Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 260: Echo Bomb

Chapter 260: Echo Bomb

As Vlad and the legions of the Xaos Kingdom charged forward with a might that seemed capable of sundering oceans, the forces of the Azarin Empire braced themselves for the onslaught.

Soldiers lined the battlements, spells hummed in preparation, and the air crackled with anticipation as the military might of the empire prepared to unleash its full fury on the invaders. Yet, while all eyes were fixed on the impending clash to the south, a third party moved silently on the capital’s northern edge.

Positioned away from the battle’s center were Jormungandr, Amara, Golten, and Kira. Their expressions betrayed the toll the past seventy-two hours had taken on them. Exhaustion hung heavy on their faces, yet their resolve remained unbroken. Failure to achieve their goal would have cost the lives of hundreds of their comrades, so it was not an option.

None of them had rested a single moment over the last three days, as the success of their mission required constant vigilance and precision. However, despite the utter exhaustion, there were smiles on their faces as they had succeeded.

The moment Vlad crushed the crystal, signaling the start of the final assault, Jormungandr’s sharp eyes glinted. The A.I. Chip embedded within his soul projected a map of the northern wall, highlighting thousands of small metallic spheres concealed within its structure.

These spheres were intricately carved with lightning and fire matrices, and placed outside anyone’s field of view. For three days, Jormungandr, Amara, Golten, and Kira had covertly planted these spheres along the northern walls.

Infiltrating the heavily fortified locations of the capital like the imperial palace or the Church of Glory would have been impossible, but the northern wall, overlooked as the empire focused its defenses on the south, east, and west, was much easier. The Xaos Kingdom had deliberately kept their distance from this part of the capital to avoid suspicion, and it had worked flawlessly.

There was no hesitation in Jormungandr’s eyes as he initiated the sequence. The metallic spheres, known as Echo Bombs, had been a project on which the small yellow cat had worked for months. Each sphere only carried the explosive power equivalent to a low-tier Mortal spell, which was extremely weak but made it nearly undetectable by most scanning force fields.

Of course, Jormungandr hadn’t spent half a year developing an artifact just to deliver weak explosions. The true uniqueness of the Echo Bombs lay in their ability to synchronize. When two or more Echo Bombs exploded together, their power amplified exponentially. The more bombs that detonated simultaneously, the more catastrophic the blast.

After seventy-two hours of hard work, there were one thousand Echo Bombs scattered around the northern wall, all primed and ready.

As Jormungandr triggered the sequence, the metallic spheres began to glow in unison. Silent but deadly, their energy built up within the walls like a coiled serpent waiting to strike.

Back on the southern wall, Richard stood tense, his eyes focused on the enemy’s movements as he awaited the moment to unleash the wall’s offensive spells. He had prepared his forces to counter the Xaos Kingdom’s advance, ready to mobilize at the perfect moment, when something caught his attention.

A brilliant light flared behind him, casting an eerie glow over the northern horizon. Just as he turned to investigate, it happened.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"

A deafening explosion shattered the calm. The entire northern wall was obliterated in an instant, consumed by a cataclysmic blast of fire and lightning. The ground beneath the capital trembled violently, cracks splintering out in all directions as the shockwave rippled through the city.

The sheer scale of the destruction was unimaginable. The imposing thirty-meter-tall northern wall had been reduced to rubble, and entire sections of the city quaked under the force of the blast. Buildings near the northern wall crumbled, and the soldiers in that area were obliterated, leaving nothing but ash behind.

Luckily for the civilians of the Azarin Empire, they had all been evacuated from the area a few days ago. Vlad knew the Azarin Empire would never allow the civilians to evacuate, as that was impossible for a theocracy, but he had hoped they would clear the north. His gamble had paid off.

Richard’s heart sank as he witnessed the devastation unfold, and the situation only grew worse. The white walls of the Azarin Empire were a massive and majestic construct capable of easily repelling a horde of twenty thousand demons. However, as an artifact, the wall required integrity, and when a massive section was lost, that integrity shattered.

