Multiverse’s End

Chapter 55: Chapter 055 – Using the Face to Block Bullets

As night fell, the streetlights of Prosperity began to turn. Because all of the townspeople were hiding in the mall, only the streets of the town had any light.

While the streets were lit, many more areas were occupied by darkness. The giant spiders crossed from the other side of the street, traveling through darkness and light, their eight legs appearing and vanishing.

The rustling grew louder and louder, and the mall became deathly still. A scream or two would occasionally pierce through the skies, presumably some unfortunate soul who had decided to hide in some other place they felt safe instead of going to the mall.

Luo Su felt his scalp tingle as he watched the spiders surge out of the shadows. Their number was impossible to estimate, but he was certain that they outnumbered the population of the town.

Their numbers definitely exceeded four digits!

As he watched that flood of giant spiders rush toward the mall, Luo Su immediately grabbed his M4A1 and ordered Mike, “If the situation looks bad, find a closed space to hide. You understand the habits of spiders, so they shouldn’t be able to get you.”

“It’s fine. With this, I should be able to protect Ashley.” Mike took several bottles of perfume from his backpack. Spiders had an extremely well-developed sense of smell. Perfume could confuse them.

Luo Su took a bottle of perfume and stuffed it in his pocket, and then he nodded at Ashley before heading down to the first floor.

Just like Luo Su, many of the townspeople were saying their goodbyes before heading down to the first defense line to resist the spiders. The older ones said a prayer before taking up position by the windows and aiming down.

The town of Prosperity was very small and could not tolerate the coexistence of two apex predators. This was a law of nature that was in effect around the globe!

Everyone gripped their handguns, so tense that they even forgot to wipe away the sweat trickling into their eyes. Soft sobs began to punctuate the silence, and a sorrowful mood gripped the mall. Everyone wanted to protect their family, but in the current situation, the humans lacked the firepower, and the chances of victory looked grim.

“Dear God! So many giant spiders! What did they eat to get this big? I’m certain that there’s another ecosystem beneath the earth.”

“Impossible. These are definitely surface creatures, just ones that have mutated. If there was really an independent ecosystem underground, they would have been killed by various illnesses and bacteria as soon as they reached the surface.”

“Mutations!? What a laughable hypothesis. Can you explain how they got this big? Where’d they get the energy from?”

In this somber mood, two old professors began to argue. This argument on theories quickly escalated into one of the fists and harsh words.

The other researchers quickly came forward to pull the two apart. Even though the two old men were dragged away by their arms, they used their legs to kick at each other.

“Just you wait! Once I prove my theories, I’ll announce it to all of academia and call on everyone to reject fools like you!”

“Old thing, that’s what I was going to say!”

After the professors were pulled away, one of them tidied his clothes, took out his checkbook, and called out to the crowd, “I will pay 1000 dollars for each spider, double for living ones. I’ll buy as many as you can get.”

“You scoundrel, a blasphemer of the sciences! Linking academics to money! I despise you…” The other professor was enraged. Also, taking out his checkbook, he glared at the crowd and shouted, “Everyone, listen up! That poor fool isn’t fit to be a researcher! I’ll pay 500 dollars more than he’s paying! I’ll take any spiders you have.”

“Then, I’ll double my offer!”

“I’ll triple!”

“Quadruple!”

“The same!”

“…”

Clack! Click!

The sounds of gun bolts being moved resounded through the mall, and the mood instantly became blazing hot!

The sobbing came to a sudden stop; the women are wiping their eyes and glancing at their husbands while the children made encouraging gestures at their parents.

The gunmen had emotionless expressions as they took red bandanas from their pockets and tied them around their heads. Sullen faces turned tough and healthy, and sorrowful eyes became cold and determined.

Even the cowering dogs now bared their fangs, low growls coming from their throats as they revealed their ferocity.

In a corner, ten-some cats quietly sat, their tails sweeping back and forth, their eyes gleaming and their claws extending as they licked their lips.

Those without guns began to search the mall in frustration for usable weapons. One young man approached the gun store owner and whispered, “Are you still selling this revolver for half price?”

Gun Store Owner: “Sorry, you’ve got the wrong person. I’m his younger brother.”

The army had rallied!

Morale was soaring to the heavens!

…

Luo Su came down to the first floor. In front of the mall’s main entrance was an empty parking lot. The cars of the townspeople formed the first defense line while the last defense line was formed from the police cars.

The police were at the first defense line. There were less than fifty, and their enemy was an endless horde of spiders.

Luo Su placed his M4A1 atop a sedan and quietly waited for the spider to approach. Firing from the level ground would be more effective than spraying from the upper floor. As long as he could hold the barrel steady, he could hit every shot, and the power of the machine gun was enough to pierce through several spiders with one bullet.

The police chief glanced admiringly at Luo Su, and then he ordered his subordinates, “Wait for the spiders to get within 50 meters before firing. Remember to keep the guns steady, and no continuous fire!”

“Chief, there are too many spiders. We’ll run out of ammo too fast.”

The police chief fell quiet for a few moments, and then he firmly said, “That’s why I said no continuous fire.”

As he spoke, several dozen residents came out of the mall, seething with killing intent as they rushed up, almost pushing him out of the battle line.

Luo Su was stunned. Truly, these were the death seeking citizens of America. Although they liked to complain about their president and claim that aliens were invading the Earth, they were truly formidable when it came to accepting new things.

The police chief clicked his tongue. After making sure that his hat didn’t fall down, he said to Luo Su, “The people of Prosperity are truly brave, the bravest people I’ve ever seen.”

Luo Su blinked. “Aren’t all Americans this way?”

“What? How did I not know this?”

Arf! Arf! Arf!

Luo Su’s French bulldog, Bruce, suddenly shot past Luo Su, ran between two cars, and began to madly bark at the approaching spiders.

Luo Su didn’t know what was happening, but he immediately kicked the dog aside. “Stupid dog, hurry, and get back. Your few pounds of flesh aren’t even enough to serve as an appetizer for these spiders.”

The giant spiders picked up speed. Once the police chief saw that they had gotten close enough, he fired the first shot, causing a cloud of green to burst out from the tide of spiders.

Deafening gunshots rang out, and the darkness was illuminated by muzzle flashes. An invisible wall seemed to be set up in front of the wave of spiders. Green blood splattered out, and spiders shrieked as they were cut down like weeds.

In order to save ammo, the police chief had everyone fire in intervals. The well-trained police officers strictly complied, and while the townspeople couldn’t do it, their weapons were mostly handguns and hunting shotguns, so their ammo consumption was within the acceptable limit.

The head of the spider was in its thorax, an area called the cephalothorax, and they advanced through the use of their four pairs of legs. Their small brains could not understand the meaning of death, so they fearlessly advanced in the face of the gunfire.

It was very courageous, and it led the ground to be drenched in green blood. The spider corpses eventually began to build up into small hills that made shooting even more difficult.

“Don’t waste ammo! Retreat to the second defense line!”

As they retreated, their firepower dropped. The spiders shrieked and charged even more fiercely. Ever since war had been modernized, mass charges had fallen out of favor, and it had become forbidden to use one’s face to block bullets. But spiders didn’t understand this. Even when their comrades were being exploded, they continued to heedlessly charge over their corpses.

Another small hill quickly formed.

Only the last defense line was left. Though the police chief was unwilling, he could only give the order to retreat.

Luo Su: “How long until the soldiers get here?”

“Soon! They said they’d be here soon.”

Luo Su: “…”

‘Soon’ had many meanings and was an extremely abstract concept. Based on past experience, it seemed like reinforcements would only arrive one second after everything was over.