Chapter 497: Chapter 496: Black swarm
The summoning procedure went on for a few more minutes.
But what Nuk had doubted did not happen, she truly did not reveal anything about the newly arrived high-level demons.
Nuk, Kravos, and the other high-level demons glanced at one another. They did not need to speak; their thoughts were already aligned. They simply nodded.
Now, with the huge addition of new demons, their workload had more than tripled. Nuk and the others began dividing the demons one by one. The once disorganized demon army slowly developed a basic structure as the higher commands took control.
Three days passed in a flash, with most of the time spent in meetings. Peak Rank 0 demons like Selene, Malthor, and Varkhan discussed how the war would proceed, while separate meetings were held with the high-level demons.
However, Selene never mentioned the super city’s trap again. At this point, Nuk had essentially confirmed it.
They intended to use the newly summoned demons as cannon fodder, while Nuk and the rest would hide among them. Then, before the explosions were triggered, they would attack, withdraw, and lure the high-level Rank 0 defenders into engaging further, unaware they were walking into their own death.
In this way, the super city would gain a brief moment of relief, believing they had survived before their entire world was torn apart by the returning demon assault.
As for the peak Rank 0 demons, Nuk had no doubt they were refining the plan to destroy the dome, giving Nuk and the older high-level Rank 0 demons a chance to strike.
---
Finally, the long-awaited day arrived. The demon army marched forward, growls filling the air as trees trembled and the ground sank beneath their steps.
Millions of demons formed a chaotic tide. The temperature rose sharply, and leaves quickly withered and turned yellow.
From afar, their movement could be felt, a primal, oppressive energy unique to the demon race filled the air.
---
At the super city, over the past three days, preparations had been made as much as possible. Remaining resources and a large portion of supplies had been relocated to other sections, with nearly half stored as reserves for the coming war.
The only thing not moved was the population.
Communication between this section and the rest of the super city had been cut off. Now, a massive army of tens of millions stood at the rear, while hundreds of millions of civilians were ordered to take up weapons and fight.
Protests and screams for help filled the air, as many tried to escape but the combined authority of the government and sects crushed any resistance.
After a few overly defiant individuals were made examples of, the rest forced themselves into reluctant obedience.
Among the hundreds of millions preparing to be sacrificed was one man whose face was filled with confusion.
He had arrived in this world exactly two years ago. Once a soldier betrayed by his country and framed by his enemies, he had died unwillingly .. only to be granted a second chance at life.
His name was Din.
But this world was different. Martial warriors existed, people who could shatter rocks and reshape the environment with their fists. Yet he had been reborn as an ordinary human.
Din did not dwell on it for long and had already begun building a new life.
In this world, he was in his twenties. He had a mother and a younger sister who depended on him. Over time, he had adapted, realizing this world was far less advanced than Earth. Carefully and slowly, he applied his knowledge, eventually becoming a successful farmer until the so-called extraterritorial race invaded.
The demons.
The world fell into chaos. Fortunately, he had been at the rear, but even so, fate had dragged him into it.
---
The atmosphere was heavy as millions of men stood armed with axes, hoes, and other farming tools turned weapons.
All of them prepared to face the incoming enemy. They knew they had to obey orders from above, and for those who disobeyed, their heads were displayed as warnings for all to see.
Din took a deep breath. At least for now, their families and those under eighteen had been spared.
But he was not sure how long that would last. Most likely, it was only to ensure they fought more fiercely.
Given the scale of the war and the execution of dissenters, Din quickly realized the truth.
They were nothing more than meat shields.
Their purpose was either to slow the advancing demon army or, at best, to kill a few of them.
It could very well be both.
Understanding this, Din tightened his grip on his sword.
As a wealthy farmer, he had purchased some rather unusual equipment. not related to farming at all.
And this was one of them.
The silver blade of the sword gleamed under the sun as loud growls and screams echoed in the distance. Finally, at the horizon, the long-awaited demon army had arrived.
