The organization I founded has been exposed by the reborn!

The Dawn Squad stepped onto the third floor, their feet crunching on the moldy, dusty ground.

The air on this floor, with its nauseating smell of pine resin mixed with rotting flesh, had reached its peak.

As you inhale it into your lungs, it feels as if countless tiny insects are crawling down your trachea.

At the end of the corridor ahead, the door to a spacious dance studio was wide open.

The four slowed their pace and cautiously approached in a defensive formation.

The cold white beam of the flashlight swept across.

The training room was a complete mess.

The huge floor-to-ceiling mirrors on the surrounding walls, which were originally used to correct dance postures, were all broken.

The shards of glass scattered on the ground reflected the light from the flashlight, creating countless broken, distorted, and intertwined eerie spaces.

With just a slight turn of the head, one can see countless fragmented versions of oneself within those shards.

An atmosphere of oppression and deathly silence, which sends chills down one's spine, was brought to its extreme.

Just then.

In the deathly still air.

Suddenly, without warning, a voice rang out.

"Da, da, da..."

It was the crisp sound of a rhythmic, hard high heel striking the old pine floorboards.

The sound refracted and echoed between the broken dressing mirrors.

It sounded eerie and three-dimensional, as if countless unseen women were dancing a cold and mechanical dance of death around the four of them.

"There!"

Zheng Qiang's pupils contracted, and he pointed forward.

In front of the practice room, there was a shard of a dressing mirror that was not completely broken.

A pair of blood-red high heels, their surfaces stained with dried, blackened blood, mysteriously floated out of the mirror!

It has no owner.

It hovered there, about ten centimeters above the ground.

The toes of the shoes touched the ground slightly, as if they were starting a dance move.

In this dimly lit, abandoned building, the scene before us seemed rather eerie.

"Shadow Mastery!"

Qin Xinran's eyes turned cold, and without the slightest hesitation, she decided to strike first.

Several dark, shadowy chains shot out from the shadows beneath her feet like venomous snakes, attempting to forcibly imprison and tear apart the red shoes.

however.

Those red shoes were moving incredibly fast!

It merely took a light step in mid-air, leaving a series of red afterimages in its place, easily avoiding the strangulation of the shadow chains.

And the constant "clattering" footsteps echoed in everyone's ears.

At this moment, however, things suddenly became urgent.

"Da da da! Da da da!"

This crisp sound, as if carrying some irresistible magic, like the whisper of a demon, planted a strange thought in everyone's minds:

Bow your head!

Look at the feet!

That intense psychological suggestion felt like countless cold hands pressing on your neck, forcing you to look at your feet.

"Don't bow your head! This is the power of the rules!"

Qin Xinran gave a stern reminder.

She knew that every vengeful ghost had its own rules for killing, and once triggered, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Among the entire team, Qin Xinran and Zheng Qiang had the strongest willpower. They bit their tongues, using the pain to forcefully resist the bewitching influence of the demonic sound.

Wen Xiaoxiao was so frightened that she covered her eyes with both hands and squatted on the ground, trembling all over, but she managed to withstand it with her own mental strength.

Only Feng Gang...

Although Feng Gang has a strong physical body, his mental strength is a weakness.

Under the increasingly urgent hypnotic sound, the clarity in Feng Gang's eyes gradually faded.

The "tap, tap" sound seemed to transform into tangible threads, forcibly numbing his brain nerves.

"Feet...feet...feet...I want to see feet...!"

Feng Gang murmured something with a blank look in his eyes.

His body, which should have been as solid as a rock, was now like a puppet on strings, looking uncontrollably at his feet.

Almost the instant he lowered his head!

A certain rule has been triggered!

Without any warning.

An invisible, terrifying force instantly descended upon Feng Gang.

"Well--!"

Feng Gang let out a muffled groan of extreme pain.

Under the horrified gazes of Qin Xinran and the other two.

With a chilling, crisp sound of bones breaking, Feng Gang's legs were forcibly snapped backward at a 180-degree angle by a strange force!

The white bone of Senbai's foot pierced his skin.

Red blood gushed out instantly from the severed wound, staining the entire ground crimson.

"thump!"

Feng Gang's massive body crashed to the ground.

The excruciating pain in his feet made even this tough guy let out a suppressed scream.

"Old Feng!"

