Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 407: Divine Leviathan (II)

Chapter 407: Divine Leviathan (II)

However, the fact that she did not understand the full extent of Vlad’s newfound powers did not mean that the Viking princess did not feel her blood burning, a thrill coursing through her entire existence. After all, if that spell were to land in the Leviathan swarm, hundreds of thousands would perish immediately, maybe even wiping out half of the entire swarm since they were so densely packed together.

The soldiers all had the same thoughts. Their bodies trembled with excitement as they pictured the devastation such an attack could unleash. Their eyes widened, their breaths quickened, and for the first time in what felt like ages, hope blazed brightly within their hearts.

"Is this it?" whispered a Turkin rider, his knuckles white around his spear.

"Could this be the end?" another soldier murmured, scarcely daring to believe.

Luckily for them, Vlad did not leave them waiting. In the next second, he sent the giant sphere of magma hurtling toward the center of the Leviathan swarm, where it could cause the most damage without harming the human forces. The colossal orb descended from the sky like a falling sun, casting an eerie red glow over the battlefield.

The Xaos Forces and Turkin riders gazed upward, mouths agape, as the sphere of magma carved a burning path through the sky. Faces that had been etched with exhaustion now shone with anticipation and exhilaration. In this fiery meteor, they saw the key to ending this brutal conflict.

"By the gods," Roman breathed, his bow momentarily lowered as he stared in awe.

"Look at it go!" Clasius exclaimed, his sword gleaming in the fiery light.

Hope and excitement rose on their faces as they watched the sphere descend upon the enemy. The thought of obliterating such a vast number of Leviathans in one strike was almost too good to be true.

However, just as the magma meteor was about to crash into the swarm of Leviathans, something unexpected happened.

Giant waves of golden light flooded the air right above the Leviathans, converging into a massive dark golden gate hundreds of meters wide. The gate materialized with a resonating hum, its surface adorned with intricate symbols and pulsating with an ominous energy.

"What in the world is that?" Freya exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief.

The sudden appearance of the gate caused a ripple of shock to pass through the human ranks. The sphere of magma collided with the golden gate in a blinding flash.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!"

A massive explosion echoed across the battlefield the moment the sphere of magma clashed with the golden gate. Waves of destruction spread in all directions, the blast shaking the ground beneath their feet. The impact set ablaze tens of thousands of Leviathans in its path, their screeches of agony piercing the air. Yet, despite the devastation, the gate absorbed much of the attack’s power, saving hundreds of thousands from annihilation.

Freya, Ouroboros, and the rest of the Xaos Forces and Turkin soldiers could not help but gaze at that dark golden gate with disbelief.

It was not only that the enemy had somehow managed to thwart Vlad’s devastating attack, but for the first time since they had clashed with them, the Leviathan race had used spells and energy manipulation. Up to this point, they had always relied on brute power and biological abilities. This display of arcane defense was entirely new and utterly alarming.

Vlad’s eyes were sharp as he hovered above the battlefield, his gaze fixed on the golden gate that had halted his attack. He was as surprised as the others by the Leviathans’ sudden use of energy-based defenses. His expression soon grew cold as the voice of the A.I. Chip echoed in his mind.

[Beep! Divine Force detected in protective spells.]

"A god?" Vlad whispered to himself, a mixture of concern and determination settling over his features.

His expression grew solemn as he recognized the signs of divine power at play. The next second, his eyes focused on the ground at the mountain’s base. The earth shuddered violently before shattering, and a massive figure arose from it, ascending into the sky.

What appeared before everyone’s sight was a massive and bloated entity, standing about eight meters tall with a rotund, monstrous body. It had golden, divine skin but was tarnished, cracked, and layered with textures that made it appear like living, molten metal frozen mid-melt. Dark plasma oozed from the fissures, giving it a diseased, decayed quality, as if corrupted from the very core.

Gasps of horror rippled through the human ranks.

"What is that abomination?" A soldier whispered, her face pale.

The creature’s head was a blend of godly grandeur and insectoid horror. Multiple blood-red eyes peered out from a writhing mass that must have once resembled a face, now overgrown with chitinous textures and twisted antennae. Instead of the regal features you would expect in a holder of Divine Force, it had grown barbed tendrils and segmented, thorned protrusions, adding to its monstrous and alien nature.

The entity’s arms were thick and muscular yet covered in cracked plating. Its insect-like appendages clawed and scraped at the ground as if ready to drag or crush anything in its path. The entity emanated an aura of corruption and malevolence that sent chills down the spines of even the bravest warriors.

A deep frown appeared in Vlad’s eyes as he gazed at the entity with Divine Force and Leviathan features. Countless questions arose in his mind as he tried to understand the bigger picture. How could a Leviathan possess Divine Force? Was this the result of some unholy fusion? But the next second, he shook his head, pushing all that to the back of his mind as he let his energy explode outward.

Whatever that Divine Leviathan was, and wherever it had come from, it did not matter right now. The only thing that mattered was the battle.

"THUMP!"

A heartbeat that echoed with the power of a volcanic explosion emerged from inside the body of the Depravita of Wrath. A burst of wrathful energy erupted from his form, accompanied by demonic lightning and fire that crackled and danced around him.

He waved his hand, and a halberd appeared in his grasp the next second. Vlad gripped it tightly, his muscles coiling like a predator ready to strike.

"DEATH!"

That was the only word the Depravita of Wrath left to his forces as he dashed toward the Divine Leviathan like a shooting star of destruction. His speed was breathtaking, a blazing comet hurtling through the sky, leaving a trail of fiery energy in his wake.

The doubts and confusion that the Divine Leviathan had stirred in the hearts and minds of the soldiers faded as they saw the shooting star that was the Xaos King. Their eyes blazed with renewed determination as they shouted with all their strength.

"DEATH! DEATH! DEATH! DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!"

Their collective battle cry echoed across the mountainside, a thunderous roar that galvanized the troops. Alongside that cry of destruction, the Xaos Forces and Turkin riders began their descent down Kuro Mountain, ready to clash with the Leviathans once more.