as he tended to favor graphic tees and denim jackets. Despite his casual style, his confident demeanor set him apart.
Lao Yan snorted, and just as he wanted to refute, a cold and demure voice instantly silenced them from speaking any further.
"You boys, keep your mouths shut. I can't concentrate with all this noise," a young woman said, surprising them into silence.
She was a beautiful young woman in her twenties with sharp features that gave her an air of intelligence.
Her almond-shaped eyes were dark and intense, and her thick eyebrows gave her a serious expression. She wore a long white coat like a doctor, and her glasses added to her serious appearance.
"Sister Ying, look, the monster just crushed something on the ground," another young woman emerged from behind the cold-looking professor, redirecting their attention.
A tall, imposing woman with angular features, her dark almond-shaped eyes missed nothing. She wore her straight black hair pulled back in a no-nonsense ponytail.
Sister Ying's strong jawline and straight nose added to her authoritative appearance, while the tall woman's angular features and intense eyes exuded a similar professionalism.
Their expressions showed that they had known each other for a long time, leaving the college students bewildered by their confidence and experience.
"Yes, I noticed that too. It keeps taking something from the ground and crushing it. And from its rough appearance, it seems to have similarities to those blood-sucking zombies," Sister Ying, the intelligent and cold woman, concluded.
However, as all of them had their eyes fixed on the monster with vigilance, the monster suddenly ran in a fast direction into the intersection and surprisingly waved its hands.
"Uh, respected tenants, I'm Jin, your friendly neighborhood security guard. Just checking in on your safety. If you can stay still for a bit, we can avoid riling up any of those pesky monsters."