Zheng Qiang's eyes were bloodshot with rage, and he wanted to rush to the rescue, but Qin Xinran held him back tightly.

"Don't act impulsively!"

Qin Xinran stared intently at the pair of red shoes that were hovering precariously in mid-air: "We're still unsure of its other rules. If you go over there now, not only will you not be able to save him, but you might also get yourself killed!"

"Da, da..."

The red shoes took two more steps in mid-air.

Then, seemingly losing interest in its severely injured prey, it "whooshed" into a streak of red light and disappeared into another shard of mirror nearby.

As the red shoes disappeared, the manipulative voice that forced people to bow their heads also came to an abrupt end.

Everyone breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Xiaoxiao! Quick, save her!" Qin Xinran shouted immediately.

"Coming...coming!"

Wen Xiaoxiao rushed to Feng Gang's side in a fluster, and her face turned pale with fright when she saw his bent legs.

But she still suppressed her fear and clasped her hands together in front of her chest.

"Heal and revive!"

A burst of emerald green life energy instantly enveloped the paralyzed Feng Gang.

Under the domineering restorative laws of the healing aura.

Feng Gang's bent legs made a "crackling" sound, and miraculously, they automatically pieced themselves back together and restored themselves within seconds.

……

"Phew... I'm alive again."

Feng Gang wiped the large beads of cold sweat from his forehead and got up from the ground with lingering fear.

He glanced down at his perfectly healed feet, his voice betraying a lingering fear:

"This thing is too eerie."

"When that sound came, my mind went blank, and my body was completely out of control. I just stared blankly down at my feet... without even a chance to react."

"This is the rule of vengeful ghosts when they kill."

Zheng Qiang took a deep breath and began to review the situation: "That demonic sound just now was essentially an extremely strong form of mental pollution; it was forcing us to look down at our feet. Brother Feng fell for it and immediately suffered a broken leg."

"That's right." Qin Xinran nodded, calmly adding, "Based on the mission description and what we just experienced, its first killing rule is very clear: as long as that 'tap-tap' footsteps don't stop, we absolutely cannot look down at our own feet!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, firmly remembering this lesson learned in blood.

"Since the pattern of murder relies on sound as a medium for mental guidance and triggering..."

Qin Xinran's beautiful eyes flickered slightly, as if she had thought of a solution.

She suddenly stepped forward and grabbed the hem of Zheng Qiang's casual shirt.

"Sizzle—"

With a crisp tearing sound, Qin Xinran ripped two pieces of fabric directly from Zheng Qiang's shirt.

"President Qin, what are you doing?!" Zheng Qiang looked at his shirt, which had suddenly turned into a crop top, completely bewildered.

Qin Xinran ignored him, casually rolled the two pieces of cloth into two small balls, and stuffed them directly into Feng Gang's hands.

"Feng Gang, your mental strength is too weak, making you most susceptible to the control of demonic sounds. Here, put this cloth ball in your ear."

Qin Xinran pointed to Feng Gang's ear: "Physical soundproofing can't completely protect you from mental pollution, but it can at least reduce the impact of the sound of high heels on you and prevent you from uncontrollably looking down at your feet again."

Feng Gang took the two wads of fabric and stuffed them into his ears as if they were precious treasures, then smiled sheepishly: "Sister Qin is so thoughtful. It's just... I feel bad for Old Zheng's clothes."

Zheng Qiang, on the verge of tears, clutched at the leaky corner of his clothes and couldn't help but complain, "No, Mr. Qin, I understand defensive tactics, but this fabric... why don't you just tear your own clothes? Mine may be cheap, but it's still freshly washed."

"nonsense."

Qin Xinran glanced at him and retorted confidently, "This custom-made tactical outfit of mine costs tens of thousands of yuan. If you tear it, are you going to pay for it?"

Upon hearing this speech from a tycoon, which reeked of worldly greed and money, Zheng Qiang immediately shut his mouth.

"Pfft—"

Wen Xiaoxiao, who had been trembling with nervousness, couldn't help but laugh when she saw Zheng Qiang's embarrassed expression.

After Qin Xinran and Zheng Qiang's interaction and interruption.

The oppressive atmosphere in the training room, which had been caused by Feng Gang's broken leg, was significantly reduced.

The four of them relaxed.

This was something Qin Xinran did intentionally.

When facing a vengeful ghost, extreme fear will only hasten death. Only by remaining calm and slightly relaxed can one find a chance of survival in the fierce battle to come.

