Chapter 147
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Total Assault (3)
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"Kill them all. Leave no one behind."
The orc kingdom's final battle, which began with the bombardment from the Ironclad Fortress, ultimately kicked off as an utterly lopsided fight following the declaration from Asmora, the supreme commander of the ant swarm.
Just as their carefully prepared defensive strategies and resolute determination were shattered by the devastating long-range artillery fire, ants clad in sturdy, bizarre exoskeletons and body weapons poured in on the panicked orc kingdom forces.
"F-Fight... for our final shred of pride... without a hint of shame..."
Gorzan, battered and injured from the bombardment's aftermath, issued orders for a last stand amid his supporting subordinates.
Of course, there was no reason for the slaves dragged in as conscripts to risk their lives fighting on the orcs' command at this point. But the ants' overwhelming threat right in front of them left them no choice but to fight.
The ants ignored those unconnected to any deity, but in that frantic chaos, they couldn't just stand by while comrades, friends, or family right beside them were slaughtered.
"U-Ugh..."
However, just as steeling one's resolve was difficult, there was an even greater chasm between mustering that resolve and actually fighting.
Especially since the foes they now faced were nothing like the familiar enemies they'd battled before.
The Heavy Armored Ant·Tyrant emerged by smashing through the thick castle walls with its massive beetle-like frame and immense strength, clad head to toe in gigantic heavy plating.
The human knight Baldi, a former slave soldier, collapsed to the ground at the sight of it charging forward, its dark blue barrier shrugging off attacks while its horn swept aside oncoming orc warriors.
He had lived his whole life in this area.
Never part of an expeditionary force venturing onto the plains, this was his first time fighting ants.
The endlessly refined and modified variants of the ant swarm were alien and grotesque enough to instinctively terrify anyone seeing them for the first time.
"Move, now...! They're coming in full force!"
But the heavy armored ants leading the charge weren't the real threat.
Countless flying types rained down from the skies alongside them, and beyond the breached walls, a seething mass of ants began swarming out.
"Aaagh!"
Something agile skittered up and snatched a resisting knight with its thin, razor-sharp claws in one swift motion.
The knight recoiled in horror at the hideous form—a spider-like body with long whip claws.
In truth, this monster was a variant created by Asmora after devouring the whip spider Jin-hyuk had given him.
The Whip Ant, with its flexible, slender claws far unlike the existing scorpion ants', pierced straight through the knight's body—armor and all—with its venomous fangs.
The iron breastplate held against the initial impact, but the ultra-acidic venom dripping from the fang tips melted and bored right through it in an instant.
'No way. I can't fight...!'
Baldi dropped his sword at the sight of these hellspawn horrors.
Another variant approached beside the Whip Ant that had slain his fellow knight.
The Scorpion Ant·Askalon, with its massive scorpion lower body fused to a mannequin-like grotesque human torso on top.
"---."
Askalon let out a bizarre noise and glanced at Baldi.
Baldi instinctively stared at the human-like upper torso on the scorpion body, but Askalon's eyes were actually on the scorpion lower half, not the pale gray-skinned, mouth-only head.
"---..."
Askalon seemed to scan him briefly before ignoring the trembling Baldi and moving past with nearby ants.
There were plenty more to hunt and kill around here anyway.
'Gods above.'
Baldi buried his face in the dirt, surrounded by vanished allies and the skittering ants closing in from all sides, praying only for this nightmare to end.
"Orc King Gorzan, death confirmed."
Once the radiant capital of a human kingdom famed for relay trade and religious sanctity, now overrun by orcs driven from the plains and turned into their stronghold—this city was collapsing and burning under a blanket of swarming ants.
Seira stood atop the back of a massive heavy armored ant, surveying the scene.
Another nation, another civilization, crumbles.
Wherever the ants passed, only scorched ruins inevitably remained.
"Is it over?"
"For now."
Aria landed beside Seira, who watched with an enigmatic gaze. The warrior had just been cutting down orc great warriors moments before.
Folding away their black membranous and feathered wings into their bodies, they received real-time updates via the swarm consciousness on how much territory the ants flooding from all directions had devoured.
Resistance was, for all intents and purposes, over.
Now came the routine pursuit of fugitives, searches, and hunts.
'That one.'
Amid the chaos, Seira spotted an orc captured near the palace.
Spider ants were blasting him with webs and tentacles from all sides to restrain him—it was Scrumm, his pristine white beard fluttering wildly.
Seira flew straight there.
"You! Witch of Belzahad!"
Scrumm, ragged and panting, recognized her through the webs and gnashed his teeth.
Seira sighed and removed her mask.
She knew exactly why this situation had unfolded.
