Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 441: Taking the offensive (IV)

Chapter 441: Taking the offensive (IV)

The hive mind was truly in shock. This was the first time the human forces had performed a true all-out strike against the Leviathan race, not waiting in their fortresses. The strategies it had developed based on previous encounters were rendered ineffective. The hive mind learned with each clash, improving its skills and strategies, but this was completely new, and it was having a hard time adapting, which was clearly devastating news for the Leviathan Race, with the situation growing worse with every single minute.

Back in the horizontal portion of the path, Vlad sent a powerful punch forward, piercing the chest of a Leviathan warrior. The force of the blow generated a massive burst of flames and lightning that cascaded outward, destroying hundreds of drones around him.

He had been fighting for less than thirty minutes, but his energy was already nearing depletion due to the massive output unleashed. Every fiber of his muscles felt like it would snap at any second. His vitality and stamina were overwhelmingly high, but he had expended immense strength from the beginning of the clash, killing tens of thousands of Leviathans with every blow. No wonder he was already exhausted and not alone in his fatigue.

Jormungandr was no longer releasing bursts of lightning and fire. Instead, he covered his small figure in elemental power, blasting across the battlefield and crushing all enemies in his path. His chest heaved heavily due to exhaustion, each breath a laborious effort. The relentless pace of the battle had taken its toll even on him.

Grand Marshal Anglius kept swinging his massive halberd, blasting Leviathans to pieces. However, his movements were much slower now, and his size had returned to its original fifteen meters as the energy granted by his devilish bloodline and demonic soul had already run out. Sweat dripped from his brow, but his determination remained unwavering.

Major General Theodry and the Bloodline Soldiers were in the same boat. The nineteen Bloodline Soldiers continued killing with astonishing might, and even Leviathan warriors were crushed under their swords and spells. But sweat was already covering their faces, and their movements were slowing down. The strain of continuous combat was evident, yet they pressed on.

As for the Royal Guards, they were also nearing their breaking points. Mirena could only control a single metallic lightning tornado now as her earlier ability to command multiple tornados diminished by fatigue. Frank’s magma blast barrage was reduced from over fifteen to only ten in each volley. His energy reserves were depleting rapidly. Roman’s arrows, which once covered the sky, were now only small clusters. Clasius and Amara were in an even worse state, truly pushing themselves to the limits just to avoid being overwhelmed by the relentless swarm.

However, despite all that, there were smiles on Vlad and the others. They had managed to reduce the number of Leviathans in the horizontal portion of the path by nearly a third, killing over a million of the creatures, many of them being Leviathan warriors and aerial units. The sight of their foes falling in such numbers filled them with a sense of accomplishment and renewed their resolve. Even if they were the only ones involved in this clash, it would have been a massive victory—but that was not the case.

On the vertical portion of the L-shaped path, Viserin and the rest of the forces did an excellent job advancing through the rear. Exhaustion was evident on the face of the Turkin King; there were moments when he felt he would suffocate due to the fatigue, but he kept pushing forward. It was an immense honor to have been given leadership over the Golden Wave Legion and Shadow Strike Legion, and he would rather die than fail the responsibility placed on his shoulders.

The Golden Wave Legion, Shadow Strike Legion, and Turkin Riders could only shout praises to the Turkin King as he had truly led by example, taking the frontline and facing the greatest dangers while generating openings for all the soldiers. They were tired and exhausted, but as long as the man kept moving forward, so would they. His unwavering determination inspired them to press on despite their weariness.

All the while, the human forces advanced, butchering every Leviathan they found. A flash of lightning dashed from one insect-humanoid hybrid to a cluster of aerial units, blasting the Leviathan warriors to pieces and generating blinding explosions among the aerial monsters. Freya’s vision blurred from time to time as she pushed herself beyond her limits, her speed reaching an overwhelming level. Yet she kept moving forward, making sure to crush the strongest forces. Her hammer swung in wide arcs, leaving trails of light as it decimated any Leviathan that dared to approach.

If there was one force that was doing just fine, it was the Lords of Horror. The white juggernauts fought with all their power from the start, neutralizing the moves of the Elite Units. The very essence of their kind was overwhelming stamina, so they showed no sign of exhaustion. Their relentless assault kept the Elite Units at bay, preventing them from turning the tide of the battle.

Whether it was on the vertical or horizontal portion of the L-shaped path, the human forces were doing an amazing job. But their stamina was just minutes away from becoming a serious problem. Muscles burned, breaths came in ragged gasps, and the weight of their weapons seemed to increase with every passing moment. Finally, their communication gems began to glow—a signal they had been anticipating.

There was one other party involved in this clash, one that only took a supervisory role, and that was Overlord. Through his Sentinels, the A.I. Chip Clone was able to get a clear picture of every inch of the battlefield. Once he gave the order, it meant it was finally time to retreat.

Vlad did not hesitate; when it came to battlefield matters, he trusted Overlord’s judgment completely. Without hesitation, he, Jormungandr, Grand Marshal Anglius, the Royal Guards, and the nineteen Bloodline Soldiers all dashed to the side before jumping into the massive canyon. The group fell into the shadows, only to rise the next second atop a cluster of demonic souls capable of flight.