The Demon Monarch System

Chapter 533: Handling the Battlefield

Handling the Battlefield

It wasn't long after Nadida's warning that an expansive sea of green monsters with skin matching the texture of reptilian scales marched towards the Catastrophe Line. Their crimson eyes were filled with madness as they savagely ground their large claws against one another.

Large scars appeared on the ground as their nails crushed the floor beneath their feet. For the most part, this race seemed unintelligent, but a select few released an air of composure. These were the menaces within the mass of Terrors.

While they were far from comparable to the likes of Az'kayzak or even Brukti, the Terror, who most of the forces stationed at the Catastrophe Line kept secret to avoid mass hysteria, the composure could prove troublesome. Aside from the slumbering Az'kayzak, Brukti was the Terror closest to awakening their disastrous abilities.

At the helm of the people, Odessa and Nadida stood side by side with many powerful people standing at their rear. A dense gas formed by many formation masters split apart, revealing the genuinely awful atmosphere of the Catastrophe Line.

A crimson miasma potent enough to erode one's skin without the application of an Essence Aegis filled the air. As a result, a thin film appeared around everyone in varying colors as Nadida removed both swords from her waist.

However, instead of remaining in her grasps, the sword floated beside her as two claws formed by dense essence formed around her hands. Although she used swords, the origin of her current ―The Scarlet Tigress―originated from her signature fusion of knuckle and claws that led to unforeseen bloodshed.

Meanwhile, Odessa remained calm as a gentle aura wreathed her body. At the same time, her eyes released a subtle silver undulation.

'There may be many casualties if I don't make ample preparations before the clash. Therefore, I'll be forced to take a passive stance in this fight by returning to the old ways of the Crux Family―unmatched healing,' Odessa thought to herself.

A moment later, she lifted her finger and pointed at incoming Terror. "Charge!"

The air filled with a vigorous battle cry as many soldiers summoned their Spirits to assist in battle. But, while the other crossed the Catastrophe Line, Nadida remained by Odessa's side while monitoring the situation.

An odd expression appeared on Nadida's face, which happened at the start of every battle. After all, there was a good reason for this reaction. Aside from the skin color and their reptilian skin, the appearance of a Terror wasn't far from that of Apollo's first demonizing.

Thus, Nadida remembered him during the sighting of each Terror. "To think it has been over ten years. And… to think his presence was the reason for the beginning of this calamity."

"You mean Apollo?" Odessa commented while observing Nadida's expression. While she never voiced it, Odessa was confident Apollo was more than just a goal in Nadida's eyes. Her competitive nature aside, there were other feelings present that she felt for him.

"Don't say his name. He's gone, yet we have to face the aftermath of his actions. So, I don't want even to hear the slightest mention of his name," Nadida said in a cold tone as her aura seethed suddenly.

Rather than continuing with this conversation, Odessa switched the topic to something else, "Have you finally decided to form a pact with a Spirit? Although you're a Spiritual Cultivator, you've yet to reveal a contracted Spirit after all these years."

"Hmm?" Nadida said while furrowing her brow. Truth be told, it wasn't that she didn't possess a Spirit. She didn't use her Spirit until now because of a warning issued by that Spirit.

"Don't hmm me. You heard my question. Isn't it time you stop holding back? Aside from Aran, even the Scion's are not your match without the use of their Spirits."

"If only it were that simple. Just a few more days, and we won't need to have this conversation ever again. It'll all change once I become a Soul Lord," Nadida said before suddenly vanishing from where she stood, followed by a burst of winds, leaving a stunned Odessa.

'She's almost a Soul Lord without receiving the tempering of a Spirit? No, wait… that's impossible. If she's advancing that quickly, then she's receiving constant tempering. In other words, Nadida has a secret Spirit? No wonder…' Odessa thought to herself after deducing Nadida's situation.

During that time, Nadida arrived behind her forces with a solemn gaze. 'Countless Rank 1 and 2 Terrors with a small portion being Rank 3. We'll have to make sure that we separate the Rank 3 from the rest.'

Once a Terror evolved into its third rank, it became a genuine threat as only Zul Lords could deal with them effortlessly since they were on par with strong Zul Generals. Unfortunately, most of her battalion consisted of Zul Commanders and Zul Generals with an underwhelming number of Zul Lords.

Therefore, Nadida couldn't risk mass casualties by allowing Rank 3 Terrors to run amok in an area handled by Zul Commanders. Nadida took immediate action, revealing her monstrous essence reserves.

The two floating dual swords formed a spiral utilizing the opposing principles of Ice and Fire Essence to tear through the ranks of Terrors. While her attack didn't claim many lives as it was aimed at the terrain housing her allies, a large fissure formed in the ground as she delivered her next order.

"Earth Essence users of Soul Master and higher, form a barrier, NOW!"

There was zero defiance as the essence users poured their essence in the ground and wielded the crushed rocks to erect an enormous barrier while using the fissure as a guideline for the wall.

"It's not a true countermeasure, but it'll make do for now," Nadida mumbled to herself before recalling the swords as she appeared in front of her first enemy, which happened to be one of the Rank 3 Terrors. As mentioned before, these enemies were the ones who achieved slight sentience, giving them the ability to make decisions aside from the ones Brukti or Az'kayzak delivered.

As a result, Nadida instantly launched a frightening attack, fueled by her lightning affinity. A low crackle sounded as three large gashed appeared on the chest of the Rank 3 Terror.

However, this result didn't excite Nadida. In fact, it alarmed her. After all, not every Rank 3 Terror was the same—the more mature their evolution, the greater their physical power. Hence, judging by the fact her claw didn't rip the Terror to shreds, this Terror's evolution was quite mature.

'It seems they did more than just amass forces; some of these Terrors have grown much stronger. Could it have something to do with the increasing miasma's density?' Nadida wondered.

At the same time, she shifted her body to the side, dodging the Terror's relation. But, she didn't simply evade the attack; she even took the opportunity to launch a counterattack in the same instant.

On the surface, the counterattack seemed like a copy of her initial attack, but her claws had grown more fearsome, giving Nadida the ferocity needed to rip the Terror to shreds with a single swipe.

Sadly, Nadida didn't possess the luxury of taking a breather as she was on the battlefield. The moment her foot touched the ground, it signified the start of her next attack as her dual swords zoomed forward in a criss-cross pattern.

As this was an item given to her by the Crux Family, its worth and power were amongst some of the highest on the battlefield. Not to mention, its conductivity was off the charts, hence, why Nadida manipulated them effortlessly through mental power alone.

A path of mutilated bodies was left in the wake of Nadida's second attack as she shifted her gaze around the battlefield. 'Luckily, I haven't sensed a single Rank 4 Terror yet. One of those appearing at the start could only symbolize a perilous fight.'

On the other hand, she released an ear-piercing whistle, bringing two individuals to her side. If Apollo was present, he'd recognize these two people at a glance. They were much older now, but their general features hadn't changed much.

"Ragnvald, Adeon, keep the Rank 3 Terrors that you can sense busy. We'll let Socorra remain by Commander Odessa's side to assist with any necessary healing."

"Keep the Rank 3 at bay? Too bad it isn't a Rank 4, that'd be much more fun," Ragnvald muttered disappointedly.

On the other hand, Adeon was sparse with his words. "Consider it done."

Both of them revealed power on par with Nadida―one of which produced infinite ice-cold shards and the other a blinding radiance.