Chapter 477 Nightmare Strikes
Finally, the vanguard units by the wall seemed to have run out of ammunition, their firepower lessened. They immediately turned back to the plaza for supplies, while those behind them advanced.
As the firepower receded and the number of Nightmares rushing out from the dense fog increased, I could finally see their appearances more clearly.
They were a motley crew, all sorts of things. Black giant wolves, blood-red giant bats, and even humans wearing white robes, with smiles on their faces but unsettling white masks, holding silver, massive crosses that could be used as hammers.
There were also more unspeakable, bizarrely shaped creatures, some not even creatures but composites of inorganic matter, like postmodern art created by a clumsy artist.
Their movements were also peculiar. Many actions were impossible for humans, such as rotating their heads or upper bodies 360 degrees, or twitching like they were having seizures.
The most bizarre was their movement. Some emerged from fractured space, while others seemed to be strolling slowly, yet they would disappear in the blink of an eye and reappear elsewhere, as if video frames were dropped. Some crawled backward on the ground with their four limbs bent, moving incredibly fast.
I began to understand why they needed saturation fire. With such bizarre movements, it would be difficult for those without professional military training to hit these enemies without overwhelming firepower.
“Bang!” A gunshot suddenly rang in my ear. Jayad had fired. I looked at him in confusion; the enemy was not yet within optimal shooting range, and that shot had missed.
“Anyway, it’s not our money being spent, so we might as well use it. Let’s practice while there are still plenty of targets; it might be useful later,” Jayad said as he reloaded, taking aim and firing again.
He made a good point. Sometimes I overthink things about what’s reasonable. Actually, sometimes you don’t need to think so hard. Just like Older Brother Jayad, think about what’s beneficial to you first.
I also raised my gun and aimed, but just like Jayad, I missed. The accuracy of this peculiar hunting rifle was worrying, and reloading was also troublesome. I had to manually turn the wheel on the side to insert gunpowder, then disassemble the barrel to insert the bullet.
For someone like me, who was not skilled, reloading took at least half a minute, while a skilled person could do it in about ten seconds. It was far more difficult to use than the revolver I had in reality.
But the power was indeed immense. A single shot would invariably create a bloody hole in a Nightmare. However, having seen the power of the steam nail gun, I felt it was just so-so.
Those Nightmares had powerful vitality. They could withstand several shots without dying. Some even had their legs broken and could only crawl on the ground, or their bodies pierced by crossbow bolts or harpoons, yet they still steadfastly advanced toward the crowd until they were blown to pieces.
The giant wolves and blood bats, and the merfolk floating in mid-air were manageable. But the white-robed Nightmares that looked like clerics were perfectly human-shaped.
Seeing them battered and covered in wounds, with blood all over the ground, yet standing up and continuing to advance as if they felt no pain was a deeply unsettling and terrifying experience.
According to the intelligence we had previously gathered, Nightmares were monsters born from nightmares. Samantha had told us that where such monsters appeared, there must be corresponding dreamers.
Those giant wolves were likely the negative impressions of the townspeople towards jackalmen, more like enlarged and more ferocious versions of jackalmen. And those blood-red-eyed, tattered-winged giant bats were probably the vampire banshees from someone’s nightmare.
Considering the legend that werewolves and vampires are mortal enemies, I suspected these two types of Nightmares were the images of each other during their mutual nightmares.
The various schools of fish that appeared to be captured were the townspeople’s influence on the Kou Tao Mermen. As for the white-robed figures holding crosses, they were likely church personnel from the nightmares of jackalmen and vampires.
Because the Church’s Inquisition was dedicated to eradicating otherworldly beings, they often appeared in their nightmares. I did indeed see these Nightmares terrifying the surrounding townsfolk.
However, there was one thing that puzzled me: where were the Sh? I had seen the nightmare manifestations corresponding to vampire banshees, jackalmen, and Kou Tao Mermen, but I hadn’t seen the nightmare form of the Sh. Logically, insects should also be objects that easily evoke fear.
That is, until I saw a cockroach larger than a person fly out of the fog. Its oily black shell, its mandible-like mouth, and the long antennae on its head made me break down.
“Bang!” I fired. The cockroach was flying very fast; I couldn’t hit it. It was fine. I drew my magic wand and cast a fireball.
“Die!!!” The fireball flew out of town under my control and tracked the giant cockroach, setting it aflame with just a strange cry. It was still kicking its six legs on the ground as it fell.
Ah, that felt good. Creatures like cockroaches should indeed be exterminated. My hands were trembling from fear just now. Luckily, it didn’t fly in front of me.
Jayad looked at me inexplicably, not understanding why I had suddenly become so agitated, even using magic. Fortunately, there were also over a dozen mages using magic in the plaza, so I didn’t stand out too much.
Although the Nightmares were terrifying, Robin Town had a large population. With crisscrossing firepower, there was no need to worry about reloading, rate of fire, or accuracy. Eventually, some shots were bound to hit.
I also understood why many people preferred using crossbows. Inserting the bolt and drawing the string was indeed much faster than reloading this hunting rifle.
The jackalmen were enthusiastic about using crossbows, perhaps because operating a hunting rifle was too troublesome for their wolf claws.
The vampire banshees in the air could use higher-end, better flintlock guns. Unfortunately, their accuracy was also questionable due to their constant swaying while flying.
The Sh were still crouched on the ground in the plaza, seemingly with no intention of joining the fight. They were likely reserves. Judging by the current situation, Robin Town’s defense was quite stable.
“Be careful. These are just the vanguard’s probing attacks. The real main force of the Nightmares usually comes out a while later. It should be soon,” said a man beside me, standing on a rooftop. He had a stubbled face, wore a cowboy hat and leather clothes, and looked like a hunter.
“What? Those were just probing attacks?” I asked in surprise. It was already terrifying enough.
“They’re here! Everyone be careful!” Fabes shouted loudly at this time. The dense fog in front suddenly churned, and countless unspeakable Nightmares rushed out.
The first wave of Nightmares was shot to pieces, but the endless Nightmares behind them pushed them aside and continued to charge forward. Battling through the gunfire, they were just about to reach the palisade.
