Chapter 157: Great Chaos and Great Invasion (2)
“Form up as you were!”
One of the orcs shouted. These creatures, carefully selected even from the demonic realm, had already fought against the higher races and gained experience in battle.
That’s why they were confident and showed no hesitation in their actions.
“After all, they’re all the same. Their behavior, traits, tendencies—it’s all the same!”
And being a naturally combat-oriented species, they quickly identified the blind spots based on their experience fighting higher races.
Since there weren’t many types yet, and ultimately all were commanded by Eve, the movements of the higher races had become somewhat standardized.
If they could analyze the patterned movements of the enemy under the premise that they wouldn’t be outmatched in strength, skilled warriors had no reason to lose. Even if the numbers were greater.
“Ready your swords!”
The orcs, having formed ranks, raised their swords towards the oncoming higher races. According to their expectations, a shockwave would soon erupt as the two sides collided.
“…What the.”
However, the confident leader of the orcs blinked in confusion, unable to comprehend his own body flying through the air.
It was the same for a few other orcs nearby. In the eyes of one, they saw a higher race adorned with rings of blue flames swirling around their arms.
As the movement commenced, the ground twisted. Utilizing their unique spells, the orcs’ terrain burst upwards in explosions.
“This is the first time I’ve seen something like this…”
Before he could complete his sentence, a spear, driven by negligence, pierced through the body flailing in the air.
“Ugh! Fight!”
“Kill them!”
The orcs, struck with fatal blows, now had no options left. Screeching, they charged, and the new higher races communicated amongst themselves, attacking the orcs in various ways simultaneously.
If it was unpredictable and didn’t follow a pattern, all that was left was who had greater power or superior numbers.
The orcs, outmatched in strength and numbers, were taken down one by one by the magic, spearfighting, and sword skills of these new and higher races.
‘Maximize advantages, minimize disadvantages.’
One of them quietly thought while holding up his blood-stained monstrous hand.
With a power like this, it wasn’t bad. One day, he believed he could repay the opposing unit that mercilessly tore apart his family in kind.
“…Those bastards!”
Whether he realized his subordinates were being mercilessly slaughtered or not, an armored orc suddenly sprang forward among the humans who had been pouring bullets into the barrier and had quietly stopped.
At this point, I suddenly grew curious. Who could their player be?
Given their newfound intelligence and strength, they surely weren’t the futile and inconspicuous failures I once was.
“Die!”
As the shouter slammed his foot down on the ground, cracks split the earth, twisting and flinging debris in my direction.
I soared into the sky, kicking off the ground through the dust.
‘Surely, this is similar to the earth spells we handle. But it seems more free and powerful.’
One of the members of the Celestial Race, watching the scene unfold, highly evaluated the orc’s spell.
The power displayed now seemed similar to the abilities of S-rank hunter Chris, who often utilized them during battles in the demonic realm.
Of course, Chris must have grown further since then.
‘I made a mistake. I should have captured one and tortured them to extract information.’
While I couldn’t risk drawing attention in the demonic realm, here, it was a different story. I regretted commanding their execution instead of capturing one for information.
“Ugh!”
In the meantime, the orc that had let out a scream swung the enormous axe he wielded. It was a stone axe pulled from the shattered, packaged ground; the blade was the size of a tank.
I swung my sword with all my might, striking it as it flew towards me in mid-air.
Such power was utterly impossible for a human body at my current level.
The gigantic axe shattered into pieces, and I, rapidly accelerating, kicked the stunned orc in the chest with force.
The orc coughed up blood and rolled across the ground with a thud.
For me, who needed to maintain a dual persona, indulging in this power felt dangerously intoxicating, but for now, I unleashed it freely.
“Fire! Cover!”
The humans, who had been captivated, finally regained their senses and began to rain fire again.
The sight was comical to me.
Humans stepping up to protect the orcs. Suddenly, Ji Chang-hyun’s words echoed in my mind.
He had said that what seemed utterly impossible, cooperation and unity, could easily be achieved with an unprecedented enemy.
And he liked that. In a way, this was the same situation. The Legion was their enemy, and because of that, they were forging an alliance with monsters who wouldn’t hesitate to devour.
“This… Commander! The bastards…”
While I observed quietly, my direct higher race comrades hastily strengthened the barrier by layering it.
Amidst the barrage of missiles and gunfire, I fixated my gaze on the orcs.
‘I see it. That orc isn’t manipulating the earth’s power solely with their own strength.’
‘Then what is it?’
‘I’ll call that a spirit.’
Just then, the petite figure of Oh Yu-na floated up to me.
With black tentacles writhing like the hem of a garment from her arms, her appearance was more akin to the mage Reina than my armored form.
