Chapter 47: Go and Conquer
Centered on the black-red veins on the ground, countless strange energies, pitch-black mixed with deathly gray, transformed into black mist that surged from the cracks in the earth. As these strange energies came into contact with nearby matter—whether dust or rock, bone or metal, regardless of what it originally was—they were instantly eroded and coated with a layer of crystal. Then, centered on that point, they coalesced into small Wild Gods.
The lowest-ranking Wild Gods were born this way. Chaotic power erodes all things, and its byproduct is these weak monsters. Their strength is only Black Iron, comparable to an ordinary adult human, but their numbers are endless, filling every corner of the land.
Other slightly stronger Chaos Monsters all bore a prefix in their names, a title of their own. They had complete crystal carapaces and complex body structures, unlike their cheap counterparts.
At this moment, because the fortress had advanced deeper into the hilly region, its speed had further decreased. Even though Unit 3 had been using the Blazing Light Beam Cannon and occasionally unleashing Blazing Sun Purification to cleanse the surrounding Wild Gods, the main force of these monsters was still slowly catching up.
Running at the forefront of the Wild God army were monsters shaped like locusts, but with bodies nearly two meters tall. Their bodies were covered in thick chitin and crystal shells, far tougher than steel of the same proportion, layered like dragon scales. Most of their heads, adorned with antennae, were firmly protected by thick, glossy crystal. The six pairs of jointed legs and countless tentacles beneath them granted the ability to move swiftly across any terrain. Their weapons were scythe-like wings, sharp as blades, seemingly capable of tearing through steel with ease.
Their burst speed was extremely fast. With a few leaps, they quickly closed in on the fortress, climbing onto the steel base. These Wild Gods swung their sharp claws and limbs, flipping completely onto the steel base in just three seconds, where they saw Joshua waiting for them to enter.
Charging in alongside these locust Wild Gods were countless monsters resembling centipedes and millipedes. Their bodies were covered in fragmented crystal shards, and their long forms appeared fragile and slender. In reality, judging by the echoes from their bodies striking the steel base, these monsters were actually composed of high-strength steel. Acting with hydraulic bursts, they also possessed rapid assault capabilities. Combined with their battering-ram-like heads, these seemingly fragile Wild Gods delivered attacks of unimaginable ferocity and ruthlessness.
After climbing onto the fortress, these Wild Gods didn't hesitate for even half a second. They all crazily rushed toward Joshua's position, like moths drawn to a flame. During their charge, Claire had been using war plants to block their advance. Though it seemed somewhat effective, it was a drop in the bucket compared to the terrifying number of Wild Gods.
At this moment, if viewed from the sky, the army of Wild Gods was like a black swarm of ants, chasing after the silver-white steel fortress, then desperately converging on the red dot representing the warrior, as if trying to extinguish that flame.
"Excellent!"
But how could Joshua be someone who waits for others to attack? The warrior, his entire body empowered by the Azure Orb, raised his head and let out a roar that shook the atmosphere. Crimson Battle Qi surged around him, like a blazing city-burning fire. At this moment, Joshua's power continuously leaked from the gaps in his armor. The profound, black-red energy emitted visible shockwaves. After absorbing a large amount of energy, the warrior's body grew restless, thirsting for slaughter. Just as Moria behind him was about to warn him that a monster was sneaking up from the side, Joshua had already transformed into a burst of flowing light, dragging a trail of crimson Battle Qi and a sonic boom cloud that shattered the air, charging head-on into the Wild God army.
Wielding a giant axe in his left hand—one that an ordinary person couldn't lift even with all their strength—he charged alone into the Wild God army. The giant axe swept horizontally, and a violent shockwave rippled out, like a scythe reaping weeds, cutting all the surrounding locust and centipede Wild Gods in half. A tremendous recoil force came, shaking the warrior's bones and muscles. But this minor damage was quickly repaired by the endless power flowing from the Azure Orb. And because he could freely tear apart the bodies of his sworn enemies, the Divine Mechanism glowed with a red light, making it sharper and more unstoppable.
