Zone Without Restraint

The bell for the end of evening self-study rang, and students trickled out of the classrooms, chatting and laughing as they walked into the night. After a day of toil, this might be the most relaxing time for them.

No homework, no teachers, just a few good friends around, and they could go home, take a shower, and comfortably climb into bed to rest. Isn't that wonderful?

Among the scattered crowd, a group of more than a dozen students emerged suddenly, marching steadily toward the school gate.

In their midst, a young man with a black bandage covering his eyes resembled the filling of a dumpling, tightly wrapped up.

Such a large group immediately attracted the attention of all the surrounding students.

"To be honest... I can walk back by myself, really." Mu Yiyang's mouth twitched slightly, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "I can see, it's just that my eyes don't tolerate light too well..."

"No need to say anything, Mu Yiyang!" Jiang Qian interrupted him, speaking sternly. "We promised your aunt that we would take good care of you, and we will!"

"Yeah, Yiyang, our homes are in the same direction, it's convenient for us to walk together."

"I'm also going in the same direction."

Mu Yiyang:...

Honestly, he would prefer to be the one left alone. Having spent so much time in the darkness, he was uncomfortable with the feeling of being cared for by too many people, which made him awkward.

Of course, his aunt and Yang Jin didn't count because they were his family.

But they were well-meaning after all, and he couldn't say anything about it, so he could only follow the crowd forward.

"I'll be turning right at the next intersection, but I can walk with you for a while."

"I need to turn here, so I'll go first. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

"..."

As the school grew farther and farther away, the classmates surrounding Mu Yiyang bid farewell one by one, until only five people remained by his side.

The previously lively atmosphere gradually quieted down, and the space suddenly became more spacious. Mu Yiyang took a long breath, feeling relieved.

"Do you guys think... the mist will really rise again and engulf Da Xia?" Li Yifei, carrying his bag, turned his head curiously and asked.

"Haven't you heard what those experts said? The chances of the mist returning are very slim. Maybe there won't be any changes for the next hundred years. As for what happens after a hundred years... well, we won't be around by then, so why bother worrying?" Jiang Qian rolled her eyes.

"You know, those experts' words are the least reliable. What if we finally get into college, haven't even had a chance to enjoy life, and then the mist swallows up the whole of Da Xia? Wouldn't that be a loss?" 

"So, that's why you're slacking off every day and not focusing on your studies?" Jiang Qian walked up to Li Yifei, speaking seriously. "I have to remind you, Mr. Wang already said that if you rank last in this exam again, you'll have to move your desk to the front of the classroom."

"I know, I know." Li Yifei chuckled awkwardly.

"But, I really don't think the mist will rise again." Wang Shao, who was walking at the front, suddenly spoke up. "Ultimately, the mist is just a natural phenomenon. After reaching a certain critical point, it will gradually dissipate, just like the Ice Age. When the glaciers cover the earth, with the rise in temperature, they will slowly recede, and what follows will be a new era."

"I know what you're talking about, isn't it called the natural disaster theory? It's quite widely accepted now." Jiang Qian nodded.

"But what if... the mist isn't a natural phenomenon?" Just then, Mu Yiyang, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

Wang Shao was taken aback, then smiled. "Yiyang, you don't really believe in those so-called theologians' statements, thinking that the mist is related to supernatural forces, do you?"

"It's the 21st century, we should believe in science. There aren't so many supernatural things in the world." A student named Liu Yuan interjected.

Mu Yiyang didn't answer. He knew best whether there were things beyond science in this world, but it wasn't necessary to tell outsiders.

Li Yifei murmured quietly, "I actually think, if those things really exist, the world would be more interesting."

"Why bother talking about all this useless stuff? These things are not what we should care about. Instead of worrying about whether the mist will rise again, it's better to sleep in during the three-day survival holiday." Jiang Qian laughed.

"Yeah, the holiday is the most practical!"

At this moment, in the old city area of Cangnan City.

A man is carrying a signboard, walking calmly on the desolate and dimly lit street. The old street lamps cast a faint light, continually elongating his silhouette...

He glanced at his phone and walked to a narrow street intersection, coming to a stop.

"This is it..."

He muttered to himself, placing the signboard he was carrying on the ground and adjusting it.

Under the flickering street lamp, the shadow of the signboard flickered intermittently. On its black background, several large red characters stood out prominently!

— No Entry Ahead!

The man leaned against the lamppost, lit a cigarette for himself, took a deep drag, and then put on his earpiece.

"Captain, the third signboard is in place."

"Received, let's begin."

"Mmm."

With the cigarette in his mouth, the man walked up to the signboard, placed his thumb against his teeth, and bit down hard!

A drop of blood oozed from the wound as the man crouched down, using his blood-stained thumb to draw a long horizontal line across the four large characters of "No Entry Ahead"!

His eyes narrowed, and a mysterious aura erupted from him!

He looked up at the black night sky, murmuring in a voice only he could hear...

"Forbidden Zone, [Zone Without Restraint]."

The crimson bloodstains on the signboard in front of him rapidly faded, as if being absorbed, followed by a sudden flash of red light from the four large letters of "No Entry Ahead"!

Then gradually returned to normal.

The man sat on the ground, let out a long sigh, and complained slightly.

"Damn it, emptied out again..."

At this moment, if someone were to overlook Cangnan City from the sky, they would see three points of light flickering near the old city area. These three points of light swiftly formed an equilateral triangle with the old city area at its center, gradually disappearing as if erased from the map...

However, from the ground, the old city area remained unchanged.

At the same time, at the center of this triangle, six figures clad in black and crimson cloaks streaked across the sky like lightning!

The man at the forefront looked up at the dark red sky, grasped the handle of the blade behind him, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Grim Reaper Operation, commence."