Kuongi and the Super Titan gathered Mana.
It was a massive amount, enough to destroy a small dimension. Source Energy was mixed in, enhancing its destructive power.
“Protect her,” the Central Command Warrior warned Iselin.
Iselin, also surprised by the amount of Mana gathering in Kuongi, constructed a Shield. It was even sturdier than the one used to block the Goblin Missiles, and the Elves’ shields supported it from behind.
The Apocalids dug into the ground. Thanks to the Digging Evolution Code, they were able to descend 10 meters below the surface in an instant.
The Orcs, determined to fight, followed them into the tunnels. They crawled through the low tunnels dug by the Walkers and sprinted through those created by the Giants.
Countless Orcs descended underground, but their ends were always the same. They were sliced by Scythe Claws, melted by Acid Fluid, or eaten in one bite. In the darkness where they could see as clearly as if it were day, the Orcs were no match for the Apocalids.
“Fire.”
Kuongi and the Super Titan opened their mouths, and eleven streams of Breath descended majestically. The thick beams of light, originating from the Dimensional Sea, tore through the atmosphere and struck the Giant Kuragal.
*Kwah-boom!*
A mushroom cloud rose into the air. A massive Crater formed, and sparks flew through the dust from the residual Mana. Hot winds and rocks battered the Shield Iselin had deployed. Behind it, the Elves watched the magnificent scene of destruction, completely dazed. It was a sight too grand to believe it had been created by a single Human.
“Is he dead?”
Choi Kangjoong checked the impact site with infrared vision and Mana. It was difficult to see clearly because of the intense heat and swirling Mana, but it didn’t seem as though the 500-meter-tall giant body was still there.
‘That’s a bit of a shame.’
Choi Kangjoong had intended to let Kuralgal escape again this time. He would surely bring even more Orcs next time. However, leaving the Giant Kuragal alone to kill the Apocalids was too costly in terms of nutrients.
“If he’s dead, there’s nothing I can do. Focus on killing the bosses.”
*Krreuk.*
Lutal flew off using his Boosters and began decapitating the boss-level enemies. Choi Kangjoong bombarded the Orcs with his Mana Cannons. Because they were clustered together, dozens were knocked down with every shot.
Inside the Crater created by the Breaths, the Mana concentration was decreasing, but the frequency of lightning strikes was increasing. The lightning entered a deep hole in the center of the Crater, striking Kuralgal who lay below.
*Flash.*
Kuralgal opened his eyes. His entire body was charred black, leaving only his two red eyes visible.
“Kuaaaaah!”
Kuralgal pushed aside the earth covering him. The pile of dirt surged upward as his body rose. The lightning concentrated on him, and once again, the will and Mana of seventy million Orcs converged.
“I am invincible! Kahahaha!”
The Giant Kuragal was formed once more. He leaped up and stomped his feet. An Apocalid that was just emerging from a tunnel was crushed and killed. As the Giant Kuragal swung a fist, the Chitin Gauntlet of a Cannon Giant shattered into pieces.
Choi Kangjoong sent in the Battle Titans. Apocalids ranging from 150 to 200 meters in size clung to the Giant Kuragal, biting his legs and stabbing him with Scythe Claws. The Giant Kuragal, being a semi-spiritual entity, took little damage; instead, he kicked the Battle Titans over or grabbed them by their tails, swung them around, and threw them.
The Battle Titans flew far away, crushing countless Orcs as they tumbled.
‘This is getting dangerous.’
There seemed to be no immediate way to deal with the Giant Kuragal using the Apocalids. Since he was a collective manifestation of the Orcs’ will, he would likely disappear on his own if their numbers decreased, but it looked like the Apocalids might be wiped out before that happened. Kuongi was also bombarding the Orcs, but the difference in numbers was simply too vast.
‘Should I call Kuongi over to eat him?’
With Kuongi’s mouth, he could swallow even the Giant Kuragal in one bite. It seemed like he could crush him with his massive teeth, swallow him, and melt him in the Soil Pit. However, the Giant Kuragal didn’t look like he would be eaten quietly.
‘Let’s try attacking the main body.’
