Under the cold white lights—
Clack.
Li Chengyi swapped out the magazine and loaded a fresh one.
He slowly approached Meng Dongdong, one cautious step at a time.
Earlier, to ensure accuracy, he had aimed only at her torso. With just a month of training, attempting a clean headshot from thirty meters away during rapid fire was a gamble. The recoil alone could send the rest of his shots flying.
Center mass—safe and effective.
But now... something felt wrong.
There was no blood pooling beneath her.
…She was wearing body armor.
His eyes narrowed. Just like him, the other survivor must have received a warning. She came prepared.
He quickened his pace to finish the job while she was still unconscious.
BOOM!!
A hulking shadow slammed into him from the right.
The Face!!
He only had time to turn his head.
WHAM!!
He was knocked off his feet, gun flying from his hand.
From her prone position, Meng Dongdong stirred, regaining consciousness just in time to witness it.
A surge of relief washed over her.
She fought through the searing pain in her chest and pulled out her weapon—a Gerse R9 high-caliber pistol. It was an illegal custom build, printed by her father's black-market contacts, and meant to be disposed of inside the Dead Zone to erase all evidence.
Three shots max—that's all she could manage.
But it wouldn't matter now. The monster would finish the job.
She turned her head to look toward the beast's direction.
And just then—
BOOM!!
A sharp explosion rang out from a corner ramp.
A white-grey smoke cloud mushroomed outward, flooding the space.
Tap. Tap. Tap…
Footsteps echoed through the dust.
Her eyes widened.
No way...He's still alive!?
He hadn't exited the Dead Zone. That meant—
He. Didn't. Die.
"Impossible!!" she shrieked.
Terror overtook pain.
The first thing to emerge from the mist was a boot.
A heavy armored boot, painted black with purple-gold highlights, adorned with crystalline floral patterns that shimmered faintly even through the fog.
"You…! Mutation!?" she gasped.
WHOOSH!
A purple blur surged from the mist.
She screamed and fumbled with her pistol.
BANG!!
Darkness claimed her before she could pull the trigger.
CRACK.
Li Chengyi stood above her, hand recoiling from a brutal chop to the back of her head.
His armor—the Flower Scale Armor—was glowing faintly with lilac light, the embedded floral patterns pulsing like veins of energy.
The armor wasn't just for show anymore.
The flower patterns were active, granting him increased strength, speed, and defense. It felt… alive.
He looked down at Meng Dongdong, unconscious.
He hadn't killed her—yet.
If she died, she might trigger another forced ejection from the Dead Zone.
"I need more time. More clues…"
He stooped down, picked up her pistol, and searched her body, finding a sheathed blue-tinted blade—clearly poisoned.
He kept it.
Then, with a sigh, he deactivated the Flower Scale Armor.His face emerged from the helmet, slick with sweat.
Taking the blade, he lightly cut her hand, ensuring the wound would be fatal—but delayed.
He turned and walked toward the nearby ramp.
Just ahead, a massive black-and-white face was rubbing itself against the wall, making rough, grating sounds.
The sight, while terrifying, now struck him as strangely… comical.
He passed the Face and headed upstairs.
Up ahead, he spotted it:
The Seam.
A narrow crevice between walls. Hard to spot unless you knew where to look.
"Just like the analysis said… it only appears after the Face spawns."
No wonder he couldn't find it before.
This was his chance.
He stepped up to the Seam and peered inside.
Light only reached a meter in. Beyond that—total darkness.
"The answer lies within…"
Deep breath. One last glance behind him.
A red maintenance door stood shut.
He focused again on the Seam, breathing slowly, heart steady.
Gun in holster, backup pistol in coat pocket.
He stepped forward.
One step.Two.Three.
He stopped.
Darkness loomed ahead. Behind him, the dim lights of Gelius Parking Lot still flickered.
He raised his foot to take the next step—
And froze.
A cold chill surged down his spine.Something was wrong.
His breath caught. Sweat beaded on his brow.
Whsssshh…
A faint breath of air brushed the back of his neck.
He spun.
The red door behind him was open.
And standing there was a pale young boy in white.
Hollow eyes. Blackened lips. Motionless.
Just staring.
Slam!
The wall crevice began to close.
A monstrous black-and-white face lunged toward him, trying to peer inside.
A bloody leg—Meng Dongdong's—hung from its mouth, dripping.
Slam.
The Seam snapped shut.
Darkness.
Li Chengyi felt himself falling—weightless.
Thud.
A hand caught him.
"Hey, you okay? Dizzy?" came his father's voice.
Light returned.
He was standing in the hallway of his home, one hand on the wall for balance.
His father, Li Zhao, looked at him with concern.
"I'm fine… just a little dizzy. Must be low blood sugar," Li replied weakly.
But his heart was still racing.
The pale boy's face haunted him.
At dinner, he barely noticed his sister's usual tantrum.
Later, he made an excuse to take a walk, hailed a cab, and texted Sindra:
I just entered Gelius again. — Chengyi
Almost instantly, his phone buzzed:
That's early. What happened? — Boss
Not sure. But I found something. I'm on my way. Need a profiler. — ChengyiGot it. I'll meet you there. — BossAlso, congrats. — BossThanks. — Chengyi
He leaned back and stared out the window. The passing lights blurred into gold lines.
This time, he'd taken no serious damage—the evolved Flower Scale Armor had protected him.
But…
The pale boy.The crevice.The Face—it was faster than ever before.
If not for his training and new abilities, he'd be dead.
Click.
The cab driver turned on the radio.
A booming beat filled the car—drums and rap lyrics blending together.
"Hope you don't mind. Need some noise to stay awake," the old man said.
"Not at all," Li replied.
They lapsed into silence again.
The cab slowed at a red light near an overpass.
Up above, the traffic was heavy—funeral cars with white flowers slowly moved along.
[👁️ Suspense Ending – Cliffhanger Tease]A door opens. A seam closes. A dead girl… and a boy in white.What exactly is the Gelius Parking Lot hiding?💬 Share your theories.💥 Don't forget to add the book to your Library and drop a Power Stone!