They were like black sand as they climbed the elevated hill on which the super city stood, pouring forward as their ghastly noises caused weaker men to nearly collapse to the ground.
Soon, they were face-to-face with the demon army. The shortest of them stood at nearly two meters, while the majority reached three meters in height.
Their bodies dwarfed the humans...thicker, stronger, and far more muscular. Their fangs were long and sharp.
But worst of all, they were not even purely humanoid. Some were half-abominations, missing body parts or resembling failed experiments with mismatched limbs from different creatures.
Others were massive blobs with large mouths and thin, spider-like legs.
A terrifying variety of forms stretched across the battlefield, making the massive closed gate seem small and fragile in comparison.
There was no shouting, no call to attack—only pounding hearts, as life and death now stood separated by a ten-meter-tall wall and a gate nearly twenty meters high and over one hundred meters long.
Din was rather fortunate to be positioned in the middle, with millions of people in front of him. At least that meant he would survive a little longer.
Their formation resembled a Spartan phalanx, but once the battle began, everything would change.
Cold sweat dripped from the humans’ bodies as their hearts pounded violently.
Boom.
A loud sound echoed from the gate and walls as they shook, and patches of dust fell to the ground.
Badum.
Badum...
Their heartbeats quickened. The sound continued—growing louder, heavier, more intense with each passing second.
********
While this was ongoing, a being hovered high above the battlefield. An illusionary figure, visible only by its face, grinned as it looked at the massive forces involved in the war.
It couldn’t help but remind him of the attack when he was nothing but a weak Rank 1 being, the billions upon billions of lives lost as worlds clashed and space itself was torn apart.
"Ahhh, I can’t keep being cooped up there..." the being muttered with a grin.
"When was the last time I was involved in such primal wars?" he spoke to no one in particular, observing the humans below.
He could sense rage, fear, and pure survival instinct.
Unlike races such as demons or angels who knew exactly what they were fighting for and were driven by hatred, this race was different.
They were fighting for survival. Their emotions were tangled and chaotic.
But for Void, did it matter? He only wanted to unwind and relax, and what better place than this battlefield before him?
With that thought, Void did not possess one of the demon’s bodies; instead, he switched his attention to the humans and randomly chose one.
Among the vast crowd of racing hearts, at the very front, what should have been eyes filled with dread instead held excitement.
Around him, others stood with trembling legs, preparing for the charge. Only this man had an excited expression. His body shook as well but not from fear. It was pure adrenaline... pure madness.
A faint crimson hue flickered in his eyes as he gripped an axe.
Then..
Bang...
Bang...
Bang...
BANG!!!
The gate shattered, and a long section of the wall collapsed. For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
Standing at the base of the hill had been one thing but seeing them up close was another entirely.
The primal heat of the demon race, their scales, their bloodthirsty eyes, their bodies twisting and stretching in anticipation of slaughter.... it all overwhelmed the humans senses.
Some humans froze completely, unable to move. Others dropped their weapons.
The demon army growled, tongues lolling out as they advanced slowly toward their prey, grinning with sharp, deadly fangs.
"Come on..." suddenly a loud voice rang out, reaching those at the front.
"We’re going to die anyway, it could be now or later," he said, his voice sharp and high.
"So if we already know we will die, why fear what is already certain? Let’s go out in flying colors!"
"Let the ground bleed red!!!" the man who Void possessed shouted as he raised his axe and charged forward.
For a moment, the demon army froze in shock.
What was this? Their prey charging toward death?
Just as they hesitated, Void stepped onto a fallen wall, using it as leverage. He leapt several meters into the air and brought his axe down.
The speed and force already pushed the limits of a human body.
KANG!!!
Crack...
The sound of metal striking demon scales echoed out. In the next instant, the axe shattered into pieces, and the immense force twisted and broke the man’s body.
Before he even landed, a demon grabbed him.
Shiiiaaa—!
His body was ripped in two.
Thud.
Thud.
The two halves hit the ground.
Silence.
