# 483
Chapter 483
White Shadow
Zhou Ping flickered and reappeared on the second floor; Lin Qiye and the others followed at once.
The second floor seemed to be a spacious office. The moment they pushed open the frosted-glass door, a thick stench of blood mixed with rot rolled over them.
Everyone froze at the sight inside.
The office was a complete wreck—desks, water dispensers, computers, and bookshelves lay toppled and shattered. Dark-red blood had congealed into hard slabs on the tiles, sticking to the floor and giving off a foul odor.
In the corner, an old television lay on its back. White snow rippled across its screen, broken crackling leaking from the speaker.
In the center of the room, six twisted corpses lay in disarray.
Not one body was intact—gashes and bite marks covered them, as if ripped apart by some savage beast. Shredded limbs were scattered everywhere, the scene unspeakably gruesome.
“What in the world…” Cao Yuan’s face turned ashen.
Lin Qiye’s gaze swept the bodies; he slowly closed his eyes, voice heavy. “Team 008… wiped out to the last man.”
He had studied their files on the drive over; he recognized every face, including Captain Li Hong. All were here.
No wonder Huang Yuande’s phone had rung unanswered.
“This is Team 008—how could they be silently annihilated?” Baili Pangpang exclaimed. “Who was the enemy? A Klein?”
An Qingyu stepped forward, shoes squelching over the dried gore, eyes turning a murky gray as he surveyed the scene.
“From the blood’s dryness, they died eleven days ago. Windows and floor tiles are intact—no large-scale battle. At the very least, their ‘Boundless’ captain never unleashed full power, or the building would have collapsed.
Two possibilities:
One: the attacker was someone they knew. While their guard was down, they were instantly killed—before the Boundless captain could react.
Two: a top-tier powerhouse. Team 008 was overwhelmed by absolute strength before they could resist—pure slaughter.”
“What kind of expert can wipe out a squad with a Boundless captain?” Cao Yuan frowned.
“Plenty. Sword Saint-level? A snap of the fingers.” An Qingyu added, “Just an example—obviously not our Sword Saint.”
“You mean a Human Apex?”
Zhou Ping shook his head. “Impossible. An Apex could kill them in an instant without letting the room get trashed.”
“So a high-rank Klein, but not yet Apex…”
“Church of the Ancient Gods?”
“Very likely. Among their proxy邪-gods, someone’s reached that stage—like the Yiyu we met.”
“But this scene doesn’t fit Yiyu. Someone else… brutal, vicious, and strong.”
“The top seats of the Believers could do it.”
While they speculated, they searched for clues. Lin Qiye circled the office—nothing but broken furniture.
Crackle-crackle-crackle…
The old TV hissed in the corner. Lin Qiye stared, puzzled.
White snow flickered, dizzying to watch.
“Qiye, something wrong with the TV?” Baili Pangpang asked, noticing his stare.
Lin Qiye’s brows knit tighter. He pointed.
“It’s unplugged… so how is it showing anything?”
Behind the set, the power cord was severed; bare wires poked from the rubber sheath, lying in the blood.
Baili Pangpang froze.
Crackle-crackle…
The snowy screen shuddered; amid the static, a silhouette appeared—
A girl in a white dress, ghostly.
“Crackle… Believers… crackle… you… deserve death!”
Through the static came an icy female voice. The room’s lights flickered.
“Hmm?” Zhou Ping turned, surprised.
Lin Qiye’s face darkened; he started forward—then a white phantom burst from the screen!
A pale, beautiful, hate-filled face zoomed toward him.
In a flash the specter slammed into the nearest person—Lin Qiye.
“Qiye!!” Baili Pangpang cried.
The phantom vanished into Lin Qiye’s body. He staggered back, clapping a hand over one eye, standing like a statue.
The others rushed to him.
“Qiye, you okay?” Cao Yuan asked.
Head lowered, Lin Qiye stared at the snow-filled screen, back to everyone.
A few seconds later he turned—
His eyes blazed with fury.
“Believers… all deserve death!!”
He sprang, lightning-fast, straight at Baili Pangpang. Darkness coated his fist as he punched.
At the same time, an eerie light flared in his eyes.
Baili Pangpang’s vision warped; reality felt unreal. Overwhelming guilt surged—
He had done something unforgivable.
He had wronged Lin Qiye.
So—
He closed his eyes, neither dodging nor resisting.
He deserved the blow.
Bang—!!
Before the fist landed, a pale hand caught Lin Qiye’s wrist.