Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 443: Blitzkrieg

Chapter 443: Blitzkrieg

Of course, being half-crippled was not good enough for Vlad. "We have done an excellent job, but it is not enough to just harm them—we must obliterate the entire swarm," he declared, his voice carrying across the makeshift camp in the forest.

Resolute determination and killing intent appeared in the eyes of the rest of the higher-ups and generals as they all nodded to the words of the Xaos King. It was paramount that they erase every form of Leviathan presence in the Keny Country. Achieving this would mean they had cleansed the north of the Monsoon Continent, allowing them to finally start their charge toward the core of the race—the massive obelisk that seemed to be the center of their existence.

"There is a suitable terrain four hundred kilometers ahead of their current location. The swarm will reach there in a few days." Grand Marshal Anglius said, narrowing his eyes. He had memorized the entire geography of the Keny Country, so he knew exactly where they could inflict great damage on the Leviathans. "We could use that terrain to lay an ambush and strike with force."

Vlad smiled at the proposition. It was perfect. But just as he was about to give the go-ahead, the metallic orb floating above them glowed, and Overlord’s voice echoed the next second.

"The Leviathan swarm suffered too many great losses for the hive mind to keep moving forward. After all, its current power would not be able to even surpass the outer walls of Kuro Mountain. According to my calculations, there is a ninety-five percent chance it will adopt a defensive formation and wait for reinforcements."

Grand Marshal Anglius’s eyes sharpened, and after a few seconds, he nodded at Overlord’s analysis. "You are right, Overlord. I was so used to these creatures always striving forward regardless of the damage that I fell into a preconceived idea."

Vlad and the rest of the group all nodded, and they did not blame the golden giant since they all had made the same flawed assumption. They were learning and adapting. Vlad glanced at the metallic orb in the sky, a sharp light appearing in his eyes as he spoke.

"In that case, the best approach would be to perform Blitzkrieg-type strikes."

Immediately, the A.I. Chip Clone responded, "That is right, Prime Master. Blitzkrieg, or Lightning War, would be ideal at this point."

"We strike the Leviathan swarm at uneven intervals of time," Vlad elaborated. "Strike them hard and with speed, isolate clusters of elite forces, wipe them all out, and then retreat before they even know what hit them. If we do that, then the entire swarm will be gone before the week ends."

Broad smiles appeared on Vlad and the others as they nodded to each other. This plan was perfect, allowing them to end the swarm quickly while carrying less risk for their troops. With a clear path in mind, Vlad, Overlord, and the generals began to detail the finer points of the approach.

The human forces inside the forest rested for thirty hours, their fatigue from previous battles ebbing away as they recovered strength. Once the first rays of light appeared in the sky, they moved.

---

Just as Overlord had deduced, the swarm of Leviathans had not continued their march toward Karman Country. After leaving the L-shaped path near the canyon, they moved into an open field and halted, adopting a defensive stance. The drones covered the periphery, while the insect-humanoid hybrids, aerial units, and Elite Units were spread around the swarm. The hive mind remembered very well the destructive power of the meteor-like strikes had unleashed before, so it was wise enough not to keep all troops clustered together.

As for the Siege Leviathans—those precious units that were supposed to be the hive mind’s trump card—they had all been destroyed by the human forces, another reason why the hive mind was so enraged. The hours passed as the Leviathans waited for reinforcements from the heart of the Monsoon Continent.

Then, the sky glowed once more with a red, fiery light. The Leviathans gazed upward, and immediately as the comet began to fall, they moved away to avoid being blasted.

"BOOOMMMM!"

An explosion of fire and lightning landed on the swarm of Leviathans. But this time, the hive mind had been wiser and more prepared, responding more efficiently. The strike killed fewer than fifteen thousand drones—trivial compared to the previous massive losses. However, that was just the beginning.

In the next second, a massive snake of fire and lightning swam down from the sky. Its body crackled with elemental energy, and as it descended, a sea of lightning-infused, flaming spears rained down upon the swarm. The Leviathans attempted to scatter, but the fiery projectiles fell relentlessly, piercing through the most powerful units.

Then, from multiple directions, the human forces crashed into the swarm with immense power. It was a carefully orchestrated Blitzkrieg strike.

Freya hammered into a pocket of Elite Units. Though they tried to block her strikes, she infused her attacks with her bloodline powers, sending them stumbling backward. The Lords of Horror emerged from the shadows, their white armor glowing with haunting brilliance. They smashed into the Leviathan warriors, each swing of their swords shattering chitinous exoskeletons and sending ichor spraying into the air.

The Golden Wave Legion and Shadow Strike Legion, supported by Turkin Riders, executed rapid strikes on clusters of drones at the swarm’s edges. They unleashed barrages of arrows and elemental spells, thinning the swarm’s numbers. Instead of engaging in prolonged combat, they hit hard and then withdrew just as quickly.

The Leviathans attempted to coordinate a response, but the humans were too fast. Aerial units that tried to dive at the human archers were met by sudden gusts of elemental winds and arcs of lightning. Drones that attempted to form a defensive line were crushed before they could lock shields. The hive mind was bewildered—just as it tried to move units to reinforce one threatened sector, a new human attack erupted somewhere else.

In less than five minutes, the humans had inflicted significant casualties and then retreated again. The entire engagement was a blur of fiery comets, elemental snakes, and flaming spears, followed by a swift and disciplined withdrawal. The Leviathans, still staggering from the sudden assault, could only watch as their enemies vanished into the distance, leaving behind scorched earth and flaming piles of their fallen kind.