Chapter 79: Whose hand is this?


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    Gao Ming moved stealthily past a makeshift encampment on this dark, stormy night. The encampment was made up of flimsy steel te houses that were shaking and rattling in the fierce wind and rain. The area was engulfed in darkness, broken only by intermittent sounds of doors being violently forced open in the distance.


    “We’re nearing Cripple Bay Vige,” a inward voice warned.


    With the rim of his raincoat pulled low over his face, Gao Ming felt his heart inexplicably begin to race. As he drew closer to the vige, which had eerily remained untouched and undeveloped for over a decade, a chilling premonition in his mind screamed at him to stay away.


    He followed a trail of footprints etched into the muddy ground, leading him to a quarantine zone set up between the vige and the temporary shelter. The sign that once prohibited entryy discarded in the mud, half-submerged in puddles that were slowly erasing the traces of blood that had been spilled there.


    Pushing his way through the overgrown branches, Gao Ming came upon a scene of confrontation. d in a standard-issue raincoat, an investigator was facing off against a group of defiant vigers.


    The vigers from the shelter, refusing toply with the directives of Qing Ge, the leader of the investigators, tried to reason with him. However, tensions escted when the head viger was suddenly and violently kicked into a dark, foreboding cer.


    The relentless downpour masked many sinister noises, and it was only upon closer inspection that the malevolent intentions of the people there became apparent.


    When negotiations failed, the shelter’s refugees, armed with sticks and rudimentary farming tools,unched an attack on the investigators. However, these investigators from the Eastern District were no ordinary men; they were highly trained and disyed fearsomebat abilities.


    In a matter of minutes, the ground near the cer was strewn with the bodies of vigers, none left standing.


    Gao Ming,cking his usual spectral reinforcements, knew he was no match for the well-armed, battle-hardened agents of the Queen’s Investigation Bureau.


    With a mere gesture, Qing Gemanded his men to start throwing the screaming refugees into the cer. The dark, gaping maw of the cer seemed like a ravenous beast, never satiated.


    The moment the vigers hit the bottom of the cer, their screams eerily ceased, as if they had been devoured whole.


    “We’ve already sacrificed twice as many asst time, and it’s still not enough,” Qing Gemented to his team, his eyes scanning over the newer recruits who stood paralyzed with fear at the end of the line. “The doctor’s estimates were incorrect. These vagrants alone won’t suffice to clear our path. You,” he pointed to one of the men, “start opening the houses. One by one, bring out all the vigers.”


    Silenced by fear, no one dared to oppose Qing Ge’s orders, knowing full well that any dissent could result in being the next one thrown into the depths of the cer.


    “After the anomaly spreads, the casualties will multiply exponentially. In every species, some members must be sacrificed for the greater good in times of crisis. You are the elite; your survival is paramount. Your lives will save countless others, which is why you will be thest to be sacrificed if needed.”


    “Isn’t power supposed to be used to protect those who are vulnerable?” Wei Dayou finally broke his silence, his voice tinged with disbelief and frustration.


    Qing Ge responded with a chilling, unwavering gaze. “If it’s necessary for the greater good, I would not hesitate toy down my life,” he dered. “Now, do as Imand.”


    Around them, the experienced agents of the Queen’s Investigation Bureau began to move, forming a tight circle around the new recruits, a clear sign of their unwavering allegiance to Qing Ge.


    Among the recruits, there was a moment of hesitation, a brief flicker of uncertainty, but eventually, they started moving towards the nearest shelter house, leaving Wei Dayou rooted to his spot, engulfed in moral turmoil.


    “If you’re unwilling to use these people as a means to our end, then perhaps you should be the one to forge the path,” Qing Ge stated tly, his words cutting through the tense air. “Use your strength to protect them, if you can.”


    As the shelter doors were forced open, one after another, terrified vigers were dragged out, their cries of fear and despair echoing in the stormy night, each one being taken towards the ominous cer.


    The three new recruits, moving together, seemed to be covertly coordinating their actions, subtly edging towards a room far from the others’ view.


    Qing Ge quietly spoke to the team members beside him, his eyes never missing a beat. Without a word, they sprung into action, charging towards the new recruits.


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    The recruits, dropping their pretense of opening doors, attempted to flee, but they were no match for the seasoned investigators’ physical prowess and were quickly apprehended.


    “Why join the Investigation Bureau if youck even this basic level ofmitment?” Qing Ge challenged, his voice cold as he pushed the three recruits towards the cer, their bodies disappearing into its dark depths in front of Wei Dayou.


    As the third recruit was thrown in, a distant, hollow thud echoed up from the cer, a sign that something had changed in its depths.


