บท 254: Chapter 254: Infusing Hope
Driving along, York actually didn't know how many people, how many families he had saved.
It was just something he could do easily, but accumulating over time, the expressions of those he saved began to appear in his mind.
Bewilderment, gratitude, despair, depth, ecstatic joy, and more, the reactions were varied.
Perhaps the only commonality was the profound impression he and his vehicle left on them.
It was impossible not to be impressed, as under his telekinesis, the vehicle was surrounded by guns of all types—pistols, rifles, machine guns, and even unutilized rocket launchers, resembling a futuristic armored mobile fortress.
However, at this moment, York began to feel a sense of inadequacy, a frustration stemming from the increasing number of monsters and his dwindling ammunition.
He drove through the increasingly thick fog with precision, avoiding every obstacle as if entering an uninhabited land.
As he approached the second town, Stoga, the sight of greater casualties became apparent, with remains of bodies everywhere.
This scene indicated that he was getting closer to the base.
The closer he got, the greater the human casualties, an inevitable consequence when facing monsters that could decimate an American military force. The areas close to the base bore the brunt of the onslaught.
Even these monsters were slowed down by such obstacles.
Thus, within a hundred meters of York, the monsters he encountered became increasingly bizarre, numerous, and larger.
The roadside began to feature forests, and within a hundred meters, the monsters amidst the vegetation on both sides of the road were evidently more numerous, some indulging in what was, to them, exotic food from another world.
As he passed, York used telekinesis to direct a rifle at these monsters and opened fire.
Pop, pop, pop, pop
Gunshots rang out, accompanying the vehicle through the monster pack.
Despite the bullet-riddled monsters being torn apart, a part of York's mind was already focused on the virtual window in front of him.
Undoubtedly, controlling firearms with telekinesis was highly efficient.
Up to now, he had only spent three points of magic and five points of spirit. The fifteen points of telekinesis he controlled hadn't even been fully expended.
His stats were actually recovering continuously.
[Physique: 103.5]
[Spirit: 213/221]
[Life: 135.5/135.5]
[Magic: 181/189]
With just a glance, York knew he was still at his peak; the consumption along the way was negligible.
The combination of telekinesis and a 3D map was indeed perfect.
At this moment, he suddenly sensed a familiar monster charging towards the vehicle, bulldozing through obstacles and smaller, slower monsters with its sheer force.
Within a hundred meters, this monster was clearly the largest, at least bigger than his modified muscle pickup.
The accompanying shockwave was substantial, each step of the monster causing a howling sound that made the surrounding fog take on a visible airflow shape.
This was a monster with the form of a spider and the massive claws of a lobster.
Displayed in his 3D map, the monster was about eight meters tall, with the lower body of a spider supporting its massive form, and an upper body resembling a humanoid structure.
Its mouth was full of sharp fangs, and its head resembled the xenomorphs he had seen in movies from his previous life.
The lobster-like giant claws could easily sever obstacles in front of it.
Additionally, its body was covered in thick armor, indicating the monster's physical strength might be formidable, likely rendering conventional physical damage ineffective.
Nonetheless, York's eyes lit up with recognition, as the spider-lobster monster strongly resembled a hero from a game he had played in his previous life.
"Urgot?"
Watching the spider-lobster charge with an unmatched momentum, York blinked, and the telekinesis enhancing the rocket launcher responded instantly.
A rocket launcher floating above the vehicle shifted its barrel to aim at the spider-lobster monster in the dense fog.
The next second, a flaming tongue wrapped around the rocket launcher, bursting into dazzling light in the fog.
With a deafening boom, the hot air from the explosion spread in all directions.
"Let's see what you're made of…"
As the Ford Raptor sped away, York's focus remained on the spider-lobster monster chasing behind.
The rocket launcher's warhead was designed to penetrate armor.
Hence, the effectiveness of a rocket launcher against a mobile fortress like a tank.
Under York's gaze, the warhead, trailing a bright flame like a meteor, hit the spider-lobster monster, which had no chance to dodge.
The explosion was intense, with flames and debris flying everywhere, the shockwave spreading instantly, causing catastrophic damage akin to a collapsing building, blowing off some of the monster's armor and revealing its internal organs.
