Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 373: First victory

Chapter 373: First victory

Yet, the Leviathans continued to swarm. Their numbers seemed endless, and they began to amass on the flanks, threatening to encircle the human forces. The pressure intensified, and the soldiers braced themselves for the impending assault.

But then, from the sides of the blazing forest, the sound of marching feet grew louder. The Turkin soldiers appeared, their ranks disciplined and their weapons gleaming. They charged into the Leviathans’ exposed flanks, executing a perfect pincer movement.

Caught off guard, the Leviathans faltered. The Turkin soldiers fought fiercely, their coordinated strikes wreaking havoc on the enemy’s formations. Spears thrust forward with lethal precision, and shields formed an impenetrable wall against retaliatory strikes.

High above, Vlad observed the shifting tides of battle. His eyes reflected the entire scene—the courage of his soldiers, the failure of the enemy, and the pivotal moments unfolding below. Reaching into his cloak, he pulled out a parchment inscribed with arcane symbols. With a swift motion, he summoned an aerial demon soul.

Mounting the ethereal creature, he turned to Jormungandr, the small yellow cat perched on his shoulder. "Go and help them," he commanded.

Jormungandr nodded, his eyes narrowing with fierce intent. The demon soul merged back into his body, infusing him with power. Flames erupted around him, and massive wings of fire unfurled from his back. With a powerful leap, he dove toward the battlefield like a fiery comet, leaving a trail of embers in his wake.

As Jormungandr descended, the sky lit up with his fiery aura. The sight invigorated the soldiers below, their morale soaring even higher. The Leviathans, sensing the approaching threat, turned their gaze upward, but it was too late.

Jormungandr crashed into the center of the Leviathan horde, unleashing a shockwave of flames and lightning that incinerated drones within a wide radius. The ground shook, and a column of fire spiraled upward. The cat emerged from the inferno unscathed, his eyes blazing as he continued his assault, unleashing a myriad of spells, casting doom on the Leviathans.

On the ground, the combined forces of the Lords of Horror, Grand Marshal Anglius, Freya, the Golden Wave Legion, and the Turkin soldiers pressed their advantage. The Leviathans’ formations crumbled under the relentless onslaught. Drones scattered in disarray, and the insect-humanoid warriors fell one after another.

The hive mind struggled to adapt, but the humans had seized control of the battlefield. The momentum was theirs, and they would not relinquish it.

"Push forward!" Anglius roared, his voice echoing above the clamor. "We have them on the run!"

"Don’t let up!" Freya added, her mace crushing another Leviathan skull. "Victory is within our grasp!"

The soldiers surged ahead, their battle cries filling the air as they burned every ounce of strength in their bodies. They fought with a ferocity born of hope, using all they had to kill as many of the Leviathans as they could. The battlefield was a maelstrom of clashing steel, roaring flames, and unyielding determination. It reached a point where even those creatures that knew no fear began to retreat. The Leviathans, massive and relentless, felt the pressure of the unyielding assault. It became clear to the hive mind that their forces would be defeated, and continuing the fight would yield nothing. The only path was to retreat and save as much biomass as possible.

Of course, the Xoas Forces and Turkin soldiers did everything in their power to destroy as much biomass as possible. They pursued the retreating Leviathans with unbridled zeal, unleashing torrents of fire and explosive ordnance. The sky was lit with bursts of energy weapons, and the ground shook with the impact of heavy artillery. Fifteen more minutes of explosions and destruction echoed before the battlefield finally quieted down. The only sounds that could be heard were the crackling of flames consuming the remnants of the enemy and the heavy breaths of soldiers who had expended every ounce of energy they had.

Vlad watched from above, hovering in the demon soul, a wide smile on his face as he surveyed the immense success. The number of Leviathan deaths reached into the hundreds of thousands, with over thirty thousand aerial drones obliterated and, more importantly, almost two hundred Leviathan insect-humanoid warriors eliminated. His smile only widened as he observed how the soldiers, despite their exhaustion, were filled with thrill and excitement. He had succeeded in planting the idea in their minds that victory was possible—that they could defeat the Leviathans in their own domain and reclaim control over the countries of the Monsoon Continent.

After a moment, Vlad’s eyes sharpened as he focused on Freya. The scanning power of the A.I. Chip embedded in his mind activated, zeroing in on the young woman’s body. It didn’t take long before the robotic voice echoed inside his mind.

