Chapter 180: The Fortress Crumbles and the Necrotic Horror Awakens
Quarrr rumble!
The massive walls came crashing down in a single blow. The battlefield fell into stunned silence at the overwhelming sight.
"F-Fucking insane..."
A terrified mutter drifted down from atop the walls.
"Grraaah."
"That's more like it!"
"Krahahahaha!"
"As expected from the young lord!"
"Aleck's incredible too. To match the young lord like that!"
"Damn, that Aleck guy's on the same level as the young lord. We shouldn't judge him by our standards!"
The Riokku tribe erupted in cheers from behind.
"Everyone, charge—!"
"Krahahat, let's go!"
The Riokku strike team members, save for a few holding back the primals, all surged through the breached walls.
"B-Block them!"
"Graaak! These bastards... too strong."
"Every single one's a monster!"
"If you can't handle 'em alone, gang up two or three at a time!"
Once the breach was made, the Riokku tribe rampaged without restraint, showing exactly why they were called the Overlord's clan.
Impressive.
I let out a genuine sigh of admiration at the scene. Just dozens of them were overwhelming enemies dozens of times their number.
"Everyone, make way—!"
Then, powerful auras erupted from the enemy side in droves. Most appeared to be in the Complete Body stage.
These must be their core forces.
I figured taking them out would essentially end the battle.
"The real ones have shown up. Everyone, focus!"
Ios seemed to think the same.
Kwaaaang!
We clashed head-on with the newly emerged centipede elites.
They're pretty strong... but...
Wind Blade, Thunder Blade.
Quarrr rumble.
Fwooooosh!
I channeled my ether to the max and slashed like a madman.
"K-Kraaak."
"What the hell is this mantis?"
"What? He's wielding two attributes!"
The vanguard centipedes couldn't regroup as I tore through them.
Fwoosh—
Kwaaaaaang!
At the same time, an explosion of scorching heat erupted beside me.
"Wh-What is this?!"
"M-Monster..."
"We can't win this!"
Glancing back, Ios was unleashing his divine power, turning the center of the battlefield into a wasteland.
With us leading the charge, the enemies fell like autumn leaves without meaningful resistance.
"Press the attack!"
Even after rampaging, Ios's voice showed no fatigue. As expected of the man who would claim one of the continent's top ten spots.
"Uwaaaah!"
Cheers from the distant Riokku strike team indicated they were successfully repelling the primals.
The tide had clearly turned in our favor.
* * *
"Th-This... can't be happening!"
Napkin clutched his head and slumped into his seat. The tower he'd meticulously built over a decade was crumbling into nothing.
Is this a dream?
He denied reality in his hazy mind.
Haha! Right, it's a dream. No way something this absurd happens.
He could reluctantly accept the Riokku guy spewing atmosphere-melting heat. He'd heard the next lord of the Riokku tribe, always at the vanguard, wielded extreme yang power.
But what the hell is that mantis?!
He'd single-handedly shattered the poison formation Napkin had reinforced with bribes. Witnessing it live had left him speechless, eyes nearly popping out.
A mantis immune to poison...? That make any sense?
Sure, maybe he'd acquired a poison resistance rune or awakened a rare ability. The Abian Continent saw bizarre feats daily that defied common sense.
But... that was a deadly poison array laced with hundreds of compounded toxins! Even poison bugs with innate resistance would need maxed-out tolerance to survive... how does a mere mantis do it?!
This crossed the line into utter absurdity, shattering logic itself.
And that lightning storm! No treasure could output that power! Dual attributes...? Even scouring continental history, that's unheard of!
So Napkin could only believe it was a dream. Without that mantis with predator-like abilities, the fortress would never have fallen so easily.
The Riokku's individual prowess was fearsome, but breaching the poison barrier was impossible. Even if they pushed through poisoned, scaling those walls in that state? No chance.
"L-Lord Castellan! All the centurions are down! They're pushing in. Wh-What do we do?"
A subordinate rushed in, face pale with fear.
Napkin stared blankly at him.
"...Die."
"Pardon?"
"...Let's die."
"What?"
"Everyone, let's die together!"
Thud!
Napkin roared at the subordinate, who toppled back in shock.
