I can see experience bars after being transported to another world.

Chapter 193 The Ghoul Tide

A group.

Two groups.

The base of the third set of barricades was visibly crooked.

"I can't hold on any longer!"

A night watchman's voice trembled.

Lu Yuan emptied the magazine, his right hand pushed open the ejector, and his left hand was already reaching for bullets from the ammunition belt.

Six silver-plated bullets were loaded into the magazine.

They closed their arms and raised their guns.

But he knew that he was running out of bullets.

Even the barricades weren't enough.

Just as the defense line was about to collapse.

Light came on in the distance.

It's a city wall.

On the massive bronze wall at the junction of the inner and outer cities, alchemical runes, inscribed for countless years, are now lighting up one by one.

A deep blue light surged from the runes, spreading rapidly along the surface of the city wall, burning from the bottom to the top.

Then the light spilled out of the city walls.

It spreads outward along the copper structure on the ground, like blood being re-infused into dried-up blood vessels.

The copper ground itself has no runes, but it can serve as a carrier.

The power of the city wall was transmitted throughout the area via copper.

Extremely fast.

Within seconds, the eerie blue light spread from afar to the foot of the position, from the position to the barricades, and from the barricades to the edge of the cave entrance.

Lu Yuan raised his head.

Not just under your feet.

On the distant horizon, a deep blue light is rising from the ground.

One, two, three...

They burst forth from different parts of the city wall, piercing straight into the night sky, as if someone had simultaneously lit several enormous bronze torches in the darkness.

There are at least three known collapses in the inner city, and several more in the north and southwest of the outer city.

But there were seven beams of light, more than any number he knew.

and...

The two beams of light from the inner city were noticeably thicker and brighter than the others.

The brightness even overshadowed the outline of the city wall itself, turning the sky into a deep blue dome.

That's a strength that can't be forced out by a small collapse.

Lu Yuan's heart sank.

The runes on the city walls weren't lit for them.

The inner city couldn't hold out any longer.

The pressure over there was so great that it triggered a full response from the rune system, and their direction was merely affected by it.

How many holes are there beneath the Bronze City?

Lu Yuan sensed the change beneath his feet.

The copper floor is heating up.

It's not the scorching heat of flames, but a gentle yet irresistible temperature that permeates from the inside out.

The ghouls that were charging at the barricades stopped in their tracks at the same time.

The suppressive effect of copper was amplified several times by the power of the city wall runes.

It's no longer just a burning sensation upon contact.

It's not a complete crushing defeat within the coverage area.

The bodies of the ghouls hanging on the barricades at the very front began to melt.

It wasn't the instantaneous disintegration that occurs when a guardian strikes, but rather a slow, continuous dissolution.

The grayish-red muscle tissue peeled off layer by layer.

They screamed as they let go, crashing to the ground, their limbs convulsing, large patches of charred black spots appearing on their skin, the edges of which continued to spread inwards.

hiss hiss hiss...

The sounds came from all directions at the same time.

Every ghoul stepping on the bronze surface had smoke rising from its feet.

They roared and lifted one foot, but the other foot was also burning.

Unable to stand still, unable to run away.

Some ghouls tried to jump up to reduce the contact area, but the burning was even more intense the moment they landed, burning through the skin and flesh of their entire feet to reveal the grayish-white bones underneath.

At the edge of the cave entrance, the ghouls that were crawling out also stopped.

The eerie blue light traveled along the copper structure to the cracked edge of the cave entrance, and the gray-red figures clinging to the cave walls began to fall.

One.

Ten.

Dozens.

The greyish-red figures clinging to the cave walls began to fall...like locusts stripped of their skin, swarming downwards.

The ghouls that had already rushed out of the cave were also retreating.

They roared and struggled, pushing and shoving each other, retreating frantically towards the cave entrance.

Those who ran slowly collapsed to the ground, their bodies still melting, their limbs twitching, until finally only a pool of steaming, dark brown pus remained.

The marks left by the guardians were the same as those left after they made their move.

It's just much slower.

The giant ghoul, which had been severely injured by the combined efforts of the two incarnates, was not spared either.

Its skin cracked even deeper under the power transmitted from the runes.

The one-armed newborn still held onto it without letting go.

The short spikes churned inside its head, and with the burning of the copper, the ghoul's body finally stopped convulsing.

The ground shook when I fell.

The gunfire stopped.

The roaring stopped.

