Chapter 82
"Uh, ugh..."
The ground quaked violently as a beast with a house-sized black carapace charged forward, filling the entire field of view.
Its sheer presence was overwhelming. The formation crumbled in an instant under the unexpected assault of such a massive body.
"Hold your positions, everyone!"
"What the hell is that! Even the Degenerated Earth Dragons of Redrium we left behind weren’t that massive!"
The commanders hastily tried to regain control of the troops, but it was proving difficult. These soldiers, who had driven out the Destruction Fungus and taken dominion over the surface, had long been steeped in peace since then.
Though war manuals from the era of relentless battles before migration still remained, none among the troops had any firsthand experience in warfare.
"Bombardment! Bombardment! Mystic Cannon!"
The Supreme Commander, clad in a robe, commanded urgently from atop a golem. The mage batteries, hurriedly shifting their formations, now aimed their magic circles directly ahead.
"Fire! Fire now!"
The fired projectiles were magic bullets, condensed to be larger and denser than those used in indirect fire.
While the range was significantly shortened, the destructive power was maximized. They were undoubtedly capable of shattering even thick castle walls in a single blow.
Thus, the Supreme Commander was confident that the direct-fire cannons just launched would inflict significant damage on the beasts.
'Insignificant creatures...'
But confidence was just that—confidence. Reality did not align with his expectations.
"How is this possible?"
"W-What is that...?"
Unconsciously, he turned to the executive of the Stas Academy standing nearby.
But the executive of the Stas Academy, equally shocked and dumbfounded, could only shake his head in disbelief.
"Then tell me! What the hell am I looking at?!"
The Supreme Commander, losing his composure, roared furiously.
The enormous beasts, charging with relentless ferocity, were clearly struck by the shells. He had seen the explosions erupting with fiery force upon impact.
However, the beasts, now cloaked in a dark crimson energy that formed into spears, continued their charge unscathed, swinging their massive and hardened heads.
That peculiar formation and magic—there was no doubt it was the specialty of the Stas School.
"Ah, ahhh!"
"Everyone, retreat!"
The formation collapsed in an instant, even before a direct collision occurred.
It was inevitable. At their current level, there was no way to stop such monstrous creatures charging with reckless abandon.
"Ah."
The Supreme Commander let out a faint gasp.
All around him were his Screaming Allies, fleeing desperately. Ahead, a red spray of blood exploded outwards with a shockwave, accompanied by chunks of flesh that had once been human.
The main unit was being ripped apart while still alive.
"Aaaaagh!"
"L-Let me go!"
In the aftermath of the beasts' unstoppable charge, the survivors were immediately attacked by other monsters.
These were four-legged beasts with powerful muscles, mercilessly slaughtering the disoriented soldiers.
"Please, spare me!"
But some of the monsters exhibited peculiar behavior.
Instead of killing, they attacked some mages just enough to leave them bloodied but alive. Then, they dragged the mages off toward the rear.
"Damn these creatures! How dare they target the mages!"
Upon witnessing this, the Supreme Commander realized the monsters were attempting to abduct the mages. Furious, he slammed his staff into the ground.
Being a member of the guild specializing in earth-related magic, he immediately conjured stone pillars from the ground, striking and piercing through the monsters attempting to abduct the mages.
'Could they have stolen the magic of the Stas School as well...?'
Cold sweat ran down his face as he surveyed the scene. All he could see were his Screaming Allies, crying out in desperation.
It finally dawned on him that these monsters were not merely a wild horde of beasts.
Amid the chaotic battlefield, the Over-sized Species that had charged earlier were now turning their heads once again.
Gritting his teeth, the Supreme Commander straightened his back and glared at the being coming directly for him.
"You look a bit special. Are you their leader?"
He aimed his staff at the Higher Species approaching him, its six glowing eyes gleaming coldly through the Armor Crevices.
The Higher Species raised the Crimson Spear it held in its hand.
Its stance was sharp and precise. Among the prisoners it had devoured were knights who had trained in spear techniques.
"Hmm...?!"
Just then, the Supreme Commander sensed something amiss and flinched.
A strange aura had suddenly spread through the air.
"Ugh... Aaaagh!"
A soldier, his body covered in Black Veins and his eyes turned pitch black, lunged at the Supreme Commander.
There was no reason for the Legion not to use the most efficient weapon to suppress the majority.
"You resort to such petty tricks. So, you are indeed the successors of the Demon of Destruction!"
With the tip of his staff, he struck the lunging soldier’s solar plexus, sending the infected flying.
Then, raising his staff, he gathered mana and slammed it into the ground.
A powerful Magical Current swept through the battlefield. In its wake, the infected, whose defenses were extremely fragile, were annihilated.