"Open the Millennium Prison!"
"...!"
The subordinate's eyes widened in realization. Terror bloomed in his gaze. The thing imprisoned there... was far more horrifying than the intruders.
* * *
"Grraaak!"
Thwack!
I kicked aside the last fallen Complete Body Black Gigantia centipede and surveyed the area.
Looks cleaned up.
No more resistance. Once their centurion elites fell, the rest surrendered meekly.
"Where's the castellan?"
"U-Up there, sir."
A trembling stone centipede soldier pointed to the tallest spire in the fortress.
"I'll capture the castellan!"
"No, me first!"
"Krahah, first come, first served!"
The excited Riokku strike team raced off, soon dragging an Amar King Centipede clansman before me and Ios.
"Heh heh... this... this is a dream."
The man's face was broken, eyes glazed as he muttered nonsense.
"Must've taken a huge mental hit."
"Yeah."
I nodded in agreement with Ios. The supply depot falling so easily had shattered his mind.
"All thanks to you, Aleck."
"Nah, no big deal. The strike team's strength made it possible."
"Hmph, your face says otherwise. No need to play humble in front of me."
"Haha."
With the main forces neutralized and the castellan captured, the battle was over. Tension eased, smiles bloomed on our faces.
That moment.
Kwaaaaaang!
Fwoooooosh—!
A massive explosion rocked the central building of the supply depot, followed by a geyser of thick green liquid shooting skyward.
"Kuh, guk."
"Ugh."
"Hup!"
Our faces paled instantly, forcing us back. It was that potent.
You have encountered Necrotoxin.
Immunity to All Poisons (S) blocks the poison's invasion.
The thick dark-green liquid spraying everywhere and dispersing... was necrotoxin, the deadliest among poisons.
"U-Uweeeek."
"Eugh, blech—."
Even mere whiffs from afar left people reeling.
Fwoosh!
Thankfully, Ios blasted scorching heat to incinerate the encroaching fumes.
"Fall back further! This poison's unnatural—don't get exposed!"
With some team members staggering from slight contact, the strike team retreated while aiding the afflicted.
Pale-faced injured trembled violently. Truly vicious toxin.
"K-Kraaaak!"
"S-Save me!"
"Eek..."
Unlike us, spared by Ios's flames, the directly hit centipedes suffered massively. Those touched by the liquid had skin necrotizing in real-time. Inhalers collapsed unconscious. Even some Complete Body in primal form saw exoskeletons melting gooey.
"Insane..."
"Ugh."
"First time seeing poison like this..."
The strike team recoiled in horror. None had faced such a gruesome toxin.
Ultra-condensed necrotoxin.
I swallowed hard, knowing its origin.
Six-Eyed Sand Spider. Their innate venom rivaled the continent's strongest. Unlike others, it decomposed tissues, rotting cells from within. No full antidote existed. Even the spiders died if unadapted, necrotizing internally.
Common treatment: immediate amputation. Otherwise, it spread via blood, melting the body.
But the Six-Eyed Sand Spiders were officially extinct. The Four Great Lords had exterminated them first upon seizing power.
Yet a survivor lurked here.
Craig, you mad bastard... smuggled it for poison research.
Judging by the condensed potency, it was at least peak Complete Body transcendent expert. Too risky for labs, so imprisoned underground, starved to weaken.
But it'd refined its venom to extremes in rage and hatred.
Kwaaaaaang!
Another explosion burst through the ruins, revealing a ragged man.
"Krhuhuhu... I... hate the world."
His mere words unleashed surging toxin.
Totally berserk...
I clicked my tongue inwardly at his state. Burning origin essence, he'd collapse in half a day max.
No wonder it was so potent.
Necrotoxin alone couldn't match this destruction. A near-Ultimate Body incinerating origin energy made it possible.
"Retreat..."
Ios, ordering the team back quietly, swallowed hard. The freak was staring us down.
"Krhahaha... you bastards... I'll kill you all, every last one!"
Fwaaaak—.
Toxin hot enough to melt the sky targeted us.
"Completely lost it."
I stepped forward.
Immunity to All Poisons, Transcendent Regeneration, Super Vitality... Worth a shot.