Panic arose in the eyes of Richard and the other generals as they saw the offensive magic matrices in the walls flicker and turn off due to the damage. The carefully constructed defenses of the Azarin Empire had been torn asunder, and now the once-impregnable capital lay vulnerable to attacks.

Richard staggered back, his mind racing to comprehend what had just happened. The full gravity of the situation hit him all at once.

...

While the forces of the Azarin Empire were shocked beyond belief, and filled with confusion and despair, the warriors of the Xaos Kingdom smiled. The B Plan was known only to the higher leadership, but the sight of the magic matrices in the walls vanishing ignited the soldiers’ morale, strengthening their already blind faith in their commanders.

Vlad’s smile revealed his utter thrill at seeing the brilliant success of the mission. The next second, focus and killing intent exploded in his eyes. His entire body began to glow as the power of the Inferno Comet Runic Set activated. He triggered Heart of Wrath, increasing the power of the demonic flames within him, now mixed with the dark energy that embodied his rage and hatred.

Vlad triggered the full might of his energy pool and unleashed the raw power of his Demon Soul Master’s abilities. A mantle of red lightning crackled to life, wrapping around his body like a living storm, surging and flickering with unrelenting energy. The runic lines etched into his skin glowed fiercely, pulsing with power as he prepared to strike.

With a single leap, Vlad shot into the air, soaring dozens of meters above the battlefield. The force of his ascent left a shockwave in his wake, and the Xaos Kingdom’s soldiers below watched him with pure awe.

As Vlad reached the peak of his jump, his Bloodline Ability, Lightning Charge, activated. The red lightning enveloping him intensified, and his body became a blur of energy and destruction, transforming him into a living comet.

In that instant, he dived toward the southern gate of the capital like a falling meteor, his body accelerating with terrifying speed. Even from high above, he could see the effects of the siege barrage. The energy shields surrounding the walls had protected much of the structure, but they hadn’t been able to prevent all the damage. Cracks had formed, and weak points now marred the surface of the south gate.

As Vlad hurtled downward, the air around him sizzled. His eyes locked onto the south gate, and a feral grin spread across his face as he neared impact.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"

The moment Vlad collided with the southern gate, the force of his descent exploded outward, sending a shockwave that rippled through the surrounding structures. The ground buckled, and the weakened gate, already compromised by the days-long siege, could not withstand the incredible pressure. It shattered beneath his impact, exploding into pieces as Vlad tore through the fortifications with the strength of a small meteor.

Before the forces of the Azarin Empire could even begin to comprehend the breach of the southern walls, chaos erupted on the other fronts. The coordinated assault of the Xaos Kingdom was relentless, and the Empire’s defenses were crumbling at an alarming rate.

On the western front, Freya, commander of the Shadowstrike Legion, unleashed her full power. Her body crackled with totemic energy, her muscles surging with immense strength as she unleashed all her power. Her entire form radiated an aura of primal fury, the air around her vibrating with raw energy. Gripping her mace in both hands, she charged forward like a missile, her speed and force creating shockwaves in her wake.

The walls had already been weakened by days of siege, and embedded in one section was a giant metallic pillar from a previous assault. Freya targeted this point. With a ferocious roar, she swung her mace, every ounce of her strength poured into the strike.

The viking princess’ mace slammed into the metallic pillar with a thunderous crash, the force of the blow sending a shockwave that reverberated through the walls. The pillar, already wedged deep into the stone, was driven completely through, piercing to the other side.

The wall couldn’t withstand the combined pressure of Freya’s power and the embedded pillar. The stone crumbled under the stress, shattering as cracks spread like wildfire. A massive section of the western wall collapsed in on itself, sending debris flying in all directions. Freya’s attack had not only breached the wall but also created a gaping hole wide enough for her legion to storm through.