Faint spots began to appear on the skin of some of the team members. At first, Xiao Yi thought they were just dirt picked up during their difficult escape, or perhaps just scrapes. After all, they had been navigating this dusty and thorny landscape. However, as time slowly and relentlessly passed, the spots gradually became more distinct. Xiao Yi examined them closely, and a wave of astonishment washed over him. They resembled strange scales. The texture of these scales was delicate yet eerie, emitting an unsettling luster. They were unevenly distributed across the team members' skin, some as small as fingernails, others as large as coins. The edges of the scales were slightly raised, as if they could fall off at any moment, yet they remained firmly attached to their skin. The team members themselves noticed something strange, reaching out to touch the gradually clearing scales, their eyes filled with fear and confusion. They tried to wipe them with their sleeves, but it was no use. The scales remained stubbornly, showing a tendency to spread. Xiao Yi watched this scene, and his worries grew heavier. He didn't know what these strange scales meant, and he didn't know what unknown dangers this would bring to their escape.

"What the hell is going on?" Xiao Yi pondered, gazing at the increasingly distinct, strange scales on his team members' skin. His eyes were filled with confusion and anxiety, his thoughts tangled like a tangled mess. Xiao Yi replayed everything they had experienced along the way, searching for a clue to explain this strange phenomenon. He tried to recall whether they had come into contact with any unusual substance or encountered some unknown radiation. But images flashed through his mind, none of them matching the situation before him. A sense of foreboding washed over him like a cold tide. It felt heavy and oppressive, like a huge rock pressing down on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. Xiao Yi knew that on this perilous escape, any abnormality could be a fatal threat. And these inexplicable scales before him could be the prelude to a catastrophe of magnitude. His heartbeat grew increasingly rapid, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. "Don't panic, you must stay calm!" Xiao Yi warned himself in his heart, but the ominous premonition followed him like a shadow, making it difficult for him to calm down.

A Mysterious Illness: As night slowly descended like a thick black curtain, shrouding the world in a profound darkness, the team finally, after countless hardships, found a dilapidated warehouse to temporarily shelter in. Standing alone in the wilderness, overgrown with weeds, the warehouse appeared particularly desolate. The walls were crumbling, their exterior covered in cracks and rust from the ravages of time. The creaking, rickety door spoke of its past. The team members, weary and cautious, entered the warehouse. A stale, musty smell, mingled with a faint chemical odor, was pungent. Dim light filtered through the broken windows, casting hazy shadows. A pile of discarded debris lay in the corners of the warehouse: worn wooden boxes, rusted tools, and scattered papers, all telling of its former bustling past and its current desolation. The ground was covered in dust and gravel, and every step raised a small puff of dust. The team members found a relatively clean corner and sat down to rest. Their faces were filled with fatigue and worry. No one knew what difficulties would come next, nor how long this dilapidated warehouse could provide them with shelter.

Xiao Yi pulled a lighter from his backpack and carefully ignited a pile of dead branches and leaves he had gathered beforehand. The bonfire blazed, the flickering flames illuminating everyone's weary faces, offering a moment's respite in the warmth. By the firelight, his gaze, eager and focused, scrutinized the changes in his teammates. His gaze shifted from one to the next, meticulously examining every detail. He saw that the spots on some had darkened, and the strange scales seemed to be growing, their edges becoming increasingly sharp. Others' skin had become red and swollen from the appearance of the scales, and some had even begun to bleed, a startling sight. Xiao Yi's brow furrowed further, his mind a tangle of worry. He leaned in closer to examine the troubling symptoms up close, the flickering light from the firelight on his face adding to his solemn expression. He gently touched the scales on one of his teammates' arms, feeling the hard, unfamiliar texture, his fingers trembling slightly. Xiao Yi bit his lip, thinking quickly about how to deal with the situation in his mind, but the mysterious situation before him made him feel extremely difficult and he had no idea what to do.

The scales not only appeared on a few individuals but also began to spread with a terrifying intensity. Initially, they were scattered across the arms and legs of individual team members, but soon, like vines, these strange scales spread recklessly and recklessly. Tiny scales began to appear on previously smooth necks, like a demon hidden in the darkness, gradually revealing its hideous features. Faint spots appeared on some people's cheeks, gradually revealing the beginnings of scales, distorting their once vibrant features into a horrifying look. Even their backs and abdomens, hidden by clothing, were not spared. As the team members checked on each other, they were horrified to see that the strange scales were spreading from their initial appearance to every corner of their bodies. As if possessing a will of their own, they greedily ate away at every inch of their skin. Layers of scales formed on the joints of some team members' fingers, making their movements stiff and difficult. What's even more terrifying is that those areas that were originally just small areas have now been connected into large pieces of scales, which are flashing with a creepy cold light under the light of the fire.

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