Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 426: Taking down the Harvesters (I)

Chapter 426: Taking down the Harvesters (I)

The Harvesters continued their flight, colossal shadows gliding silently over the vast expanse of the ocean. Their gargantuan forms moved through the air, tentacles trailing beneath them like the roots of inverted mountains.

As they neared the shores of Kylen Country, the tension among the Leviathan warriors and aerial units intensified. Cold and unblinking, their multifaceted eyes constantly scanned the horizons and the skies above. Every sensory organ was attuned to the slightest disturbance, every muscle coiled in readiness. They knew the precious cargo they escorted—the massive load of biomass harvested from countless lives—was of paramount importance to the hive mind. Losing it was not an option.

Finally, the Harvesters began their descent toward the shore. As the Harvesters lowered themselves, the clusters of aerial units broke away, their wings faltering. One by one, their bodies began to twitch uncontrollably. The life force that had sustained them during the relentless flight was exhausted. With a final, spasmodic shudder, they plummeted to the ground, lifeless.

It was a horrifying sight. Their bodies hit the rocky shore with dull thuds, limbs splaying at unnatural angles. Yet, none of the Leviathans on the ground showed any reaction. The aerial units had served their purpose, burning through their own life force to ensure the Harvesters reached their destination unscathed.

Almost immediately, the tentacles of the Harvesters began to writhe and extend. These massive appendages moved across the ground toward the fallen aerial units. Suckers latched onto the corpses, and the tentacles coiled tightly, lifting the bodies into the air. With a swift motion, the Harvesters swallowed their fallen protectors, sending them into their cavernous bellies. In this way, the biomass was recouped, and nothing was wasted.

On top of the Harvesters, the Elite Leviathans remained vigilant. As the insect-humanoid hybrids and the remaining aerial units on the shore began to march, they formed concentric rings around each Harvester, prepared to defend the precious cargo with their lives.

The Harvesters then began to emit waves upon waves of gas from apertures along their backs. The gases, lighter than air, shimmered with iridescent colors as they dissipated into the atmosphere. This expulsion caused the massive creatures to settle more firmly onto the ground. Their anatomy was truly ingenious—a marvel of bioengineering by the hive mind. The key to their flight was the concentration of an immense amount of gas within their bodies, gases that were lighter than air and allowed them to defy gravity, much like colossal airships.

Once the gases were released, the Harvesters opened their enormous maws, taking deep, resonant breaths. The sound was akin to a thousand bellows inhaling at once. They swallowed massive amounts of air, which would undergo a unique chemical process inside their bodies. This process would regenerate the lighter-than-air gases, refilling the cavities that enabled them to soar through the skies once more.

However, just as the Harvesters prepared to rise into the air again, something extraordinary happened. A sudden, blinding radiance bathed the shore, casting stark shadows and illuminating every detail of the Leviathan forces below.

Immediately, the eyes of all Leviathans turned skyward. What they saw filled them with alarm. Hovering above them was a man, but not just any man. He had white hair and eyes of deep black with piercing red irises that seemed to burn with inner fire. Surrounding him was an aura of crackling lightning and roaring flames, energies so intense they sundered the very sky.

"SHIRKKKK!" The collective shriek of the Leviathans echoed across the shore, a cacophony of hatred and absolute killing intent. The hive mind had identified the humanoid instantly. He was the N°1 Special Threat—the entity it desired to eliminate more than any other in the entire world.

Vlad sneered a cold smile that conveyed both confidence and disdain. "Hmph!" His energy exploded with even greater strength, the lightning, and fire intensifying until they flooded the sky in a storm of elemental fury. This was just the beginning.

From his back, three whips of Depravita Aura unfurled, their ethereal forms weaving into the maelstrom of power surrounding him. The wild and chaotic energies began to coalesce, shaping themselves under his command. In the next instant, nearly two hundred lightning-infused flaming meteorites materialized above him, each pulsing with destructive potential.

Shock rippled through the Leviathan ranks as they witnessed this massive spell taking form. It was not just the sheer might of the attack that stunned them but the fact that this lone human had managed to channel such power unaided. The hive mind had assessed Vlad’s capabilities less than a week ago, yet here he stood, wielding energies far beyond those calculations. His power had grown exponentially in just a few days, which made no sense.

But there was no time for the Leviathans to ponder this unsettling development. Vlad raised his hand, eyes blazing with resolve. "Heaven’s Fall!" he shouted, his voice echoing like thunder.

The meteorites began their descent, a rain of fiery doom hurtling toward the earth. From the moment Vlad had appeared to the unleashing of his spell, less than three seconds had passed. The Leviathan swarm found itself facing imminent annihilation.

Yet, the hive mind was not one to hesitate, even in the face of such overwhelming force. Instantly, the Elite Leviathans reacted. Their bodies surged with power as they pushed their physical forms to the limits. Muscles bulged, and exoskeletons hardened as they launched themselves skyward. Fifty-six figures shot into the air, each targeting one of the descending meteorites.

Simultaneously, the aerial units that had been stationed around the Harvesters rose into action. They swarmed upward, forming protective cocoons around the monstrous whales. Layer upon layer of bodies interlocked, creating living shields designed to absorb the impact of the meteorites.

The Elite Leviathans reached the meteorites first. With fists clenched and eyes focused, they collided with the fiery masses. The clashes were titanic—each impact generating shockwaves that rippled through the air. They struck with every ounce of power in their bodies, blasting several of the massive projectiles into fragments. Their physical prowess was astounding, showcasing the absolute peak of the High Champion Realm.

However, their efforts could only mitigate a portion of the threat. They succeeded in neutralizing less than a third of the meteorites. The remaining fiery rocks continued their deadly descent, hurtling toward the shore and the Leviathan forces below.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

The meteorites struck the ground with cataclysmic force. It was as if a barrage from a fleet of warships had been unleashed. Fire and lightning erupted in all directions, engulfing the area in blinding light and searing heat.

The aerial units’ cocoons around the Harvesters strained under the onslaught. They absorbed the initial impacts, their bodies disintegrating as they shielded the precious cargo. In areas where multiple meteorites struck in close proximity, the protective formations faltered. The repeated blasts were too much for them to endure.

Without the protection of the aerial units, the Harvesters bore the full brunt of the fiery assault. Their massive bodies, not designed for direct combat, could not withstand the destructive power of Vlad’s spell. Explosions tore through their forms, rending flesh and rupturing the gas-filled cavities that enabled their flight. The gases ignited, causing additional detonations that ripped the Harvesters apart from within.

The biomass stored within their bellies—a culmination of countless lives harvested—was set ablaze. Flames consumed the organic matter, turning what was meant to bolster the Leviathan forces into ash and cinders.

In a single, devastating strike, four of the twenty-three Harvesters were destroyed along with their cargo.