A New Instance Zone – The Specters of the Undead

"According to the intel transmitted by the Nanjing Undead Purge Special Ops Unit, the Strategy Department has conducted further analysis and has come to a preliminary conclusion: in several areas of the city that were previously cleared of the undead, a strange phenomenon known as 'Specters of the Undead' has begun to manifest."

"This phenomenon takes the form of large, bubble-like structures filled with miniature, ghostly visages of undead creatures. Although these mysterious entities show no signs of hostility for now, their nature remains entirely unknown."

"An expert task force was dispatched to investigate the phenomenon. Based on early research, the team suspects this may be a special dungeon manifestation—a unique apocalyptic mechanism. All indicators seem to align with this theory. The Command Center has already established a perimeter and is preparing to deploy expedition teams for further exploration."

Mike flipped through the documents in his hands, skimming over the recent reports detailing this strange new anomaly in Nanjing.

"A new dungeon means new rewards,"he mused, a hint of satisfaction flashing through his eyes.

He was certain that these bubble-like phenomena were indicators of a fresh apocalyptic instance zone. And if Wang Peibo's words were anything to go by, he still desperately needed to grow stronger.

Even though Mike's current strength was enough to resist the pressure and schemes from Wang Peibo's temporal clones, it still wasn't enough—at least not in the eyes of those who knew what was coming. The future held unknown terrors, and every second of growth mattered.

With that in mind, Mike pondered for a moment, then picked up the communicator and issued a direct order to the Nanjing Command:

"No need for excessive analysis. Deploy teams immediately to begin exploration of the anomaly. All affected areas are to be designated as restricted zones."

"Yes, Sir."A staff member from the Command Center responded promptly, but quickly added with a cautious tone:

"Sir, under the City's Disaster Relief Protocol, we're required to release at least two-thirds of newly discovered apocalyptic resources for civilian-led expeditions. Official forces can only conduct large-scale exploration if the difficulty level is too high or if civilians are unable or unwilling to explore. Even then, half of all obtained resources must still be submitted for contribution-based distribution."

It was a gentle reminder. The officer was tactful, refraining from directly questioning Mike's decision to restrict access. Instead, he subtly highlighted the need to consider the broader political impact of such a move.

"After the Battle of Dantu, many of our forces are still rebuilding,"Mike replied coolly."For the safety of the people, it's imperative that our official units rapidly increase their power. Besides, the threat level of this new dungeon is still unknown. It's only logical that the first step should be taken by the military."

"Relay my words to Dongfang Zhiyuan. He'll know how to phrase it in the official statement."

"Understood, Sir."

The staffer offered no further objections. Giving a nudge was part of his job—but interfering with orders was not.

Soon after, a new public notice was issued across the city and sent to the other three satellite cities for reference. The contents mirrored Mike's instructions, even tightening a few clauses. Notably, civilian teams were entirely excluded from the initial phase of exploration.

Dongfang Zhiyuan understood Mike's intention well. Mike wanted the lion's share of the resources, and Dongfang wasn't about to get in his way. He didn't care much for strategy anyway—he was content playing the role of a loyal subordinate unless Mike specifically asked for input.

There was no backlash within Nanjing. The city's residents were almost all loyalists who had followed Mike since the First Apocalypse. Their trust in him ran deep. In fact, many were relieved that they didn't have to face the dangers of the apocalypse themselves and were more than happy to leave the new dungeon exploration to official forces.

As for gifted individuals who were eager to grow stronger, most had already been recruited into official military divisions through previous rounds of talent reshuffling and recruitment. These units would also be deployed to the new zones as part of the first-wave teams.

"Let's see what kind of resources this new dungeon yields,"Mike said, switching his focus to the field teams."If any of the loot isn't valuable enough for personal development, we'll add it to the contribution system pool."

The first wave of exploration squads was deployed swiftly—ten teams in total.

Five of the squads were composed entirely of elite personnel from Mike's internal network, led by the likes of Qin Dashan and Wang Shi. These teams had no awakened talents among them, relying solely on highly trained operatives.

The remaining five squads were a mix of gifted individuals and specialized units, led by people like Chen Dafeng and Wang Daniu, with support from Mike's forces. This dual-structure approach allowed them to better assess the dungeon's traits and threat levels and gather intelligence for optimizing future deployments.

One particularly noteworthy figure was Chen Dafeng.

He didn't need to be part of the exploration teams. After all, he'd recently been awarded the Disaster Hero Medal and was currently enjoying sky-high popularity. His rank and status were well above what was typically required for frontline expeditions.

But Chen Dafeng was never one to sit still. After the Battle of Dantu, the four cities entered a period of rapid growth and relative peace. With no wars to fight, he grew restless. Dungeon expeditions were his way of scratching that itch.

Mike paid close attention to the perspectives of Chen Dafeng and Wang Shi as the squads moved out. These two represented the two key factions—awakened talents and internal elites. Each group entered a different restricted zone and soon came into contact with the mysterious Specters of the Undead.

It was worth noting that this name was not given by the system itself. Unlike clearly defined dungeons like the "Gate of Riddles" or the "Phantom Mist Labyrinth," this one had no official designation. The term was coined by local observers based on its appearance.

The "Specters of the Undead" were floating, bubble-like structures—each over two meters tall—found in zones where hordes of undead once gathered. These iridescent spheres shimmered like soap bubbles under sunlight, deceptively beautiful on the surface.

But up close, their true nature became apparent.

Inside the bubbles were densely packed, miniature undead—like tiny figurines or movie props. Each one bore a twisted, screaming face, many frozen in the act of lunging at their prey.

"Looks like something meant to scare kids. They're already dead—can't they let go and stop haunting people?"

Chen Dafeng scoffed, standing before one of the massive bubbles with an unimpressed look. Since the Battle of Dantu, he'd grown more arrogant than ever, convinced that nothing could match him.

After all, he had once touched divinity, experiencing a temporary state of perfect control over time and his own form—a moment of godhood he'd never forget.

"That's right! A newbie dungeon like this? Piece of cake for our Captain Chen!"

"Captain, should we go for a full-clear speedrun? Maybe set the first record in the city?"

"Tch, city record? Don't insult the man—this is global first-clear level, at least!"

The people behind Chen Dafeng were his old comrades from the Little White Bear Shelter—a team of experienced fighters. They laughed and joked, showering him with flattery.

Chen Dafeng basked in their praise, gave a confident smirk, and waved his hand.

"Alright, move in. Time to get to work!"