Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 378: Special Unit

Chapter 378: Special Unit

Vlad’s eyes widened as he saw a dark whip dashing toward his head with the strength to send it flying away. Before it could strike, Freya appeared before him, raising her shield just in time to intercept the blow.

"BOOMMM!"

An overwhelming kinetic blast echoed as the dark whip struck the shield, the force sending the Viking princess skidding backward. Vlad reacted extremely fast, grabbing hold of Freya’s body. He immediately leaped back with her, reducing the strength of the impact and preventing them from falling off the bridge.

Jormungandr was shocked to see that whip sent the duo flying, but he had no time to be distracted.

[Beep! Projectiles are coming your way. Evasive maneuver!]

The A.I. Chip’s voice echoed in his mind. He instantly flapped his wings, dodging small dark spiked spheres that had been launched toward him at supersonic speed. Unfortunately for the small yellow cat, merely avoiding the spheres wasn’t enough. The next second, they exploded into hundreds of tiny spikes blasting in all directions.

Jormungandr was too close, and the spikes were too fast. He managed to use his flaming demonic wings to shield his body. The fiery wings absorbed the brunt of the assault but were damaged in the process, hindering his ability to fly. He immediately descended, regrouping with Freya and Vlad.

The trio glanced at each other and nodded upon seeing they were overall fine. Their eyes sharpened as they focused on the one who had unleashed those attacks on them.

The newcomer was a humanoid entity around two and a half meters tall. It had a slender body with a chitinous exoskeleton covering every part of it, shimmering with an eerie black sheen. Its right arm was a whip of dark plasma crackling with volatile energy, while the left arm resembled a bulging muscle made of solidified black plasma. Even though it had a smaller frame than the insect-humanoid warriors, Vlad, Jormungandr, and Freya felt immense power emanating from its body, making them frown.

Their distress deepened when they realized that the A.I. Chip’s force field could not properly detect the Leviathan. Luckily, the chip soon provided an explanation.

[Beep! Cells of the target are vibrating at a frequency that disrupts scanning efforts.]

The message gave them an explanation but made the somber aura over Vlad and Jormungandr’s hearts all the stronger. It wasn’t a shock for Vlad that the hive mind could detect the scanning power of his A.I. Chip—he had seen it with the Leviathan Elite Units—but being able to counter it meant an evolutionary step forward. The fact that this ability was placed in such a strong and special unit made it clear this one wasn’t meant solely for the battlefield.

"The hive mind made a weapon to counter us—a Special Unit," Vlad stated grimly.

His words confirmed the thoughts in the minds of the Viking princess and the small yellow cat. Their eyes sharpened as they focused on the Leviathan Special Unit. They couldn’t be in a worse condition.

The bridge back was destroyed, and flying was out of the question due to the Leviathan Special Unit’s projectiles posing a significant aerial threat. They would need to clash against this formidable foe, and it wasn’t alone. There were still six other Leviathan warriors by its side. Even if those insect-humanoid warriors were wounded, they could inflict significant damage if they were willing to sacrifice themselves to hinder their movements—which they would most definitely do.

"A.I. Chip, force your way into the Special Unit Leviathan. I want a scan," Vlad commanded mentally.

[Beep! Task assigned.]

His eyes were sharp as he nodded, attempting to figure out the next move. He glanced at Jormungandr and then at the back of his armor. The small yellow cat understood immediately. He leaped onto Vlad’s back, channeling his light and flames into the body of the Depravita of Wrath.

Vlad felt his strength rising as his energy harmonized with that of Jormungandr. He glanced meaningfully at Freya before focusing on the Leviathan Special Unit. Freya’s eyes narrowed as she understood the silent message. Vlad would engage the Special Unit, but if he was going to fight someone so strong while exhausted, he couldn’t afford any distractions.

The young man and the Viking princess nodded to each other before immediately dashing forward, something mimicked by the Leviathans, who attacked with murderous intent.

Vlad’s eyes were sharp, and just as they were less than a hundred meters from each other, his entire body glowed as the small yellow cat triggered a spell.