"Is that all?"
Disappointment flickered in York's eyes.
But despite his disappointment, York understood that the spider-lobster monster's ability to withstand a rocket launcher hit and only lose some armor was a testament to its physical strength.
Though not as formidable as he imagined, it was still comparable to concrete or some armors.
An angry roar came from behind the vehicle as the spider-lobster, seemingly enraged by the rocket launcher hit, increased its speed, surpassing the vehicle's.
Considering the vehicle theoretically had about 1500 horsepower with a top speed of 420 km/h, this was impressive.
"Feels like I'm too strong, making it seem weak…"
York didn't make any move; instead, he instantly channeled energy within, enhancing the second rocket launcher on the roof to increase the warhead's power.
[20 points of magic consumed]
If the first warhead's inherent armor-piercing capabilities could inflict such damage on the spider-lobster monster, then increasing the armor-piercing power and effect by twenty times should turn it to ash…
Bang!
The second rocket launcher let out its sound.
A louder roar exploded, a red flame streak cutting through the air, covering all other noises with its blast and roar.
The enchanted warhead hit the still-chasing spider-lobster monster.
The combined force of the monster's charge and the warhead created an even greater impact.
Boom! A loud noise erupted from it.
With a painful howl that abruptly ceased, York saw through the 3D map that the spider-lobster's upper body was blasted open by the warhead, its head, reminiscent of xenomorphs from movies, completely obliterated.
"Still a carbon-based life form after all, probably not much stronger than the dinosaurs of legend."
"Was that the largest monster?"
York shook his head, slightly disappointed but licking his dry lips, relishing the explosive scene.
He had never had the chance to test such firepower before, at most using conventional light weapons.
Now, with the emergence of paranormal events, he finally had the opportunity to personally engage and create such violent scenes.
This was the true power of technology, albeit with his enchantment.
However, at this moment, just after dealing with the spider-lobster monster, York suddenly noticed something and turned to look out the left window.
"Is this the location of The Mist movie?"
In the 3D map in his mind, he saw a group of people sneaking into a shop from the left direction.
The shop was a pharmacy,
and he also saw the movie's male lead.
"It seems this parallel world's timeline has just reached the stage where the male lead wants to enter the pharmacy to find medicine and save people."
"He's someone with a good heart…"
Watching the monsters outside the shops, like a second spider-lobster monster, some weirdly shaped but numerous tentacle monsters, and various spiders, flying scorpion beasts, and pterodactyl-like creatures feasting on them, York instinctively lifted his foot off the accelerator, slowing down. Once he confirmed the male lead and others had entered the pharmacy, he used telekinesis to grab a holy grenade from the open backpack on the back seat and threw it out the open car window.
He always carried items he had enchanted with him.
Thus, the backpack on the back seat contained weapons he brought, including twenty-five holy grenades and a pack of holy bombs.
As his power developed, York had already omitted many items, now carrying only the most basic and efficient ones.
Given time and sufficient attribute values, York wouldn't need to carry anything. With the double-enhancement of enchantment and critical true damage of consecration combined, his punches could unleash nuclear explosion-like power, barely distinguishable from Superman of his previous life.
Moreover, he could form telekinetic bullets and more, but unfortunately, his attribute values weren't sufficient, forcing him to rely on technology and scrape by.
This thought briefly crossed his mind, York's eyebrows slightly raised, watching the grenade land in the parking lot with supermarkets, pharmacies, and other shops.
Clang! It caught the attention of the monsters there.
In that moment, in the parking lot, the dense spider widows processing human bodies and flying creatures like scorpion beasts, along with the spider-lobster monster feasting on widows, all halted their actions.
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted in the parking lot.
A pillar of smoke rose, drawing the attention of all people and monsters present.
And the dark Raptor, at this moment, swiftly passed by, but under York's control, its speed became even slower.
This was like poking a hornet's nest, with the monster pack being drawn out, all charging towards the slowly moving Raptor on the road.
Bang!
A spider-like creature, covered in long fur and with a human skull-like head, a gray widow, crashed into the suddenly stopped Raptor's window.
