Mysterious Awakening-Chapter 528: The Guide

"Alright, I’ve got it, I’ll do my best to handle things here, but I can’t make any guarantees. We should still prepare emergency measures... Okay, that’s it for now; we’ve already got a situation on our hands," he said.

On a cordoned-off street.

Chen Yi put down his phone, his brow deeply furrowed, the loose skin creating layers of wrinkles, giving him a rather ominous appearance in the dim light.

As one of the three officials in charge of the city and in cooperation with the operation, he had even set aside his work to spend the night here, maintaining vigilance.

If everything went smoothly, he wouldn’t have to do anything at all and could just go home at dawn.

But as he feared, the very thing he worried about came to pass.

Anomalies had occurred.

From the recent call, Chen Yi was briefed on the situation up ahead.

So far, there were five ghosts closing in... and the level of danger was extremely high.

"Chen Yi, looks like we won’t get off easy today. With this situation, a few of us probably won’t be able to hold them off," said Zong Shan, setting down his own phone.

They had received the news almost simultaneously.

"Ghosts that emerge from an ’S-grade’ paranormal event, unpredictable, and who knows, maybe just one encounter with them and we could all end up dead here. And this time, it’s not just one ghost; they outnumber us. This is serious," said Guo Fan, his body as cold and terrifying as if he were a corpse hauled out from a refrigeration unit, his gaze dull and lifeless.

For those who manipulate ghosts and come into actual contact with real fierce ghosts, they are at an absolute disadvantage. If they don’t have the advantage in numbers, the probability of being completely annihilated is at least ninety percent.

The more ghosts there are, the easier it is to trigger their killing conditions. There might even be a moment when two ghosts attack you at once. Such a scenario is simply unimaginable.

"Numbers don’t mean much in this situation. The more people, the more likely there’ll be problems. You think headquarters can’t summon dozens of ghost manipulators?"

Chen Yi spoke up, "It’s just that very few of those mobilized in situations like this are actually up to the task. We need those who have the ability to survive, are mentally stable, and have ample experience dealing with paranormal incidents. If we let unstable elements come, should we be watching out for these ghosts attacking or for accidents caused by our colleagues?"

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"Besides, the more people there are, the greater the chance of being targeted by a ghost, the higher the likelihood of death, and the more catastrophic the resulting chain reaction. That’s why no team of ghost manipulators, whether domestic or international, ever exceeds five members."

"Our task this time is simple, to change the direction of those five ghosts and lead them to the Haunted House."

"Simple? Guiding five ghosts, no less to the Haunted House. If the slightest thing goes wrong on the way, we’re done for," Guo Fan glanced at him, his expression a bit sinister.

When Chen Yi heard him say this, his already fiery temper flared up. He stormed over, grabbed Guo Fan by the collar, and snapped angrily, "If you’re afraid to die, then get lost! Why are you complaining to me now? Since you chose to stand here, then just follow the plan. Let me make it clear: if you cause any trouble later, I won’t let you off easily."

"Chen Yi, are you threatening me?"

Guo Fan wasn’t intimidated; his blank, lusterless eyes looked at him numbly.

All of them were people who had survived various terrifying paranormal events. Even though there were differences in abilities, none were cowards.

"I’m not threatening you. I’m reminding you," Chen Yi said, glaring.

"Alright, alright, let’s all calm down. We’re colleagues; why fight over such trivialities? Chen Yi, don’t be mad at Guo Fan. His condition isn’t as good as it used to be. If something unexpected happens this time, he might not survive, so it’s natural he’s a bit worried...," Zong Shan stepped forward to mediate.

As one who frequently interacted with Guo Fan, Zong Shan was well aware that Guo Fan’s current condition was indeed not good.

The resurgence of fierce ghosts is an issue that can never be avoided.

"Your poor state is no excuse for refusing to act, and do you think you’re the only one facing the danger of being eroded by fierce ghosts bit by bit?"

Chen Yi remained uncompromising and offered no sympathy for Guo Fan.

Because everyone here was in the same situation, though perhaps some were slightly better off.

But when actually facing a ghost, no one could ensure they’d survive an attack.

Guo Fan’s face was cold. As he was about to speak, he abruptly stopped, his head turned slightly, and he looked anxiously over Chen Yi’s shoulder.

