Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 383: The hive mind

Chapter 383: The hive mind

The Leviathan hive moved as one across the vast expanse of terrain, their numbers forming an overwhelming tide that consumed everything in its path. From the sky, they appeared as a colossal dark wave rolling over the land—an endless sea of creatures advancing with purpose and precision. The ground trembled under the synchronized march of countless drones, their collective presence blurring the horizon between earth and sky.

At the forefront were the ground drones—small, insect-like beings less than half a meter in length. Interspersed among them were hundreds of insect-humanoid warriors, their multifaceted eyes scanning the surroundings with calculated intent and spreading among them were clusters of aerial drones moving along the ground to save energy. The elite units maintained significant distances from one another, hundreds or even thousands of meters apart—a strategic dispersion orchestrated by the hive mind’s vast intelligence.

The hive mind was acutely aware of the threats posed by the leaders of indigenous forces—beings capable of wielding powerful spells and attacks that could decimate even their most formidable warriors in a single strike. Through shared consciousness, the Leviathans knew that clustering their elite units would make them vulnerable to devastating assaults. Thus, they acted with wisdom, dispersing their forces to minimize potential casualties. Each unit moved in concert yet independently, a testament to their collective intellect.

As the massive hive approached the Zangon River—a wide, tumultuous barrier marking the natural boundary between Kylen Country and Karman Country—the hive mind analyzed the best course of action. Past encounters had taught them that the enemy exploited the conductivity of water to unleash lethal lightning attacks. Acting on this knowledge, the hive mind adjusted their formation.

A sharp glint passed through the eyes of the Leviathans as they began to form a disciplined column. Instead of swarming across en masse, they reduced the number crossing at any given time. Though this tactical adjustment would slow their advance, it was deemed the wisest path. The hive mind prioritized survival and efficiency over speed, demonstrating their capacity for strategic planning and foresight.

The ground drones were the first to cross. Their purpose was clear: to serve as the vanguard and, if necessary, as sacrificial units to protect the hive. They moved with unwavering determination, moving through the river. Upon reaching the opposite bank, they dispersed methodically, their senses attuned to any sign of danger. Finding none, they communicated this to the hive mind, allowing the rest of the Leviathans to proceed with calculated caution.

When it was time for the insect-humanoid warriors to cross, the hive mind implemented additional safeguards. While these warriors could traverse underwater without issue, submerging would expose them to hidden threats. Instead, they latched onto aerial drones, ascending into the sky to fly over the river. This maneuver minimized their vulnerability even more, showcasing the hive mind’s adaptability and strategic prowess.

The first group of warriors soared over the Zangon River without incident, followed by the second. Confidence resonated through the hive mind, reinforcing the effectiveness of their tactics. However, as the third group hovered above the river’s midpoint, a sudden disturbance rippled through the collective consciousness.

From beneath the riverbed—a place the Leviathans had deemed low-risk due to prior scans—a massive surge of energy erupted. The ground shattered as a colossal wave of water burst upward, engulfing the unsuspecting warriors and aerial drones. Hidden within the torrent were dozens of arcs of lightning, crackling with lethal intensity. The electrical currents tore through the Leviathans, scorching them from the inside out.

The hive mind registered the attack instantly, processing the unexpected variables. Analyzing the data, it recognized that the enemy had exploited a blind spot. The hive mind did not panic; fear was not within its nature. Instead, it adapted and recalculated strategies in real-time.

As the collective turned their attention toward the source of the ambush, they observed a winged figure emerging from the chaos—a silhouette framed against the backdrop of cascading water and lightning. With calculated efficiency, the figure seized the bodies of the fallen Leviathans before disappearing into the distance at extraordinary speed.

Simultaneously, the hive mind detected another anomaly on the riverbank where warriors had already crossed. Two figures emerged from the waters, one wielding a mace, the other a halberd. Before the Leviathans could fully react, the intruders moved with precision, each eliminating two warriors. The hive mind noted their speed and the effectiveness of their attack. In less than two seconds, the adversaries had struck and withdrawn, minimizing their exposure to retaliation.