"Why!? Why won't these monsters kill me?!"
Scrumm raged, pointing to the orc warrior corpses strewn beside him.
His disciples among them had fought hundreds of ants to the bitter end and fallen—including Gorzan.
Scrumm had fully intended to follow suit.
But unexpectedly, the ants hadn't killed him.
They'd only struggled to capture him alive. Weakened since his defeat at Bellona's hands, Scrumm was taken.
"That's..."
Seira hesitated.
The spider ants holding Scrumm belonged to the nomadic swarm. They were clearly acting on Bellona's orders.
The reason Bellona—who once desperately wanted Scrumm dead—had made this call?
It was Berglen, whom Bellona had personally captured.
"Former Expeditionary Force Supreme Commander, at this point, it seems best if you continue bearing the burden."
"What nonsense is this...!"
"There are survivors. Orcs, and the humans from this region you enslaved."
Seira opted for the direct approach. She'd decided to help Bellona.
Scrumm was stunned speechless by her blunt words.
"You lost. The deity you served will be banished from this land. But that doesn't mean it's the end for everyone."
Pointing accusingly at Scrumm, Seira brought up the survivors.
The ones the ants spared would continue living here. Scattered amid the ants' wake—ruins left in scorched devastation.
"Do you intend to abandon them and shirk responsibility?"
"That devilish tongue of yours...!"
Scrumm thrashed in fury, but the ants held firm.
Seira knew full well how hypocritical she sounded.
But she was acting despite that.
"To survive, we all live stained with sin. And only we can wash it away."
Seira cast a spell, conjuring a shimmering screen.
In the ants' path, survivors endured.
Low-rank orc warriors and conscripted human slaves huddled together, bewildered by the bizarre turn.
A human woman hid in her home with the orc children she'd been forced to bear—children she hated.
An orc shaman treated a wounded human knight; non-combatants in basements stared blankly at the indifferent ants.
"Will you abandon these people?"
"..."
Scrumm's eyes wavered, lips trembling.
Anger at the ants and obsession with honorable death warred with crashing responsibility.
"I... I serve another deity you all despise."
After a hesitant pause, Scrumm let out a hollow laugh.
"I can't forget His teachings. As long as His power lingers in me, I can't coexist with you."
He knew the rough outlines of deities' rivalries, if not precisely.
Erasing each other's subordinates and territories to claim victory and full dominion over the land.
"So I'll fulfill my duty."
Scrumm steeled himself. Blessed by Urmark, he remained Urmark's subordinate to the end.
The ants had ways to sever deity connections, but Scrumm didn't know that.
"That's something we..."
"Blessings are removed."
Before Seira could finish, Scrumm looked up in shock.
A pillar of radiant light descended from the heavens, shining on him—and every lingering connection in his body severed of its own accord.
"Live on. My proud warrior."
⟨ Final Oracle ⟩
"..."
Hearing that, Scrumm bowed his head into the newfound emptiness devoid of any bonds.
"Not just Scrumm—all orcs have lost their deity blessings. Asmora, halt the slaughter!"
Jin-hyuk's eyes widened in surprise.
Though he'd warred against various deities, Urmark was the first to make this choice.
Recalling blessings took power.
Letting them die might've helped a tiny bit more.
Yet Urmark had decided—to save his former subordinates, even a little.
"...Tch."
Asmora, back at the nest, scowled in displeasure and twitched his coiled legs.
[Asmora harbors extreme dissatisfaction toward the opposing deity]
Asmora's ire was aimed at Urmark.
A deity abandoning his own subordinates?
severing bonds to let them live?
Unacceptable to Asmora.
Losing connection to his deity—Jin-hyuk—would be worse than death for Asmora.
An eternal wandering in void, lost without direction or path—a immortal punishment.
This misunderstanding stemmed from orcs being complete beings from birth, versus ants as a new race hand-raised by Jin-hyuk from scratch.
Thus, if Jin-hyuk ever abandoned him, Asmora would have no choice but to grovel, beg, and plead—using every means to reunite.
Live together, die together.
That was Asmora's vision of true deity bonds.
In my view, the master of those monsters doesn't seem like an Outer God.
Way too merciful for subordinates fully controlled by an Outer God. No Outer God I know would halt a battle just because a deity's blessing vanished.
Hmph, probably to enslave them.
Are you sure about that?
Urmark raised strong doubts.
Questioning whether the ants and their master—long mistaken for an Outer God—were truly chaotic beings beyond order.
'Too late for that.'
Jin-hyuk smirked at the post.
He'd long discarded any thought of avoiding the Outer God misunderstanding.
With a greater goal now—a must-achieve purpose—he needed to leverage it instead.