Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 540: Ambush (III)

Chapter 540: Ambush (III)

Zalasar paid no heed to the numerous Vorometallicae warriors surging around him. His gaze was locked onto a single target: the towering champion wielding a massive halberd at the rear of the monstrous horde.

Each meter that Zalasar’s warhorse galloped forward only increased his momentum and determination. He poured his energy into the blade he gripped, intending to unleash all of it in one decisive strike.

At the same time, the Voroe Sage focused his own lethal intent on Zalasar, ignoring everything else on the battlefield. With a burst of raw power, the colossal creature charged, his colossal stride shattering the ground beneath his feet. Lesser Voroe scrambled out of his way, but many weren’t quick enough and were crushed underfoot.

At last, the two warriors met with a thunderous clash. The halberd and sword collided in a burst of kinetic force that blasted nearby Voroe and human soldiers alike off their feet.

The sheer pressure of their locked weapons pulverized the earth, sending shockwaves rippling for kilometers in every direction. For a moment, the Voroe Sage and Zalasar remained deadlocked, neither able to overpower the other. Then, almost in unison, they broke away—only to hurl themselves at each other again a split-second later.

The warhorse raised its front hooves in a powerful stomp aimed directly at the Voroe Sage. Though the Voroe’s metallic flesh far exceeded standard Sage-tier armor in durability, the impact of those hooves could still shatter bone if it connected cleanly.

Recognizing the threat, the Voroe Sage sprang aside, narrowly avoiding the blow. The horse’s hooves slammed into the ground, carving out a deep crater and spewing chunks of rock into the air. In one fluid motion, the massive steed jumped back, dodging a retaliatory swing of the halberd by mere centimeters.

The Voroe Sage let out a frustrated snarl. He had not anticipated a warhorse with such agility, and he had even less expected the seamless coordination between rider and mount. Meanwhile, Zalasar exploited every feint and evasion, slashing his sword toward the Voroe Sage’s neck.

The gargantuan enemy twisted aside, then lunged forward with another thrust of his halberd. Yet the warhorse reacted instantly, carrying Zalasar out of range. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, showcasing a level of skill that only came from years of rigorous training and battlefield experience.

Still, the Voroe Sage displayed no intention of retreat. If anything, his attacks grew fiercer and more powerful with each exchange. Sparks of molten energy danced along the edges of his halberd, and the ground around him glowed with the heat radiating from his body.

While their duel stood at the center of attention, the broader battle played out in an equally dire fashion. Human riders clashed with Voroe warriors, steel meeting steel, and arcs of magical power illuminating the sky. Explosions of kinetic force and elemental blasts lit up the battlefield. Although the Voroe horde was ferocious, its ranks were riddled with casualties: their initial cannon fodder had been obliterated by Zalasar’s preemptive strike, and those who survived had suffered wounds.

In contrast, the human ranks maintained a tight formation, safeguarding the massive wagons behind them. Despite the explosion clash, none had yet taken direct damage—an impressive testament to the discipline and coordination of Zalasar’s troops.

On a battlefield, however, fortunes could shift in an instant. Zalasar allowed himself a momentary smile of satisfaction as he steadily forced the Voroe Sage back.

Yet, his expression soon soured when the ground behind him erupted in a spray of broken rock and molten debris. Emerging from the depths of the earth was another Voroe warrior, smaller by Vorometallicae standards—only about three and a half meters tall—but unmistakably radiating Sage-level power.

Moving with uncanny swiftness, this new Voroe raised a colossal spiked club and hurled it straight at Zalasar’s exposed back. The human commander realized with dismay that he was too committed to his clash with the first Sage to defend against the sudden attack.

"Damn it—!" Zalasar hissed through clenched teeth. He had never imagined facing not one but two Sage-level Voroe at once. Just as that spiked club whistled through the air, coming perilously close to smashing into Zalasar’s armor, a lance of brilliant energy streaked across the battlefield.

"ZZNNNNNNNN!"

The laser beam struck the smaller Voroe in the chest, hurling him backward in a plume of acrid smoke and molten shards of flesh. He landed hard, coughing up thick, dark blood.

Gasps erupted from Voroe and human lines as everyone turned to see where the unexpected projectile had come from. Hovering in the air above the battlefield was a young man with white hair, his aura blazing as power coursed through him.

Yet he did not remain in the sky for long. Within fractions of a second, runic flames erupted around his body, arcs of lightning dancing across his limbs. In a blur of fiery light, the newcomer dived toward the injured Voroe Sage, triggering an explosion of concentrated fire and electricity upon impact.

Zalasar’s eyes widened in disbelief. The white-haired man was clearly a Sage-tier powerhouse, but who was he, and what was he doing here?

Even that staggering display of power was quickly overshadowed by the appearance of another new arrival: a massive, forty-five-meter-tall fiery dragon descended upon the battlefield, roaring its challenge. Without hesitation, the dragon plowed into the Voroe Guardians, flattening entire squads with its gigantic limbs.

On the dragon’s shoulder perched a small yellow cat with bold white stripes, unleashing blasts of lightning and fire in every direction. Each spell wrought lethal destruction among the Voroe ranks, taking out Guardian-level warriors with pinpoint strikes.

The Voroe Sage battling Zalasar was just as startled by this chaotic turn of events as his foe, his mind churning with confusion. Three new Sage-level entities had just intervened in a battle that had been designed as a stealthy, crushing ambush.

Unfortunately for the Voroe Sage, that split-second lapse in concentration proved fatal. Suddenly, a hulking white werewolf appeared at his flank, his body reinforced by draconic scales and a dark exoskeleton that radiated destructive energy.

In one fluid motion, the werewolf’s fist connected with the Voroe Sage’s face, unleashing a concentrated shockwave of destructive power. The collision shattered flesh and bone, creating a deafening boom that reverberated across the battlefield.