Kuralgal was located right in the center of the Giant Kuragal’s chest. Although he was blurred, Choi could see him moving actively inside.
‘Let’s deal with that first.’
Choi Kangjoong flew toward the back of the Giant Kuragal, who was busy stomping around. Thinking about entering that broad back made him feel like a tiny surgical robot.
*Sshrk.*
He used the Death Blade to cut into the spot where the spine would be if it were a Human and entered. As the wound closed, immense pressure weighed down on Choi Kangjoong. He tried to move using Stealth Blink, but it didn’t work at all.
Choi Kangjoong moved his feet and pushed forward. The Giant Kuragal’s entire body was composed of a substance somewhere between a solid and a liquid, making it feel like swimming in the high pressure of the deep sea. Before long, Kuralgal discovered him as well.
“What are you?”
Kuralgal approached. His movements were much more comfortable and faster than Choi Kangjoong’s.
“You’re like that four-clawed fellow! Perfect! Let’s have a grand fight right here!”
Kuralgal lunged with a fist. Choi Kangjoong blocked it with his palm but was flung backward. Kuralgal closed the distance like an arrow and struck him again.
*Jjeong!*
Choi Kangjoong, blocking with both arms, was sent flying up toward the Giant Kuragal’s shoulder. Though he was being pushed back, it wasn’t a total loss. The Giant Kuragal mimicked Kuralgal’s actions perfectly, and the Apocalids were no longer being killed by the giant form.
*Splash!*
Lutal entered the Giant Kuragal just as Choi Kangjoong had. Kuralgal, seemingly delighted, began swinging his fists with even more excitement. Because the battlefield was perfectly suited to Kuralgal, the fight remained even despite it being two against one.
It would be ideal to maintain this situation while inducing the total destruction of the Orcs, but Lutal was consuming more Source Energy than he was generating. On the other hand, Kuralgal, who was receiving the Mana of tens of millions of Orcs, was still full of vigor.
‘I need to finish this quickly.’
Choi Kangjoong tried everything he could. He fired the Flame Emitter and even used his Breath. They were effective, but Kuralgal remained unharmed. Even if parts of him were destroyed, he simply regenerated. He even turned off the Apocalid World because it was consuming more Mana than it was digesting from the Giant Kuragal.
‘Is there no way to digest him all at once?’
Just as the immortal Demon became nutrients once it entered the Soil Pit, it seemed possible to digest the Giant Kuragal, the focus of the Orcs’ will. Choi Kangjoong remembered the interior of the Devil of Devouring. It was a digestive organ similar to, yet different from, an Apocalid’s Soil Pit—one where space expanded and even souls were digested.
‘Since the Apocalid World also has digestive capabilities, I should be able to change it slightly.’
Choi Kangjoong entrusted the control of his body to Lutal. With the assistance of other Apocalid brains, Lutal handled Choi Kangjoong’s body as if it were his own.
‘Deploying Apocalid World.’
The parts of the Giant Kuragal near Choi Kangjoong’s body began to digest slowly. As he used Source Energy to mimic the Demonic Energy of Predation, the digestion speed increased.
‘Faster, more!’
The body of the Giant Kuragal around Choi Kangjoong began to bubble and boil. Nutrients and Evolution Points increased rapidly. The Orcs who were sending Mana to the Giant Kuragal collapsed one by one. They didn’t even know why they were falling.
Choi Kangjoong took over the space where Kuralgal had been and digested the Giant Kuragal. The giant’s size shrank rapidly. The amount Choi Kangjoong was absorbing far exceeded the will and Mana the Orcs were sending.
**[You have gained a partial understanding of the Demonic Energy of Predation]**
**[Your Devouring ability has evolved]**
**[Inorganic matter digestion rate has increased]**
**[Soul digestion rate has increased]**
**[Nutrients generated through digestion have increased]**
**[Decoding rate of the Devil of Devouring’s Evolution Code has increased]**
**[Devil of Devouring Evolution Code Decoding Progress: 30%]**
The decoding rate of the Devil of Devouring’s Evolution Code rose from 22% to 30%. Choi Kangjoong smiled with satisfaction.
“No!”
