Chapter 145
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Total Assault (1)
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"Enemy horde confirmed."
Leading her own subordinate nomadic horde with Queen Bellona at the forefront, flanked by Seira and Aria, the countless ant legions finally began encircling the Orc Kingdom.
Watching the entire scene from within the breeding grounds, Asmodah's eyes sparkled.
"Ugh, uwaa..."
"What the hell, there's so many!?"
The Orc Kingdom forces gathered at the defensive line, preparing for battle, were thrown into panic.
Not only the slaves forcibly conscripted and dragged here, but even the orc warriors commanding them were horrified by the black wave filling the horizon.
Until now, they had only fought the nomadic horde.
Their hated enemies in the nomadic horde fought not with overwhelming numbers, but with swift mobility and individual combat prowess.
Thus, even the worker ants of the nomadic horde had received more resources, making them larger with tougher exoskeletons.
Having adapted to fight such a nomadic horde, this was their first encounter with the basic tactic of the grand horde under Asmodah's command: overwhelming numbers in collective swarm warfare.
"What nonsense is that? The enemy appeared from behind!?"
But that wasn't all.
Orc King Gorzan, who had been tense upon hearing of the ant legions appearing at the front, paled at the new report.
The sea had long been dominated by ants, and through long reconnaissance driven by curiosity, Asmodah had mapped every corner of this land in her mind. She had diverted a massive force through the sea to the rear.
"Th-that can't be. The Agratan Sea is an inland sea completely surrounded by land. They can't infiltrate from the east—where there's no passage—only the open west!"
A human administrator far more familiar with local geography than the invading orcs broke out in cold sweat.
Even if the ants had crossed that distant sea, it should have taken time to reach Orc Kingdom territory.
Yet the ants had shortened that time dramatically, approaching the kingdom's fatal underbelly.
[Asmodah is satisfied with the fast work speed]
'To think they dug a canal...'
The secret was the ants' specialty: massive civil engineering.
Just as Jin-hyuk had been amazed watching, the urgently deployed ants had carved a path through the sea, allowing the forces to enter the landlocked sea in one go.
Based on aerial reconnaissance, tens of thousands of ants swarmed the optimal spot, ignoring worker or variant types, gnawing rock with jaws and excavating soil.
With Askalon specimens deploying magic, a low hill vanished in a single day.
Tyrant specimens, shielded by Kairos barriers, handled underwater work, clearing paths for the massive Leviathans even beneath the waves.
"M-monsters! Monsters are coming from the sea!"
Through the cleared path, the Leviathans entered the inland Agratan Sea.
The minor kingdoms here, surrendered and cooperating with the orcs, would fall next—then the Orc Kingdom.
And these minor kingdoms had no means to stop the ants pouring from the sea.
Leviathans' carapaces opened, unleashing flying swarms that blanketed the sky, while ground forces crawled from gaping maws along the coast, landing and attacking visible enemies indiscriminately.
"Their defensive capabilities aren't that great."
Seira murmured softly, checking the shared intel.
With the rear disrupted, time was now on the ants' side.
These foes paled in comparison to the Elf Empire, which had held out decently just before.
The defensive lines painstakingly built by steppe orcs whipping and abusing slaves looked utterly flimsy before the ants' current level.
"Ah..."
Aria watched as gas erupted from the nearby lobster ant's body, its carapace splitting as its massive spine rose like a cannon barrel.
They had crushed the elves and absorbed their technology.
The prime example was this: the ant-adapted bio-cannon, Bonefissure Cannon.
Vast energy converged on the Bonefissure Cannon.
Most of the output from the enormous mana core held by the lobster ant's bulk funneled in.
But that energy only awakened the cannon. The shell used different power.
Ant bombs curled into balls, crawling into the cannon with mana cores on the verge of overload, fusing with it.
"What the hell is that?"
"G-gross..."
The Orc Kingdom forces could only watch from afar in terror.
They didn't even know what a Bonefissure Cannon was.
And even if they did, they lacked means to intercept or block it.
"Brothers! With blood scorched by fire and the language of the blade,
we shall etch our deeds upon this land! We shall not flee. We perish beneath the final banner. Never let go of your blades, even in death!"
In the midst of it, an orc great warrior shouted with a resolute face to rally his subordinates.
A speech to boil their blood for the grand, fierce bloodbath he believed imminent.
"Fire."
But at Asmodah's command, the fully charged Bonefissure Cannons unleashed their condensed energy in unison.