Only the low hum of runes on the distant city walls and the slight hissing of marching lights in the night wind remained.

Everyone on the position was panting heavily.

Bor slumped behind the bunker, while the two respawned creatures stiffly returned to the left side of the position.

One of them had its left arm completely deformed, and its right arm was broken off below the elbow, leaving only a short thorn.

But it remained standing, its bird-beak mask facing the cave entrance, motionless.

It was as if nothing had happened.

[Environmental Awareness: Copper detected... Rune activated... Target rune power is fading...]

Lu Yuan raised his head and looked at the city wall in the distance.

The pale blue light was indeed dimming.

It flickered on and off, like a light bulb with insufficient power.

Lu Yuan gripped the revolver tightly.

My gaze went beyond the barricades and toward the cave entrance.

There was silence for about ten seconds inside the cave.

Then the roar rang out again.

It's even denser than before.

I'm even angrier than before.

The first claw climbed back onto the edge of the hole.

Then came the second one.

The tenth one.

The twentieth one.

They're here again.

The runes on the distant city wall were still flashing.

But it's getting darker and darker.

The runes were still darkening.

In the blink of an eye, the gray-red claws at the edge of the cave entrance had already climbed onto the ground.

When the first ghoul emerged from the cave, faint wisps of blue smoke were still rising from its body—the residual heat from the copper ground.

But it didn't fall down like it had before.

The power transmitted by the runes was not enough to melt it; at most, it only slowed its movements for a moment.

Then the second one.

The third... they surged out of the cave faster than the first wave.

And they have changed.

The first group that charged forward did not attempt to ram the barricades.

They pounced on it.

With limbs outstretched, his entire body slammed against the copper spikes and wire mesh.

hiss hiss hiss...

The skin charred on the copper spikes, the muscle tissue was burned through, and black blood flowed down the copper spikes.

They were screaming in agony.

But there was no struggle.

There was no attempt to climb over, no attempt to retreat.

It just hung there on the barricade, motionless.

He covered the copper spikes with his own body.

"They're acting as cushions!" Bor's voice suddenly rose, a look of astonishment appearing on his face.

The second row of ghouls followed closely behind.

They stepped over the corpses of their own kind, over the still-smoking carcasses, and climbed over the top of the barricade.

The copper spikes were covered by flesh and blood.

The copper wire mesh collapsed under the weight of the corpse.

The barricades are still there, but they are no longer an obstacle.

At the same time, problems also arose on both flanks.

The chevaux-de-frise arc is only sixty meters long, with open ends.

The ghouls circled around from both ends of the arc, heading straight for the bunker along the base of the textile workshop wall.

"Left wing! Left wing is here!"

A night watchman shouted anxiously.

Lu Yuan turned his head.

Three ghouls rushed in from the left end, less than thirty meters from the bunker.

But what's even more unsettling is the front.

As the ghouls continued to die, the bronze on the ground was gradually covered, and the ghouls regained their ability to jump.

It's not the kind of jump that involves vaulting over; it's a running start followed by taking off into the air, flying over the top of the barricade, over the copper wire mesh, and landing directly inside the position.

Their hind limbs are far stronger than humans can imagine. Their hunched bodies fully unfold at the moment of takeoff, and their gray-red bodies streak through the beams of the marching lights, like a lump of flesh flying out of the darkness.

boom.

The first one landed five meters in front of the bunker, denting the bronze ground.

The moment it landed, it pounced on the nearest Night's Watchman.

Bang. Bang.

The second one. The third one.

They fell into the enemy's territory one after another.

The front is paved with fleshy pads, the two flanks flank and encircle, and there are also jumping attacks overhead.

A pincer attack from three sides.

Bolt reacted extremely quickly, raising his short-range shotgun and firing a shot straight at the head.

The copper-cased incendiary bomb hit its shoulder, and blue-white alchemical flames exploded on the wound, instantly setting half of its body ablaze.

But it didn't stop.

The ghoul, engulfed in flames, continued its charge forward, crashing straight into the ammunition crates behind the defensive line.

"Get out of the way!"

Bohr shoved the Night's Watchman aside and rolled to the side.

The ghoul crashed to the ground, sparks from its burning body flying onto the tarpaulin of the ammunition box.

Bor drew his bronze sword and slashed down, the blade cutting into the ghoul's neck. With a hissing sound, the bronze burned the muscle tissue, but the keratin layer was too thick, and the slash failed to cut through it.