Kuralgal realized something was wrong and tried to stop Choi Kangjoong. However, Lutal blocked his path, even at the cost of taking injuries, preventing him from getting close.
“Kuaaaaaakh!”
Kuralgal screamed in pain but maintained the Giant Kuragal form.
“United we stand… divided we fall…!”
It might have been better to deactivate the Giant Kuragal and fight purely with strength, but Kuralgal did not give up. To Kuralgal, getting rid of the giant form—the crystallization of their unity—was the same as admitting defeat.
“Die!”
Kuralgal hammered at Lutal. Lutal did not dodge, instead countering with the Death Blade.
*Jjeong! Jjeong! Jjeong!*
*Sshrk! Sshrk! Sshrk!*
The Chitin Gauntlet shattered, and Kuralgal’s muscles were slashed. Meanwhile, the number of collapsing Orcs continued to rise, reaching ten million.
The battle in the Dimensional Sea was nearly over. Thanks to Dielka’s aggressive close-range bombardment, the Orc Dimensional Ships were cleared away much faster. The now-free Kuongi and Super Titan lined up above the Orcs’ heads.
The number of Mana Cannons on just one of Kuongi’s flanks alone was over 6,000. Combined with the Super Titan’s Mana Cannons, the number was even greater.
“Ku-ong.”
Starting with Kuongi, the Super Titan followed suit and fired the Mana Cannons. A literal rain of shells fell upon the Orcs. Moreover, their speed and power were enhanced by the dimensional gravity.
*Kwah-boom! Kwah-boom! Kwah-boom! Kwah-boom!*
The earth shook with every shot, and holes the size of swimming pools were blown into the ground. Iselin admired the vast attack from atop the head of a Central Cannon Giant. Excluding the Battle Titans and Central Command Giants, it was the tallest land-based Apocalid, allowing her to see the entire battlefield at a glance. The three-barreled Mana Cannon on its back was loud, but she used the Spirit of Wind to reduce the atmospheric vibrations, preventing her ears from hurting.
“Beautiful.”
Iselin loved sweeping away both Demons and Monsters with area-of-effect attacks.
“Arthil, I need a camera and some tea. As soon as possible.”
“I will prepare them immediately.”
Arthil, standing beside Iselin, contacted the Divine Arrow. Iselin’s ladies-in-waiting flew over, and soon a camera and a teacup were in Iselin’s hands. A photographer also descended to capture the red-stained atmosphere, the disappearing Giant Kuralgal, and the Orcs flying through the air from the explosions.
“I hope to see sights like this often in the future.”
“It will happen frequently in the Demon Realm, so it will be as you wish, Princess.”
“But I can’t always be there.”
“Should I increase the number of War Correspondents?”
“That would be best.”
Iselin sipped her tea with a smile.
“By the way, Princess, what do you think about setting a date for the coronation?”
“The coronation…”
“No one will oppose your wearing the crown now.”
“We’ll talk about that when we return. For now, I want to watch in silence.”
“I apologize.”
Iselin focused on the Giant Kuragal. The Orc-shaped Mana collective that had been 500 meters tall was now only 100 meters. Inside, Lutal and Kuralgal were still fighting.
“He’ll be coming to me again.”
Iselin sighed, and Arthil quietly poured more Elf Tea.
—
“Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!”
Kuralgal, who had been grabbing Lutal and striking him repeatedly, suddenly plummeted. It was because the number of Orcs had decreased so much that maintaining the Giant Kuragal became impossible. Lutal sliced off Kuralgal’s hand, which had been gripping his right middle leg.
*Thump!*
Falling to the ground alone, Kuralgal quickly assessed the situation. Less than half of the Orcs remained, and the number of enemies was still increasing.
“Retreat! Retreat!”
As Kuralgal tried to flee, the Orcs’ morale plummeted. It was the nature of Orcs to run away as soon as things became disadvantageous, even after fighting excitedly.
“The boss said to retreat!”
“Let’s run!”
“The boss is escaping!”
“Run for it!”
The Orcs trampled each other as they ran in the opposite direction of the Apocalids. They tried to escape to another dimension, but the ground collapsed, and Apocalids poured out from beneath.