"Alright, everyone, cheer up."

Qin Xinran conjured a dark shadow blade in her hand once more, her gaze fixed on the shard of mirror from which the red shoes had just disappeared.

"We've figured out the first rule."

"From now on, no matter what you hear or see, don't act rashly!"

"Right now, what we need to do most is figure out its other killing patterns!"

"Once we have complete control, this vengeful ghost will no longer pose a threat to us."

……

at the same time.

In a corner outside the practice room.

Su Yu disappeared into the black mist of the [Illusory Cloak], taking in everything that had just happened.

At this moment, the "Book of Strange Things" in his hand opened automatically, revealing the detailed panel of the red shoe.

【Name: The Red Shoes - The Amputee】

[Rank: F]

[The Murder Pattern (Dance Step Resonance):]

[Rule 1 (Head Down, Feet Severed): When the sound of high heels clicking is heard, the living person must not look down at their feet before the sound stops. Otherwise, the rule will be triggered instantly, and the legs will be forcibly broken in the opposite direction by an invisible force, with the ankles twisted off.]

[Rule Two (Stillness or Dancing): Upon hearing the knocking sound, the survivor must remain absolutely still or move according to the rhythmic "tap-tap" dance steps. If the rhythm is disrupted, the survivor falls, or runs in panic, their ankle will be twisted off.]

[Ability 1 - Amputation and Dissection]: Any deceased person whose ankles have been twisted off will have their feet forcibly transformed into 'Red Shoe Slaves'. These shriveled corpses without feet will float in the training room, continuing to dance bizarre steps, searching for the next scapegoat.

【Ability 2 - Mirror Movement】: Within the range of light reflected from a broken mirror, the red shoes can move in a zigzag pattern at extremely high speed, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, making them difficult to defend against.

[Fatal Weakness: This vengeful spirit's true form is a pair of blood-red high heels. While immune to conventional sword and gun attacks, it is extremely afraid of the intense, yang energy of blood and fire, as well as the devouring power of higher-dimensional shadows.]

[Description: Ten years ago, a female dancer, driven by a mad obsession and jealousy, sawed off her own legs with a blade in the dead of night in the practice room. Her resentment, mingled with her blood-stained red dance shoes, transformed into this terrifying vengeful ghost, relentlessly searching for the perfect pair of feet in the darkness. She dances on and on, until she has neatly arranged the feet of every intruder before her shattered dressing mirror.]

【…】

"Two micro-management-level killer moves, plus the high mobility of mirror-like movement."

Su Yu frowned slightly after looking at the panel.

This red shoe isn't particularly strong on the stat panel, and it hasn't even fully activated its true Ghost Domain.

However, its killing patterns are extremely cunning.

Do not look down at your feet.

Upon hearing the sound, one must either stand still and become a sitting duck, allowing the legless female corpses it summons to attack, or force oneself to move in rhythm with its "clack-clack" dance steps.

Under intense stress with a surge of adrenaline, a person's movements are easily distorted.

Even a trained soldier, if he loses his footing even slightly, takes a wrong step, or is a beat too slow, will have his ankle twisted off by that invisible force.

This kind of rule-based killing, which tests psychological resilience and micro-management skills, is far more disgusting than monsters that simply rely on brute force to crush opponents numerically.

"However, as long as you grasp the pattern and don't let fear control you..."

"This thing is, at best, a dancing punching bag."

Su Yu closed the ancient book, his gaze piercing through the black mist of the [Illusory Cloak] as he quietly observed the four people in front of him.

Su Yu had absolutely no intention of interfering or helping.

The weakness of the "red shoes" is obvious.

Qin Xinran's [Shadow Overlord] can block its mirror travel.

Feng Gang's extremely strong and yang "Qi and Blood Blazing Yang" is the natural counter to its body, which is full of yin poison and resentment.

As long as they can maintain their composure and understand the rules of killing, they are fully capable of suppressing this vengeful ghost.

What's more, there's Wen Xiaoxiao, the super nanny, backing you up.

"The blade of dawn must be sharpened in the bones and blood of vengeful spirits."

Su Yu stepped back slightly, his figure disappearing once again into the black mist of the [Illusory Cloak].

The stage now belongs to the Dawn Squad.

Let's see if this fledgling Dawn Squad can successfully clear this bloody ball.