The ghoul swung its hand back and grabbed.

Bohr's left arm was slashed open, and blood spurted out.

"hiss--"

Bor gritted his teeth and didn't let go. Instead, he increased the force, and the bronze sword twisted in the gaps of the stratum corneum. Finally, with a "crack," half of his head tilted to the side.

Gunshots rang out behind them again.

The other two ghouls that circled in from the right flank were suppressed by fire, but their ammunition was running out too quickly.

Lu Yuan emptied the magazine and began reloading for the third time.

He counted the bullet belts at his waist.

Eighteen silver-plated bullets remain.

There are three copper-cased incendiary bombs left.

not enough.

Far from enough.

The runes on the city wall dimmed a little more.

It changed from the original deep blue to a murky bluish-gray, like an old bronze artifact covered in a layer of dust.

The scorching effect on the copper surface is now negligible.

The ghouls stepped on it, and only a wisp of smoke rose from their feet; it didn't even affect their running.

From the direction of the cave entrance, roars merged into one.

More than the first wave.

Faster than the first wave.

Lu Yuan raised his gun and aimed.

But he knew that this time the city wall runes wouldn't come to the rescue.

As for the guardians, it's unclear whether they will attack again. Right now, the only way to survive is to fight for their lives, either by running away or by risking their lives.

"The barricades are about to give way!"

The sound came from the very front of the defensive line.

The barricades on the front are no longer recognizable as they were originally.

Layer upon layer of ghoul corpses hung on it, the copper spikes were completely covered with flesh and blood, and the copper wire mesh was pressed into a charred carpet of flesh.

The ghouls behind them stepped over the corpses of their own kind and climbed over the defense line like they were going uphill.

The first set of barricades did not fall.

But it's pointless now.

It was completely buried by flesh and blood.

Ghouls surged in from above the pile of corpses.

"Copper powder!" Lu Yuan shouted.

The two watchmen threw the copper powder pot away.

The jar exploded amidst the ghouls, sending up a cloud of orange-red mist as fine copper dust rose.

The ghoul's skin was immediately covered with dense, scorching marks, as if it had been sprinkled with red-hot iron filings.

They screamed and rolled around, but their kind had already trampled over them and charged forward.

The effect of the copper powder lasted only a few seconds.

Corpses began to pile up in front of the second set of barricades.

Another ghoul pounced, hanging onto the copper spikes, its skin charred and its body convulsing, but it wouldn't let go.

The newborn, with a missing arm, stood there, his broken body like an iron wall.

Its nozzle emitted one last burst of blue flame before going out completely.

The newborn retracted its nozzle and spewed out short spikes from the base of its severed arm to meet the surging ghouls.

The short thorn pierced the throat of the first one, but the second one immediately pounced on its back.

The sharp teeth bit into the shoulder armor of the newborn, making the metal creak and rattle.

The third one circled around to the side, its claws tearing open the black robe around the waist of the newborn, revealing the deformed gears and connecting rods underneath.

The newborn made no sound.

It mechanically turned around and used its remaining short thorn to stab into the ghoul's eye socket.

But more are coming.

At the edge of Lu Yuan's field of vision, gray and white characters kept jumping around.

[Environmental awareness: The number of pollution sources continues to rise... Immediate evacuation is recommended...]

Lu Yuan ignored the frantically emerging notifications, because with the timer in hand, as long as he wanted to leave, the ghouls would not be able to stop him at their speed. However, Boer and the rest of the residents of the North Textile District would all become food for the ghouls.

Lu Yuan kept pulling the trigger.

A copper-cased incendiary bomb was fired into the open mouth of a ghoul, exploding from the back of its head, with blue-white alchemical flames surging from the depths of its throat.

There are three copper-cased bullets left.

Eighteen silver-plated bullets.

Boer retreated to Lu Yuan's side. His bronze sword was covered in black blood, and blood was dripping from the wound on his left arm, but he did not bandage it.

"Lu Yuan".

Bohr's voice was calm.

"I can't hold on."

This time there was neither fear nor wavering.

It was just an old soldier stating the facts.

Lu Yuan did not answer.

He looked towards the cave entrance.

Under the firelight, gray-red figures continued to surge forth.

It's like they can never kill them all.

The second set of barricades was also buried.

The front line of defense has been completely breached.

The Night Watchmen have reduced their firing rate to a minimum, carefully counting every bullet.