Psionic Energy

【Elise urged Celia to teach her magical knowledge as soon as possible, believing that she was now capable of understanding magic】

Astaroth was openly courting other deities. Everyone who wanted to seize the opportunity to profit, including the elven forces in the south, was itching to move. However, the Empire's decline stopped here.

Under the decisive resolve of the Main Nest Queen, Elise, the ant colony launched a full-scale counteroffensive.

But Elise's confidence in victory did not stem solely from having greater numbers.

Her abilities of Predation and absorption were already powerful enough.

What Elise craved now was something new—knowledge.

“As I said last time, the essence of magic, in the final analysis, is simply how to utilize and regulate magic power. That is all. Everything else is merely a derivative of that.”

Celia looked troubled as she had to explain to Elise why the Great Devourers could not learn magic.

The most fundamental issue was that the core of magic—magic power—and the strength currently possessed by the ant colony were two completely different things.

All existing magic was a technology tailored specifically for energy systems like magic power and holy power, which were similar yet distinct from one another.

Therefore, to master magic, one had to completely replicate the source of magic power itself.

“This... to be honest, I don't know how to explain it either.”

Celia had once marveled at the force that flowed into her body after assimilating with the colony.

To construct the magic heart, she had studied and conceptualized the colony's power, gaining a deeper and deeper understanding of it.

This was an unprecedented, entirely new energy that existed only within the bodies of the Great Devourers.

While it possessed the characteristics of all the energies devoured by the Great Devourer, it was not completely identical to any of them.

As the colony continued to grow and accumulate more and more energy, this force evolved constantly, gradually turning into a brand-new energy utterly distinct from any existing power.

“Psionic energy. I have decided to call it psionic energy.”

Celia borrowed a term she knew from ancient mythology to name this new energy.

At this moment, a brand-new force that had never existed before was added to the various energy systems that the gods took for granted.

Lin Miao, who had been quietly listening to Celia, also saw where the problem lay.

Merely understanding the structure and principles did not mean one could replicate all the technology.

Just as a person without arms could not practice two-handed swordsmanship, specific conditions were required.

And the ability of gods and prophets was to ease or compensate for these conditions, acting as bridges connecting different worlds.

But right now, there was no one who could play this role for the Great Devourer.

Neither Lin Miao, who had been guiding the Great Devourer's evolution by providing various organisms, nor Celia, who was well-versed in magic, could achieve this.

【Elise thought: Then I will create it myself】

Naturally, Elise would never give up just like that.

Once she set her mind on something, she had to do it; once she wanted something, she had to obtain it. This greed and obsession were the most fundamental traits of her self-awareness after its awakening.

【Elise believed that although she could not replicate the enemy's technology, she could mimic it】

Elise wiggled her antennae, rapidly sifting through the massive amount of knowledge stored in the colony.

She accepted the fact that she could not directly analyze and absorb knowledge the way she did with the genetic information of devoured organisms.

However, Elise had previous experience mimicking other organisms without devouring their genes.

Of course, the experimental subject she had created back then to mimic humans was nothing more than a pile of organic matter that lacked even basic biological functions.

But based on that experience, she abandoned complete replication. Instead, she embarked on a path of adding her own reinterpretation and creation to existing foundations.

And this was precisely how she had constructed her new body in imitation of humans.

Elise began her reinterpretation based on the magical knowledge Celia had imparted.

Just as Celia had absorbed all the knowledge of the Silver Twilight Secret Society within a few days with the help of the hive mind, Elise also mastered that massive system of knowledge in an instant.

How to mobilize magic power, how to design magic, and the countless ways to turn it into reality.

This profound knowledge, which had been impossible to comprehend no matter how it was explained in the past, now became clear and easy to understand before Elise's highly developed brain.

“Could that be...”

Lin Miao was stunned as he watched Elise on the screen.

Based on the countless spells and pieces of knowledge she had analyzed and reconstructed, and with psionic energy as the foundation, the colony's first technology was born.

