Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 339: Ferocious bloodshead (I)

Chapter 339: Ferocious bloodshead (I)

The hive warriors that had been charging forward suddenly froze, their multifaceted eyes narrowing as they observed the battlefield. Three of their kind had been slain with alarming speed, their deaths executed by the golden giant, the Viking princess, and the fiendish werewolf. The last two sent chills through the hive, their oppressive auras making the insect-humanoid hybrids reconsider their next move.

They knew that if they reached the front lines, they could create a gap in the human defenses. Once the drones could attack from all sides, the human soldiers couldn’t maintain their tight formation. It took less than a second for the hive to reorganize.

The warriors formed a tight pack, swarming toward Grand Marshal Anglius, drones surrounding them from all directions like a dark, living wave. They avoided the molten ground, knowing it would cost them the drones’ advantage.

Freya and Ouroboros could remain in the molten ground if they wished, but if they chose to leave, they would have to fight their way through a wall of drones to reach them. Even with their overwhelming power, the duo relied on melee combat, forcing them into close quarters with their enemies.

Freya and Ouroboros exchanged grim glances. They recognized the cunning behind the hive’s tactic, understanding that it was designed to isolate and overwhelm them. Meanwhile, Grand Marshal Anglius braced himself. Six insect-humanoid hybrids were now bearing down on him. Facing just one had forced him to go all out—against six, his chances seemed bleak.

But Anglius was far from out of options.

Just as the hive warriors were one hundred meters from him, two explosions erupted from the smoke-filled battlefield. In the next second, four tornadoes of metallic blades cloaked in dark lightning spiraled through the air. Along with them, dozens of explosive spheres of molten lava arced toward the hive warriors from both the left and right.

The hive warriors had packed themselves tightly together, making them prime targets. The fiery blasts and whirling tornadoes ripped through their ranks, leaving deep gashes and gaping wounds on their bodies.

Mirena and Frank watched the devastation from within the molten ground, and their faces twisted into grim smiles. Despite the searing heat that made their skin feel like it would blister, they ignored the pain. Hiding inside the molten terrain had been a living hell, but they had endured by relying on their resistance to fire and lightning, granted by their bloodlines, Runic Sets, and Demon Souls. And it was all worth it!

Grand Marshal Anglius seized the moment. With a final burst of energy, he surged forward. In a flash, he appeared before the pack of hive warriors, his massive halberd cleaving through the air. The six insect-humanoid hybrids were sent flying, their bodies broken and bloodied.

A cold smile crossed the golden giant’s face as he watched the scene unfold, but he wasted no time. More hive warriors were charging from the rear, and Anglius knew he couldn’t stay on the front lines indefinitely. He turned and began to retreat toward the soldiers’ formation.

Despite his immense strength, Anglius was exhausted. The relentless onslaught had left deep gashes in his armor, and his stamina was rapidly depleting. Freya, Ouroboros, Mirena, and Frank also made their way back. Remaining in the molten ground was no longer advantageous—it was time to lend their strength to the front lines.

As Grand Marshal Anglius charged back toward the Golden Wave Legion, he cut down any drones that dared to stand in his way, his halberd slicing through the swarming masses with ease. Freya, Ouroboros, Mirena, and Frank emerged from the molten ground like demons from a hellish pit, unleashing a barrage of attacks that wiped out thousands of drones in a single strike. They quickly joined the Turkin soldiers on the flanks, each taking up a position as they prepared for the next wave of battle.

Freya and Mirena took the right flank, while Frank and Ouroboros held the left. Their presence alone eased the pressure on the frontline, but the respite was short-lived. The insect-humanoid hive warriors had crossed the narrow path and now hurtled toward the defensive lines, their eyes burning with murderous intent. They were prepared to sacrifice everything to create an opening for the drones.

The viking princess was ready. With her shield raised high and her mace gleaming in the dim light, Freya intercepted the first hive warrior with a thunderous crash. Her shield absorbed the initial blow, and with a fierce roar, she brought her mace down in a bone-shattering strike, crushing the warrior’s skull in a spray of black blood.

Ouroboros was a whirlwind of claws and kicks, his movements feral and brutal. His strikes were swift and precise, tearing through exoskeletons as if they were paper. One hive warrior lunged at him, but with a quick pivot, he evaded the attack and countered with a devastating roundhouse kick that sent the creature flying into the molten ground.

On the left flank, Frank conjured spheres of molten lava, each one exploding with fiery destruction upon impact. The blasts scattered drones and warriors alike, leaving smoldering craters on the battlefield. His control over magma was near-flawless, and each explosive strike was calculated to disrupt the hive’s formation.

Mirena, on the other hand, unleashed torrents of metallic lightning. Her tornadoes of razor-sharp blades whirled through the enemy ranks, slicing through flesh and chitin with deadly efficiency. Lightning crackled through the air, jumping from drone to drone, leaving charred remains in its wake. Together, the four of them repelled the relentless assault of the hive warriors, their combined strength holding the flanks firm.

However, the battle raged on. Several insect-humanoid hive warriors pushed through the center, their focus on the golden warriors of the Golden Wave Legion. Grand Marshal Anglius fought with every ounce of strength he had left, his halberd sending one warrior flying through the air. But even as he defeated one, two more came at him, attacking simultaneously from the left and right, their strikes aimed at the vulnerable joints in his armor.