Surround and Destroy

Clang! Shiiing!

KRAKOOM!

Explosions and the sharp ring of clashing steel thundered without pause.

"Hmm. Looks like they're holding their own over there."

Ingrid twirled a thick lock of her hair around her finger. The crimson strands curved and coiled with every lazy turn of her hand.

"Thanks to that, our work has proceeded rather smoothly."

"True enough."

Before them rose a towering iron gate — the same design as the entrance the three Death Giants had already blown apart.

"A diversion."

There were two reasons for splitting their forces. The first was to cut off the enemy's escape routes and annihilate them in a complete encirclement. The second was to interfere with the transmutation arrays.

"A truly daring plan, is it not?"

The otherworldly soul dwelling within the Revenant — Megus di Cradle — offered his admiration freely. The Witch of the Solar Eclipse was a legendary figure known only through ancient texts. Ingrid, in particular, had been called the strongest of every Witch of the Solar Eclipse in history. And she had ended the Witch Coven's legacy with her own hands. Standing before a legend in the flesh, praise came naturally.

"Fighting is Iron-Head's specialty, after all."

Over the past ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠week, the thralls had observed the Chinese base with meticulous care — garrison numbers, defensive readiness, hunter patrol routes. They had gathered nearly everything needed for the assault.

"If Iron-Head says it's doable, then we've got a shot."

"And the results have proven that judgment correct."

Megus agreed. Every transmutation array draped across the mountain slopes was now under his control, feeding him real-time intelligence on the entire base perimeter.

"You're sending it all to Master, right?"

"Indeed."

"Heh heh. Then I suppose it's time I showed what I can do."

Minho was holding position somewhere safe, sustaining Ruthless Command. Before the ambush began, he had layered on every buff skill available. Now he watched from a distance just close enough for the continuously active skill's range to graze the base.

"I need to put on a better show than Iron-Head."

Ingrid muttered it like a vow. In raw combat power alone, she could not surpass Dame Isra. And though the secret art of Solar Eclipse had been passed down to her, she was in no position to unleash the full breadth of the magical knowledge inherited through the generations. She had been adding spells one by one through the Death Blacksmith's secondary function, Undead Research — but she still could not match the strength of Dame Isra, who had inherited her unique sword style as a skill.

Even at my absolute peak, I'm not sure I could beat her.

Dame Isra was simply that strong. Strong enough that even plugging in her own prime self left the outcome in doubt. But that didn't mean Ingrid's spirit was broken.

I'll prove that the one who helps Master most is me.

Ingrid smiled with absolute confidence.

A fusion technique she had once demonstrated on the deserted island. Beams of annihilation obliterated the base's northern gate entirely — and as a bonus, tore down the long-range defensive magic array centered on the gate.

"Keh-keh-keh. Burst Flare."

The Skeleton Wizard corps unleashed every spell they had prepared. Dozens of fireballs arced through the air —

KRAKOOM!

— and reduced every magic turret on the northern side of the base to rubble.

"Your turn."

"Kill!"

Ten Death Warriors charged with terrifying momentum. By the time the hunters — who had formed their lines solely to watch Dame Isra's front — realized something was wrong —

SHUNK!

— they had already offered up the soft napes of their necks to Death Warriors who closed the distance with terrifying speed.

"What the hell happened at the north gate?!"

"The turrets have been blown to pieces!"

"The priests! Where are the priests?!"

"Most of them are just trembling—"

The weapon in Xiao Zai's hand shuddered. Dozens of undead that could use Aura?

That's impossible.

The Superhuman Bureau had a necromancer of its own — currently ranked A-class. A rare profession that excelled on large-scale battlefields, heavily backed by the Bureau itself. Xiao Zai had seen him before. Which made the present situation even harder to believe.

An undead's strength is endurance. They're at a disadvantage in short, decisive battles.

Undead monsters tended to have lower stats. High-tier undead like Death Knights or Liches were one thing — but unlike primitive or giant-type monsters, which were treated half a rank higher, ordinary undead were commonly calculated half a rank lower. Even the Bureau's necromancer fielded large numbers of thralls relative to his rank; the individual combat power of each was nothing special.

But these undead—!

Strength that defied all common sense. The blue current surging from blades of bone. The magic raining down from the rear packed destructive force far beyond the norm.

And what the hell is that monster?!

A ten-meter corpse golem. The Death Giant continuously shifted its form under Dame Isra's commands.

They had judged it a powerful long-range asset and struggled to close in — only for its arm to morph into a serrated blade and shear through an A-class hunter's shoulder. No Aura coated the weapon, so a proper response should have been enough to block it. But no one expected a mana cannon to transform into a chain sword, and the damage was severe.

We have to hold. Somehow!

Several superhumans were stationed near the base — personnel dispatched for patrols and environmental surveys. They represented forty percent of the total force. With dimensional barriers securing the area, more superhumans had been sent outside than usual. That decision ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was poison now, but there was no time to dwell on cause and effect.

Communications jamming means we can't expect outside reinforcements.

