The Demon Monarch System

Chapter 535: The Tedium of Fighting Terrors

The Tedium of Fighting Terrors

Nadida's expression grew solemn as she sensed the incoming enemies. After all, the sudden appearance of six Terrors of this caliber was enough to cause a headache for any battalion assigned to a battlefield. Let alone six, just one Rank 4 Terror appearing was enough to change the tide of a battle.

Because, unlike the rest, a Rank 4 Terror possessed an extremely perverse ability. As it was the stage right before the Disastrous State, these Terrors were, for the most part, sentient, allowing them to manipulate ambient Death Essence in a variety of ways that weren't present to the lower ranks.

Furthermore, a Rank 4 Terror was on par with a Zul Lord in peak physical condition in terms of raw power. Aside from Nadida, only three other individuals were present who could match this power requirement. Luckily, they weren't as outnumbered as they appeared to be.

Without a second's hesitations, Nadida created ample distance between her and the small collection of Rank 3 Terrors in preparation for handling the incoming Rank 4's. During that time, Nadida arrived by Odessa's side.

"You'll need to call for them as soon as possible. Six of them are slightly beyond our capabilities. If left to our own devices, the number of casualties suffered will be absurd," Nadida muttered with a darkening expression.

As much as she hated to admit it, the situation wasn't favorable. Even if she could counter the Rank 4 Terrors, there was still the threat of the Rank 3 Terror interfering that she couldn't overlook. The outcome could be severe if she were to split her attention while battling an opponent of this caliber.

"I agree. This is why I named you as the Vice Commander. I've already requested reinforcements. Apparently, the magnitude of the wave varies in different areas of the Catastrophe Line. Fortunately for us, our nearby allies aren't facing such a severe wave. Just keep them at bay for ten minutes tops," Odessa answered.

However, Nadida's frown deepened as she scanned the battlefield. 'Ten minutes? While it may seem like a small task to ask for, that's an eternity while in combat. Who knows how the situation could deteriorate.'

Regrettably, Nadida didn't possess the luxury of complaining. All she could do was sigh and nod reluctantly as she extended her arms. The initially floating swords landed in her palms, only to be coated in the same rampaging energy that formed her claws.

Since her opponent would be a genuine Rank 4 Terror, Nadida couldn't withhold any techniques, especially if she wanted to manage the casualty level.

Meanwhile, an order was passed down to the strongest on the battlefield. They were to uphold the morale instructing their Spirits to act individually. Since they were strong enough to neutralize a Rank 4 Terror, they were essential in bridging the gap in firepower.

Thus, the frigid beauty and brutish barbarian shifted their attention towards the overgrown Terrors charging towards them. Unlike the humans, who continually exhausted Essence to maintain their Aegis, these two were formed from Spiritual Bodies.

So, the miasma of the Terrors couldn't penetrate their bodies. At least, not at this density. Both of the Spirits rushed into the areas submerged in miasma without the slightest apprehension.

At the same time, Nadida took a step forward while glancing towards Odessa. "Those 10 minutes start now; let's see how alarming the situation becomes."

A second later, Nadida rushed forward with a shocking sonic boom as she clutched her sword with an iron grip. Her gaze became frightening as she zipped towards the closest incoming Rank 4 Terror. A bloody trail of mutilated Terrors appeared in her path as her momentum remained constant.

Although the screams of pain and exertion filled the battlefield, she paid it no mind. Death was inevitable in times of war, so all she could do was steel herself while committing her fallen comrades' faces to memory should they perish.

Rooaaarrrrgghhh!

Suddenly, a devastating roar echoed throughout the battlefield. Violent undulations appeared following the outcry as a surge of Death Essence grew into a tide and smashed towards the Catastrophe Line's barriers.

Of course, no one revealed fear towards this attack. For one, it was aimed at the formation structure that served as the line's foundation. However, this formation was the handiwork of the first generation of Paragon merging their abilities. A mere Rank 4 Terror wasn't enough to threaten the stability of its framework.

