What do you mean I'm a ghost story?

Chapter 48 Within seven steps
"That kid's gone silent. Even we can't hold on, so he certainly can't!"

"Viper! Should we retreat first! Host 22 has clearly mutated!"

"That's right! This mirror demon has mutated. If it advances further, we won't be able to retrieve it, and we might even lose our lives here!"

Da da da! Da da da!
The intense gunfire never stopped.

The combined firepower of the five easily tore apart the surging clones of the little girl.

But Viper and his companions were now in grave danger.

What makes them this way is not the flood of clones.

Instead, it was the occasional bursts of golden light that swept in.

The card, which appeared out of nowhere, possessed kinetic energy no less than that of a small-caliber bullet, and was incredibly sharp.

More importantly, they come in large numbers.

Already facing the onslaught of the Mirror Demon clones, they also had to constantly guard against the deadly golden card, instantly increasing the pressure several times over.

If they hadn't been wearing bulletproof protective gear, the interwoven barrage of fire would have swept away many of them, and they would probably have already suffered casualties.

Even so, the group was injured one after another by the sudden card attacks, which made the mirror demon clone even more violent.

The rampaging clones surrounded them, making it impossible for them to move an inch.

Unable to advance, unable to find cover, and constantly harassed by cards.

The two went back and forth, creating a vicious cycle.

However, at the same time, Xia Qing was also questioning the meaning of life.

"It shouldn't be..."

The Viper and his companions' patience was something that made him somewhat wary.

Although sound-based positioning cannot guarantee a fatal hit, the Money Dart technique relies on quantity, and its power is definitely not weak when combined with a small amount of demon-dispelling golden light.

Even now, Viper and his group still haven't shown any intention of using any special methods.

The only thing that's unusual about them is their firearms and bulletproof tactical vests.

But that should be a nightmare artifact.

The effect is merely a slight increase in protective capabilities; the firearms and ammunition possess a few special effects.

Judging from the noise, they were already in grave danger, with many injured and wounded.

They were even able to refrain from revealing their supernatural abilities.

They didn't even reveal whether what they possessed was immortal cultivation magic or martial arts superpowers.

That's cunning, that's patience.

Xia Qing had only one thought at that moment—this child must not be allowed to live!
Boom!

A deafening explosion.

A large hole was blown open in the second-floor slab of the villa.

Amidst the billowing dust and flying debris, Viper and his group jumped directly down from the large hole.

Their well-trained and standard tactical maneuvers rendered the height of a single floor insignificant.

After landing, they rolled once, bursting out of the dust and mist. They went their separate ways, spreading out to control their surroundings while simultaneously providing crossfire cover.

As a result, they ran right into Xia Qing, who reacted quickly and had just tackled and covered Zhang Hai and Grandpa Zhang before getting up.

"You're not dead yet?"

The viper's expression changed drastically upon seeing Xia Qing.

Almost instantly, the same thought as Xia Qing arose in his mind.

This child cannot be kept!

Kaka!

He jumped down because the floor slab was blown up directly.

The group was not far from Xia Qing and her two companions.

In addition, there was the time it took to tackle Zhang Hai and the other man and to turn over.

As soon as Xia Qing stood up, she was targeted by five dark assault rifles from all directions.

Viper, at the latest, pressed an assault rifle directly against his head. "Don't shoot! Let's talk this out! What do you want? Money? Or something like this? Take whatever you want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone!"

When Zhang Hai and Grandpa Zhang got up and saw this scene, their expressions changed drastically.

At this moment, Zhang Hai showed remarkable responsibility, even attempting to smooth things over when faced with five dark gun barrels.

Unfortunately, the five Viper members remained unmoved, only sending one of them to move the gun barrel away and point it at Zhang Hai.

"What do you want? You want my life!"

The burly man in camouflage who had previously met Xia Qing with Viper was the one who moved the gun to Zhang Hai.

Hearing Zhang Hai's words, he merely gave a cold laugh.

Zhang Hai, with a gun pointed at him, broke out in a cold sweat instantly and instinctively raised his hands. Upon hearing these words, his face turned ashen.

"Hehe, dogs fighting, so much fun."

At this moment, clones of the little girl jumped down from various places or gathered around.

However, instead of surging forward as before, they stood aside, watching the show with smiles.

They had the exact same faces and clothes.

A unified, resonant tone.

The laughter, which at first glance seemed normal, yet inexplicably felt fake.

For a moment, the scene became bizarre and eerie.

But compared to these mirror images...

For Xia Qing and his two companions, Viper and his men, along with the gleaming gun barrels, were clearly the most direct threats.

Firearms, no matter how small the caliber, start at the speed of sound.

At such close range, with someone practically touching your head, even the most elite soldier would be powerless to turn the tide.

"You lured me here just to kill me?"

With the situation already at this point, Xia Qing naturally no longer needed to pretend. After hearing what the camouflage-clad man had just said, he looked at Viper questioningly.

However, before Viper could speak, he denied it again: "No, there's also Zhang Hai. He's insignificant, but you deliberately kept him here, so our deaths are good for you."

As if he had just thought of something, his eyes grew even colder: "Or rather, it would be better for you to die here."

Otherwise, it doesn't make sense why they would go to such lengths to bring him here.

Given the sheer number and firepower of Viper's forces, it seems unlikely that they would have used Nightmare's Hand merely as a test.

So, what good would it do Viper and his men if they, especially him, died here?
What's special about Zhang Hai's home?

There is only one answer—a nightmare.

Oh, they call it ghost stories, mirror spirits.

Given that these nightmares actively attack or hunt humans, it's highly likely that human deaths provide some kind of benefit to the nightmares.

Therefore, we can draw the following conclusion.

—The vipers are likely actively feeding, or even raising, nightmares.

The purpose is unclear, and while other details are scarce and difficult to guess, one thing is quite obvious.

The origin of nightmares.

Since killing Nightmares grants the Source, and the Source can enhance items and create Nightmare Artifacts with certain abilities.

Then this source of nightmares becomes a high-value, precious commodity that is enough to stimulate people's greed.

It could even be a stepping stone to advancement.

After all, regardless of the circumstances, this is something that allows people to possess certain supernatural powers.

"You're smarter than I thought."

Upon hearing Xia Qing's words, Viper's expression turned completely cold, revealing his murderous intent without any attempt to conceal it. He also made no further attempt to give Xia Qing a chance to extract information or struggle.

"Haven't you heard the saying?"

Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Xia Qing suddenly spoke, then chuckled softly, answering her own question: "Within seven steps..."

(End of this chapter)