Chapter 21: Evolution in the Hydra Sea

“When the Orcs reach the center of the Mana Cannon’s firing range, we’ll open fire to break their formation and charge in? Sounds good.”

“Krrk!”

The Orc Dimension Ship drew near.

The appearance of the Orc Dimension Ship was just as expected from Orcs, who loved everything big, strong, and flashy.

Its mana resistance was blunt, as if they’d tossed it to the dogs, and the exterior was messily decorated with spikes, weapons, and bones.

Its armaments were the Scrap Cannons that could fire just about anything.

They were easy to make, so there were a ridiculous number of them, but their accuracy was terrible, and their power dropped off sharply with distance.

However, they were astonishingly effective against targets up close.

So, when facing an Apocalid that relied solely on numbers, it was best to avoid fighting the Orc Dimension Ship.

Choi Kang-jung waited patiently.

The Orcs’ battle cries drew closer.

Even through Lutal’s eyes, he could now make out the ferocity and delight sparkling in the Orcs’ eyes.

Kwakwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!

All forty of Kuong’s Mana Cannons and twelve Cannon Giants fired in unison from its side.

Shells pierced through the Orc Dimension Ship and exploded.

Kwarreung!

A storm of mana swept through the area where the Mana Storm Shells had detonated.

The mana engine of the Orc Dimension Ship stalled, and the ships tangled together and exploded.

“Krrrk.”

Lutal jumped.

In an instant, he leapt a hundred meters and assaulted the Orc Great Boss atop the dimension ship, its upper part now blown off.

“Kraaaaah!”

The Orc Great Boss slammed down with a massive axe.

Aura boiled violently along the blade.

It had enough force to split a giant tree in one strike.

Thud!

Lutal caught the blow with his Chitin Gauntlet.

The especially hardened Psionic Chitin Gauntlet of this special individual didn’t even get scratched by the powerful strike.

Shhk shhk!

The Aura Blade sliced the Orc Great Boss into pieces.

Thus began the massacre.

Walkers, Scouts, Warriors, and Giants swarmed the Orcs from all directions.

Orcs thrown from the dimension ship were shredded by scythe claws and dissolved in Acid Fluid.

In the Sea of Dimensions, where there was nothing to erode, Acid Fluid made for an excellent weapon.

Giants tore off the outer walls of dimension ships that looked intact from the outside.

Fighter Warriors and Fighter Giants, thanks to their ability to fly, remained untouched by the Orcs.

“It’s already over.”

The Walkers hauled the Orc corpses to the Soil Pit, built in the Apocalid Dimension.

Moving was possible, albeit slowly, as they worked their six legs.

[You have gained Evolution Points.]

[Current Evolution Points: 241,288]

About 200,000 Evolution Points came in.

It was not a lot, but since the Hydra Sea had just begun, there was no disappointment.

“Kiik!”

Kai led the Apocalid toward a dimension nearby with many Orcs.

On the way, he explained the situation in the Hydra Sea.

“There are several medium-sized dimensions around the outskirts, and a large dimension at the center, right?”

“Kiik!”

“Three tribes are endlessly fighting in the large dimension.”

“Kiik!”

“There are Dark Elves too?”

“Kiik!”

“Why are Dark Elves here? There’s no money to be made.”

Dark Elves were a race similar to Elves, but with dark skin.

They were widely regarded as cruel and as betraying others as easily as breathing, and many were criminals who would do anything for money.

Their origin was said to be unclear, but in truth, they were descended from an Elf clan exiled from Marsala.

Those exiled from their homeland had to do whatever it took to survive.

They abandoned tradition and dignity, hiding in the shadows of other dimensions.

As time passed, they put their Elf talents to use in smuggling and assassination as well.

Some became servants of demons or accepted dark magic.

In that way, most Dark Elves forgot the history of their kind.

The books recording their past were erased by the Elves of Marsala, and those Dark Elves who remembered those days faded with the passing years.

However, somewhere in the Sea of Dimensions, there were those who remembered their roots and sought to reclaim the honor and glory of old.

“If there are a lot of Dark Elves in Disorder, maybe we can catch some and make them talk, find out where their base is.”

“Kiik!”

“You want to go look for where the Dark Elves are? Not a bad idea.”

Orcs loved to be obvious, so for reconnaissance, Skyeye Giants were more than enough.

“Kiik!”

Kai rode the Fighter Giant and moved toward the center of the Hydra Sea.

“We’ll clear out the dimensions on this side first, then head to the large dimension.”

“Krrk.”

“Kuong.”

They moved in the direction the Orc Dimension Ship had been headed.

After three hours, a medium-sized dimension appeared.

