Boom!
An explosion occurred.
Over thirty banelings completely detonated in a thunderous roar.
More of the creatures fell like rain into the cavalry formation.
Countless explosions rang out, each one releasing a staggering amount of venom that blanketed everything within a hundred-meter radius.
The instantaneous destructive power and shockwave felt as if they could tear every cavalryman to pieces in a heartbeat.
A terrifying toxic mist enveloped the area.
Once the thick mist gradually cleared after this wave of bombardment, most of the soldiers were dead.
The horses were either corroded or lay dead on the ground in a gruesome display.
Even the legion commander himself had been forced to leap from his horse.
“These insects...”
The legion commander assessed the damage he had taken.
A large portion of the vitality within his body had been depleted.
Although this wasn't a massive drain for a Tier 8 powerhouse, looking back, he saw that far too many of his men had fallen.
More critically, hundreds more were flying toward his position.
“I can't let these monsters keep exploding.”
Gripping his hilt with both hands, he channeled a power far greater than before.
As the banelings drew near, he let out a roar, and a terrifying force instantly slashed outward.
“Holy crap,”
Xia Jin blurted out a curse.
He had slashed across a distance of over a hundred meters.
For a Tier 7 powerhouse, reaching even a few meters through the air would be the limit.
It seemed the gap between ranks grew exponentially at higher levels.
In this single wave, nearly fifty banelings were annihilated.
Of course, due to their defensive measures, their explosions weren't powerful enough to trigger a chain reaction among the other banelings.
The remaining banelings continued to rain down with undiminished momentum.
Many cavalrymen hurriedly swung their swords in defense, but such efforts were futile against the wide-range Tier 5 toxic explosions.
Not everyone could match the legion commander's ability to take on a thousand alone.
After another series of roars, a massive number of men collapsed.
Only a few Tier 7s and the Tier 8 commander remained standing against such an onslaught.
Creak, creak.
A few hundred meters away, a new batch of banelings climbed onto the catapults.
The mage unit was just about to target the banelings when they were hit by a wave of spine bombardment from a group of sharp-eyed hydralisks.
The Tier 6 spines left them with no choice but to focus entirely on maintaining their defensive shields.
Now, the legion commander was left to take the beating passively.
Boom!
The third wave of explosions hit.
The total number of banelings deployed had reached a staggering six hundred and eighty.
The final wave of over two hundred was even more concentrated.
While the catapults had limited accuracy, the swarm could adjust their aim based on the results of the previous volleys.
It was even easier now that the human warriors had been knocked from their horses.
Boom, boom, boom, boom—
The Tier 7 powerhouses were completely drained, leaving only a single, scarred warrior standing.
As for the Tier 8 legion commander, he had already exhausted too much of his strength trying to protect his comrades.
At this moment, he finally realized how formidable the Swarm truly was.
Their strength and tactics were far beyond anything he had imagined.
The kingdom had been right not to underestimate these creatures.
The fall of the Northern Lords had not been a fluke.
“Legion commander... cough... I can’t hold on any longer.”
The last Tier 7 warrior stumbled to his side, leaning heavily on his shattered weapon for support.
The ground beneath them had been blasted into a massive crater.
“It seems we are destined to die here today.”
Mir spat out a mouthful of blood with a sense of regret.
As the commander of the kingdom's main legion, dying like this felt incredibly stifling.
Yet, the enemy had deployed at least fifty thousand main units and countless locusts just to take him down.
Losing such a battle was only to be expected.
...
Xia Jin watched the man, her brow furrowing slightly.
“Maybe I could transform this guy into a member of the Swarm?”
It was a dangerous thought.
After all, he was a Tier 8 powerhouse; even in a weakened state, he remained incredibly dangerous.
It would be disastrous if he managed to sabotage the hive.
“I’ll have an infestor give him a jab... but first, I’ll test him myself.”
With the Zerg’s rate of development, she would eventually outgrow the need for Tier 8 powerhouses.
Her goal was simple: turn him into an ally and send him back to the Kingdom Army with a unit to sow chaos from within.
“Let’s give it a try.”
The battle was still raging across the field. More zerglings and roaches had been diverted to the enemy's breakout point, forming an even larger encirclement. Escape was now impossible.
The annihilation plan was proceeding in earnest.
There was no one left around the legion commander, and the insects had cleared the area as well.
The anticipated fourth wave of bombardment never arrived.
Instead, a beautiful silver-haired girl approached him.
The Swarm parted to let her through.
The surrounding insects ceased their combat as Xia Jin’s projection slowly drew near. After a moment of thought, she asked with a smile, “Are you Mir?”
She didn't actually know him; she only knew his name.
Since he was leading the 12th Legion, identifying him by his flag was easy enough.
“You are...”
Mir was stunned.
A rumor he had previously dismissed suddenly flashed through his mind.
Rumors claimed that these monsters were brought by the exiled Princess.
He had found the idea too absurd and alarmist to believe.
“Commander, come to my side. The kingdom has long since rotted. How about we rebuild order under my leadership?”
Xia Jin extended her hand in an inviting gesture.
They stood dozens of meters apart.
He had to admit the irony of meeting the Princess just as death was closing in.
Mir’s heart was in turmoil as he realized this was, in fact, a civil war.
The woman before him was undoubtedly the Princess; no one else possessed such ethereal beauty and grace.
Rate on N.U.
