Chapter 439

SSSSHHHH!

Tens of thousands of snakes hissed as they swarmed the awakened of El Harun—a sight that chilled beyond dread into terror.

The snakes born from Neria’s blood feared no wound.

They feared no death.

Only one thing mattered to them: obeying their mother’s command.

Neria had ordered them to bring ruin to El Harun.

To fulfill that order, they hurled themselves at the awakened in a frenzy.

But the awakened of El Harun were no easy prey.

From the moment of awakening, each had been forged through brutal trials, trained to fight like an army of one.

They would not die so feebly, even surrounded by mere snakes.

“Die!”

“Shit! They’re nothing but limbless vermin!”

They swung their weapons with ferocity, cutting down the snakes in droves.

Those who could channel aura infused it into their blades. High-rank awakened unleashed devastating spells.

KWA-KWA-KWAAAANG!

The ground shook as if war itself had broken out.

Under their concentrated fire, countless snakes were slain.

But no matter how many fell, their numbers never seemed to dwindle.

For the snakes were not ordinary beasts—they were born from Neria’s blood.

With a sweep of her wounded hand, droplets scattered. Wherever they struck the ground, snakes crawled forth.

Worse—the later-born grew stronger, larger.

At first, they were a meter long. Now, five-meter serpents appeared with unsettling frequency.

As the monsters grew in size and power, the awakened took heavier losses.

“Gyaaah!”

“Ghhhk!”

Screams erupted across the battlefield.

More and more were bitten, constricted, dragged down.

Healers rushed forward.

“Heal!”

They cast their skills over the bitten.

The venom was too deadly to fully cure, but they slowed its spread.

Those afflicted staggered back for treatment—taking antidotes El Harun had stockpiled, or in dire cases severing limbs to survive.

Thanks to them, injuries mounted but deaths remained limited. Still, despair shadowed the defenders’ faces.

They hacked, slashed, burned—yet the snakes kept coming without end.

Neria’s endless horde was enough to sap the will of even the bravest.

“Damn it! Can she really spawn snakes without limit?”

“Hold that line! If it breaks, the slaughter will spread!”

“Stay strong!”

They shouted to each other, fighting like mad.

Their faith was simple:

As long as they held the swarm, their leaders would slay the Black Queen.

Kill her, and this nightmare would end.

“Black Queen!”

“Cursed fiend!”

“Die!”

Kelota closed on Neria, swinging his battle-axe. Repo, in tiger-form, lunged into melee.

From the rear, Taboaru unleashed spell after spell.

But none of it shook her.

At some point, a dark veil shimmered across her body.

A black barrier that turned aside every blow.

BOOOM!

“Ugh!”

Kelota’s axe rebounded, sending him flying with a groan.

Repo slashed with claws harder than diamond, honed with mana to shred anything like paper—but they skidded harmlessly off the veil. His face twisted in disbelief.

Even Taboaru’s magic failed.

The barrier excelled at repelling spells, scattering them outward to wound their allies instead.

Helpless to fire freely, Taboaru gritted his teeth.

KWA-KWA-KWAAAANG!

Then, from around Neria, massive serpents emerged—twenty, thirty meters long.

Beasts rivaling great-class monsters.

“Shit!”

“Snakes that size!?”

Horror swept the awakened.

The colossal serpents coiled around Neria, striking at any who dared approach.

Their bodies alone were weapons—when they whipped across the ground, carnage followed.

They had no need to bite like the smaller ones.

Four giants encircled Neria, battering all who drew near.

“Monsters like these—!”

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Kelota and Repo struck with all their might.

BOOOM!

KRRASH!

The titanic bodies shuddered under the blows.

The power was staggering.

But both warriors’ faces darkened.

The giants faltered for a moment—then righted themselves, as if untouched.

Their attacks had done nothing but enrage them.

SSSSHHHH!

The great serpents gaped wide, lunging to devour Kelota and Repo whole.

Urgency filled Taboaru’s face.

“This won’t do! We can’t hurt her at all!”

He regretted not summoning the entire Council when he’d received Riala’s report.

Had all their forces been here, perhaps they wouldn’t be so overwhelmed.