It turned out the Orcs from earlier had been planning to invade that place.

He sent a Skyeye Giant to check the condition of the dimension.

There were more than a hundred thousand Orcs, and Scrap Cannons, harpoons, and Orc Launchers were set up along the dimensional boundary.

One boss had unified all the tribes, so there was no infighting.

They had just arrived right before moving on to another dimension.

“Just charging in would cause a lot of casualties.”

There wasn’t anywhere along the boundary to make a covert landing.

“If there isn’t, I’ll just make one.”

Just one Bio Torpedo or Bio Pod would probably suffice, but Choi Kang-jung wanted to try both.

[Producing Bio Torpedoes.]

[Producing Bio Pods.]

The Bio Torpedoes and Bio Pods created inside Kuong moved to their respective launchers.

The Bio Torpedo launchers were on its back, and the Bio Pod launchers were on its belly.

“Have the Bio Torpedoes destroy the places with clustered Scrap Cannons, and the Bio Pods concentrate on a single point.”

Kuong moved right above the dimension.

The Orcs fired their Scrap Cannons, but Kuong was out of range.

The other Apocalids prepared to land from the side of the dimension.

Lutal and the Warriors boarded the Bio Pods.

Preparations were complete.

“Attack.”

Ten Bio Torpedoes launched from Kuong’s back.

Twenty meters long, designed solely for speed and destruction, the Bio Torpedoes U-turned and plummeted toward the dimension.

The nose of the Bio Torpedo, accelerated in an instant to a speed beyond that of a Mana Shell, reddened from friction.

Even when pierced by Scrap Cannons or harpoons, the Bio Torpedoes moved only toward their designated target points.

Kwaaang! Kwaaang! Kwaaang!

Every Bio Torpedo hit its mark.

The holes they created were vastly larger than those left by Mana Shells.

The Scrap Cannons were gone, and not a trace of Orcs remained.

The Bio Pods dropped from Kuong’s belly.

With a flick of their tails, they turned toward the areas swept clear by the Bio Torpedoes.

Scrap Cannons fired, but their tough outer walls only got scratched.

Kuaang! Kuaang! Kuaang!

Just before landing, purple smoke burst out, slowing their descent, and the soft Chitin Gauntlet underneath cushioned the impact.

The living wall opened, and Lutal and the Warriors burst out.

Shhk! Thuk!

The Apocalid’s scythe claws slashed and pierced Orcs.

In an instant, they captured a region, and waiting Apocalids landed on the dimensional boundary.

“It’s the enemy!”

“It’s a monster!”

“Time to fight!”

“It’s war!”

The Orcs, who had only squabbled amongst themselves, now surged forward.

Their momentum was overwhelming, with nearly a hundred thousand of them.

The Apocalids numbered only a twentieth of that.

Even so, not a single creature felt fear.

They’d never known such a thing and simply acted by predator’s instinct.

The Walkers built Soil Pits and, together with the Warriors, formed the front line.

The Scouts spread out, disabling the Scrap Cannons.

The Mana Cannons of the Cannon Giants were already sweeping through Orcs, and the Giants, with their massive bodies, charged into the tide of Orcs.

Kwaaang!

The Orcs were sent flying.

They were bigger, heavier, and stronger than the Orcs of the Kraken Sea, but before Giants twenty meters in length, they were mere dwarfs.

The sky flashed endlessly.

It was the Mana Cannons of Kuong and the Titans.

Lightning strikes rained down, shaking the earth without respite.

“Out of the way! I’ll kill it myself!”

The Orc Great Boss hurled aside the Orcs blocking his path and charged at the Giant.

He was even larger than the one seen in the dimension with the Jumping Mantis.

Kuung!

With tremendous force, the Giant was pushed back and toppled over.

The Orc Great Boss and his Orcs swarmed on top.

Their axes and clubs finally cracked the Chitin Gauntlet.

“Lutal, help!”

Lutal leaped high and landed near the Giant, swinging his scythe claws.

The Orc Great Boss hurled himself aside, rolling along the ground.

His left arm was left behind on the ground.

“Kraaaah!”

The Orc Great Boss threw his axe.

Lutal deflected it with his upper claws and dashed forward on six legs like a streak of lightning.

Shhk.

The Orc Great Boss’s torso split in an X shape.

“The boss is dead!”

“Who’s the next boss?”

“I’m the next boss!”

“No, it’s me!”

“I’m bigger!”

“I’m heavier!”

The boss-level Orcs fought among themselves, and soon a new boss emerged to lead the Orcs.

Orcs pressed in from all sides.

Apocalids kept pouring out from the Soil Pit.

