The sky, once only gray, now seemed as if someone had poured ink into it—growing darker and heavier by the minute. Susie and I crouched at a firing port atop the city wall, an AK-47 propped up before us, two large boxes of ammunition at our feet.
Even with the Dreamborn hauling supplies every night, there were only about three hundred of them. Each night, they made the trip back and forth, bringing in box after box of ammunition. We had enough weapons, but the bullets were far from sufficient.
Nathan Ouyang had vanished; I hadn't seen him since the afternoon. But knowing John Chou was watching that old man gave me a measure of peace.
Torches flared to life along the city wall, their wavering flames casting an eerie glow on Susie's resolute profile. Her eyes burned, fixed on the distance.
"Aren't you afraid?" I asked quietly. Susie shook her head, then hesitated and nodded.
"Even if I am, it doesn't matter," Susie replied. "My parents died when I was thirteen, during the great invasion. But now I know—they didn’t truly die. They became Dream Wraiths. They're out there somewhere. Maybe I’ll see them again."
Hope flickered across Susie's face in her smile. I nodded, gathered a handful of magazines, and placed them on the wall.
Gripping the AK-47, I felt anxiety claw at me. It was my first time using a gun. I’d once wondered if I could condense Deathbane Aura into a firearm—like a pistol—to shoot, thinking maybe it would be more powerful. But it was impossible. Creating modern weapons from Deathbane Aura was beyond me.
A distant rumble echoed—faint, but clear. The Dream Wraiths had appeared, and midnight had already passed.
Though the view was blurred, we could already see the distant woods, now completely stained gray. A vast mass of gray was creeping closer, inch by inch.
The city gate below had been blocked with stones, reinforced until it was utterly impassable. Over the past few days, more than a hundred barricades had been erected outside, stacked up to fifty meters out and hammered into the ground.
Stones were piled high at the base of the city wall too—all to keep the Dream Wraiths from breaking through easily.
The gray tide drew nearer. I could make out Dream Wraiths of other colors mixed within. But after watching for a long while, I still saw no Red Wraiths. I had no idea why the Red Wraiths hadn’t come.
It was probably Martin Ouyang working behind the scenes. Otherwise, the Red Wraiths would have only one goal: Nathan Ouyang’s Endbringer Shard.
With a clatter, I saw a resident drop his gun nearby. He screamed, raw terror in his voice. Now it was clear—the Dream Wraiths were beyond counting, thundering toward us like a stampede.
It began—a chorus of clattering as guns slipped from trembling hands. Not just one or two, but a whole crowd dropped their weapons in fear.
"Pick up your weapons! Get ready to fire!" Henry Cole bellowed, raising his gun and firing into the sky. When some residents still trembled, he strode over and forced their hands back onto their guns.
The Dream Wraiths were nearly at the barricades now—less than a hundred meters away, closing in step by step.
Fear had rooted itself deep in everyone around me. Even Susie, at my side, trembled. It was obvious—even a fool could see—that our weapons stood no chance against the Dream Wraiths, who outnumbered us ten thousand to one.
At that moment, my only thought was this: as long as Nolan survived, as long as we could hold out until the third day, Nathan Ouyang would hand over the shard. He might not say it, but I knew he was desperate, probably hiding somewhere, unable to face the fact that this city might not last even a single day.
An unsettling sound broke the tense silence.
"I'm not fighting anymore—let's run!" someone shouted.
Finally, someone snapped under the pressure, dropped their weapon, and tried to flee down the tower. Two sharp gunshots rang out—he clutched his chest, blood blooming where the bullets pierced him.
It was Henry Cole. He executed the would-be deserter without hesitation. The resident struggled, then turned to dust and vanished.
"Anyone else thinking of running? This is your fate." Henry Cole stood guard alone, gun raised at us and the residents. The others looked furious.
Far off, a series of bangs rang out. The first wave of Gray Wraiths crashed into the barricades at full speed, dying instantly, dissolving into clouds of white smoke and dust.
But with their overwhelming numbers, the Dream Wraiths charged madly, smashing through one barricade after another. I saw many Violet and Green Wraiths—larger than the gray, but agile and fast.
Closer and closer: thirty meters, twenty, ten.
"Shoot!"
Henry Cole shouted, and in an instant, a barrage of gunfire erupted. I squeezed the trigger, sending a hail of bullets into the Dream Wraiths swarming below the wall—dozens fell at once.
My hands shook from the recoil. The gunfire faded, my magazine emptied. Still, the Dream Wraiths surged, wave after wave, to the base of the wall.
A massive Green Wraith—three meters tall, broad and powerful—swung its fists and charged the gate.
Gunfire erupted again. I noticed something: even when shot, the Violet Wraiths kept moving unless hit repeatedly. They wouldn’t go down easily.
With so many Dream Wraiths, accuracy was meaningless—just keep the muzzle steady and sweep the area below.
The Green Wraiths were the real problem now—bullets couldn’t penetrate their tough bodies, only leaving dents on the surface.
Inside the city, the residents seemed to have gone mad, firing and reloading nonstop. I no longer sensed their fear—only a twisted, feverish excitement.
After reloading, I aimed at the first Green Wraith—its massive frame barreled into the gate, sending stones flying. The piles at the entrance were easily smashed aside.
My gaze locked onto the gate. Suddenly, shouts rose from my right—I spun, swung my gun, and fired.
Gray and Violet Wraiths clawed at the wall, climbing up in droves. The AK-47s mowed down a batch, but more followed, relentless, almost over the top.
We still had to reload. Whenever we did, Dream Wraiths would reach the surface of the wall—now less than five meters away. In my panic, my AK-47 slipped from my hands and fell off the wall.
On the left side, near the tower, a terrified scream rang out. I turned and saw a Violet Wraith scale the wall, jaws wide, snatching a resident and biting off his entire head. Moments later, the creature was riddled with bullets.
Gray Wraiths leapt onto the wall from my right, plunging the whole rampart into chaos.
Residents died one after another. I dropped my AK-47, grabbed a knife like the Dreamborn, and charged forward. The first Dream Wraith that climbed up—I swung without mercy, severing its head.
Gunfire faded as more Dream Wraiths flooded the wall. Something was wrong. Down at the gate, repeated thuds echoed—Green Wraiths, and a single Yellow Wraith, short but brimming with power, took turns battering the city gate.
The gate, made of iron and wood, splintered with every powerful blow. After killing several Gray Wraiths, I glanced around—just as a Violet Wraith lunged at Susie. I rushed over, but she thrust her gun forward and finished it off.
I hesitated, unsure what to do. If I used Deathbane Aura, it would damage this world—Red Path had warned me clearly. As I wavered, more than ten Dream Wraiths flew at me from the front.
I raised my knife and slashed at a Gray Wraith, splitting it in two. All around, Dream Wraiths began devouring Dreamborn and residents one by one. As I hesitated, four or five of them, claws bared, lunged at me.
"Ethan!" Susie cried out.
My head rang—a piercing buzz.
"Don't want to kill them? Then you'll die, Ethan Zhang."
I roared, obeying my instincts. Deathbane Aura burst from my body—spikes formed and pierced through two or three dozen Dream Wraiths. Then I leapt up, landing atop the wall, and jumped down toward the ground below.
Black Deathbane Aura gathered in my hands, condensing and stretching until it became a massive, three-meter-long sword. I raised the blade, shouting as I spread my wings and swung at the Dream Wraiths battering the gate.