Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 400: Behemoth (III)

Chapter 400: Behemoth (III)

It was a wonderful, shocking, and awe-inspiring sight. A young woman, not even two meters tall and weighing less than one hundred kilograms, collided head-on with a massive beast fifty meters tall that weighed hundreds of tons.

Freya’s mace crashed directly into the front of the Behemoth’s skull, the force of the impact spreading cracks around the point of contact. The sound was like thunder, echoing across the battlefield. Yet, the Leviathan’s eyes showed no pain or hesitation; it simply pushed forward.

The two were locked in a deadly clash, the shocks of energy and kinetic force spreading in all directions. Waves of power rippled outward, shattering the ground beneath them and sending debris flying.

Freya felt her arm tremble, the bones cracking under the immense strain. Pain seared through her muscles, but she remained firm, her feet planted as she resisted the Behemoth’s advance. Gritting her teeth, she summoned every ounce of her energy to push forward, her eyes blazing with determination.

However, the same could be said about the Behemoth. The Leviathan drove forward with all its will, intent on fulfilling the purpose for which the hive mind had given it life. It was a creature born for destruction, a living weapon designed to obliterate any obstacle.

Seconds stretched into an eternity as they remained locked together, neither yielding. Finally, after three grueling seconds, the kinetic energy generated between the mace and the Leviathan’s skull reached its critical mass. With a colossal burst of force, the stalemate shattered.

The Viking princess was sent hurtling through the air like a ragdoll, her body flipping end over end. The world spun around her, a blur of colors and shapes. Meanwhile, the Behemoth was sent rolling down the mountain, its massive form crushing everything in its path. The earth itself seemed to groan under the weight of the beast’s descent.

As she soared through the air, Freya fought to regain control. Drawing upon her years of training and innate agility, she twisted her body mid-air. Her eyes focused, and with a deft maneuver, she landed skillfully atop the inner wall of the fortress.

Her eyes were sharp as she stood proudly, her posture unwavering. To those who looked upon her, it was like seeing a battle goddess descended from the heavens. Awe filled their hearts, and a renewed will surged within them. As long as she stood on that wall, they felt that it would never break.

"Fight!" Freya raised her right arm, her voice ringing out across the battlefield. That single word cut through the cacophony of battle—the clashing weapons, the roars of beasts, the cries of the wounded. It dispersed all the doubt and fear the Behemoth had sown into their hearts.

The Xaos Forces and Turkin riders responded with a roar of their own, their morale rejuvenated. They charged into battle with even greater intensity, their weapons gleaming as they struck down their foes.

"Kill!" Viserin shouted as he led his Turkin riders around the inner wall. Their mounts, fierce and swift, crushed drones underfoot while their weapons sundered all those around.

"Forward!" Grand Marshal Anglius commanded, his voice booming like a drumbeat. He drove the Golden Wave Legion’s and Shadowstrike Legion’s combined might beyond the inner wall. Together, they clashed with the strong Leviathans, pushing away all the insect-humanoid hybrids that threatened to overrun their defenses.

Seeing their determination and the might with which they fought brought a small smile to Freya’s face. Yet, in the next second, a stream of blood emerged from the corner of her mouth. She discreetly wiped it away with the back of her hand, hoping no one had noticed.

The truth was that while she made it seem she was fine, she was severely wounded. The crash had caused her internal organs to tremble and suffer small wounds. But the worst part was that many of the bones in her right arm were fractured. Just raising it earlier to signal her troops was the most she could manage. Since she had sacrificed her left arm before to push away the Special Unit Leviathan, she had no way to fight properly.

Of course, the young woman had several powerful drugs in her space ring—potent elixirs that could heal her bones and fill her with energy. But the backlash of such drugs would leave her incapacitated for days, crippling her for the rest of the fight. It would be like drinking poison to quench her thirst.

Her gaze swept across the battlefield, taking in every detail. She saw that everything was in order. The lines were holding, and the soldiers fought with renewed vigor. The Special Unit Leviathan was still engaged, but thanks to the wounds the monster had received earlier, the Lords of Horror were more than capable of keeping it at bay.

However, a deep frown soon arose on the Viking princess’s face. From her vantage point atop the wall, she saw movement that sent a chill down her spine. The Behemoth that had been sent rolling down the mountain was starting to rise up once more. The blow she had delivered had left massive wounds on its head—cracks spider-webbed across its skull, and dark ichor seeped from the fractures. Yet, there were no signs of its vitality depleting.

The Behemoth Leviathan managed to raise its massive body from the ground. Its gaze locked onto the young woman who had dared to push it away. Without hesitation, it began to walk toward the large plain that surrounded Kuro Mountain.

The movement of the Leviathan confused many of the Xaos Forces. Some of the soldiers lowered their weapons slightly, murmuring among themselves.

"Is it retreating?" one asked.

"Maybe it’s given up," another suggested, hope in his voice.

But Freya knew that was not the reason. A solemn light appeared in her eyes as she watched the Behemoth’s actions. It wasn’t fleeing—it was repositioning.

After moving into the plain for twenty minutes, covering thousands of meters, the Behemoth turned around and began to walk forward. At first, its steps were slow, the ground trembling slightly under its weight. But with every step, the Behemoth’s momentum began to rise. Faster and faster it moved, each stride covering more ground than the last. Soon, it was moving that massive body—resembling a small mountain—at hundreds of kilometers per hour.

Realization dawned on the soldiers as they watched the Behemoth’s acceleration. It became clear to all that the Behemoth had only moved back to gain enough momentum.

As it reached the base of the mountain, the Behemoth began to ascend once more. The ground shattered beneath its feet, rocks and debris flying as it bulldozed its way upward. It was heading straight toward the inner wall, ready to fulfill the goal of its entire existence: to break through its defenses and lay waste to everything beyond.