"..."
Chen Fan swiftly scanned the group of stragglers that rushed by the city wall through the west of the camp. After these Flesh-Worm Ghosts charged into the gray fog, the agonized expressions on their human-like faces shifted back into the cheerful demeanor they had shown at the start.
But it wasn't over yet!
Flesh-Worm Ghosts continued pouring into the camp without end, and within the gray fog, a multitude of them were tumbling along. More and more emerged from the Perpetual Night, surging into the gray fog. It was unknown how many were yet to come.
He stood beside the Level 3 Archery Tower with runes inscribed on its crossbow mechanism, and showing no hesitation, inserted another Eerie Stone into the recess. He waited patiently for a few seconds until enough Flesh-Worm Ghosts entered the range of the Arrow Storm before activating the skill once more.
Arrow Storm!
The runes on the crossbow lit up again, floating and encircling the Archery Tower.
Countless arrows of light shot into the sky, raining down like a storm, obliterating the Flesh-Worm Ghosts within the area amid the raging tempest!
They had eighteen Eerie Stones left.
He glanced at the remainder of his Eerie Stones—enough to employ the Arrow Storm eighteen more times at most.
The Arrow Storm required a complete Eerie Stone. The one originally in the Archery Tower had been partially consumed and could no longer fuel the skill, so he had removed it and placed it on the stone pavement of the wall walk.
One.
Two.
Three.
This rudimentary-looking camp displayed remarkable resilience amid the storm. The repeated Arrow Storms slaughtered the Flesh-Worm Ghosts that trespassed the camp, as a pack of wolves would sheep!
The scene was truly awe-inspiring.
Yet, none of them, including Chen Fan, wore a smile. Their faces were grim, for they all understood—the Eerie Stones were running out...
Only six Eerie Stones remained.
Enough for six more Arrow Storms.
Yet, the Flesh-Worm Ghosts continued to surge endlessly from the Perpetual Night into the gray fog, and from the fog into the camp!
Thirty-seven years ago, the rainy season arrived early, and an Eerie Tide ravaged the land.
Camps on the wasteland were wiped out entirely.
Rivernorth City fell, its people perishing, with scarcely one in a thousand surviving.
This history was known to everyone present, even carved in their minds. Those with elders who had survived could hear firsthand about the cruelty and despair of that rainy season thirty-seven years ago.
But...
Hearing about it was one thing.
Witnessing it firsthand brought a far clearer understanding.
At this moment.
Everyone present had come to grasp what an Eerie Tide meant—an endless stream of Eerie Creatures, like a tide, launched a fearless, relentless charge until the camp was destroyed.
And it was at this moment that they finally realized that, even with an architect as their reliance, surviving the rainy season—especially one that arrived early—was almost an impossible hope.
This was a dead end.
Certain death.
"Thud."
A faint, dull thud echoed, the sound of a stray Flesh-Worm Ghost colliding with the city wall. The fleshy sphere instantly shattered, its green, viscous liquid corroding the wall ceaselessly.
No one could remember how many stragglers there had been.
The fifth? Or the sixth?
Even with the Arrow Storm, there had been an occasional, stray Flesh-Worm Ghost slipping through and crashing into the city wall.
They had held on long enough.
But instead of hope, they were met with utter despair.
At first, the number of Flesh-Worm Ghosts wasn't overwhelming, but soon the Eerie Tide swelled in both number and breadth. They could only kill those charging toward the city wall, while on the western side, countless more Flesh-Worm Ghosts rolled through the camp and into the darkness beyond.
This was the same side from which the female Eerie Creature had launched her assault earlier.
They were at the edge of this Eerie Tide.
A closer look would reveal.
The entire western gray fog was now filled with Flesh-Worm Ghosts, and no other Eerie Creatures were seen among them. Like a plague of locusts, they swept through the camp.
The eastern side, however, had only a few stragglers.
These Flesh-Worm Ghosts weren't targeting the camp.
More of them surged from the gray fog and darkness outside the camp, marching past it and advancing deeper into the Perpetual Night. The camp was merely caught in the crossfire. These Flesh-Worm Ghosts didn't even intend to kill them, yet even so, they were pushed to the brink of certain death.
"Can we hide in a tunnel?"
Chen Fan inserted another Eerie Stone into the Archery Tower, his tone slightly hurried. "Abandon the camp. These Flesh-Worm Ghosts don't seem to attack us, and other Eerie Creatures won't approach while they're passing. Hide in a tunnel, wait for them to pass, and then build a new Eerie Fire."
"Impossible."
Wang Kui quickly dismissed the plan. "An architect cannot forge an Eerie Fire in the Perpetual Night."
He didn't know why the Station Master was unaware of this, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
"I'll go!"
Qiu Junior stepped forward again, gazing up at the Arrow Storm shooting into the sky for what felt like the hundredth time. His hands gripped the hem of his clothes, his knuckles white from the force. He spoke rapidly, "Many Flesh-Worm Ghosts have died. There are Eerie Stones scattered below."
"I'll go out and throw the Eerie Stones inside the wall."
"Earlier, during the night talk, I didn't say what my wish was. I want to go home and see. Brother Wang knows where my home is. If there's a chance, take my ashes back and bury them under the big locust tree at the village entrance."
Qiu Junior had stepped forward once more.
This time was different from the last.
The Flesh-Worm Ghosts in the Eerie Tide were staggering in number. When the Arrow Storm fell, there was indeed a brief moment of respite, but that gap would soon be filled by the Eerie Creatures from behind.
Only an instant.
It was not enough for a trip back before one would be swamped by the oncoming Flesh-Worm Ghosts.
In that fleeting moment, Qiu Junior could only quickly gather a dozen or so Eerie Stones, stuff them into a sack, and hurl it inside.
The Eerie Stones might enter the city, but the person would not.
If the previous mission was extremely dangerous, this one was a suicide mission.
As soon as the words were spoken, Zhou Mo, who had been standing silently nearby, suddenly patted Qiu Junior on the shoulder. He shoved the large blade he had been holding into Qiu Junior's arms, his expression calm as he said, "You're still young. Keep this blade safe. It's been with me for many years."
Without waiting for the others to react, he vaulted over the parapet in the pouring rain, landing steadily on the wasteland outside the city wall.
At that very moment, the Arrow Storm had just rained down.
A brief vacuum opened up in front of the city wall. Without wasting a second, Zhou Mo strode over the puddles of green, viscous liquid, ignoring the searing burns, stumbling as he quickly gathered Eerie Stones into a cloth bag. He glanced up at the horde of Flesh-Worm Ghosts rushing toward him.
A flicker of fear flashed uncontrollably in his eyes.
Taking a deep breath, he mustered all his strength, roaring as he hurled the bag of Eerie Stones in.
Then, as if all his energy had drained away, he stood still, lifting his eyes at the unrelenting rain overhead. Holding his head high, he spread his arms, closed his eyes, and waited for death, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
It had been a long time since he'd smiled like this.
"Not bad. I fulfilled a dream before dying."
"Finally got to be a hero."
"Feels good."