Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 318: The dark hunger (II)

Chapter 318: The dark hunger (II)

Just as Jormungandr had said, there were thousands of tiny creatures—each resembling a hybrid of crabs and beetles, less than two centimeters tall. Their sleek, chitinous exoskeletons gleamed faintly in the light as they moved with unsettling coordination.

The streets were alive with them, swarming over walls, roofs, and the ground itself. The sheer number was staggering.

"What are they?" Freya whispered, her hand instinctively gripping her weapon.

Vlad narrowed his eyes, analyzing the creatures. "I’ve never seen anything like this before."

Viserin stepped forward cautiously. "They seem to be... consuming."

Indeed, as they watched, the tiny creatures gnawed at wooden beams, stone foundations, and even metal fixtures. Despite their size, their collective effort was causing noticeable damage. Every single ounce of heteromorphic biomass was collected. They used their pincers to grab larger pieces and opened their mouths, releasing tendrils to latch onto smaller objects, even sucking blood and other fluids from any surface.

Vlad and the others observed the creatures from a distance, their eyes narrowing as they took in the unsettling sight. The crab-beetle hybrids moved and worked in an eerie and mesmerizing way. Each creature operated with surgical precision, none hindering the other; their collective effort was terrifyingly efficient. It was as if they were all parts of a single, well-oiled machine, dismantling and consuming everything in their path.

"Look at how they move," Freya whispered. "It’s like they’re sharing one mind."

"An impeccable level of coordination," Jormungandr added, his eyes reflecting both fascination and dread.

The Xaos forces and the Turkin soldiers had taken great care to conceal themselves. Using the forest’s natural cover, they had masked their energy signatures and hidden behind thick foliage. However, one Turkin soldier had inadvertently left his foot uncovered—a single boot jutting out from behind a bush.

It was a minor oversight that should have gone unnoticed from such a distance. Yet suddenly, one of the creatures paused and gazed directly in their direction. Its multifaceted eyes glinted as it fixated on the exposed boot.

As if connected by an invisible thread, all the other creatures froze simultaneously. The thousands that had been relentlessly consuming the town’s biomass halted their work in perfect unison and turned to face the group’s hiding spot. The precision of their movement was striking, and the sudden attention felt dangerous, as though an ominous aura had descended upon them.

A cold shiver ran down Vlad’s spine. Beside him, Jormungandr, Freya, Ouroboros, and the others felt the same icy dread. It was as if a single beast with thousands of eyes had marked them as its next prey.

"That can’t be good," Ouroboros muttered, his muscles tensing.

The next second, the creatures unleashed a unified screech—a high-pitched, grating sound that reverberated through the air. Then, they surged forward, moving toward the group with alarming speed. Their movements were even more precise and coordinated than before, their speed increasing as they flowed like a living tide across the town.

The Turkin soldiers froze for a heartbeat as they witnessed the lethal sea of monsters rushing toward them. They were battle-hardened warriors, ready to fight and die for their home and people. But the sight before them was beyond anything they’d ever faced. The sheer number of creatures and their unnerving coordination made it clear that falling into their clutches would result in a fate far worse than death.

"Everybody, leave through the back of the forest! Jormungandr, with me!" Vlad’s voice cut through the rising panic, sharp and commanding.

Without hesitation, Freya, Ouroboros, and the Royal Guards sprang into action, following Vlad’s orders. Viserin and the Turkin forces snapped out of their daze and began a swift but orderly retreat toward the forest, maintaining their formation as they moved.

As the others dashed away, Vlad and Jormungandr advanced into the town to meet the oncoming swarm. Energy radiated from them, their auras flaring as they prepared to engage.

"Let’s slow them down," Vlad said, his eyes steely and determined as his Force and demonic energy exploded.

"Agreed," Jormungandr replied, his small form emanating immense power. The halo of blood above his head released a tremendous amount of energy that enhanced his power.

Vlad gripped his halberd firmly, activating his Runic Set. Intricate symbols along his armor and weapon ignited, engulfing him in a fiery aura. Flames danced along the blade of the halberd, and with every swing, he unleashed waves of fire in all directions. The scorching flames carved arcs through the swarm, incinerating the creatures upon contact.

Jormungandr took to the skies, fiery wings propelling him upward. From above, he summoned spheres of intense flame between his maws and launched them down into the densest parts of the swarm. Each explosion sent plumes of fire spreading outward, consuming dozens of creatures at a time.

Despite the devastating attacks, the swarm pressed on, undeterred. They employed overwhelming swarm tactics—while individually weak, their true strength lay in their sheer numbers. They moved like a relentless tide, fast and agile, blanketing the ground and buildings as they advanced. Some clambered over the charred remains of their fallen, using the bodies as bridges to push forward.

"They just keep coming!" Vlad shouted over the roar of the flames.

From his vantage point, Jormungandr noticed the creatures beginning to fan out, attempting to encircle them. "They’re trying to flank us!"

Vlad’s mind raced. "We need to disrupt their coordination!"

Channeling more energy, he slammed his halberd into the ground. Fiery cracks spiderwebbed out from the point of impact, creating a barrier of flames that temporarily halted the creatures’ advance. But the respite was brief; the swarm began scaling debris and even each other to bypass the flames.

Jormungandr focused his energy, drawing more of the blood halo’s energy, forging a concentrated beam of heat that swept across the swarm’s front lines, reducing countless creatures to ash. Yet still, they came.

"Boss, we can’t hold them off forever!" Jormungandr warned. It was not the first time they faced thousands of enemies, as it was normal with demonic hordes, but these things were much more dangerous.

Glancing back, Vlad saw that the others had reached the safety of the forest’s edge. "Time to fall back!"