    “There’s an echo now,” Qing Ge noted with a cold detachment, drawing a ck knife and pressing it against Wei Dayou’s back. “You’re fortunate. You won’t be a mere stepping stone; you’ll have the chance to walk the path yourself.”


    Wei Dayou felt the fabric of his raincoat tear, his mind racing with the stark realization of the grim and twisted nature of the Eastern District Investigation Bureau, a den of brainwashed zealots!


    “Many paths in history are built on the bones of the forgotten; it’s just that they’re usually hidden from view,” Qing Ge mused, pushing Wei Dayou towards the gaping maw of the cer. “Go down there, find the bodies of the children, and bring them up. Survive this, and you’ll earn another chance.”


    Wei Dayou’s hand, concealed under his raincoat, seemed to be clutching something. But before he could act, he was forcefully pushed into the cer by Qing Ge.


    Meanwhile, Gao Ming’s phone screen suddenly illuminated with a new message from Wei Dayou: Danger, run! Having read the urgent warning, Gao Ming quickly made his move. The storm made it hard to distinguish between figures, all d in identical raincoats, but he saw Qing Ge overseeing the edge of the cer before descending with the rest of his team.


    Stealthily emerging from his hiding spot, Gao Ming approached the edge of the cer himself. Here, he peered into the abyss of the cer, a pit dug into a mound of earth, incessantly swallowing rainwater and mud yet never seeming to fill.


    Gao Ming paused, his senses heightened in the eerie atmosphere of the cer as he caught a whiff of a faint but distinct odor. Unlike typical repulsive smells that evoke a sense of revulsion, this particr stench was strangely soothing, almostforting in its familiarity.


    Pondering the situation, Gao Ming couldn’t help but question aloud, “Even if the ck cer is vast, how could it possibly amodate so many people? Could something horrifying be lurking within its depths?”


    His thoughts drifted to the infamous Dog Cer case, where the so-called ‘big dog’ was ultimately killed by the vigers. However, when the police got involved, they uncovered several puzzling aspects: Why did the madman choose the ck cer as his hideout? Who was sustaining him day after day? And most chillingly, what was his purpose behind luring children into that dark abyss?


    From a logical standpoint, it seemed highly improbable that a blind man could abduct children from the vige without attracting adult attention.


    Regrettably, by the time the authorities arrived, the madman had already met his end, severing any leads. The vigers presented a united front in their ounts, and the case was hastily concluded based on their testimonies.


    Holding a memorial photograph, Gao Ming focused on conveying Wei Dayou’s likeness to the Fear Doll, a tool in his investigative arsenal, before sending it ahead into the cer.


    But mere secondster, allmunication with the Fear Doll abruptly ceased.


    “This cer… it seems to devour anything and everything,” Gao Ming mused, a sense of foreboding growing within him.


    With cautious steps, Gao Ming ventured into the cer. The structure was in a state of disrepair; bricks were crumbling, the floor was a quagmire of mud, and the entire cer appeared perilously close to copsing, potentially entombing anyone inside alive.


    As he moved deeper, Gao Ming attempted to use his phone’s shlight to pierce the enveloping darkness, but bizarrely, even with the light, visibility remained nil. The cacophony of sounds from the outside world was also mysteriously fading away.


    “It’s a tempest outside, with thunderps and howling winds, yet why is it so eerily silent in here?” Gao Ming questioned, a sense of unease creeping up on him.


    Turning to look back, he was shocked – the entrance he hade through was no longer there. Gao Ming found himself ensnared in an oppressive, soundless void.


    In a situation where one loses sight, they could still rely on hearing and verbalmunication to connect with the world. But to lose both senses would be a disorienting, overwhelming experience for anyone.


    Gao Ming couldn’t tell if it was just psychological, but his breathing seemed to growbored. He felt as if he was gradually being engulfed by the viscousbination of mud and rising water.


    In a desperate bid for a sense of grounding, Gao Ming crouched and wrapped his arms around himself. The tangible sensation of his own body provided a fleeting reassurance – he was still real, still existing in this unnerving void.


    Realizing he had to quickly adapt to this sensory deprivation, Gao Ming knew he had to rely solely on his sense of touch and smell now.


    “The blind man who lived here had impaired hearing as well. What I’m experiencing must have been his daily reality,” Gao Ming thought to himself, trying to understand his environment.


    His first instinct was to adapt to this alien environment. Slowly, he moved towards where he remembered the entrance should be, navigating through the pitch-ck, silent space. However, as he inched backwards, his back suddenly made contact with something unexpected.


    Reaching behind him, Gao Ming’s hand met with another set of cold, lifeless fingers.