Chapter 773 – Hands at the Back

 

“I didn’t expect to come to such a remote place; logically, we shouldn’t encounter them here…”

 

On the lane, a guard looked at the building that emerged not far away, muttering to himself with relief.

 

He turned to Xiao Pan, who was silently walking among the crowd, and asked, “Are we heading in the right direction?”

 

Despite his relief, he still had to play his part well…

 

Xiao Pan nodded first, then suddenly stretched his neck and took a deep breath. His expression changed slightly.

 

“Is there a situation?” The guard’s heart skipped a beat as he asked with keen sensitivity.

 

“Yeah, there’s a very pungent smell. It’s somewhat like Zombie blood, but there’s a slight difference. I’m not quite sure,” Xiao Pan replied matter-of-factly.

 

Someone in the crowd interjected, “Could it be a mutation beast?”

 

“It’s possible. Mutation beasts come in many types, and their smells differ. I can only roughly tell; I can’t be specific,” Xiao Pan nodded as he spoke.

 

Seeing Xiao Pan’s affirmative response, the team began to stir.

 

“So, does this mean there’s a mutation beast ahead? Shouldn’t we avoid it then…”

 

“Are you stupid? Didn’t you hear it say there’s blood?”

 

“Yeah, even if it’s a mutation beast, it’s injured.”

 

After a brief panic, someone else in the team said, “What do you think caused this mutation beast to get hurt? Could it be… them?”

 

“Could be! If they can lure in mutation beasts, they might also control their movements. Maybe it backfired on them,” someone chimed in with a hint of anticipation.

 

“Yeah, they’ve been moving in circles. They’re more likely to encounter mutation beasts than us.”

 

“We just don’t know what their situation is now. If the mutation beast has the upper hand…”

 

The team’s discussion grew animated again, but considering that there might be mutation beasts nearby and the enemy could also be around, their voices became noticeably lower.

 

However, from their conversations, it wasn’t hard to tell that these Team Members were getting a bit restless.

 

If Ling Mo’s group ran into trouble, their own level of danger would significantly decrease.

 

Even if they couldn’t bring Ling Mo back for a reward, taking down one or two of his companions would be a win…

 

Seeing this scene, the guard was also feeling quite frustrated.

 

If Captain Song were leading the team, would they dare to talk so much?

 

Besides, he was really in a foul mood-this was exactly the kind of trouble he was hoping to avoid!

 

Having come to such a remote place and finally feeling a bit relieved, who would have thought they’d run into trouble here?

 

The possibilities analyzed by his teammates seemed quite plausible to him…

 

“Damn it, why do I have to play the responsible one? And Xiao Pan, can’t you be more flexible?”

 

The guard cursed under his breath and suddenly shouted, “Wait a minute!”

 

Seeing everyone turn to him, he continued, “Don’t you think it’s very quiet up ahead?”

 

To him, this was a strange point, and bringing it up might make his teammates back off…

 

“Yeah, it is pretty quiet,” someone said.

 

“Could the battle be over?” someone speculated.

 

“That’s possible…”

 

“Should we go check?”

 

With that question raised, all the Team Members turned to the guard.

 

“Captain, their tracks are just ahead, should we investigate?”

 

“That’s right. If it’s dangerous, we can just retreat.”

 

“They’re in a hurry to escape-they won’t confront us. Besides, we’re approaching from the rear…”

 

“Captain, what’s your call?”

 

The guard felt like crying, what could he say?

 

“Let’s go look…” he said, toughening up.

 

Rustle-

 

The sound of the grass lightly swaying played on their nerves as they cautiously approached the center of the lane and carefully moved towards the small Square.

 

As the distance lessened, the shadows shrouded in darkness gradually became clearer.

 

“There’s no one here…” someone said, looking at the empty Square.

 

Xiao Pan, however, turned his gaze to the fountain and slowly walked towards it.

 

“Everyone, follow,” the guard instructed.

 

At a time like this, he didn’t dare let the Team Members scatter-strength in numbers…

 

Although gathering made them a bigger target, part of him hoped to startle any lurking enemies.

 

Xiao Pan quickly found two drops of fresh blood on the ground near the fountain. He then used the tip of his knife to pick some up and brought it to his nose to sniff.

 

“This is the smell, and it’s very fresh. It probably hasn’t been more than two minutes since it was spilled,” he said while sniffing.

 

“Less than two minutes…” The guard’s face grew even more troubled. If it had been such a short time, that meant Ling Mo and his group were nearby…

 

“Keep looking,” Xiao Pan said, putting down the knife.

 

There wasn’t much to search for in the empty Square, and no one would randomly dive into the bushes to investigate.