It was a deep purple protective barrier that expanded around her magic heart.

Within the deep purple barrier that covered her entire body, Elise's red eyes shone brightly.

...

High up on the towering high wall, a fierce battle was underway.

This high wall, which had cost immense manpower and resources and was equipped with various defensive installations with Astaroth's help, was the Imperial army's last hope.

“They're climbing up! Quick, load the spell shells!”

Below the high wall, the Great Devourers were swarming, charging toward them.

Particularly those Great Devourers that had successfully scaled the wall, they were already slaughtering the defenders with their sharp mandibles and claws.

“Fire!”

At the commander's order, the knights lowered their massive shields engraved with spells, and simultaneously raised their loaded wands, aiming them below the wall.

The flame spears shot from the wands were weapons that allowed even knights who could not use magic to unleash powerful firepower.

They could easily pierce the thick exoskeletons of the Great Devourers, which even ordinary arrows and spears could not penetrate.

“Don't stop! Raise shields!”

In the intervals while the wands recharged, the knights cleared away the swept-aside ant corpses and raised their shields to hold their ground.

“While the knights are holding them off, keep shooting! Don't stop!”

The ordinary soldiers were not idle either.

They assisted the knights by holding shields along the defensive line, transporting weapons, and providing fire support.

This was the magic wave cannon, which could be fired without the need for a mage or a knight.

This weapon required a five-man crew to operate, but it was a transitional armament that Astaroth had been determined to introduce before achieving magic awakening for all of his vassals.

“How is the battle going?”

“As expected, we are evenly matched.”

Not far from the first line of defense where the battle raged, on the watchtower of the newly completed second line of defense...

...the Commander-in-Chief, Duke Arthas, was solemnly observing the overall state of the battle through a screen displayed by a mage.

“Our firepower and technology are clearly sufficient.”

The Deputy Commander, Count Reinhardt, pointed at the screen and said.

The magic wave cannons fired by the soldiers blasted the massive soldier ants and predatory ants to pieces.

Even in the face of the gladiator ants' sharp blades and the bombardier ants' toxic gas attacks, the defensive line formed by the knights equipped with gas masks remained indestructible.

What was more, there were the latest combat golems that jumped down from the wall, capable of slaying dozens of ants single-handedly.

The Lucadia Empire's army guarding the high wall was incredibly powerful. The Empire had concentrated all its strength and talent here, and combined with the experience accumulated from countless battles, they possessed formidable combat capability.

“But we cannot hold out for too long.”

Count Reinhardt asserted with a heavy expression.

Unlike the ant colony, whose numbers had surged after the emergence of the energy-converting worms resolved part of their nutrient issues, the Empire, which was in utter internal chaos, was continuously cutting back on supplies and support for the high wall.

“Is there no word from the Minister of War? What about the Chancellor?”

“Not yet...”

“This high wall and the north are the very future of the Empire. Are they hesitating just because a few country bumpkins died in the south?”

Arthas clicked his tongue and shook his head.

Though his words were harsh, having led his subordinates to defend this place, he had witnessed far too many sacrifices with his own eyes.

“Your Grace, the sun is setting!”

“Though their momentum feels a bit off, based on their habits, their offensive shouldn't continue into the night.”

Although they did not know the exact details of the Great Devourers and the supply issue was concerning, they should at least be able to get through today.

Thinking this, Arthas frowned as he looked at the densely packed Great Devourers under the setting sun.

Recruits coming to the high wall for the first time would be scared out of their wits upon seeing such a sight.

The sight of hordes of hideous mutants, larger than humans, swarming forward was the ultimate trigger for humanity's primal fear.

“A large number of high-tier species have appeared in the sky and on the front lines!”

“They're finally showing themselves?! We must take them down! Sniper teams, prepare!”

Just then, urgent reports came in simultaneously from various sectors.

The Tyrants, who had been further evolved by having magic hearts implanted into their mutant bodies, had taken the stage!