Even though the school had been deserted for nearly two weeks, it remained relatively clean, with only a scattering of fallen leaves across the grounds.
As Robin gazed at the empty campus under the midday sun, she couldn't shake a faint chill, whether real or imagined.
"Aren't you two scared?" she asked the two armed police officers standing beside her, alert and ready. These were her collaborators for this mission: a seasoned veteran in his forties and a fresh-faced rookie in his early twenties.
The young officer grinned brightly. "Miss Robin, with you here, there's nothing to worry about! The fact that they only sent you and us two for this Dimensional Rift Incident must mean it's a piece of cake."
"This is my first time dealing with a Dimensional Rift Incident," he continued, his eyes shining with excitement. "If I'm lucky, maybe I'll even become an Evolver! I'd love to contribute to the country like you folks at the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations."
In stark contrast, the older police officer replied gravely, "Of course I'm a little afraid, but just tell me what you need me to do. I'll do everything in my power to carry it out."
Their responses were the complete opposite of what Robin had expected. Normally, wouldn't an experienced officer remain calm and unafraid when handling a situation, while the younger officer, lacking combat experience and rushing into the fray with a gun, be the one trembling with fear?
Yet Robin could see the older officer's right hand shaking slightly—he was genuinely terrified. Meanwhile, the younger officer stared intently at the academic building ahead, his eyes burning with excitement and anticipation.
Could it be that the more you've seen—the more terrifying monsters you've encountered, the more deaths you've witnessed—the more afraid you become? Robin pondered as she turned to the older officer. "How many Dimensional Rift Incidents have you assisted the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations with?"
"This is my first," the officer replied. "Normally, we just handle crowd control and provide off-site support. Police officers aren't required to enter the Dimensional Rift itself—the Bureau handles everything."
"If we succeed, great. But if we fail—if the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations can't handle it—there's even less reason to send in the police. It would be pointless. In that case, we'll notify the Bureau's standby team and request assistance from the Special Mobile Squad."
This explained everything. Since both officers were rookies, the younger one would naturally be more daring than the veteran.
Just then, the young officer exclaimed, "So, under normal circumstances, we'd never get a chance to enter the scene. Now that we finally have this opportunity, how can we not seize it? Who knows, we might even become Evolvers!"
"You..." The veteran opened his mouth to speak but trailed off with a sigh.
In truth, when Bai Yuanju explained the White Specter's characteristics, she had mentioned a way to become an Evolver: by being possessed by the creature. If one could survive the possession for eight hours, they could reverse the process, consuming the Ghost within their body and gaining special Abilities like invisibility and flight.
This method was incredibly difficult; only one person had ever succeeded in becoming an Evolver through it.
Robin glanced at the young officer but decided not to mention this particular method. Instead, she outlined their plan of action. In short, everyone would use their phone cameras to scan their surroundings. Once a target was spotted, they would wait until it approached within a certain distance, at which point Robin would "scatter the powder," and the two officers would be free to open fire.
Robin then activated her Ability, sending invisible ripples outward from her body. These waves enveloped the three of them, inducing a state of profound calm.
The veteran officer's fear subsided, but the young officer's excitement and anticipation remained undiminished.
Tap... tap... tap...
Robin led the way into the school's main academic building. Their footsteps echoed through the deserted corridors—a mundane sound that took on a sinister tone when they considered that five Ghosts might be lurking nearby. The atmosphere suddenly turned slightly eerie.
As for Robin herself, the question of whether she was afraid of ghosts was complicated. Truthfully, she was somewhat afraid. If she were forced to watch a horror movie right now, her wings would probably flutter up from behind her ears and block her eyes halfway through.
No need to even cover them with her hands—much more convenient.
However, having activated her Ability, she was naturally immune to fear. Robin took out the glass bottle of Conversion Powder, opened it, and poured some onto her palm. Clutching her phone in her other hand, she began her search.
In truth, a detailed search wasn't necessary. This wasn't a game of hide-and-seek; the White Specter would approach on its own once it sensed someone nearby.
As the surrounding temperature continued to drop, Robin finally spotted a white figure drifting directly toward her at the corner of the staircase leading from the first floor to the second.
The phone screen clearly displayed the creature's full form: a vaguely humanoid silhouette with no discernible gender or facial features, resembling a mannequin in a clothing store.
The White Specter reached out to Robin as if to embrace her. But the closer it got, the calmer she became. She swiftly flung the powder clutched in her left hand and shouted, "Shoot!"
Bang!
Almost before the word left her lips, the young police officer had already aimed and fired. In that split second, the bullet struck the White Specter squarely in the head.
Although these creatures had no discernible weak points—any hit would do—Robin couldn't help but marvel at the officer's incredible marksmanship. That was one hell of a shot!
Like a popped balloon, the creature vanished instantly without a sound, disappearing from Robin's sight as if it had never existed at all.