Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 389: Setting fire to the air

Chapter 389: Setting fire to the air

Freya and the Shadowstrike Legion’s progress through the Leviathan swarm was relentless. Their assault on the more powerful units kept the Leviathans occupied, sparing the Turkin riders from an attack on their backs as they tore through the swarm’s flanks. With each charge and strike, the Shadowstrike Legion halted the Leviathan’s advance, driving deeper into the horde and holding the line with remarkable resilience.

Meanwhile, the Golden Wave Legion held the position a few hundred meters behind the Shadowstrike Legion, waiting with controlled anticipation. The seven thousand-strong force, clad in radiant golden armor, was a formidable sight as they prepared to unleash their energy at any moment. They followed Grand Marshal Anglius, who kept a watchful eye on the battle. His gaze darted between the left and right flanks, ensuring that Viserin and the Turkin riders maintained their sweeping movements across the swarm of drones, dismantling them with precision before they could reform.

Grand Marshal Anglius’s attention turned to Freya, who was leading the Shadowstrike Legion deeper into the Leviathan horde. Their skill and ferocity took down thousands of Leviathans each minute, a testament to their strength and efficiency. But the further they advanced, the greater the danger they faced. If the Leviathans managed to surround them, only those with Level 10 or higher strength would have any chance of survival.

Anglius’s blood burned with the desire to join the fight alongside Freya and the Bloodline Soldiers, clashing against the Leviathan warriors. Yet he knew his duty was to hold back, to keep the Golden Wave Legion in reserve until the moment when their strength would make the most impact. They waited, eyes fixed on the unfolding battle and ready to act.

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Freya herself was beginning to feel the toll of battle. Her stamina was immense, her vitality bordering on the supernatural, but she was fighting with such intensity that even taking a breath felt like a strain. Her muscles burned, and a sheen of sweat covered her face. She glanced at her comrades in the Bloodline Soldiers and the rest of the Shadowstrike Legion, who shared her exhaustion. Although they continued to strike with overwhelming ferocity, hurling spells and slicing through Leviathans left and right, signs of fatigue were setting in. They were drenched in sweat, and the lack of oxygen began to show in their labored breaths and pale faces.

In any other battlefield, both sides would share the burden of exhaustion. But here, their enemies were Leviathans—creatures with no concept of fatigue or restraint. When they were drained of energy, they simply resorted to kamikaze tactics, drawing on every last reserve of strength to inflict as much damage as possible, even at the cost of their own lives. To the hive mind, these drones were expendable, mere pawns in a vast, unending game of strategy.

The Leviathans observed the weary soldiers of the Shadowstrike Legion with cold calculation. Noting their state, the hive mind sent a signal. A deep, droning buzz filled the air as thousands of aerial drones lifted off, their wings humming with ominous intent. It took significant bio-energy for these drones to fly. Now, with the Shadowstrike Legion nearing the limits of their endurance, the hive mind deemed it the perfect time to unleash an aerial assault.

Freya’s eyes narrowed as she watched the drones rise around them, their pincers snapping and eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. She understood the danger immediately—an attack from both the ground and air would push her soldiers to their breaking point. Fortunately, Overlord had anticipated this move from the hive mind.

From his position just behind the frontline, Grand Marshal Anglius saw the drones rising and reacted at once. Though he could have ordered his soldiers to unleash a devastating barrage of spells, the close proximity of the Shadowstrike Legion made this risky. Instead, he took a different approach.

With practiced precision, Anglius pulled a large container from his space ring. Inside was a strange powder, a fine white substance that he released with a sweeping motion. The powder caught the wind, spreading rapidly across the area directly above the Shadowstrike Legion. It hovered just a few meters above the heads of the soldiers, forming a dense, shimmering cloud that floated close to the ground but did not rise further.

The Leviathan aerial drones scanned the strange substance. It didn’t seem to harm them on contact, but its peculiar composition prevented it from dispersing into the higher air. Before the hive mind could fully analyze the powder’s purpose, Major General Theodoro took a small vial from his space ring. He uncorked it and poured its contents—a golden liquid—into the white cloud.

The reaction was immediate and violent. The moment the golden liquid made contact with the white powder, a chemical reaction ignited, transforming the entire cloud into a roaring inferno. Waves of scorching fire swept through the air, enveloping the Leviathan aerial drones in flames that burned them to ash in seconds. The sight was both awe-inspiring and horrific: a wave of fire that consumed the Leviathans hovering above the Shadowstrike Legion.

Freya and her soldiers watched as the aerial threat was obliterated. The white powder, having fulfilled its purpose, quickly dissipated, leaving the skies clear once more. Thanks to Anglius’s quick thinking and preparation, the Shadowstrike Legion had been spared an overwhelming attack.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Freya felt a surge of renewed determination. She raised her mace high, signaling her soldiers to press on. Despite their exhaustion, the men and women of the Shadowstrike Legion responded with vigor, their battle cries echoing across the battlefield as they resumed their assault on the Leviathans.

The aerial drones’ fiery demise profoundly impacted the Leviathan ranks. For a moment, the relentless tide of drones seemed to falter, as if the hive mind itself had been shaken by the unexpected turn of events. That white powder naturalized the aerial drones, taking down a powerful weapon from the hive mind’s arsenal, and now it had to adjust its tactics, which was not