Because of the difference in troop quality and firepower, Orcs died much faster.

From the start of the battle, thousands were wiped out, and ten thousand were dying every minute.

“It’s almost over.”

There were so many Orcs, he wondered if he should get a mass-kill evolution code, but it seemed unnecessary.

The battle ended in just ten minutes, and the Walkers transported the mess of Orc corpses to the Soil Pit.

Scouts tracked down fleeing Orcs, and those that crossed the dimensional boundary were hunted down by flying Apocalids.

[Dimension Consumption begins.]

Apocalid spores spread and fused with the dimension.

All organic matter dissolved, turning into liquid and flowing through living pipes.

Sluuurp, sluuurp, sluuurp.

To Choi Kang-jung’s ears, it sounded like someone sucking up something delicious with a straw.

[You have gained Evolution Points.]

[You have gained Evolution Points.]

[You have gained Evolution Points.]

[Current Evolution Points: 1,822,984]

“Nearly 1.6 million points came in.”

Each Orc yielded more Evolution Points than the ones in the Kraken Sea.

It came out to 15–16 points per Orc.

“If not for the Psionic specialization, I’d only have gathered 700–800 thousand points. Good choice, me. Pat yourself on the back.”

Choi Kang-jung congratulated himself, and the Apocalid Dimension fused with his own.

“Let’s go to the next dimension.”

[Brutal Lord detects the nearest dimension.]

He wanted to split into three groups to increase speed, but there were just too many Orcs.

Even the outermost dimension had a hundred thousand—how many more would there be as they moved inward?

“I should make a Central Unit.”

The numbers had grown, and with Kai operating separately, some Apocalids were slipping out of control.

He already had a candidate in mind.

It was the Cannon Giant who had killed the most Orcs and grown to twenty-five meters.

Even if creatures were made from identical genes, environmental factors caused slight performance differences.

The one Choi Kang-jung had picked was the best among the Cannon Giants and was positioned in the rear, making it ideal to become a Central Unit.

Choi Kang-jung exerted his will, and as the living pipes connected and nutrients were supplied,

the amount of nutrients required equaled five Giants, and the Cannon Giant evolved into a Central Unit.

“Special individuals can’t become one, huh. What a pity.”

Still, its body grew to thirty meters, and the Mana Cannons on its back increased to three.

Its scythe claws widened and thickened, becoming like shields.

Even among monsters of the same class, it was nearly impossible to defeat it head-on.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The Central Cannon Giant expressed its joy by slamming its shield into the ground.

Its weight was so great that the earth caved in with each impact.

“Let’s head to another dimension.”

“Krrk.”

“Kuong.”

The smaller Apocalids climbed onto the Titans and Giants.

The migration of the dimension predator began.

During the journey, he surfed the Dimension Net and exercised.

Running outside and sparring with the Warriors in the yard made time pass quickly.

After repeating that, plus showering and sleeping, they soon arrived at the next dimension.

It was about the same size as the one where they’d fought the Orcs.

He first sent a Skyeye Giant to scout.

“What the? There’s nothing here.”

Only a few plants dotted the surface of the dimension.

“Could they be underground? If it were Iron Giant Ants, maybe, but Orcs wouldn’t do that.”

Choi Kang-jung sent out Scouts to search.

When they scoured the dimension thoroughly, they found a hole leading underground.

A Scout went down.

Even without a ray of light, it could see as clearly as day using infrared and mana.

After following a long passage, it reached a vast cavern.

It was wide enough for even Kuong to enter.

“Who made something like this?”

Splash, splash.

The Scout’s legs dipped into a liquid.

It was sticky and foul-smelling—not water.

It was Orc blood.

The Scout swam to the center of the cavern.

There was a mountain piled high with Orc corpses.

“Was this done by a demon?”

In places where the Legion of Ruin had passed, nothing remained but blood and corpses.

But the Legion of Ruin wouldn’t dig underground and organize battles with Orcs.

“Let’s just absorb it for now. It feels off, but we’ll find out as we conquer the Hydra Sea.”

The Walkers came down and built a Soil Pit.

By making it under the pile of corpses, the blood and bodies quickly turned into nutrients and Evolution Points.

“That was easy.”

[Dimension Consumption begins.]

A Walker scattered Apocalid spores.

Choi Kang-jung stretched in bed as he woke up.

-Can you hear me?

A woman’s voice suddenly startled Choi Kang-jung.

“W-what? Is this a ghost?”

Looking around nervously, he noticed the pendant Iselin had given him was glowing.

“So it was Iselin. For a moment, I thought I’d bought a haunted house.”

Relieved, Outer Mind Choi Kang-jung picked up the pendant and pressed the button.