The giant axe in his left hand tore through hard shells, the spearhead on the axe shaft piercing the Wild Gods' heads. His right hand used Battle Qi to fend off the Wild Gods' bites and shatter their swinging limbs and tentacles.
Advance, shatter, cleave, destroy!
Bathed in the fountain-like remains and fluids of Wild Gods all around, the black armor was coated with an indescribable hue. After shattering the bodies of several more Wild Gods, Joshua swept his crimson eyes across the surroundings. Beneath the black helmet, they were like two points of light in the darkness, making him seem more like a terrifying demon than the Wild Gods around him.
The locust Wild Gods and centipede Wild Gods could no longer stop the warrior's charge. Seeming to notice this, some powerful Wild Gods that had just flown in from afar began to prepare their attacks, prompted by their kin's cross-space signals.
These Wild Gods, located several thousand meters away, had bizarre shapes resembling crabs with enormous bone wings. Their heads were like turret structures, embedded with countless shimmering, dazzling crystals. As they began to gather power, these originally dim crystals lit up layer by layer, and waves of chaotic energy started to coalesce.
Soon, the turbid chaotic energy, under the talent of the Famine's Children, transformed into an intangible, formless impact, aimed at the warrior who was slaughtering freely amidst the Wild God horde.
Amidst the carnage, Joshua's instinctual power allowed him to sense the attack targeting him from afar. His keen intuition made the warrior roar, erupting with Battle Qi to blast away the surrounding locust Wild Gods swarming in, then his form flickered and vanished from all the monsters' sight.
But that intangible, formless force still carried a roar across the sky and ground, heading straight for him as he rapidly advanced.
"Ha!"
With a sharp shout, realizing he could only take it head-on, Joshua crossed his arms in front of him. The flying, powerful force struck between his arms.
The moment the intangible, formless force hit its target, it generated intangible, intense heat, disrupting the order around it. The surrounding steel base, caught in the blast, immediately showed signs of aging, corroded by time, turning to dust in an instant. Joshua's body was protected by the order force brought by the Azure Orb, so it wasn't corroded. But even so, the tough outer layer of the black armor was scorched to a dark red. The powerful impact also disrupted Joshua's center of gravity, forcing him to retreat rapidly to neutralize the force of the blow.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
The sound of twisting metal came from under Joshua's feet. Countless deep footprints appeared on the steel base, the patterns of his soles clearly visible.
It wasn't just one shot. The intangible impact force flashed in the distance, and another attack struck Joshua's body, leaving a dark red scorch mark on his armor. Black smoke rose, bringing the delightful scent of burning metal.
After several rounds of attacks, Joshua's armor was covered in many deep marks. Every time he regained his balance and tried to use his speed to escape the lock of the distant Wild Gods, he was immediately surrounded by the endless, death-defying low-rank Wild Gods. If not for his powerful Battle Qi and deep order force, that intangible impact would have long pierced his armor and struck his flesh-and-blood body. Moria and Claire wanted to help the warrior, but they too were entangled by countless low-rank Wild Gods. Though they could defend themselves, they had no strength to assist.
Boom!
Another strike came. If an Old Dwarf or an Elf had encountered such an attack, without defensive equipment, they would likely be in grave danger. But Joshua was fully armed. Ignoring the damage to his armor, he only felt as if he had taken a heavy punch. However, while he could withstand it, the steel base of the fortress could not. The metal, weakened by the chaotic impact's corrosion, finally couldn't bear the warrior's weight, collapsing into a large pit that swallowed Joshua.
Opportunity!
Falling into the corroded pit, Joshua immediately understood that this was his chance to break the lock. Amidst the rising rust and ash, his eyes swept across the dark sky, instantly reverse-locking onto the bizarrely shaped Wild God.
His armor was covered in scars, and his body was a bit tired and sore from the consecutive attacks, but the light in Joshua's eyes hadn't diminished in the slightest. His blazing battle intent surged high.
(To be continued.)
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