[You know them all too well. Their language, habits, way of life, methods of combat, everything.]
"There are many ways to destroy them, and we will find the most efficient one."
The legion chuckled. In the past, they had to confront them directly, efficiency be damned. But now, things were different. The legion, having grown exponentially by hunting monsters in this otherworldly labyrinth, was a force to be reckoned with. They had already faced these adversaries multiple times.
The legion had never lost a rematch. They excelled at ruthlessly exploiting their opponents-’ weaknesses, either annihilating them with overwhelming power or gradually wearing them down by instilling fear and toying with them.
"But they’re not units...!"
Kang Do Yeon managed to utter, her face etched with despair.
"So what?"
The legion was unswayed, having already completed all their calculations.
In the end, Kang Do Yeon gave up on persuasion with a single word and hung her head low. She then voluntarily donned a mask.
‘The number of detected enemies is only a few thousand. If we attack from multiple points, we can break their defense in one go.-*
Having persuaded the dissenting sub-mind, the legion attempted a joyful calculation and quickly arrived at an answer. They devised the most potent and optimal tactics, considering the current size of the legion’s troops, the enemies-* level, the situation, and the terrain.
The legion divided their troops into precisely thirteen groups. The deployed forces consisted of over five thousand soldiers, each larger than a human. They were confident they could deploy ten times that number at once if necessary.
Their secret weapon for this occasion was a short-term decisive battle, leading with sheer numbers, like a massive wave sweeping away small fish.
"Legion Commander, you break through the toughest barrier from the front. I’ll reward you in return."
The legion presented Kang Do Yeon with a unique soldier, forged from a newly grasped concept.
Though the legion was deficient in magical knowledge, the creation of physical tissues from omnipotent cells was a straightforward task for them.
[A new weapon, based on the concept of a golem, has emerged]
The stones that constituted the golem’s body, intertwined with tentacle-like tree roots, began to form.
Before long, a soldier materialized, manipulating the stones of its body with tentacles that permeated its form, all powered by the engine at the heart of its chest.
"Inefficient."
As anticipated, its efficiency left much to be desired.
The sole reason for the creation of such a soldier was to instill a sense of despair in their quarry.
For the legion, who always aimed higher, the city of the surviving Moonlight Elves was merely a warm-up before their ascent. *
"The vibrations...!"
"Everyone, grab your weapons!"
The meeting room descended into chaos as the thumping vibrations drew nearer. White, having kicked the door open and rushed out, held his sword aloft, his gaze fixed on the front of the base."Those...bastards !’’
He spotted the enemy. A dark, ominous legion advanced like a wave of pitch black, heading straight for them.
"Impossible!’’
"It’s the humans’ magical weapon! Those bastards!"
"We should never have trusted those humans!"
The Moonlight Elves were deeply shaken at the sight of the emerging enemies. The giants leading the march were familiar to them.
‘No. It can’t be.’
Despite his subordinates trembling with feelings of betrayal, White had a different thought.
'The humans’ weapon...is not like that...’
His eyes quivered, and his grip on the sword handle tightened.
‘It was not that horrifying.’
As the most experienced and cunning warrior, he trusted his intuition. The monsters marching towards them could be beings that neither the destructive bacteria nor the humans on the surface could withstand.
"Ready the longbows! Their weakness is the glowing core in their chest! Destroy the divine stone, and you can stop them!"
He issued orders swiftly, already aware of how to dismantle a golem. The warriors obeyed his command without hesitation, their expressions resolute. It was a momentum only those prepared to risk everything, even their lives, could possess. Like the survivors the legion had encountered in the past. After all, this place was something they had to protect at all costs for the future of their race, even if it meant risking their lives.
"May the ancestors be with us! Fire!"
Under White’s command, the giant ballista installed for defense was launched. It was not a simple ballista. At its end, a powerful strike imbued with faint magic.
"Did it explode?"
With a bang, then a boom, the large arrows lodged into the bodies of the enemies. Everyone expected that they had felled the enemies with that thunderous noise.
"Good! We’ve damaged them in one..."
"Look behind! The city is...!"
But just as they were about to cheer for toppling the marching enemies and causing a grand explosion, White, with a sinking heart, turned around at the screams and the sound of something collapsing from behind. The unusually loud noise was not from toppling a golem.
"No way! ! ’’
He shouted, almost in a scream. What he saw were monsters pouring out from the collapsed sinkhole and from the exploded walls and ceilings.
"Commander White! They’re charging at us!"
"Divide, divide the forces!"
There was no other choice. After all, they had to stop them all."I’ll go!"
"Orote, the warrior with the greatest strength."
One of them stepped forward confidently. White, who nodded his head, entrusted him with the warriors.
"Go and make sure to stop them."
And he sent him off to halt the enemies who had dug tunnels and infiltrated. His teeth were gritted. When he turned around again, his eyes were full of rage.
"We will, without fail, defend this place."
He only looked forward, determined not to look back. To the enemies marching towards this place, the golems were just a shield. Among the many beasts and monsters, there was someone of a slightly smaller stature.
"Have confidence. We are warriors blessed by the sacred tree. Those monsters, who can’t wield sacred power, can be cut down in one strike with our swords!"
He encouraged the trembling warriors.
Yet, there was hope. They had already nurtured the sacred tree beyond a sapling. The patterns they etched onto their bodies from a young age resonated and amplified with the power of the sacred tree. The Moonlight Elf warriors blessed by the sacred tree were formidable. If the numbers of the destructive bacteria that had taken over the world had been slightly fewer, if they had formed an alliance earlier before being defeated one by one, perhaps the future would have been different.
"That’s..."
However, they were not the only ones capable of wielding special powers. White’s eyes trembled as a slender, curved figure stepped forward, brandishing a sword. The weapon she held, along with the ores attached to her arms and thighs, ignited and targeted them.
‘'Maximum output explosion.’
This was the only technique the current legion possessed that utilized Formative Force. Its purpose was to unleash maximum output energy in the form of a slash or beam, directed at a single line or point without any delay. There was no need for other techniques such as calculations or creating a barrier since they directly harnessed the power engine.
This technique was simply the strongest and fastest.
"Ahhhh!"
"Block it!"
A blazing flash cut through the darkness of the corridor. The massive flash emitted from Kang Do Yeon’s sword incinerated everything in its path and crashed into the hastily raised shields of the startled Moonlight Elves.
‘Defense neutralized.’
The ensuing explosion obliterated most of the Moonlight Elves on the front line, leaving no trace behind. Their shock was irrelevant. The legionnaires charged headlong into the enemy formation, which had crumbled in an instant. If they could crush them before they had a chance to set up their defenses, the outcome was inevitable.
"Block them. At all costs!"
Their desperation was visible. They were fervent, gritting their teeth as they used their bodies to block the legionnaires. Their power was undeniably stronger than that of mere survivors. The legion’s ever-improving exoskeleton was sliced and punctured by swords and spears, each blow fueled by their last ounces of strength. But that was the extent of it. Their only advantage was their desperation. The screams of victims being ripped apart by teeth and claws reverberated throughout the battlefield.
"What... what are you?"
CC J?
In the midst of the fierce battle, White blocked Kang Do Yeon’s path. Without a moment’s hesitation, she swung her sword.
"Ugh."
White staggered as he parried her sword, the force of her blow heavy and unyielding. Her physical prowess, fueled by all five power engines, was transcendent. There was no inefficiency in her movements.
"A mere monster girl, reaching such a state..."
He muttered, watching her with a blank expression as she radiated a crimson aura. The power she exuded was a realm he had longed for, trained for. It was an unbelievable sight for him, ignorant of the structure of her body.