Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 398: Behemoth (I)

Chapter 398: Behemoth (I)

Explosions and kinetic blasts echoed across Kuro Mountain’s inner ring. Tens of thousands of human soldiers stood resolute, their lines drawn against a seemingly endless dark wave composed of more than three million Leviathans. The battlefield was a scene of pure carnage, with rivers of black blood cascading down the mountainside, staining the earth and rocks with the lifeblood of the monstrous horde.

The Xaos Forces and the Turkin riders managed to keep the Leviathans at bay thanks to meticulous planning and strategic prowess. Their combined efforts formed a bulwark against the relentless onslaught.

Of course, the pressure exerted by the drone was immense. Slowly but surely, the human forces were being pulled back. Yet, every meter the Leviathans gained came at the expense of tens of thousands of their own kind. The broken bones and mangled bodies of the Leviathans littered the battlefield. Small smiles crept onto the faces of the weary soldiers as they witnessed the devastation they wrought upon their enemies.

It was not merely a sense of justice that killing these monsters brought to their hearts. The realization that their killing speed was formidable fueled their spirits. Although they had lost the clash in the outer ring, the thought that if they maintained this rate of destruction, the number of Leviathans left by the time they were pushed to the summit would be less than two million gave them hope.

Everyone understood that the path forward would be harsh and bloody. But as long as the chance of success burned in their hearts, they would fight with all they had, squeezing out every last drop of their strength.

Amidst the chaos, Freya was locked in a fierce clash with a Special Unit Leviathan in the outer ring of Kuro Mountain. Despite being engaged in her own deadly duel, she remained acutely aware of the state of the inner ring battlefield. A flash of thrill arose in her eyes as she sensed that the tide was finally turning back to their side.

The idea of victory ignited the battling spirit and fighting will within her, just as it did with all the other soldiers. She felt her strength rise, adrenaline coursing through her veins, sharpening her senses to a razor’s edge. It was in this heightened state that she found an opening against her formidable opponent.

Twisting her body to the side with uncanny agility, she dodged a whip of plasma that sliced through the air where she had stood moments before. Seizing the moment, she closed the distance between herself and the Special Unit Leviathan. She swung her mighty mace, aiming straight for the monster’s chest.

"Crack!"

The sound of a cracking exoskeleton echoed loudly as the mace connected with overwhelming potency, sending the Special Unit Leviathan flying backward.

To make things worse for the Special Unit Leviathan, Freya’s attack sent it hurtling into the path of a Lord of Horror. The white armored soldier spun his entire body, harnessing centrifugal force and the total weight of his massive frame. With a powerful swing, he struck the back of the Leviathan with his enormous sword.

"Crack!"

More cracking sounds reverberated across the battlefield. Though the Lord of Horror’s strength could not compare to Freya’s, his attack still inflicted significant damage, pushing the Leviathan in yet another direction.

The Special Unit Leviathan clenched every muscle in its grotesque body. Twisting mid-air, it regained control over its trajectory. Its form began to shift, one of its arms morphing into a massive shield. It braced itself just in time to block the Viking princess, who was diving toward it with the force of a meteor.

"BOOOOOMMMM!"

A kinetic blast echoed in all directions as Freya’s mace collided with the shield. The impact shattered the ground beneath the Special Unit Leviathan, sending shockwaves rippling through the earth. Dust and debris erupted into the air, momentarily obscuring the combatants from view.

Emerging from the cloud of dust, the eyes of the Viking princess burned with fierceness and killing intent. She refused to relent, pressing her advantage with relentless ferocity. Freya was well aware of the creature’s extraordinary vitality; killing it outright might be too ambitious, but if she could wound it severely enough to force it out of the battlefield, it would be a huge boon to their side—perhaps just enough to secure victory.

"We can make it!" she thought, a surge of hope flickering through her heart. She could feel the defenses of the Special Unit Leviathan weakening, more openings presenting themselves with each exchange. The possibility of turning the tide was within reach.

Suddenly, the ground trembled.

"Rumble."

At first, it was subtle, barely perceptible to most amidst the cacophony of battle. But Freya’s senses were exceptionally sharp, honed through years of combat and training. She paused, her gaze darting around as she tried to pinpoint the source of the disturbance.

It wasn’t long before the trembling became more pronounced, the vibrations intensifying beneath their feet. The soldiers around her began to notice, confusion etched onto their weary faces. The tremors seemed to originate from a distance yet were rapidly approaching Kuro Mountain at an alarming speed.

The first to truly grasp what was happening was Grand Marshal Anglius. From his elevated vantage point—his immense stature granting him a broader view—he saw the approaching menace. But in that moment, he wished he hadn’t. What appeared in his sight struck terror into his heart, a fear that he had not felt in years of warfare.

A living, moving mountain of jagged black armor was bearing down upon them, towering fifty meters into the sky. Its massive, spiked limbs crushed the ground with each colossal step, causing the earth to quake. Twisted horns crowned a featureless head shrouded in shadow, an embodiment of dread. Claw-like hands and spiked protrusions along its colossal body made it resemble a living siege weapon—unstoppable and built to tear through anything in its path.

Gasps and cries of fear rippled through the ranks of the Xaos Forces and the Turkin soldiers. Even the Leviathans seemed to momentarily falter in their advance as if acknowledging the arrival of a superior entity.

"There was no question of the nature of the creature," Anglius murmured, his knuckles white as he gripped his weapon. "It is a Leviathan—the largest we have ever seen. A true Behemoth."