"Quick, quick, quick! Everyone, stay in line and advance accordingly!"
The captain of the Criminal Investigation Division was positioned at the ruins of the cemetery as he held a walkie-talkie and issued an order.
At the entrance of the graveyard, the team members listened to his command and lined up to march down the area.
It was 7:30 am.
Half an hour ago, geographers from the Criminal Investigation Division had tested the tomb and proved that there was no risk of it collapsing again.
As such, the captain had been able to commence a rescue operation in relief.
Once the recovery squad stepped into the tomb, they immediately flashed their huge portable searchlights in the tomb, and the entire place lit up as if it was daytime.
Then, the synchronous display was turned on.
The captain, who remained on the surface, nervously observed the situation in the tomb through the monitor.
Although the tomb was now dilapidated, its former glory could still be seen from its ruins.
The soldiers marveled at its magnificence with their mouths gaped.
If they had known that this was not a tomb, but rather a magic formation, what would they have thought?
They continued to move forward, passing through the gravel and debris as they turned and turned at every intersection.
Finally, they found the five soldiers lying unconscious on the ground.
"Reporting! Targets found! Targets found!"
"Targets are still breathing!"
"Targets' vitals are clear!"
"Requesting medical support!"
"Requesting medical support, now!"
The cries of the Criminal Investigation Division reverberated through the tomb chamber.
Upon seeing the figures of the five survivors, the captain instantly burst into tears, wailing in exhilaration.
"Medics, head to the tomb for support now!
"Get the stretchers ready! We must bring the five of them back safely!"
The captain hollered, waving his hands toward the medical team.
Then, he thought of Blake, who had also disappeared underneath. He quickly put aside his happiness and prepared to deliver new instructions to proceed with the search, but all of a sudden, a voice muffled through the walkie-talkie.
"Reporting, captain! The five of them have woken, and they have something to inform you!"
'Eh?'
The captain was stunned when he heard this voice. Then, he hurriedly snatched the walkie-talkie and hastily replied, "I'm listening! Speak!"
"Reporting... reporting, Captain... Blake... Blake is still alive. He... He and a... woman in red saved us... They have already left the cemetery...
"He wanted me to give you… his thanks… You don't have to worry about him anymore…"
The soldier's weak voice sounded intermittently through the walkie-talkie.
It wasn't loud, but once the captain heard it, it struck him, and he felt his scalp go numb!
'Blake... was still alive?
'He saved our men together with a woman in red?
'Was that woman in red the person the village chief mentioned beforehand?
'Who exactly were they, and how on earth did they manage to escape these ruins?'
Doubt and confusion grew within him as he stood rooted to the ground in a daze, not saying even a single word for a long time.
Zizz, zizz...
Unexpectedly, a current buzzed from the communication device, and the voice of the team member came on again.
"Oh, right… There's one more thing, captain… Blake said that this tomb is now safe and the dangers of this place have been dealt with… He said that you can finally leave without worry… It'll even be safe as a scenic spot for the people..."
Buzz, buzz, buzz...
The sound of electricity and human voices faded away from the intercom as it came to an abrupt silence.
The captain was completely dumbstruck as he heard this, not knowing how to feel anymore.
Ghosts…
There were really ghosts residing in the tomb all this while?
...
Time slowly passed.
It was 8a.m in H City. The people and vehicles were bustling about on a busy morning.
It was the early rush hour, and everyone was hurrying to their workplaces and schools.
On the streets, the sound of heavy traffic resonated through the city.
The ring of cell phones, the blaring of music, the shouts of salespeople and the voices of news broadcasts were in harmony, the sounds blending naturally.
"Hey, how were you last night? Did you manage to sleep in the end?"
"How could I possibly sleep? I was in a blur for the entire night and didn't feel sleepy at all."
"Me too. The whole exploration livestream in the cemetery was way too exciting! What happened after though? Haven't the authorities given their explanation?"
"I also want to know if Blake and the other five men are safe… I was worried to death watching the whole thing! The rescue mission put TV shows to shame!"
"Who doesn't? But… Haven't you heard? It seems that Blake is just a typical high school student who attends the school right next to us!"
"Ah? Really? That can't be, right? How is it possible that I've never heard of him before? He's so powerful, he shouldn't have been keeping himself so low-profile…"
"It's true! I heard that he was able to join John's expedition team due to a personal connection by a male student in his class…"
"It's all thanks to Blake joining the team, or else the whole expedition squad would have been wiped out last night…"
A few high school students in uniform with their backpacks slung across their shoulders were whispering to one another as they walked along the sidewalk.
From their small talk, it wasn't hard at all to tell that they had been watching the live broadcast of the excursion last night and were looking forward to the latest developments of the whole incident.
Suddenly, their phones rang. As they whipped out their phones from their pockets, they noticed that it was a piece of news about the cemetery operation last night.
A few of them widened their eyes and hurriedly gathered together to read it carefully.
"Current situation of the aftermath: Dear citizens, we have the latest update about the exploration that caused a stir last night.
"According to the reporters stationed at the front lines yesterday, the Criminal Investigation Division dug up the cemetery overnight and successfully saved the victims trapped in the tomb.
"Everyone has been safely rescued.
"As for the mystifying phenomenon that took place in the graveyard, the captain has reported that it has been completely subdued. Everyone can be rest assured that there will be no threats to your lives.
"The hero of H City, Blake, was found to be a high school student in our city, according to the officials. As for his whereabouts, he is currently still missing.
"The commander of the Criminal Investigation Division has said that the disaster last night is now under control, and it was all thanks to this high school student.
"Even the five soldiers who were trapped under the rubble in the tomb were rescued by him.
"The captain currently has no comments about Blake's location, and it seems that this high school student does not wish for any publicity. Therefore, he chose to leave before the Criminal Investigation Division could get hold of him.
"Currently, the Criminal Investigation Division is working hard to locate the whereabouts of our city's savior, Blake. The police have also dispatched their representatives to his school for more information.
"If anyone has any clues about Blake, please contact us as soon as possible.
"He's the precious hero of our city. The mayor wishes to express gratitude and commendation to him."
...
After reading the news word for word, the student's eyes were filled with shock, and an indescribable excitement welled up in their hearts.
Blake… This name was now legendary, gleaming proudly in their minds!
"Blake actually managed to save the five men and even escaped from the tomb that gave the Criminal Investigation Division such a hard time! How did he do that?"
A girl couldn't help but say excitedly as her face flushed red, giddy with excitement.
The other female students were also in disbelief.
They looked at each other and after a moment of silence, they raised their heads toward each other and they knew exactly what each other's thoughts were.
"Why don't we go to Blake's school to have a look?"
One of the girls was the first to voice out what everyone was thinking.
Everyone agreed determinedly. Then, they switched on the navigation systems on their phones and embarked toward Blake's school.
They left in a hurry, unaware that behind their backs, a weary boy waved his hand and flagged down an oncoming taxi. As he got into the car, he slumped onto the seat with an exhausted expression on his face.
"Driver, please get me to the Phoenix World Center."