Every member in team China aside from Xuan, Heng and YinKong basically was assigned to stay on guard in the hotel. They gathered in a room. Zheng brought out the charms that would self-ignite as supernatural beings approached. Though whether these charms were effective in this world was another question.
Heng and YinKong’s role was to be Xuan’s bodyguard. They headed to the dealers in town to seek housing that were on sale or for rent. They had no lack of money. The millions they hacked could easily buy any house without an issue.
The sky outside the hotel was shining with sunlight. The crowded streets seemed more like the city than it was a town. The terrorizing atmosphere disappeared as they saw so many people walking along the street.
Heng let out a long breath and said, “Feels so much better in crowded place. The hotel felt extremely ghastly. It was like there’s a hand waiting behind me for a chance to attack. YinKong, did you have this feeling?”
YinKong didn’t turn to look at him while she replied, “I am always prepared for an attack coming from behind. Sneak attacks are an assassin’s specialty, also the thing we feared most.”
Heng gave her a bitter smile, “Pretend I never asked. What about you, Xuan?”
Xuan responded, “Oh.” Then walked to the crowd without another word.
YinKong frowned and followed after him.
(Well, I did ask too much. One’s a cold assassin. The other doesn’t even have a personality of his own. It’s better to just keep my mouth shut.) Heng smiled bitterly. He originally wanted to alleviate the dense atmosphere between them. He would not want to bring that ghastly pressure from the hotel when they finally came to a crowded area. The movie was scary enough and HongLu’s words tightened their nerves. It felt as though they could get killed any moment. Heng was scared. His body wasn’t strong. His strength came from his bow and arrows. If this was really a dream, his bow might not even work.
(But what should we do? This is A Nightmare on Elm Street. If I enter the despair dream, Freddy’s going to torture me. The scissor like gloves will cut open my body. Blood will flow out.) Heng could not stop his body from trembling as he was imagining. However, the piece of fortitude he possessed allowed him to follow Xuan with firm steps. His soul became tougher after he passed the illusion in the Lord of the Rings. He still couldn’t overcome the memory left from his childhood but he had taken a leap forward.
“Why are there so many people?” Heng scratched his head.
As he had expected, neither person in the front answered him. As he looked ahead more carefully, he suddenly discovered he had lost sight of them. He didn’t catch up to Xuan and YinKong in this crowded street, which was ridiculous. How could he have lost track given his senses and speed?
Heng didn’t know whether to feel mad or laugh it off. He rushed forward a few steps. Xuan and YinKong were still nowhere to be seen. Panic began to seeped into his mind. He jumped up two meters high in an attempt to look for them from above.
“Xuan, YinKong, you two…” Heng yelled as he jumped. Before he could finish the sentence, he saw a familiar figure walked into an alley. He froze as though something struck his mind. Somehow, he seemed to have forgotten HongLu’s warning. He ran toward the alley without thinking. In that instant, he felt he saw the woman dearest to him. He saw Min Yanwei entered the alley!
A chilling sensation swept across Heng’s head the moment he rushed into the alley. He suddenly remembered what HongLu had told him. Then he realized he wasn’t standing in an alley. This was in the middle of a road. A dark sky replaced the bright sunlight during noon. Heng turned his head around. The entrance to the alley was gone. All he saw was an extension of the road.
(Damn it. Did I get deceived? Freddy has targeted me? Is this… the despair dream?) Heng was panicking and scared but his experiences in the battlefield allowed him to bring out the silver bow and arrow. He placed a +4 enhanced arrow on the bow. Even Zheng had to be cautious of him in this state.
While Heng was ready for a fight, a light was shone on him from behind. He immediately turned around and fired the arrow at the light source. Clank! He saw a sedan stopped not far away. The arrow pierced through the headlight of the car.
A few seconds later, a beautiful woman in a suit walked out of the car. She looked at Heng in a surprise and said, “Heng? Is that you? Why are you here? And why did you break my headlight?”
Heng squinted the eyes that were irritated by the car’s headlight. The sight of this woman halted every word he had in his throat. She was his lover, Min Yanwei. The person who he abandoned and ran away from due to being scared. Heng never imagined he would meet her again in this place.
“The demon? Freddy?” Anger rushed up Heng’s head. His eyes turned red and he shouted, “Fuck! Who gives you the right to turn into her? Do you think I won’t shoot you like this?”
Yanwei expressed confusion and worry. She ran a few steps toward Heng but he stopped her. The enchanted arrow in his hand began to glow. The arrow was ready to fire. Yet, as his fingers turned pale, he just couldn’t let the arrow go. He and Yanwei stood there, facing each other.
Yanwei said in a worried tone, “Heng, let me come near you. I will drive you to the hospital. Are you not feeling well?”
“Shut… Shut up! Freddy! Don’t fucking talk in her tone! Don’t fucking look into my heart! I will shoot you right here!” Heng yelled with a hint of insanity. However, his fingers were trembling. His heart was struggling. He knew this was an illusion. He knew this woman was the demon. But he couldn’t let the arrow off.
Yanwei clenched her teeth then walked toward Heng. Just then, five men came out from behind the trees to the side. They approached Heng and Yanwei with a laughter.
Heng’s heart beat violently. He instantly yelled, “Run! Why are you still here? Get on your car and run!”
Yanwei looked behind as though she was confused. She saw two men ran over to her. The first man grabbed her and the second man charged at Heng.
“Go to hell!” Heng couldn’t contain himself anymore as he released the arrow. A light flashed across. The man’s head exploded. The headless corpse rolled next to Heng then stopped motionless.
Heng grabbed several arrows. He shouted as he charged toward Yanwei and the other men. He knew this scene too well. Taking the man that he just killed away, this was the turning point of his life. There was no more Freddy in his mind. There was no more a Nightmare on Elm Street. All that was left was to kill these men, to save Yanwei. He only had this one thought.
Heng drew an arrow, ready to shoot. Yet, he suddenly realized the silver bow vanished, the arrow vanished. He had nothing in hand. The men’s fists struck toward him. The first strike hit his nose and crushed his nasal bone. The rest of the men surrounded him and began beating him.
(Don’t… Don’t let it happen again. Don’t!)
In the scene in his memory, he would run away. Heng wasn’t thinking about running at this moment. Yet, after the beating, he was growing further and further away from Yanwei and the men.
By the time he heard Yanwei’s heartbroken cries, tears had drenched his face.
“I hate you! Heng! You destroyed me! It was all your fault! You weak and despicable being! I hate you forever!”
Heng felt something inside his heart shattered. He stood there motionless, tears still rolling down his face. The corpse next to him stood up while laughing. He was wearing a black hat and a black and white striped shirt. He simply stood next to Heng and laughed hideously.
