Chapter 102
Episode 102 - Evolution, Not Corruption (10)
"..."
The first to discover the crack was a creature crawling sluggishly along the ground.
It sniffed the air, detecting the subtle change in the flow of the atmosphere. Its large amber eyes blinked.
Continuing to sniff, the creature's sensory organ finally recalled a scent from long ago.
The scent of a wizard. And not just one, but many wizards.
Soon, the massive body that had been wandering aimlessly began to move.
With its elongated torso and scales as rough as rock, this creature, resembling a crocodile except for its long neck, moved as if entranced toward the source of the scent.
"Krrk..."
And it wasn't the only one that noticed the scent. All the Dragonkins in the area began to converge there.
Earth Dragons walking on the ground, Wyverns with wings, Fire Dragons breathing flames, and so on.
They were the dominant species of this land, who once waged war against the Humans of the Otherworld skilled in magic, eventually driving them out of this world.
However, even after becoming the masters of the world, they regressed and turned into mere incarnations of destruction and massacre, unable to advance the world.
Their inherent greed and arrogance had no target, leaving them as empty tin cans.
'This is an opportunity.'
Their Overlord, who detected the subtle flow even from afar, awakened from a long slumber and rose.
Whether it was intentional or accidental, it didn't matter.
If a new target for destruction and massacre appeared, they would simply act according to their nature.
The first Earth Dragon at the forefront crossed the Gate.
The soil and grass under its feet, in the bright sunlight, were brimming with the energy of life, unlike the barren land of Redrium.
"..."
Until now.
The Earth Dragon squinted its eyes, feeling an intense killing intent directed at it for the first time in ages.
The source of that intent was the Great Army filling its view.
Most of them were smaller than the Earth Dragon, but the large species, comparable in size to a dump truck, were not inferior in build to the Earth Dragon.
"Are those the Dragonkins the humans here spoke of?"
Even upon seeing the Earth Dragon, Eve showed no particular reaction.
After all, there had been plenty of humans captured and interrogated, so it was only natural to know of their existence and history.
And how much wizards feared them.
"They're just degenerated lizards anyway."
However, she had no reason to fear the Dragonkins.
Long ago, the origin that passed down magic to humans was the Ancient Dragon. But the descendants of those dragons rebelled, killed their ancestors, and attacked humans.
As a result, the successors of the Dragonkin, having lost their nobility, turned from the source of magic into the nemesis of magic. That was the history testified by humans so far.
"There's no way I'd lose to defeated, eliminated creatures."
Eve cared about nothing else but the fact that they had degenerated.
They were the kind she hated the most—those who neither progressed nor evolved but stagnated to the point of regression.
[He told me to convey this. The Dragonkin didn't degenerate; they evolved in a different way.]
"Of course, that's true too."
'...'
Eve, who instantly agreed, ignored the incredulous emotions of the subminds and gave an order to Reina, who was positioned behind the main force.
"Try hitting them with magic. I heard they have very strong magic resistance. They neutralize human magic and fight using their physical size."
'Understood.'
Receiving the command, Reina raised her staff on the spot.
Casting Multi-bound Magic alone, its power was enough to ravage an entire city single-handedly.
In less than a second, overlapping magic circles unleashed shells that tore through the air and crashed down on the Earth Dragon from above.
The Earth Dragon didn't evade. It was an unavoidable strike from the start.
"...Quite impressive."
At the point of impact, a massive shockwave erupted amidst thick smoke.
As a result, the Earth Dragon's body was crushed and burst apart.
But on the flip side, that level of power had only managed to kill a single one.
"It's not a lie. I don't know the principle, but they do have considerable defensive power against Formative Power."
Eve detected the flow of energy emanating from the Earth Dragon as the shell struck it.
Though it couldn't absorb all of it, the Earth Dragon was seen absorbing the energy contained in the shell.
"Change the tactics and formation."
Watching the Dragonkins pouring out of the Gate, starting with the Earth Dragon, Eve adjusted the Legion Soldiers.
All units smaller than large species were pulled back, and Legion Soldiers comparable in size to the Dragonkins, including the Over-sized Species, were redeployed.
"They're monsters that conquered a world with their sturdy bodies and massive size, so we should face them accordingly."
Smirking, Eve sent the Legion Soldiers charging forward.
Starting with the Earth Dragon, the Dragonkins that had confidently crossed the Gate were visibly flustered.
Until now, their opponents had been magic-wielding humans.
But the enemies they faced now already knew about them and were as massive as they were—the Legion.
The Legion's Power Core was solely used to sustain those unreasonable and gigantic bodies.
The thunderous footsteps shook the earth.
