Chapter 1317: The Army of Apocalypse

Claws, tentacles, flesh, steel, magic, and blades clashed in a storm as the battlefield became a literal meat grinder. A whirlwind of death commenced while the winds howled and the sands danced. It was a scene that could only be found in a nightmare. It was something that only occurred in a crazed, darkened and chaotic world where deformed monsters tore at each other. Both attackers and defenders were monstrosities, and there was no semblance of battlefield tactics, order, or formations. The combatants’ only goal was the total annihilation of their foe, and they reaped a bloody toll from each side in the most primitive, most brutal way. An increasing number of twisted and corrupted monsters were torn to pieces as the battle descended into carnage. Even the howling winds gave way to the primeval roars and the din of combat.

The knights from Fidelinopolis had to circle the battlefield before they successfully intervened in the battle.

They had originally planned to coordinate with the “army of monsters” from the derelict camp, but all their attempts ended in failure. The battle, once commenced, was a flux of chaos as both sides tore at each other. It was unlike the battles that the knights were used to. They eventually gave up trying and charged into the fray, trying their best to eliminate any monsters, which were appearing from the storm of Chaos.

The two monstrous forces embroiled in the maelstrom of combat had different reactions to a third party intervening in their battle. The Chaotic monsters struck like blood-crazed sharks, pouncing and tearing at any target in sight. They flocked towards the knights the moment they appeared. Meanwhile, the monsters from the camp, for all intents and purposes, ignored the knights’ presence and focused solely on attacking their original targets. They did not extend any friendly or hostile intent towards the Fidelinopolis knights.

It was as if the knights did not exist.

The chaotic battle raged on for a good while. The Chaotic monsters were innumerable and even the well-equipped and battle-hardened knights could not gain an advantage over them. The airborne battle clerics had also landed after blessing the entire army and bombarding the enemy with two salvos of destructive spells. Their objective had now shifted to self-preservation, as they had to prepare for the ever-increasing number of the wounded and the dead. Plus, staying airborne any longer would be far too dangerous.

The high templar, Leonidas was leading the charge as he waved a heavy, golden two-handed sword. It looked like he was flailing a ring of fire, and that ring instantly evaporated three attacking monsters, giving his comrades some breathing room. As he looked up, he saw the battle clerics slowly descend and return to their positions within the formation.

Upon the battle clerics’ descent, the first phase of combat had passed, and the knights’ charge, as well as the magic casters’ bombardment, was over. Now, it was just a grueling meat grinder with the bodies of mortal men. The healing provided by the clerics acted as the army’s main pillar, and their ability to withstand the grind would be the key to deciding their fate in the battle.

Leonidas wiped his face as he lifted his blade and prepared to take down a massive monstrosity, which was rampaging on one of the flanks. At that very moment, he saw something that stayed with him even after many years.

The horizon lit up.

As if the light of dawn had finally appeared in that bleak, god-forsaken nightmare, glorious light quickly drove the darkness away. A few figures then appeared from the light.

The silhouettes had him thinking that he was seeing a religious art piece. There was a massive, gilded rock giant, a wolf-like beast that was five to six meters tall, a being with hellish lava flowing from its body, and also a tumbling ball-like creature that looked like a curled up python…

High above the vanguard of giants, swarms of bats and odd mechanical creatures blanketed the sky as lightning and cold frost formed between them…

The unexpected army had not even gotten close to the battlefield yet, but they had made their intentions loud and clear with their actions.

Two massive lightning arcs jumped out of the bat swarm and slammed right into the center of the Chaotic monsters before they drew out two enormous trenches. As the lightning bolts leaped about, monsters were disintegrated and the earth was scorched.

It was Vivian’s unique magic, the Wail of the Penniless (a randomly made-up name)!

At the same time, two massive, fiery alloy arrows streaked through the air and landed beautifully at the rear of the monster horde. A split second later, two gigantic mushroom clouds resulted from an earthshaking explosion.

That was Hao Ren’s unique magic, the Explosive Humanitarian Touch (also a randomly made-up name!).