[Beep! Scanning target.

Target scanned successfully.

...

Name: Freya

Race: Viking

Level (Energy): 12

Level (Body): 16

Class: Warrior / Totems

Lineage: None

...

Stats:

Strength: 325.8

Agility: 169.1

Vitality: 340.1

Energy Pool (Force): 16.1

Energy Pool (Totem): 27.3]

Vlad nodded as he saw how the young woman had advanced rapidly over the last couple of months. Her body was pushing forward to the next level at an impressive speed. There was evolution not only in terms of the Level System of Strength but also in the Totem System of Strength, with both reaching Level 12 and Level 15 respectively. However, that was not all the A.I. Chip had to offer. A few seconds later, the robotic voice echoed once more.

[Note: There is an energy rising inside the target’s blood. Possible cause: the genesis of a bloodline.]

Vlad’s eyes widened at this revelation. He knew that the Totem System of Strength could allow the generation of a bloodline, but he did not expect it to occur so swiftly. The young man couldn’t help but wonder what kind of strength the Viking princess would gain with a bloodline. Even if it did not enhance her constitution, it would surely grant her access to unique abilities.

"Interesting," Vlad mused. "Freya’s potential is even greater than I anticipated."

After finishing his assessment of the Viking princess, Vlad carried on with his analysis. He focused on the second figurehead of the Golden Wave Legion.

[Beep! Scanning target.

Target scanned successfully.

...

Name: Anglius

Race: Human

Level (Energy): 11

Level (Body): 16

Class: Warrior / Demon Soul Master

Lineage: Devil Bloodline (Champion Tier)

...

Stats:

Strength: 170.7

Agility: 54.6

Vitality: 190.5

Energy Pool (Force): 7.7]

Vlad nodded, extremely pleased with Anglius’s progress. The man did not have unique bloodlines or racial heritage like himself or Freya, but he was able to advance extremely fast thanks to his hard work and determination. Anglius had reached Level 11 in Energy and Level 16 in Body, a testament to his unwavering dedication.

"Anglius continues to impress," Vlad thought. "His growth is remarkable."

Next, Vlad turned his gaze toward Ned, the first of the Lords of Terror.

[Beep! Scanning target.

Target scanned successfully.

...

Name: Ned

Race: Human?

Level (Energy): 11

Level (Body): 14

Class: Warrior / Demon Soul Master

Lineage: Devil Bloodline (Champion Tier)

...

Stats:

Strength: 122.7

Agility: 84.6

Vitality: 170.5

Energy Pool (Force): 7.1]

Ned’s stats were slightly lower than Anglius’s, but one had to consider that the Grand Marshal had evolved his body to the Guardian Tier, while Ned was still just a High Champion. Not to mention that thanks to the runes, alchemical alterations, and bio-implants, the Lord of Terror enjoyed immense advantages on the battlefield. What caught Vlad’s attention was the rise to Level 11 in the white giant’s energy pool. It was a pleasant surprise, as it meant that even if the Lord of Terror could not improve through normal means, Origin Force did help him rise in level.

"Remarkable," Vlad noted. "Ned’s growth in energy levels signifies that our methods are effective, and as long as there is enought Origin Force, their level will keep rising."

Once Vlad finished with the Lord of Terror, he turned his attention to Jormungandr, the small yellow cat who was exhausted but had a satisfied smile on his face, having eliminated numerous powerful Leviathans.

[Beep! Scanning target.

Target scanned successfully.

...

Name: Jormungandr

Race: Feline?

Level (Energy): 14

Level (Body): 15

Class: Mage / Demon Soul Master

Lineage: Flames of Falsehood (Champion Devil Bloodline)

...

Stats:

Strength: 19.9

Agility: 57.1

Vitality: 20.6

Energy Pool (Magic): 308.2]

There was no massive improvement in Jormungandr’s physical stats, but his energy pool had managed to rise in level once more. That was not just thanks to the small yellow cat’s Depravita ability but also due to his work with the Lords of Terror. The alchemy work drained his energy, which pushed him to replenish it over and over again, slowly increasing his energy pool. As for all the Origin Force he had just gained recently, Jormungandr made sure to send every single iota into his Depravita Sky, as he felt his evolution nearing and wanted to focus all his power on that front.