 

After glancing at the building a few times, Xiao Pan suddenly sniffed the air again.

 

“Could there be something wrong inside?” the guard asked uneasily.

 

Xiao Pan hesitantly replied, “I’m not sure. The smell inside isn’t very strong, but it is quite strange…”

 

As he spoke, he had already started walking towards the building.

 

The guard, feeling uneasy, could only signal with a wave for the others to follow.

 

“If we’re just doing a quick check, it should be fine. I’ll stay by the door and observe. If I confirm they’re inside, I’ll signal immediately!” he thought as he gripped his gun tightly.

 

But once he reached the building’s entrance, he realized his plan was too optimistic…

 

“A dance club…”

 

He glanced at the dust-covered sign and peeked through the door crack.

 

The interior was much darker than outside, but after a moment of adjusting, he could vaguely see the inside.

 

Beyond the door was a Corridor with rooms on either side, and after a turn and heading upstairs, there would likely be dance studios.

 

With such a complex layout, how could he confirm anything from the door?

 

“Damn!”

 

The guard couldn’t help but curse, then carefully pushed the door open.

 

“Listen up, as soon as you spot them, no matter what their situation is, don’t engage. Once the signal is sent, backup will arrive. Also, leave two people at the door. If you hear anything, signal immediately,” the guard instructed again.

 

“Got it…”

 

“Don’t worry, nobody wants to die.”

 

As the door was fully opened, the guard swallowed hard and cautiously stepped into the Corridor.

 

The floor was littered with various debris and had numerous suspicious, old marks.

 

The guard tried to spot any footprints but ultimately gave up, somewhat resigned.

 

Judging from the exterior, the building seemed to be in a deserted, abandoned state.

 

“It would be great if that was really the case,” the guard thought to himself.

 

For a while, the only sound was Xiao Pan’s constant inhalation from behind, as he tried to pinpoint the source of the strange smell.

 

“Can you find it?” someone asked in a low voice.

 

Xiao Pan replied, “This place is mostly sealed off, so the scent has become much stronger. I can find it.”

 

With Xiao Pan’s sense of smell guiding them, they avoided touching the doors on either side and followed closely behind Xiao Pan, who was moving deeper into the Corridor while sniffing the air.

 

Just then, somebody quietly remarked, “It’s really dark in here…”

 

“Everyone, be quiet,” the guard snapped, irritated.

 

If there were people inside, they could very well be lying in ambush.

 

They hadn’t alerted their enemies earlier, so they needed to be extra cautious now.

 

Although the guard wasn’t a professional leader, he knew basic survival tactics.

 

He purposely stretched the team out and left people outside to guard against sneak attacks.

 

No matter how skilled the enemy was, could they really take out all of them at once?

 

As they moved further in, the light diminished, making it difficult to see even the outlines of the people around them.

 

But with Xiao Pan leading the way, the group remained relatively calm.

 

Occasionally, faint noises from the team irritated the guard.

 

In such a silent place, couldn’t they be extra careful?

 

“Luckily the sound is faint; it shouldn’t draw much attention…”

 

Soon, Xiao Pan, following the scent, reached the staircase leading to the second floor.

 

Seeing him look up, the guard whispered, “What do you think? Can you confirm if anyone’s up there?”

 

“I can’t confirm that. The smell is too strong; even if there were someone, their scent would be masked,” Xiao Pan said, shaking his head.

 

“Well… let’s go up then,” the guard said through gritted teeth.

 

At the corner of the staircase was a large Mirror, which looked quite eerie in the darkness.

 

The dusty surface made the reflection even more blurred, but as he passed by, the guard couldn’t resist glancing into it.

 

That glance made him freeze.

 

It wasn’t until Xiao Pan had climbed several more steps that the guard, shakily, began to raise his gun.

 

Then, a voice suddenly sounded behind him, “You’d better not move.”

 

The guard’s body stiffened. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, his head spun, and a sharp pain shot through his wrist.

 

When he came to, stunned and seated on the floor, his right hand no longer held the gun.

 

A lean figure emerged before him, holding his gun, “No need to be alarmed, I just want to talk.”

 

“You…”

 

Terrified, the guard tried to back away, but his back hit the wall.

 

He couldn’t make out the person’s face clearly, but the voice was unmistakably familiar!

 

This shadowy figure was the person who had appeared at headquarters!

 

And in the Mirror earlier, besides his own reflection, he had also seen this person’s shadow.

 

That indistinct figure had been raising a hand, seemingly trying to grab his shoulder…

 

But how had he managed that! What about the Team Members!

 

And… what about Xiao Pan!

 

The guard hurriedly looked up towards the stairs, only to freeze again.