With those two large-scale area attacks, Hao Ren and Vivian had managed to draw the ire of the mindless Chaotic monsters. Whatever battle plans they made earlier pretty much went unused as they successfully drew about a third of the monsters towards them.

They soon entered a chaotic melee.

The fighting was frantic. In the realm controlled by Lockmarton, even the most common of monsters were twice as strong. Even so, these cannon fodders did not have the power to tip the scales.

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The 10 wardens were the decisive martial factor.

Although they had been weakened throughout the years and were in slumber for a good hundred odd years, the wardens were still a bastion of martial prowess. After being fortuitously empowered by the force within the disc, they had recovered about 70% to 80% of their strength. For these warriors who had faced the nightmare of Lockmarton for eons, the monsters before them were nothing but worms.

The remaining Chaotic monsters were soon dispatched by the unknown knightly order and torn apart by the allied monstrous army.

As the dust settled, Hao Ren recalled his scattered droids before he got ready to meet the mysterious knightly order from Fidelinopolis. But Y’lisabet started to run towards him in short bounces, her horns still burning with felfire embers. She tugged Hao Ren by the sleeve. “Uncle Ren, Uncle Ren! They look like they’re heading back!”

Hao Ren looked up and saw that the survivors of the monstrous army were wandering aimlessly on the battlefield. They were collecting broken weaponry and some seemingly writhing pieces of flesh. After letting out an unintelligible roar, they soon dispersed, ignoring the knights and wardens around them as they headed back to camp.

Nangong Sanba tried to stop one of them to glean some information, but he was practically ignored.

Though Hao Ren actually felt that Sanba should have been more concerned about his sister who had rolled far away…

The knightly order soon reorganized after the battle, and they sent a troupe ahead to report their victory to Fidelinopolis while the rest stayed behind to sweep the battlefield and collect samples… A few clerics, who appeared to be of high rankings, flew over and landed before Hao Ren as well as his “heavenly reinforcements”.

The leading figure was an imposing elder with a white beard, and he wore a holy robe with gold lining. He held a platinum staff while a runic circlet adorned his head. His getup was similar to Calaxus’. He bore an expression of awe and reverence as he gazed upon the Lord of the Mountains, Geddon. As a high-ranking member of the clergy, he would, of course, know of the 21 wardens that served the goddess, and he knew the looks of each and every one of them by heart. He could clearly see that the giants before him were 10 members of the wardens!

“You are… the Lord of the Mountains?” the elder finally spoke after much astonishment. Being in the Nightmare Realm, he never thought that he would meet the legendary Geddon, and he recalled the last message left by the pope, which mentioned that… the wardens had been corrupted?

Geddon nodded. “Verily I am. You are from the Sanctum? How did you and your city end up here?”

The elder took a deep breath as he gathered his thoughts. “We were following the will of the pope, and we joined the war of martyrdom—”

Even before he could finish speaking, Calaxus’ voice came from behind Geddon. “Verrol?”

Calaxus was helping a few Church Knights dispel some of the Chaotic taints they had suffered in the battle earlier. He had just made his way to the rest when he saw the negotiating clerics.

“Calaxus?” The elder was surprised as well. “Why are you here? Goddess above… I thought you perished in Ansu!”

“Goddess above!” Calaxus was elated upon seeing familiar faces. “The same goes to you! How did you lot end up here? Noah? Benjamin? Hopkins? You’re all here?!”

A series of names escaped Calaxus’ mouth as he looked on, dazed at the clerics and knights behind Verrol. He seemed confused. “Does this mean that… that the city on the plains is Fidelinopolis?!”

“Is there a second one?” Verrol retorted.

Hao Ren realized that the two were about to go into the deep end of nostalgia and quickly interjected, “We can leave all that for later. Do you know where did that… army of monsters come from? I saw you fighting alongside them.”

While he was curious about how Fidelinopolis got teleported there, he was even more curious about the question he just asked.

Verrol gave Hao Ren a suspicious look before he realized that the plain-looking man was probably the leader of the group.

As he spoke, even Geddon and the other mighty warriors only nodded and listened on.

After he collected himself, the high clergy sighed. “They are not monsters. They are the last of the combat group that remained in the Forgotten Abyss.”