But regret always came too late, and always with a price.

“Gyaaah!”

“Help!”

Cries of death rose across the field.

Now, casualties mounted in earnest.

And still Neria stood untouched, her cold smile surveying the battlefield in calm dominion.

“That is the Black Queen. How can she ever be defeated?”

Despair pressed in.

They couldn’t reach her. Even if they did, her blood birthed more snakes.

They were crushed by numbers, and outmatched in strength.

No path forward could be seen.

For now, the awakened held the swarms at bay. But if the lines broke, disaster would sweep El Harun.

And already, cracks were opening.

Where defenses faltered, snakes surged through, racing toward the civilians.

Slaughter loomed.

Then—a sharp command cut across the battlefield.

“Shadow Clan—raise the barrier!”

Men in black turbans and deshadas appeared.

Taboaru’s face lit with hope.

“The Shadow Clan has come!”

Their leader, Osoro, had spoken.

The Shadow Clan boasted the strongest defenses of any race in El Harun.

Their shadow barrier, cast with full might, was impenetrable.

Osoro and his clan spread their shadows wide, sealing the snakes inside.

And more reinforcements came.

“Everyone—clear away from the Queen!”

Newly arrived awakened shouted at those nearest Neria.

They were setting up massive cannon-like devices around her.

Seeing this, Repo and Kelota pulled back quickly.

“Mana Particle Cannons!”

“Fall back!”

The cannons—crystallized essence of El Harun—were their deadliest weapons.

As the awakened withdrew, the cannons roared, unleashing concentrated beams of mana.

BOOOOOM-BOOM!

Blinding streams hammered Neria’s black barrier.

The veil rippled, straining, as if ready to burst.

Encouraged, the awakened fired again.

KWA-BOOOM!

Dust and debris filled the air.

“Keep firing!”

“Pour it all in until the mana runs dry!”

They drove the cannons to their limits.

Barrels glowed red-hot, then cracked.

Still they fired.

BOOM! BOOM!

Cannons exploded one after another.

But they did not relent.

If these weapons could kill the Black Queen, they were worth every loss.

Cannons could be rebuilt.

What mattered was killing her.

“Fire! Fire again!”

The commander’s voice rang raw.

The crews obeyed, launching volley after volley.

KWA-KWA-KWAAAANG!

Explosions thundered. Cannons shattered.

The assault ended only when every piece lay destroyed.

Then Hera, still keeping Zeon in check, spoke.

“With that, the Black Queen must have taken heavy damage. No matter how great she once was, she cannot withstand modern civilization.”

“Are you sure?”

“What, do you deny it? The old is always swept aside by the new. That is the law of the world, little human.”

“Not everything obeys such laws.”

“You still cling to hopeless faith. El Harun’s strength is beyond anything a human like you could imagine.”

“But not beyond Neo Seoul.”

At Zeon’s light reply, Hera’s face twisted.

“You dare claim Neo Seoul is stronger than El Harun? Truly?”

“Yes. Truly.”

“Absurd.”

Murderous intent filled her eyes.

She loved El Harun with all her heart.

Though born of necessity, forged on Earth, the blood and sweat of every race had built this place.

And to hear it belittled as less than Neo Seoul—made by mere humans—boiled her rage.

Yet Zeon did not flinch, even before her killing aura.

“You fear Neo Seoul yourselves.”

“We fear no human city.”

“Then why have you hidden all this time?”

“That’s—”

“Because you know humanity’s strength better than anyone. Individually, we are weak. But in resolve, in defiance, you cannot match us. With nothing but bare hands and death-defying will, humans built Neo Seoul from empty ground. You’ve seen that power—and it frightens you. You fear that one day, humanity will devour you. That’s why you hide. Isn’t it?”

“Never.”

“Then why oppress the humans of El Harun? Why scorn them? Because you’re afraid. Afraid they, too, will one day build their own civilization—like Neo Seoul. So you divide them, demean them.”

“……”

Hera fell silent.

Zeon stepped closer.

“Say it isn’t so.”

“……”

“You can’t. Because it’s the truth. Your fear. Your jealousy of humanity.”