Nevertheless, as it was an attack launched by a Rank 4 Terror, the Death Essence instilled in the blow was deadly, especially towards the weaker member. Anyone under the Zul General level that was touched by this tide had their Essence Aegis stripped away forcibly.

Unless their energy control was strong enough to create a new one immediately, some of the weaker soldiers suffered unavoidable wounds as the Death Essence seeped into their bodies.

Fortunately, Death Essence attacked in stages. The first stage resembled being burned by a concentrated acid, causing large patches of skin to fall off, exposing rapidly deteriorating muscle underneath. However, the affected could easily survive as long as they could expunge the Death Essence before it caused extensive damage by burrowing into the energy centers.

Upon sensing this predicament, Nadida understood that the Rank 4 Terrors couldn't be allowed to launch large-scale attacks. Therefore, she snapped her fingers, and everyone rushed towards their enemy at blinding speeds.

For example, Nadida kicked her enemy into a large boulder the moment she appeared before them. And, it just so happened that she chose the one responsible for this Death Essence tide as her enemy.

But, unlike the other Terrors, this one emerged from the boulder's rubble relatively unaffected by her kick. Its crimson eyes narrowed as it scanned Nadida cautiously before revealing an eerie grin.

"No… partner," the Terror said in a guttural voice. The partner in mention was undoubtedly the Spirits that roamed the battlefield. Since the Terror failed to sense one of the Spirits linked to Nadida, it felt this should turn out to be an effortless ordeal.

Sadly, the Terror didn't know that the woman before it shouldn't be underestimated in the slightest.

"Tch."

Nadida's eyes filled with disgust as she looked at the Terror's grotesque smile. The decrepit teeth seemed jagged enough to bite boulder. Not to mention, after reaching this level, the Terror's skin gained a viscous layer of toxin that sat above their skin. So, the scene wasn't very appealing.

Nadida didn't spare any extra word as her body flickered, appearing before the Terror with a rapid horizontal spinning slash aimed at its torso. If any of the weaker members watched her movements, they'd fail to grasp it as she channeled a generous amount of Essence into augmenting her natural speed.

Shhnkkkk!!!

However, rather than achieving a clean hit, Nadida's attack was parried, as the Terror moved its claw and guided the slash to the ground. But, as the subtle hue of the metallic sparks appeared in her eyes, Nadida snapped her fingers.

Immediately, Nadida's actions caused a combustion by flooding the sparks with Essence. A cloud of smoke appeared, followed by both sides exiting quickly. While Nadida was uninjured by the attack, there were scorch marks on the Terror's upper torso.

"Snea…ky," the Terror said with a gurgle. However, its eye shifted to the ground as it dipped its toes in what seemed to be a murky puddle. Within seconds after doing so, the scorch marks vanished.

Compared to its weaker counterparts, it healed much quicker after absorbing Death Essence.

'Ten minutes of this?' Nadida thought to herself ruefully. Unless she could one-shot a Rank 4 Terror, then it would heal as soon as the chance presented itself. Then again, even if she could muster such an attack, she couldn't ignore the fact that the Terror could unleash something frightening as well.

Starting at this rank, the Terror gradually morphed into the true embodiment of death.

After it healed, the Terror took hold of the battle's momentum and unleashed an onslaught of heavy strikes that Nadida was forced to either dodge or parry. The longer they fought, the more baffling the scene became.

Massive death lances impaled the ground near Nadida as her previously neat hair became disheveled by the flames of battle. However, her opponent's body was littered with large gashes.

Suddenly, Nadida's body twitched as she flickered once again and sliced the Terror's left arm off completely kicked it aside. She had already witnessed the regenerative ability of her opponent. If she allowed it too, the arm would be reattached.

On the other hand, Nadida realized her Essence Reserves, despite being massive, showed signs of reaching critical levels.

'How much longer?!' Nadida wondered while temporarily extending her perception through the battlefield.