"Trample them. Then bring them in. We need to dissect them alive and learn."
As Eve's smirking command ended, massive creatures, each exceeding several meters in size, collided with a tremendous impact.
*
"Evacuate immediately. Open additional Gates."
"B-but..."
"At this rate, we'll be wiped out, let alone achieve mutual destruction."
A battle of unimaginable scale between monsters unfolded right in front of the city.
Darque snapped the dazed people back to their senses.
The current battle situation was one-sided. In his sight, a massive Wyvern, unable to bear the weight of Flying Species clinging tightly to its body, was falling from the sky.
Even as the Wyvern bit and killed them with its mouth, the Flying Species continued to embed poison stingers into its hide.
Despite not being at full strength, the Dragonkins pouring out of the narrow Gate were being pushed back.
"Krrk. Open additional Gates!"
The wizards of Ados Academy, under Darque's command, hurriedly began to widen the dimensional crack.
"Now we retreat to the rear and prepare for the worst-case scenario."
Watching the increasing number of Dragonkins pouring out, Darque turned his body.
All that was left for them now was to flee, hide, and survive. The evacuation of ordinary citizens had already been completed.
Once the remaining elders and troops left, the Metropolis Menas, once home to three million people, would become an empty Ghost City.
"Damn it..!"
"Block them!"
However, Eve had no intention of letting them go easily.
Reina, flying across the sky, led the Higher Species to block their path.
"Fools. With just a few dozen, it won't end like last time."
Darque's subordinates, retreating, joined the city's defense forces. There were at least several thousand of them.
"...Ha."
But of course, Eve was well aware of that.
Behind Reina, who had blocked them with a small number, the trembling ground erupted as a massive Deathworm broke through a three-story building with its mouth.
The Deathworm returned underground, leaving behind the shattered debris of the building.
From the massive sinkhole, countless waves of Higher Species and Mid-sized Legion Soldiers surged out.
Eve deployed all the forces withdrawn from the battlefield to this location.
"You all know what I'm about to say."
Clicking his tongue at the sight, Darque's eyes sparkled as he quietly spoke.
"Struggle to survive."
"Ugh... Aaah!"
"Clear a path! Hold the line until we can create an Evacuation Gate!"
As his words ended, the battle began in earnest.
Enraged wizards cast spells, Higher Species broke through formations, cutting down knights and killing wizards.
In the midst of it all, the Blazing Giant Flame Stream unleashed by Reina was blocked by the Crimson Mana Storm released by Darque.
"Kill them all."
Reina, her eyes gleaming, once again ignited her hatred while simultaneously calculating and deploying dozens of Magic Circles.
An indiscriminate Magic Bombardment that didn't care about the Allied Legion Soldiers caught in the crossfire.
In the middle of the battlefield, a massive explosion obliterated an entire street and created a Giant Pit. Darque lowered his Tattered Sleeves, revealing a grimacing face as he clenched his teeth.
It was unfortunate that the Sun was fully visible in the bright daytime. For Darque, this meant he was not at full strength.
'The Mages of Ados Academy. Capture them alive at all costs.'
A brutal and horrifying battlefield spread across the entire city, where those struggling to survive clashed with those intent only on killing.
In a battlefield devoid of prisoners or mercy, with only death, Eve assigned special missions to certain individuals.
"Endure. If you can't hold out, you'll die!"
Nearby, some mages gathered around the Blakel Leader, protecting something.
What they desperately tried to defend in a corner was the Mages of Ados Academy, who were attempting to open a Gate to escape this Encirclement and head to the Rear Area.
In other words, they were enemies that absolutely had to be captured.
The Legion, instantly sharing information, dispatched nearby Higher Species to that location.
"How could these bastards..."
"Does that even matter right now? Fire!"
The desperate magic of the mages, putting everything on the line, struck the Higher Species.
The Higher Species, wielding swords in Four Hands and swinging its Tail, activated a Barrier to block the magic attacks.
"These guys, could it be!"
Of course, it wasn't as though the Higher Species could completely withstand the Guild Leader-level Battle Power with its Output.
Another Higher Species that had caught up from behind raised a staff and cast the magic of Stas Academy, enhancing the Warrior-Type Higher Species wielding swords.
"Blakel, Stas, Seklad, Ucaleria... They devoured all the magic of the academies. Now, they have only one thing left."
"No way."
The Blakel Leader, realizing the Legion Soldiers' intent, gritted her teeth and drew more Mana.
'If, if the Gate falls into the hands of such creatures, it won't just end with the destruction of our world.'
Assuming the Worst-Case Scenario, she reversed her staff.