Even so — if just the superhumans around the base could rejoin them, they would have a fighting chance. The undead had formed an encirclement. Hold the front line, and the allies outside would answer.

KRAAAAAASH!

"Director Xiao, the enemy's firepower is abnormally strong!"

"I know."

Ingrid's unique formula. Every time she reconstructed or combined multiple spells into an amplified assault, hunters were swept away in droves. Ordinary magic attacks they could have weathered to some degree — but against the power of a unique formula, resistance was meaningless.

"If we take out that magical firepower first—"

"You seem to have the luxury of thinking about other things."

SHIIING!

Xiao Zai swung his sword on pure instinct. A crushing blow pressed down on his blade. His shoulder ached. Had he been even a fraction slower to deploy his sword style, the force would have split his body in half rather than merely leaving him sore.

"The Knight of White Light. The strongest undead among Park Minho's thralls."

"Hahah! That my renown has spread so far brings me true joy."

"You're nothing but a B-class summon. I'll cut you down and prove who the real powerhouse is."

Xiao Zai poured strength into his arms. The one commanding this undead army was unmistakably the woman before him. Each individual thrall was formidable in its own right — but Dame Isra's command was a massive reason they were driving the Chinese superhumans back in such perfect coordination.

"How fortunate. I was thinking the very same thing."

Dame Isra grinned. She had stepped onto the front line believing that toppling the commander would let them sweep up the remaining enemies all the faster. Their interests happened to align perfectly. All that remained was to give everything they had.

I'll show you the pinnacle of A-class skill.

Xiao Zai was a rising star of the Superhuman Bureau as well. He had been stuck before a wall for years, but his ability itself was the real deal.

Aura-wreathed blades collided in midair —

SHIIING!

— and azure sparks scattered in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠every direction.

Chen Youhua, a superhuman deployed to Dragon's Beacon, looked up at the sky.

Pop-pop-pop!

Mana discharged in a predetermined pattern. Chen Youhua read the message encoded in the mana waves.

Dragon's Beacon was a fully fortified stronghold — capable of intercepting even a Cross Gate Mountain Ogre, a monster with power approaching S-class.

This is no ordinary situation.

Who was Discipline Director Xiao Zai? Among the Bureau's A-class superhumans, he was the one closest to S-class — a man of towering pride, more ambitious for advancement than anyone. He had lost some face recently when Jeong Hyeonho, a Korean superhuman newly recruited by the Bureau, reached S-class. But his pride had never once bent.

Requesting support was the kind of thing that could scar a man's career and ego. For someone like him to call for help meant this was anything but ordinary.

"Squad leader."

"Sir."

"I'm returning ahead. You all pick up the pace and follow."

"Understood."

"Avoid engagement. Once you're inside the magic circle's range, you won't encounter monsters — accelerate from that point."

Chen Youhua was A-class. The remaining five squad members were all B-class. Moving at their pace, they would never reinforce the base in time.

We've already cleared the monsters in the area.

He didn't need to worry much about his squad's safety. Chen Youhua sprinted toward the base.

BOOM!

Pouring mana beneath his feet with every stride, the scenery whipped past in a blur. Perhaps he was too urgent —

— he was a fraction too slow spotting the blade flying from the shadows of the underbrush.

An ambush?!

Chen Youhua twisted his body just in time.

SHUNK!

A long gash opened across the side of his neck. Scarlet liquid welled and spilled from the split skin. A critical wound. Without a potion immediately, his life was in danger.

"Oh. Just a bit short of the mark, that was."

A sly male voice. Zaug recovered his dagger and grinned.

"Y-you—"

Chen Youhua couldn't get another word out. He could feel the wound trying to tear wider with every wheezing breath. He needed time to recover. His left hand was occupied keeping the neck wound from splitting further. The moment he reached into his pocket for a potion with his right —

SHIIING!

"Who said you could take a potion, eh?"

Zaug beamed as he swung his blade. The world spun. The bleeding worsened. How many more minutes could he last?

My squad will catch up.

He drove strength into both legs. He wasn't alone. Racing ahead after the emergency signal had gotten him into trouble — but once the squad members following behind rejoined him, he could win.

"Surely you're not counting on your underlings, are you?"

"……"

"Those fellows have already transferred their affiliation to the afterlife, they have."

"……!"

Five Death Warriors — the force assigned to Zaug. The moment Chen Youhua broke off alone, the Death Warriors had ambushed the remaining squad members.

"Thanks to the intel the Great Lord provided, the work's been smooth sailing, it has."

Zaug grinned from ear to ear. The Chinese hunters stationed near Dragon's Beacon — once Megus seized control of the detection magic, their positions had been relayed to Minho in full. And that wasn't all. Magic that scrambled vision and induced revulsion had been applied to the enemy, and the "emergency signals" sent from the base had been exposed to each squad separately, preventing them from acting as a group.

"No need to worry, sir. You'll all be reunited in the next world."

Thanks to that, Zaug had already picked off three squads one by one. Two remained.

The deeper Zaug's smile grew, the darker Chen Youhua's face became.