The ground drones began to pursue, but the hive mind quickly assessed the futility of such an action. The drones lacked the speed to catch the intruders, and pursuing without a strategic advantage would result in unnecessary losses. Though capable of greater speed, the insect-humanoid warriors recognized that engaging without support would be unwise. The hive mind prioritized preservation over impulsive action.

Reevaluating their approach, the Leviathans resumed crossing the river with heightened caution. Ground drones were assigned the additional task of scanning beneath the riverbed, using advanced detection methods to identify any hidden threats.

The hive mind immediately understood that the enemy was employing guerrilla tactics—striking swiftly and retreating. To counter this, they would need to adapt their strategies, increasing vigilance without compromising their advance.

---

The massive hive carried on through the Karman Country, the massive wave obscuring the ground, and nothing prevented their advance until they finally reached a narrow mountain pass. The terrain forced the Leviathans into a bottleneck, a potential vulnerability.

The hive mind deployed aerial drones to scout ahead and flanks to monitor the cliffs above. Despite these precautions, a landslide was triggered, and massive rocks fell toward the hive. The hive mind immediately acted, putting the Leviathan warriors forward and using them to send darts that shattered the greatest rocks while aerial drones drove forward to locate the enemy.

Unfortunately for the hive mind, those rocks were just a distraction, and there was no one on top of the mountains. However, three figures did appear from blind spots and took the lives of seven warriors in the initial strike before immediately dashing away.

The hive mind calculated the trajectory of the attacks and ordered units to disperse laterally, minimizing the effectiveness of the enemy’s assault. Recognizing the pattern, the hive mind adjusted formations for future narrow passages, assigning additional aerial units for overwatch.

Less than twenty hours later, at an abandoned village, the hive mind detected residual energy signatures—possible indicators of enemy presence. Exercising wisdom, the Leviathans advanced using ground drones to trigger potential traps. Explosive charges detonated, causing casualties among the drones.

However, while they focused on those explosions, the young man, Viking princess, and aerial cat descended from the sky at a shocking speed, blasting several of the Leviathan warriors in the process, taking their corpses before rising into the air again and flashing away.

While that attack took the lives of seven Leviathan warriors, the hive mind analyzed the timing and patterns of the attacks, integrating this data to refine their threat assessments so it would be able to respond to aerial attacks from the trio with better efficiency the next time.

In a dense forest, where visibility was limited, the hive mind utilized aerial drones to monitor from above the canopy. The Leviathans crossed through the forest without harming the trees, but just as a group of insect-humanoids were in the center, the entire forest was set ablaze as flames of devil and demonic nature attacked from two sides. The fire and the smoke clouded the vision of the aerial drones, scorching thousands of normal drones, but most importantly, it left the insect-humanoids vulnerable, which the trio took advantage of to claim the lives of eight more.

Near a series of hot springs, the hive mind detected unusual geothermal activity. Recognizing the potential for environmental hazards, they adjusted their route to avoid the most volatile areas. Nevertheless, thermal traps were triggered, causing confusion among the drones. The heat was so intense that it affected the senses of the drones and forced the aerial drones to the ground as well.

However, while the heat scorched the bodies of the Leviathan drones and hindered the movements of the insect-humanoid warriors, it was not enough to stop the trio, who killed several warriors before departing.

Not even two days after the event of the thermal water, on a desolate plateau, the Leviathans advanced with clear visibility. The hive mind detected changes in the light and saw alterations around them indicating possible manipulation of visual sight. When phantom figures appeared, the Leviathans did not react impulsively. Instead, the hive mind instructed units to rely on non-visual sensors, mitigating the effectiveness of the enemy’s illusions.

Such swift maneuvers hindered the moves of the trio, but they still managed to take four Leviathan warriors.

---

Each ambush provided the hive mind with valuable data. The Leviathans, acting with collective wisdom, continuously adapted their strategies. They had no fear; their actions were guided by logic and the imperative of their mission, showing why they were so dangerous.