"Flashing Lightning!"

A lightning charge exploded—not one of destructive power but one that unleashed such blinding light that even the Leviathans’ advanced sight was hindered. Seizing the chance, Vlad’s entire body burst with lightning as he dashed toward the Special Unit Leviathan. His halberd crashed into the creature’s exoskeleton, the force propelling both of them away from the six Leviathan warriors.

The insect-humanoid hybrids were surprised to see the young man pushing away the Special Unit. They immediately sought to march and assist it, but the Viking princess stood between them and their goal.

Freya’s eyes were sharp as she clenched her mace and shield. She felt tired and would have to rely solely on herself to face these six High Champion entities. A single wrong step could lead to catastrophe. The insect-humanoids knew the Viking princess was strong, but their mission was clear: help the Special Unit Leviathan, and nothing would stop them from achieving that goal.

"SSSHHHHRRRIIIIEEEKKK!"

A piercing shriek tore through the air as the Leviathan warriors unleashed their battle cry. Without hesitation, they lunged forward, their movements synchronized and deadly. Freya tightened her grip, her Force and totemic energy flaring as she prepared to use everything she had in the impending clash.

"Come on then!" she roared, charging to meet them head-on. Even if her wisdom had risen, she was still a viking, and her battle style was pure ferocity.

The ground shook as they collided, a kinetic blast echoing the next second. Dust and debris flew in all directions, the sheer force of their meeting creating a crater beneath them.

A few hundred meters from that kinetic blast, Vlad’s eyes were cold as he stood against the Special Unit Leviathan, the tip of his halberd embedded in its chest. His arms trembled as he attempted to push the halberd deeper, but it was like piercing solid steel. Before he could fully press forward, he saw the whip lashing toward him at shocking speed.

The Depravita of Wrath managed to raise the halberd, using it to shield himself. The impact still sent him flying backward, crashing against several boulders before he could stabilize his body.

Vlad’s eyes remained cold as he stared at the Special Unit Leviathan, feeling its sharp gaze analyzing his every movement. They gazed at each other for three seconds before flashing toward each other.

Vlad’s body arced with lightning as he dodged the whip slashing toward him, pushing his speed to the limit. The whip sliced through the air where he’d been moments before, cutting deep grooves into the earth. He maneuvered skillfully, finally appearing less than ten meters before the Leviathan.

"Now!" he shouted, channeling his energy into his halberd.

However, just as he prepared to launch a new attack, the Leviathan’s left massive bulging arm moved with incredible speed, sending a crushing blow downward.

Vlad’s eyes widened as he felt the overwhelming strength behind the arm. He was forced to pull back, leaping just in time to see the arm blast the ground with such force that it shattered the earth, sending pieces of rock flying in all directions.

The shockwave caught him mid-air, destabilizing his flight. He twisted his body, using the momentum to land safely a few meters away.

"This thing is much stronger than the Elite Units," Vlad thought, gritting his teeth.

Meanwhile, Freya was locked in fierce combat with the six Leviathan warriors. They attacked relentlessly, coordinating their strikes to exploit any weakness. Freya spun gracefully, her mace whirling in deadly arcs.

"Totemic Surge!"

Her weapon glowed with a radiant light as she struck one of the warriors, the force of the blow cracking its exoskeleton. Another lunged at her side, but she raised her shield just in time, deflecting its razor-sharp claws.

"I won’t let you pass!" she declared fiercely.

Back with Vlad, the battle intensified. The Special Unit Leviathan’s whip transformed, splitting into multiple tendrils that whipped toward him from different angles.

"Adaptive weaponry," Vlad noted, dodging swiftly. "But two can play at that game."

He focused his energy, the runic lines on his armor glowing brighter. "Crimson Lightning Strike!"

He dashed forward, leaving a trail of red lightning in his wake. He aimed for the Leviathan’s right side, but the creature anticipated the move, its whip-tendrils converging to block his path.

At the last second, Vlad shifted his trajectory, sliding beneath the tendrils. He swung his halberd upward, aiming for the joint where the whip connected to the Leviathan’s body!