633
Chapter 633
CRUNCH!
A strange sound came from the cocoon placed in the middle of the monster's body.
The cocoon was pulsating and gradually increasing in size, though very subtly.
The cocoon, about 3 meters in size, looked quite small compared to the massive body of the monster that contained it.
However, the cocoon, which pulsed like a heart at regular intervals, was positioned right in the center as if it were the monster's most vital organ, making it look very ominous regardless of its size.
At that moment, a strange change occurred in the giant monster's body.
SWOOSH!
Thousands of tentacles burst out from the monster's abdomen and extended toward Atlas.
Then one of the flying monsters threw the man it was holding toward the tentacles.
SLASH!
"ARGHHHH!"
The tentacles caught the man in mid-air and wrapped around his entire body.
Soon the tentacles began to undulate slightly, and before long, the coils unwound.
The man's body, now mummified after having all bodily fluids sucked out, was revealed.
THUD!
The remains of the man, now just bones and skin, crumbled and scattered in the air.
Soon other monsters began bringing humans and moving them toward the tentacles.
Among them were injured knights and soldiers.
"URGHHHH!"
The knights swung their swords, desperately trying to break free from the tentacles wrapped around their bodies.
But even they inevitably had their fluids drained and became mummified.
As more humans were absorbed by the tentacles, the cocoon's growth rate visibly increased.
Kali gritted her teeth as she watched this from atop the castle wall.
'They're using us as nutrients.'
She realized why the monsters hadn't attacked Atlas all at once despite their numerical advantage.
Their purpose was to exhaust them through constant attacks and then easily use them as nutrients.
Kali felt intense rage toward the monsters who treated them as mere nutrients, ignoring their dignity as living beings.
RUMBLE!
She gripped her sword and drew forth her power.
When they sensed the ominous storm of energy from Kali, the monsters that had retreated now began swarming toward her again.
ROAR!
As monsters bearing sharp fangs flew toward Kali, the Silver Knights blocked their path.
"Protect our lord!"
The Silver Knights, their armor already covered in monster blood and debris, exerted all their strength to protect Kali.
SWOOSH!
Aura-imbued swords sliced through the monsters' bodies, cutting off legs and tentacles.
Yet the monsters wouldn't die easily and kept charging at the knights.
"ARGHHHH!"
A knight screamed in agony as sharp claws pierced his abdomen.
But even in that moment, he didn't let go of his sword.
He swallowed the blood rising in his throat and drove his sword into the monsters' bodies until his last breath.
The Silver Knights' sacrifice bought Kali time.
RUMBLE!
Heavy energy concentrated in Kali's sword, known as the Giant Force Blade.
She shouted to the knights.
"Everyone fall back!"
With Kali's shout, the knights rolled aside to clear the area.
BOOM!
With a thunderous roar, the sword in Kali's hands surged upward.
The energy concentrated in the sword extended in a straight line, reaching not only the monsters charging at her but also the giant monster behind them.
SWOOSH!
Kali's Aura Blade, enlarged as if a giant had swung a greatsword from below, instantly crushed all monsters in its range.
CRASH!
The sword strike continued on, flying toward the giant monster's body with enough force to bisect it in one blow.
However, at the moment the strike reached it, a translucent membrane formed around the giant monster's body.
WHOOSH!
A barrier similar to the one that had defended Atlas appeared and blocked Kali's sword strike.
RUMBLE!
Kali's sword, meant to be a killing blow, was futilely blocked by the barrier.
Seeing this, despair covered the faces of Kali and the m Silver Knights.
Kali had been swinging her sword on the battlefield throughout the war. Having expended all her power in this attack, even moving was now difficult.
Without realizing it, Kali found herself kneeling with her body bent.
Already at her physical and mental limits, Kali tried to stand up somehow, but she couldn't move as she wished.
'Move! Move!'
Though she tried to raise her will by whipping herself mentally and attempted to move her arms and legs again, it was useless.
At that moment, the giant monster's body underwent another change.
Muzzles resembling cannons suddenly protruded from its split back and aimed at the defensive wall.
RUMBLE!
An ominous sound came from the cannon-like muzzles.
Sensing the dangerous energy, Kali examined it and shouted to the knights around her.
"Jump off the wall! Quickly!"
The knights and soldiers quickly descended from the castle wall at her words.
But Kali herself couldn't move.
Other knights tried to run to save her, but they were too far away.
Black spheres were already taking shape in the monster's cannon-like muzzles, distorting the air around them.
RUMBLE!
With massive vibrations, over a dozen rotating black spheres flew toward Atlas's walls.
CRASH!
The black spheres collided with the walls with a thunderous boom.
CRUMBLE!
With a sound like the sky falling, one side of Atlas's solid walls instantly crumbled.
The black spheres not only destroyed the walls but also swept away the moat in front and all obstacles blocking the monsters' advance.
RUMBLE!
Moments later, as the massive dust cloud settled, the site of the explosion was revealed.
The area was completely destroyed as if the wall had never existed.
The knights who barely escaped wailed at the sight of the obliterated wall.
"MY LORD!"
Kali, who couldn't escape from the wall, had vanished without a trace in the bombardment.