"Even if you win this battle, you will never prevail. Just as you were exterminated in the past, you will be driven off the surface once more."
The Supreme Commander, his white beard fluttering, glared sharply at the Higher Species, pointing a finger at it as he spat out his words with disdain.
It was as if he knew that behind the Higher Species’ eyes, someone—Eve—was watching.
For the first time in her life, Eve, who had never been provoked before death, found the corners of her lips twitching slightly in reaction to such defiance.
"Come, monster. Do you think the magic I, Austin Schultz of Seklad, have honed for 80 years will be thwarted by the likes of you?"
He swung his staff, casting a spell.
The Higher Species, of course, gave him no opportunity. It moved swiftly, thrusting its spear toward his neck.
As if anticipating the attack, he instantly canceled the incantation and tilted his head to avoid the spear.
Simultaneously, he quickly cast a Shield Spell.
A triangular blue shield emerged, clashing with the Higher Species’ Dark Crimson Barrier.
"Even if I die here, the guild and the council are filled with those far stronger than me. And you—are weaker than I am. Do not underestimate magic."
Through the shattered remnants of the shield, he fired a Rock Bullet, condensed at his fingertip, targeting the now-exposed chest of the Higher Species.
The lethal magic, focused on piercing power, shattered the armor and destroyed the Core Engine in one strike.
"Ha."
He staggered as he stared at the corpse of the fallen Higher Species. The strain on his mana reserves had been immense.
If his judgment had been even slightly delayed, or if the opponent had any knowledge of proper magical combat, he would have been impaled by the first strike.
"...Still, one less to deal with."
He muttered absently as he turned his body.
He had already resigned himself to death. The enormous beasts charging toward him made that clear.
No matter how skilled a Sage-Class Mage he was, he could not singlehandedly handle the sheer mass of such gigantic creatures.
'At least one more.'
With that thought alone, he began casting another spell.
Attacking the massive bodies head-on would be futile. Instead, he targeted a different area.
This was his plan, and he executed it with the magic cast from the tip of his staff.
"Got it."
One of the massive bodies stumbled and began to collapse.
Using his magic, he had transformed the ground beneath the Over-sized Species into a viscous swamp, causing it to sink under its own immense weight.
"Hopefully... this will suffice."
He collapsed to the ground, his legs trembling as he closed his eyes.
He had only managed to take down one. The rest would surely trample over him and the remaining survivors.
As he felt the growing tremors of the approaching beasts, he clenched his teeth.
"No!"
"Ugh..."
At that moment, someone rushed in, tackling him out of the way just before he was crushed.
"You can’t die! We need the truth! We need your power, Councilor!"
"Urgh... Cough..."
In the space left behind by the Over-sized Species that had passed overhead, Reina, who had seized the opportunity to act, frantically shook his body in agitation.
"St-Stop..."
"Rozes Leblanc, the Vice Leader of Blakel! He is the mastermind behind this division!"
"Stop shaking me!"
Eventually, Austin, clutching the chest that her head had rammed into, coughed and struck her head with his staff.
He then grasped his own head and groaned in pain, quickly scrambling to his feet beside her.
"Say it again. What exactly did Leblanc—no, we need to get out of here first."
Clicking his tongue, he cast Amplification Magic to issue a Retreat Command.
Reina did her best to support him and pull him out of harm's way.
Fortunately, the Gigantic Species were slower to change direction due to their increased momentum from charging.
Having gathered a small number of surviving troops, Austin hurriedly led the survivors away from the battlefield.
The Legion Soldiers stood still, watching them retreat.
"What a waste."
[...Why aren't they chasing them? With Rapid Growth, they could quickly muster the necessary troops.]
"Exterminating them all would be difficult anyway, and more importantly, they dared to insult me."
Watching the scene unfold, Eve did not pursue them.
[That's strange. If you’re upset about the insult, shouldn’t you chase them?]
"No. That wouldn’t fully repay them. I’ll fight them again when they regain their Original Power and crush them completely. And it's not just an Emotion Issue. I'll provoke them further and extract everything from them."
There were many ways to gain experience beyond torturing prisoners. Eve had gained sufficient experience from this battle alone.
She concluded that pushing the enemy to their limits was the best way to extract information. After all, an adversary in a dire situation would desperately reveal their Techniques and Strategies.
Eve's plan was to acquire their techniques and strategies and then put an end to their lives with that knowledge.
[Don’t you think this is arrogant? Are you underestimating them?]
"It’s not arrogance. It’s calculated."
Though she occasionally displayed a Torrent of Emotions due to her immaturity, Eve’s core was rooted in thorough calculation and prediction. She never engaged in battles without a feasible chance of victory.