Chapter 103: Meat Chicken

"Who are they?"

"The factory is full of these monsters!" Zhao Yi exclaimed, as if recalling something, terror surfacing in his eyes. "I... I originally intended to go to the factory to cause trouble. Seeing the iron gate was open, I just walked in... Then I saw a giant centipede crawling on top of a machine; it must have been dozens of meters long! It was completely black, like a shadow."

Hearing this, Chen Ling's heart sank.

No wonder he had searched the entire district and found nothing unusual; the creature was hidden in the factory area. He had just returned from there yesterday, so he subconsciously didn't look there. It seemed the creature must have appeared after he left.

"Then what?"

"I was terrified," Zhao Yi swallowed. "My mind went blank, and I turned and ran. Then a bunch of small centipedes, hatched from egg-like things, came out and chased me. I didn't dare look back; I just ran for my life. At that moment, the first person I thought of was you, so I ran towards your place. But as I approached the district, my body felt heavier and heavier, and my mind grew increasingly muddled... I looked back and saw my shadow had turned into a centipede. After that, my memory is a blur."

Chen Ling glanced at the shattered black corpse on the ground, his expression growing solemn.

Centipedes that could control human bodies through their shadows... And according to Zhao Yi, there seemed to be quite a few of them. The large centipede in the factory must have been hatching in the workshop for at least a day.

Chen Ling unhesitatingly picked up the walkie-talkie and pressed the button: "This is Chen Ling. A large-scale calamity has been discovered at the steel factory, and it's breeding numerous offspring. It's suspected to have already started attacking the district."

The moment these words were spoken, the walkie-talkie channel fell into a dead silence. After a brief second, Han Meng's voice calmly rang out: "Received."

There was no questioning, no further inquiry, no surprise or panic. After Han Meng's words faded, a loud bell rang out across District Three!

Dong—dong—dong!!

The Calamity Bell had rung.

The sound of the bell startled countless people awake from their sleep.

"Three rings of the Calamity Bell?!" A middle-aged woman sat up abruptly in bed, her face pale with fright. "Is there another calamity in District Three?"

"Keep your voice down!"

Boss Xu clapped a hand over her mouth and cautiously looked out the window. The sky was dim and mist swirled, making it impossible to see anything, as if invisible hands had isolated every house.

The woman's eyes widened, her gaze fixed on the window, filled with terror... The dark sky, the thick, deep fog, the lingering bell tolls — these unknowns stirred up the fear of everyone hiding inside their homes. They knew something was in the fog but didn't know if or when it would appear.

Seeming to sense the woman trembling, Boss Xu lowered his voice and began to comfort her: "It's fine... what are you scared of? Last time the Calamity Bell rang, weren't we fine? Just stay put at home, and nothing will happen..."

Seeing the woman was still afraid, Boss Xu hesitated for a moment, then added, "Besides, that demon... uh, Law Enforcer Chen Ling, doesn't he live right here on Frost Street? If a fight really breaks out, what calamity could be fiercer than him?"

The woman blinked, seeming to think Boss Xu had a point. In such a situation, knowing that a Law Enforcer was nearby undoubtedly provided a great sense of security... even though, at times, this very Law Enforcer was the source of their fear.

Thump-thump-thump—

A sudden knocking sounded at the door.

The knocking instantly tensed their nerves. They sharply turned towards the door, holding their breath...

So late at night, with a thick fog blanketing everything, and the Calamity Bell having just rung... who would come knocking at their door?

In this situation, they certainly wouldn't dare to ask questions carelessly. Like a child left alone at home knowing their parents are out, they wouldn't be foolish enough to get up and open the door to see who was knocking. They simply stared intently at the door, the room filled with dead silence.

Thump-thump-thump—

The knocking sounded again, exactly matching the rhythm of the previous time: unhurried, elegant, and patient.

The woman swallowed, her heart pounding. She, of course, realized something was wrong and looked at Boss Xu beside her in terror... Boss Xu gritted his teeth. When the knocking sounded for the third time, he cautiously got out of bed, took a cleaver from the kitchen, and stared intently at the door. If whatever was behind the door dared to break in, he would at least have a weapon to fight back with...

Bang—

A shattering sound came from outside the door, startling Boss Xu so much that he nearly dropped the cleaver in his hand.

It wasn't his door. From the sound of it, it came from next door, as if the front door had been violently smashed open by something. Immediately after, there was a series of terrified screams!

Boss Xu recognized it; those were the screams of his neighbor Old Li's family. Even through the wall, he could clearly hear bodies being slammed to the ground and the sound of flesh being torn. Children were wailing, and women were screaming.

Moments later, terrified cries came from the house across the street and further down the road. In this thick fog where one couldn't see their hand in front of their face, a chaotic and bloody rampage had begun.

Boss Xu's hand, holding the cleaver, trembled uncontrollably. Just then, a calm voice resonated from the street.

"Everyone, remain silent."

Hearing this voice, Boss Xu froze. Then he sharply looked towards one direction through the window. In the hazy grey fog, a figure in a black trench coat slowly approached.

He raised his gun and pulled the trigger towards the sky. A buzzing sound echoed throughout Frost Street!

The next moment, Boss Xu heard the tearing sounds from next door abruptly stop, as if the monsters' attention had been diverted. Only a woman's muffled sobs could be faintly heard from the corner.

"Aren't you looking for someone?" Chen Ling stood in the fog and slowly spoke. "Why don't you come ask me?"

As soon as these words were uttered, a dark silhouette immediately moved past Boss Xu's window, as if it had just come from next door... It was then that he finally saw the creature in its entirety.

It was an upright-walking centipede, completely black, like a shadow. Standing, it was about two meters tall. Countless slender legs wriggled on both sides of its body, and a dark red orifice at its mouth continually contracted.

Although it only passed by for an instant, it utterly terrified Boss Xu. He collapsed onto the floor, his lips trembling uncontrollably...

What kind of monster was that??

The same question arose in the minds of all residents on Frost Street. They hid behind dark windows, holding their breath, nervously watching the several centipede monsters approaching the center of the street. In the center of their encirclement, the black trench coat stood perfectly upright.

Chen Ling held a gun in one hand and a dagger in the other, slowly surveying his surroundings... As the monsters gradually approached through the thick fog, Chen Ling finally got a clear look at them.

Chen Ling froze.

He rubbed his eyes and peered closely at the dark figures... His expression was peculiar.

"These things... they look quite appetizing?" Chen Ling murmured to himself.

In his vision, each plucked, tender-textured broiler chicken was slowly walking towards him... They looked like perfect ingredients ready for the pot, inspiring a ravenous appetite with just a glance.