With the loss of Kali, their spiritual pillar and focal point, the knights couldn't help but lose all hope.
Defeat and despair were etched on their faces.
Beyond the completely destroyed wall, something black could be seen approaching en masse.
THUD!
Despairingly, the monsters that had been advancing toward Atlas were now approaching through the broken wall.
The knights and soldiers fell into despair once again at this sight.
There was nowhere left to run.
Seeing the approaching monsters, someone among the soldiers wailed, threw down their weapon, and began to flee.
"I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
Though they ran backward, there was nowhere to escape.
The fleeing soldier was soon snatched by another monster from the air and handed over to the tentacles.
In this bleak situation where they could only choose between dying or being killed, the Silver Knights slowly stood up and raised their swords again.
SHING!
Their faces still showed defeat and frustration.
Yet what moved them was their pride as the last remaining knights.
The Silver Knights all raised their swords and pressed their pommels to the center of their chests.
They gathered their last remaining strength while offering a silent prayer for their departed lord.
The senior knight at the front slowly recited.
" Silver Knights. Charge."
Without battle cries or spirit, they raised their swords and charged toward the tens of thousands of approaching monsters.
But then.
CRASH!
Massive lightning bolts struck down at the monsters charging toward them.
SCREECH!
The monsters hit by lightning twisted their bodies while screaming in agony.
Then dozens of lightning bolts fell toward all the monsters.
CRACKLE!
The monsters' bodies burst apart when struck by lightning from all directions, scattering as black ash.
The Silver Knights who were about to charge with raised swords hesitated in confusion when the sudden lightning swept away the monsters.
"W-what’s was that…?"
They looked up at the sky where the lightning had fallen.
Something else could be seen in the air where the giant monster was floating.
It was none other than.
"A ship?"
A ship was flying through the air.
At the same time, white lightning surged from the ship and struck down at the monsters.
BOOM!
Powerful lightning spread in all directions, instantly annihilating thousands of monsters at the front.
Something approached the dumbfounded knights.
NEIGH!
It was Bucephalus in its celestial horse form, carrying Kali whom they thought dead, letting out a long whinny.
The knights were shocked to see Kali.
"My lord!"
Just before the wall collapsed, Bucephalus had carried Kali on its back and quickly escaped from there.
Kali shouted to the knights while seated on Bucephalus's back.
"Gather the survivors and regroup!"
The knights snapped back to their senses at Kali's resounding voice.
The senior knight raised his sword and showed respect to Kali.
Then pointing at the broken wall, he said:
"My lord! If monsters enter through the collapsed wall, it will be difficult to contain them. We should focus our forces on defending that area..."
But Kali shook her head.
"There's no need to worry about that area."
At her firm words, the senior knight was surprised .
RUMBLE!
Amazingly, a wall began to form on its own where the wall had collapsed.
CRASH-
Not only was the broken wall being rebuilt, but the existing walls were also transforming.
Artillery platforms were installed on the walls and gun ports were created in various places.
RUMBLE!
Soon the installed platforms began firing magic shells, targeting the flying monsters.
THUD! THUD!
Monsters hit by the magic shells fell helplessly.
Then a translucent barrier formed in front of the wall.
The advancing monsters were blocked by the barrier and couldn't move forward.
As the knights were still processing these sudden changes, unexpected beings appeared from the side.
HISS!
The knights were startled again as the undead legion, radiating death energy, appeared here in Atlas rather than at Thermo fortress .
CLATTER!
CLACK!
But contrary to the knights' concerns, the undead legion, servants of the Abyss Lord, had come here to strike down his enemies according to their alliance with the ‘Guide of Fair Pain.’
Undead warriors armored in bone armor and wielding bone swords charged at the monsters.
ROAR!
An unprecedented sight unfolded ,a war between the undead legion and monsters.
* * *
"Glad we weren't too late."
Zeke sat at the ark's control seat, monitoring the battlefield situation in real-time through the system.
Rather than using a portal to reach Atlas, he had gone to Death Valley to bring the mobile fortress, the ark.
[Successfully synchronized Defense Mode with the city of Atlas.]
[Control system linkage with Atlas is now possible.]
As soon as Zeke assessed the battlefield situation, he used the synchronized Defense Mode to rebuild Atlas's broken defenses.
He rebuilt the walls and installed artillery needed for anti-air defense.
Though it consumed points, sweeping away the masses of monsters within Defense Mode range was enough to replenish what was spent.
Zeke positioned guardians and shadow spirits throughout Atlas's newly established defensive lines.
Applying chess tactics he had learned in the demon realm, he calculated the most effective positions to minimize allied casualties while efficiently eliminating monsters.
Thanks to this, the number of invading monsters decreased rapidly.
After confirming that Atlas's defense line had stabilized following reconstruction, Zeke looked at the whale-like giant monster visible from the ark's front.
His eyes caught the angel's cocoon growing from the monster's split back.
Zeke's eyes flashed as he observed this.
"You'll regret touching Atlas."
He gripped the ark's control crystal in the pilot seat and muttered.
"I'll shatter you to pieces before you can hatch."