However, the vehicle's windows had been modified, and its protective level was not comparable to ordinary cars. The bulletproof windows made the gray widow clinging to it seem like a zoo exhibit.
Letting the surrounding monster pack attack him, York eyed the supermarket crowd startled by the explosion and glanced at the male lead and others who had just entered the pharmacy and were startled by the grenade.
Because the gray widows inside had been awakened, they discovered the pharmacy had become a widow's nest earlier than in the movie. Then, under the shock of the already startled widow group, they ran back to the supermarket…
"Good luck."
York smiled, pressing the accelerator hard.
The Raptor shot forward, shaking off the clinging gray widows, scorpion beasts, and pterodactyl-like creatures, speeding away like a rocket.
Behind the vehicle was a chasing horde of monsters, spider-lobster monsters, and others, a spectacular sight as if an entire tribe was migrating.
The male lead, including a preacher starting to proselytize and instigate fear in this panic-stricken moment, all looked outside through the supermarket's windows.
But the dense fog obscured everything; they couldn't see the large group of monsters chasing the Ford Raptor, the magnificent scene, nor did they know someone was drawing a large number of monsters away to lessen their burden.
At this moment, there were hardly any monsters outside, a pity they couldn't see.
"This is an explosion sound!!! Sounds like a grenade!!"
In the supermarket crowd, an American soldier originally sacrificed to the monsters, wearing military uniform, stared excitedly out into the dense fog, shouting loudly.
"It's a grenade!!! Someone's coming to save us!!"
"Yes!! The army! The army!"
He excitedly supported himself on the window, trying to see something through the dense fog.
And this statement sparked hope in everyone's hearts, each crowding by the window to look outside.
Only the male lead picked up his son, pondering. Before running back, he seemed to have heard the sound of a car engine.
"There's someone…"
Next to him stood a middle-aged woman, looking at the hopeful faces of familiar people and residents by the window, biting her gums.
Staring outside, her eyes blazed with an invisible fury.
This sudden explosion directly dispersed the supermarket's atmosphere of despair, suspicion, and fear.
"This isn't the sound of a grenade! This is the apocalypse, the wrath of God, no one will come to save us! And no one can."
She shouted loudly: "Do you see anyone outside? Is there any movement now?"
These words made the male lead frown and step a few paces away from the woman.
"Damn, this woman is stirring up trouble again, affecting the atmosphere."
He looked towards the familiar faces and local residents by the window, only to find that, despite some previously harboring despair, they were all staring outside, seemingly waiting for something.
"It's been so long, it shouldn't be the army, but people fleeing." The male lead sighed, preparing to check on the injured. Their attempt to get medicine from the pharmacy had failed, and it was uncertain how much longer they could last.
But the next second, he hesitated, lifting his head and pausing.
He heard vague sounds of explosions and gunfire.
At the same time, the crowd by the window suddenly burst into joyous cheers.
"There's movement!!"
"This is the sound of explosions!"
"I didn't seem to hear anything? Could it be an illusion?"
"No, buddy, listen again."
"Ollie! Ollie! You're into guns, even a shooting champion, tell us, is this gunfire?"
"Yes! Gunfire! I'm sure it's from a rifle, and so intense and dense, there must be more than one person outside…"
Excited voices rose among them.
"There are people outside!!! Someone seems to be trying to save us!!!"
"…"
The flame of hope was suddenly ignited at this moment, these sounds letting them know something was happening outside.
The cult leader froze, unable to speak of any apocalypse if there were people outside, then what apocalypse could it be.
"It shouldn't be like this!" she murmured.
"This must be our illusion! The noise outside is created by the devil!"
"Yes! The devil!"
The cult leader shouted loudly, but no one paid attention to her words anymore; everyone just lay by the window, staring with wide eyes at the thick fog, trying to glimpse the truth outside.
"You've been deceived! All of you!" The cult leader continued to shout, hysterical.
"What we're hearing is all an illusion! What we see now is the truth…"
A few meters behind her, in the aisle between shelves, the male lead holding his child looked at the window outside, the dense fog obscuring everything, his pupils slightly widening…
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