An ant-modified downgrade of the elves' Elder Spine, but its power was ample.
"What..."
Most couldn't finish their words under the beam barrage.
Defensive spells and shields evaporated instantly in the intense energy, without a scream.
"---!"
Even those ascended to great warrior by divine blessing fared no better.
It wasn't firepower one could withstand barehanded.
Direct hits killed impartially regardless of rank or origin, vanishing cleanly.
"Aa...aaagh!"
"My leg!"
Those spared direct hits but caught in the shockwave screamed, bleeding and collapsing.
Some limbs crushed, screaming; others, bodies failing, bled from facial orifices as they fell.
A single volley collapsed the defensive line.
[Bellona grumbles that it's no fun]
[Asmodah snorts, saying this is true war]
No fierce bloodbath, no resolute battle, no grand contest.
For the Orc Kingdom shattered by a single Bonefissure Cannon barrage, only indiscriminate slaughter remained.
Bellona grumbled at the lack of expected combat and charged forward with the ground forces surging in unison.
Sweeping everything with Bonefissure Cannons would vaporize their food too.
From now on, this was no war—it was unilateral hunting.
"Hold the defensive line... hold the defensive line!"
The grand city of Byran, built through exchanges between massive merchants from afar and local residents.
Now evacuated of all civilians, two forces clashed in desperate warfare there.
The Orc Kingdom troops, first-line defenses shattered by Bonefissure Cannons, kept retreating, turning this into another fierce battlefield.
'If we hold out, a chance will come.'
Berggren was one fighting to defend it.
Swinging his mana-glowing sword, he split a charging predator ant's head in two and caught his breath.
"You bastards...!"
Recognizing Berggren as dangerous compared to others, the ants deployed stronger specimens to kill him.
Two guillotine ants—Askalon—folded wings and descended, charging from both sides with four massive hook-legs like scythes.
'Threaded Sword Dance and Heart Sever...!'
Berggren gritted his teeth, recognizing the ants' reinterpretation of orc warrior martial arts, turned against them.
"That power isn't for the likes of you!"
Gritting his teeth, Berggren swung his sword, blocking the ants' attacks and countering.
His unique realm, fusing Crushing Extreme Dance taught by Scrumm—transcending racial limits—and his innate swordsmanship.
A slashing wave from his circling sword cleaved the guillotine ants—Askalon—in one strike, dropping them.
"...Hoo."
Holding his blue-flamed sword, Berggren calmed his excitement amid the fallen foes.
His achievement was remarkable.
He had taken a step into a realm even orc great warriors blessed by divinity hadn't reached.
Even his master Scrumm couldn't have without divine aid, so despite much instruction, Berggren's innate talent and learning speed marked him as a peerless genius.
"This is an honor."
Regaining breath, Berggren turned.
On a nearby rooftop, a monster in black armor stood alone, black exoskeletal sword in hand. Long black hair fluttered in the wind.
From that moment, the ants ignored Berggren.
They naturally widened the distance, allowing a clean one-on-one.
"Am I enough to draw out the queen herself?"
"..."
Berggren raised his sword to provoke Bellona.
Of course, Bellona didn't react. She didn't even grasp it as provocation.
But her mind had long burned to fight Berggren.
'Fun.'
Fighting the strong was always fun. Slicing their flesh, spilling blood.
Ripping innards, severing bodies.
Bellona grinned beneath her mask, kicking off the ground and charging sword-first at Berggren.
"If you just help a little, we could win right away..."
"No. That's the second queen's identity."
Aria crossed arms, slashing an orc great warrior with twin swords from her knuckles, murmuring at the distant scene.
Seira, battling elsewhere with magic circles, restrained her.
Bellona and Berggren's one-on-one duel. Its shockwaves alone crumbled buildings and cracked earth.
Yet not one ant aided Bellona per her orders.
Instead, they blocked any helping Berggren, ensuring the queen's pure duel.
'Really...'
Seira sensed Bellona's emotions ringing strongly through the hive mind.
Pure joy, like a child finally getting their longed-for toy and playing wholeheartedly.
If Asmodah evolved fueled by craving Jin-hyuk's attention, Bellona evolved for exactly this.
The queens' obsessions were that fierce and unmatched.
Such fixation elevated them within the horde.
"Incomprehensible."
Even among queens, they didn't particularly understand each other's obsessions and madness.
Asmodah shook her head at Bellona's actions.