Chen Yi too sensed something and quickly let go of Guo Fan, turning around swiftly.

"They’re here..."

Zong Shan said in a hushed tone. Suddenly, silence enveloped the area, and the atmosphere turned oppressively terrifying.

Obviously.

Whether it was some instinct of a ghost manipulator or some anomaly manifesting within their bodies, such signals meant ghosts were drawing near.

This time it wasn’t about dealing with just an ordinary paranormal event. Experience tales at

From the previous information, it was already known that five ghosts had walked out of the Ghost Domain of the Ghost Drawing...

The details of the five ghosts were unclear, with no discernible pattern.

They could be newly emerged ghosts, or they might even be the origin of the S-class paranormal incident known as the Ghost Drawing.

It was even possible they were Ghost Envoys.

In such a situation, anything could happen, and it might be that upon meeting, they would be killed by the fierce ghosts without any chance to resist.

Verbal disputes seemed trivial at this time.

The eyes of the three were fixed intently ahead.

The dim night was only lit by a weak light reflecting in the distance. The road was deserted, eerily silent, and the green belts and forests around them were devoid of even the sound of an insect, making the chill that was gradually encroaching upon them all the more penetrating just by standing there.

Taking advantage of the fact that the real ghosts had not yet appeared, Guo Fan, Chen Yi, and Zong Shan immediately made preparations according to the plan arranged in advance.

The task was simple: at all costs, keep the ghosts out of the city and absolutely prevent them from entering.

The headquarters plan was to use Ghost Candles to lure the ghosts and take them to a Haunted house.

The backup plan was: improvise.

Because when facing ghosts, anything could happen; the ghost-leading plan also had a high risk of failure, which required the three of them to come up with their own solutions.

In the brief silence, clear, dull footsteps began to echo across the empty road.

The footsteps weren’t loud, but in such an environment, they seemed particularly grating, each step as if stomping on the hearts of the three, suffocating.

As the sound grew nearer,

At last, at the dark end of the road, the silhouettes of five people walking side by side appeared within their line of sight.

They moved stiffly, like lifeless corpses, yet their movements were astonishingly odd—as if they were five marionettes, each lift of the leg, each swing without a hint of deviation.

From a distance, Chen Yi and the others, although perceiving the five people’s odd behavior as harmless, knew very well that once targeted, their deaths would be gruesome.

"At least there’s one piece of good news—the ghosts haven’t formed the Ghost Domain. The leading plan might be feasible," Zong Shan noted in a hushed voice after observing for a moment.

"Guo Fan, it’s your turn," Chen Yi then turned to look at him.

The ghost-leading plan had to be carried out by Guo Fan because he possessed a unique ability that could, under certain circumstances, prevent any ghost from attacking him.

Only then could Guo Fan, holding the Ghost Candle, lure the ghosts; anyone else attempting it would be committing suicide.

Guo Fan was clearly not pleased, his expression dark and dreadful, his eyes more sinister with the absence of life.

Without a word, he silently advanced to meet the five gradually approaching terrifying figures.

The first contact with an unknown ghost was the most dangerous; almost always, the ghost charmer risked their life for the attempt.

No one could guarantee that the ghosts wouldn’t kill on sight.

Yet, as Guo Fan walked forward, he reached into his clothes.

His face twisted in agony, accompanied by the sound of flesh tearing. A scent resembling rotten flesh and organs spread, blanketing the surrounding area with a thick stench of death.

The next moment,

He seemingly pulled out an old, darkened plaque made of wood from his body, as if it were torn from within.

In the middle of the aged plaque was a strange black-and-white photograph.

The person in the photograph looked almost identical to Guo Fan, the only difference being that the photo’s Guo Fan seemed injured, half of his face sagging as if it had been viciously torn.

Such an injury would have killed an ordinary person, but the person in the picture still had a calm and serene expression, emitting an eerie tranquility.

Guo Fan, holding the plaque in both hands, became heavier with each step he took, and the deathly smell about him became stronger.

Finally, in the blink of an eye,

The face of the person in the photo on the plaque changed, showing no flaws, exactly like Guo Fan’s.

And Guo Fan, who was walking on the road, now had half of his face hanging, eerie and terrifying.

At that moment, the one walking was no longer Guo Fan, but a real ghost.