Chapter 1591: Ending The War
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Thousands of phantasmal hands erupted from the ground, piercing the souls of the Hive Warriors and shattering them into fragments, instantly killing them one by one.
"Gyaaack?!"
"Gruuck?!"
"Graak!"
The creatures emitted brief screams of agony before collapsing, their bodies growing cold moments later, leaving the rescued Zodiacrons utterly speechless.
By employing her [Divine Spectral Asura’s Endless Limbs] Skill at Level 10, Maria effortlessly extended her soul across hundreds of meters, splitting it into countless limbs that directly struck her foes’ souls.
The Hive were formidable beings, comparable to S Rank and above. However, they lacked any defense against Soul Attacks. Having evolved to endure the harsh environment of outer space and capable of digesting stone and metal, they were defenseless against soul-targeting magic.
They were destined to face extinction when confronted by an opponent like Maria.
And her family.
"RAAAAHHHH!"
Nyx roared, her phantasmal breath blasting dozens of flying insectoids. Their souls and bodies burned as the monsters plummeted from the sky, charred to a crisp and lifeless.
More swarms surged forward, but Nyx’s magic manifested. Hundreds of Phantom Dragons charged in all directions, piercing the Hive Insects’ bodies and incinerating their souls.
Some even possessed the creatures, compelling them to turn on one another.
"Nyx, you’re not alone here!"
Her father, Lucifer, was nearby, soaring into the skies as he tore through Warrior-type Hive Insectoids with his massive claws. Initially, they resisted, with a dozen clustering before his arms to push back and another dozen biting his scales, attempting to pierce his flesh with acid-coated stingers.
"HMPH!"
Unfazed, Lucifer summoned his Dream Weapon, a massive scythe forged of white void flames. With horizontal and vertical swings, he sliced, burned, and vaporized the formidable monsters with ease.
"Are my eyes deceiving me right now?!"
"They’re handling them all at once!"
"Just what... what are these people?!"
"They’re unlike anything we’ve ever seen!"
The Zodiacrons stood in awe as the Hive Insect army dwindled rapidly, unable to breach the walls.
After all, their General, the Hive Titan, was struggling against Maria.
"What’s wrong? I’m not even using my full power, and you’re already faltering?"
Maria wielded the same Skill as before, [Divine Spectral Asura’s Endless Limbs: Lv10], combining it with other mastered skills: [Divine Moonlight Titan Soul: Lv10], [True Titan Strength: Lv10], and [Selene Palm of Judgement: Lv10], all at Level 10.
This synergy enabled Maria to manifest her Soul Aura with the enhanced power of her Moonlight Titan Form, which had grown even more potent through her evolutions.
She transformed into a titan of radiant purple, pink, and silver moonlight, with long hair resembling a star-strewn night sky and eyes glowing like twin white stars. As Selene, she summoned her Dream Weapon, a massive halberd, and swung it downward.
"{Umbral Moonlight Titaness Rampage}!"
A barrage of powerful, deadly blows struck the Hive Titan. Its giant claws, fangs, and legs could not resist as the cleaving strikes began dismantling its body piece by piece!
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
A terrifying spectacle unfolded across the battlefield. The Zodiacrons, who had always dismissed the "little people" as mere nuisances, now witnessed the true capabilities of these beings.
They could grow larger than their God King, Drakogon.
And it seemed stronger?
"GRYAAAAAHH!"
The Hive Titan writhed in agony, its massive legs collapsing to the ground, deadly acid splattering everywhere. It repeatedly tried to spew acid at Maria, but it had no effect. Her Poisonous Body absorbed and synthesized the toxin.
"Hmm, not bad acid for a creature lacking magical power," Maria remarked. "How about I enhance it for you?"
Maria laughed as she conjured a dozen spheres of green and purple liquid, fusing them to further refine the Hive Insectoids’ deadly acid.
"Here, taste your own medicine! Ohohohoho!"
Laughing like a villainous noblewoman, Maria unleashed a deluge of enhanced acid upon the Hive Titan. The alien’s body began to disintegrate and melt as it screamed in torment, releasing electromagnetic and thunderous attacks that proved futile. Her Thunder Body absorbed them effortlessly.
"Gryyyaaaeerrrgghh..."
In disbelief, the Zodiacrons watched the Hive Titan fall before their Elites could intervene, most standing with mouths agape.
"She did it..."
"The Hive Army..."
"For the first time in years, they..."
"They were defeated?!"
The Zodiacrons gasped as Quick Hare and Vyperion smiled, surrounded by dozens of Hive Insectoid corpses they had slain. Quick Hare, now at Level 70 from the substantial EXP gained, benefited immensely from being Maria’s Party Member, which significantly boosted her EXP gains.
"WE DID IT! WE WON! EVERYONE! WE WON!!!"
Quick Hare broke the silence, leaping with joy as the Zodiacrons smiled, raising their arms and firing missiles into the sky. The resulting explosions signaled to those at the walls that the battle was over and victory was theirs.
"Heh," Maria observed the celebrating Zodiacrons, exhaling in relief. "In the end, only two Corrupted Zodiacrons appeared? It feels odd. Why send just two? It’s almost as if they were sent specifically to... kill us? Quick Hare and us in particular, I suppose. Crimcrow targeted Vyperion as well."
She gazed into the distance, using her evolved Eyes, now capable of perceiving all things in the world she inhabited.
FLUOSH!
In an instant, she mapped the entire world of Zodiacron. It was a spherical planet, approximately 30% larger than Earth but smaller than Yggdrasil, with a dense atmosphere and massive mechanical tectonic plates that rotated slowly, generating electromagnetic energy and heat.
The planet’s interior housed a blazing core—a miniature star—and intricate mechanical components assembled together. In a moment, Maria realized this world might be more alive than she had initially thought, explaining its ability to continuously generate resources and birth Zodiacrons.
"So it’s a living planet of sorts, how fascinating... This explains why the Hive covets this world so fiercely," Maria nodded. "And there they are... three spaceships remain in this world. The largest, a mothership, lies in the northeast, on an island surrounded by the ocean. Two others are positioned to the west and east, farther than I expected. Should I go alone or..."
"Congratulations, everyone!"
"Lord Drakogon is immensely proud of your remarkable feat today!"
"Hm?"
Maria glanced skyward, noticing two massive Zodiacrons who had been observing the entire time. They were Drakogon’s trusted lieutenants, the Tiger Zodiacron, Stryphex, and the Ox Zodiacron, Gravox.
"What were these two fools doing all this time?"
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