‘Spirit. Such power must have roamed the demonic realm. Could the player of the orcs using such strange abilities be related to spirit summoning?’
‘It’s coming.’
The enraged orc spat blood and caused another earthquake.
But this time, we could also move the ground.
The spellcaster of the Celestial Race, holding a staff, and Oh Yu-na, drawing symbols in the air with her hand, synchronized their spells to nullify the seismic waves.
In the meantime, I launched myself like a bullet toward the orc.
Capturing seemed difficult, which was unfortunate, but this bastard had to die here.
“Ugh!”
The terrified orc, sensing genuine killing intent, displayed fear for the first time on his face.
But it was already too late. My sword, having broken through the human defenses, would pierce through its heart.
‘This is.’
However, in that moment, my body abruptly felt a disconnection against my will, and I rolled to the ground.
‘Execution Authority.’
‘It’s the Execution Authority. I’ll retrieve my body.’
Both Oh Yu-na and I recognized what it was. The orc’s player had finally used their trump card.
Of course, for me, who was originally fused with the Legion’s hive mind, it merely meant the connection to my avatar was severed.
“You foolish idiot! Why are you stopping this?! All that’s left is to wipe out the remaining bastards!”
“Calm down! You’re left all alone, do you really think you can handle all those monsters?!”
The human commander intervened before the orc could lunge at Oh Yu-na, attempting to retrieve my body.
“Let’s retreat for now. We don’t want to run away either. This is our hometown, and our people may still be here.”
“…”
“But knowing that, we must retreat here all the more.”
He was persuading the orc. I found it intriguing. These beasts had looked down on humans even before gaining intelligence. Could that orc understand his sincerity?
“…Fine.”
To my surprise, the orc, face stiff with tension, gave an unexpected answer.
Instead of charging at us, the orc began to withdraw with the human army.
“Are you really okay?”
‘Due to the effects of the Execution Authority, the connection has been severed, so I can’t place my consciousness into my body right now. It will take time.’
I watched their retreating figures through Oh Yu-na’s eyes. It felt strange. The thought that growth can occur for anyone, anywhere.
‘Nevertheless, the primary objective has been achieved. It won’t be easy for the humans to reclaim this area of Latis now.’
With the vibrating ground beside us, countless legionnaires chased after the retreating enemies.
The contracted legion’s nest expanded again, successfully holding the ground it had been pushed back from.
*
“I’ve seen it again. You were rambling about facing opponents, but in the end, you made that decision. Guess I am good, huh?”
“What are you doing?”
Leaving the scene to manage itself, I transferred my consciousness to the dormant human body.
The heavy feeling as soon as I shifted my consciousness was palpable.
Upon opening my eyes, I saw Eve sitting on my stomach, looking down at me.
“How does it feel to experience the Execution Authority? If death is defined simply as the separation of body and soul, it doesn’t apply to us.”
“It feels unpleasant, but you’re right. It didn’t do much damage.”
I grasped Eve’s waist and simply moved her to the side, getting up from my position.
“How is the situation you calculated?”
“Personally, I am very satisfied.”
Eve, who was still fighting at this moment, smiled brightly.
“Since creating the spaceship and the invasion stronghold, I should develop the units a bit more, having fallen slightly into a rut. Above all, thanks to this, I’ve definitely established our path as a cosmic force.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Of course, it’s about devouring. Our enemies have grown stronger. Therefore, I must grow stronger too. I’ve learned a lot from this battle.”
Eve entered into immediate feedback, leveraging her strengths.
Such as the way the higher races displayed identical patterns under her command or the war against the new fleet that incorporated superhumans.
“First, let’s finish off these areas we’re currently consuming.”
Following Eve’s gaze, I too looked towards those places. The war was in full swing. However, it didn’t seem like Eve would lose in terms of sustainability.
The Legion’s strongest points, overwhelming numbers, and rapid production pace would make it difficult for the enemies unless they found sharp strategies.
“Isn’t it now exciting? Waging war with those who have grown, strategizing, and moving forces. It’s much like how we ascend layer by layer in a narrow maze.”
“…”
I noticed Eve’s emotions slowly changing and couldn’t help but smirk.
Ever since emerging from the maze and advancing into space, Eve’s being had exploded in growth, but I knew that a certain emptiness remained in her heart. She must have lost interest. It had to be boring.
“Now, there’s one more hive mind that knows you better than anyone else, so it should be more enjoyable from now on.”
“…Are you saying you’ll betray me if need be so boldly?”
Eve, understanding the meaning of my words, clicked her tongue in disbelief but quickly raised the corners of her mouth into a smile.
