Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 338: Bloody ambush

Chapter 338: Bloody ambush

Unfortunately for the hive, Overlord had anticipated this move. Before the aerial drones could ascend more than a few meters above the battlefield, the soldiers at the back of the formation—who had remained still until now—sprang into action.

They hadn’t been idle out of fear or hesitation; they had been charging their attacks. In the next instant, they unleashed a barrage that covered the sky above the battlefield. Spells of all kinds streaked upward, tearing through the aerial drones and blasting them to pieces.

A sharp glint appeared in the drones’ eyes as they recognized the threat. They saw the archers and mages poised and ready, waiting to shoot down anything that took to the air. Rising skyward would only make them easy targets; before they could maneuver or gain sufficient altitude, they would be plucked from the sky. Realizing this, the hive immediately redirected their efforts to the melee clash on the ground, intensifying the pressure on the soldiers.

The clash intensified. The soldiers braced themselves as waves of drones crashed against their shields. The impact rattled their bones, but they held firm. Swords flashed in deadly arcs, cutting through the drones’ chitinous armor. Spears thrust forward with precision, piercing vulnerable joints. From time to time, a soldier would cry out as a pincer found flesh, but comrades quickly closed ranks, dragging the wounded back and filling the gaps.

Sergeant Lysa gritted her teeth as she parried an aerial drone’s snapping pincers with her shield. With a swift motion, she drove her sword into its maw, dark ichor spraying across her armor. Beside her, a middle-aged man swung his mace with a roar, shattering another drone that attempted to leap over the front line.

"Watch your left!" Lysa shouted, spotting a drone trying to flank them. The middle-aged man spun just in time to deflect the attack, the force of the collision sending vibrations up his arm.

"Thanks, Sergeant!" he shouted back, sweat dripping down his brow.

Despite injuries and the relentless assault, the soldiers remained focused. Their training took over as they moved in unison, each action supporting the next. They knew that faltering for even a moment could spell disaster.

The drones, for their part, fought with a killing focus that was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. They showed no fear or hesitation—only an unyielding drive to destroy anything in their path.

Grand Marshal Anglius continued his onslaught two hundred meters ahead of the main defensive line, diminishing the pressure on his troops. His halberd swung in wide arcs, each strike obliterating dozens of drones with powerful explosions. Whenever the creatures attempted to swarm him, he channeled explosive energy through his armor, blasting them away in a shower of shattered exoskeletons.

Yet, things were far from easy. Despite Anglius’ imposing Rank 2 Armor, the creatures’ relentless attacks were beginning to leave deep marks upon it. Scratches turned into dents, and dents threatened to become breaches. His energy reserves were waning, and even with the Runic Set enhancing his stamina and speed, the prolonged combat was taking its toll.

Anglius had just slammed his halberd into the ground, creating a shockwave that decimated another group of drones when his eyes narrowed. His instincts screamed a warning. Without a moment’s hesitation, he released his weapon and twisted his massive body. His colossal hand shot out, gripping an insect-humanoid hybrid that had lunged toward him mid-air.

The creature writhed in his grasp, its multifaceted eyes reflecting a cold, murderous intent. Its elongated limbs clawed at his gauntlet, leaving deep gouges. Anglius’s gaze was steely as he slammed the hive warrior into the ground with all his might. The earth cracked and cratered beneath the impact, dust and debris erupting outward.

Despite the devastating slam, the creature was far from defeated. It hissed vehemently, mandibles snapping as it strained against the golden giant’s grip, attempting to break free and strike. Anglius pressed down harder, muscles bulging as he tried to crush the life out of it. Drones began to swarm over him, climbing up his legs and trying to find gaps in his armor.

A sharp light flickered in the Grand Marshal’s eyes. He believed he could finish off the insect-humanoid hybrid before the drones became too great a threat. But then, from the corner of his eye, he saw two more hive warriors dashing toward him with alarming speed. Their eyes glowed with lethal intent as they aimed for the vulnerable spot at the back of his neck—their attacks powerful enough to pierce even his formidable armor.

Before the hive warriors could reach him, two figures burst forth from the molten ground, cloaked in smoke and shadow. They collided with the charging hybrids, driving them back toward the treacherous molten terrain where the drones dared not tread.

The viking princess grappled with one of the hive warriors. Using the creature’s own momentum against it, she twisted in mid-air, forcing it beneath her as they plummeted. They crashed into the molten flows. She held the hive warrior down with one hand, its limbs thrashing wildly, while she raised her heavy mace with the other. With a battle cry, she brought it down with crushing force. The creature’s head exploded like a balloon filled with black blood, the dark ichor splattering across the stone.

On the other side, the Depravita of Greed had pinned the second hive warrior. His maw clamped down on its neck, fangs sinking deep. With a mighty wrench, he tore the head from the body, the gruesome trophy held aloft briefly before he discarded it.

Freya and Ouroboros had been hiding in the smoke, biding their time for the perfect moment to strike. The searing heat was unbearable, even for them, and each passing second had been agonizing. But their determination never wavered. They were set on ambushing the insect-humanoid hybrids, paying them back in kind for the tactics used against them in Karman Country.

Grand Marshal Anglius exhaled a sigh of relief, his grip on the first hive warrior tightening one final time before he crushed its exoskeleton. He tossed the lifeless body aside and retrieved his halberd.