Chương 179: Chapter 175: The Last of Us

A monstrous yet silent crowd was withstanding the defenders' gaze. The Necromoon's slaves looked at the living with eyes burning with hatred.

"I feel like we're the last survivors in this world," murmured Priam.

"It's a biodiversity disaster," agreed Louis.

"It's mostly a disaster for my nostrils," Blueberry grumbled. Priam couldn't help but agree. With every inhale, he felt like he was breathing in the distilled scent of a charnel house.

"Even my cat's litter smells better," grimaced Louis, pinching his nose.

"What's that?" asked the bear, scratching his ear.

"A place to do your business," replied Priam.

"That's weird. There are places where you can't?" The bear inquired. A bad feeling grew in Priam.

"Since you've been here, where have you been sh—""Silence!" Kazuki's voice echoed. The hoplite used his Concept with terrifying precision to simulate sounds directly in the defenders' ears. Without Domain, a warrior would have been defenseless against this kind of power. With a glance, Priam checked the emotional state of their strategist. Kazuki clenched his teeth, attempting to solve an unsolvable problem. How could fourteen defenders defend such an imposing base?

Priam and the rest of the fighters stood on an earthen rampart. Recently constructed, the defense formed a semi-circle forty meters from Log-a-rhythm. Its two ends met the river that secured the north of the base. The rampart's soil came from a ditch just in front, three meters deep, rigged with enchanted stakes. At the top of the mound, Priam, Louis, Blueberry, and the hoplites had been waiting for a few minutes. Each was responsible for defending a section of about ten meters.

The task would have been impossible for a human, but Priam could cover that distance in a fraction of a second. The cold wind changed direction, carrying the putrid smells toward the forest. As his nose was finally freed from torment, Priam felt his patience waning. The wait was becoming burdensome. A silent question lingered on everyone's lips." Why aren't they attacking?" It had been three minutes since Priam and Louis had joined the other defenders. No Necromoon servants had pursued them out of the forest.

The horde gathered under the cover of trees, silent and terrifying. The red eyes and bloody halos of revenants of all kinds contrasted with the black background of the underbrush. Added to the sound of bones clashing and flesh rubbing against bark, the scene was horrifying. Even more horrifying was the number of enemies. Priam's HUD was covered in red dots.

"There must be a leader," Kazuki finally declared. It was the most probable explanation. Their basic instinct didn't allow them to wait to launch a brutal assault. A higher consciousness commanded them.

"I volunteer to eliminate it." It was Hyshana's voice. Her husband had dampened her voice before relaying it himself, demonstrating once again his mastery of his Concept.

"You would be too easily corrupted," Kazuki refused. Hyshana was a warrior who excelled in close combat, not in reconnaissance or elimination.

"Priam, Jasmine, Elaine, are any of you confident?" Elaine? Priam turned to a hoplite juggling with golden runes. She was a glass cannon sniper.

"Sir, I can't do much without knowing the leader's position," the hoplite replied." What is Ève doing?" Priam asked mentally his subordinate." She's heading towards the territory of the rabhorns. Should I follow her out of Log-a-rhythm's territory?" Outside of his land, Priam would have no connection with Jasmine. She could evade him for the rest of her days without a problem. Worse, if Sumstreh captured her, the god would discover the truth about his condition. Too risky."

Abandon the pursuit and find the leader of the revenants. Kill them if possible, otherwise send me their position. Do not leave Log-a-rhythm's domain."" Understood."

"Jasmine will take care of the leader," Priam announced to the group. Without his most powerful attacks, he couldn't afford to plunge into the sea of revenants. If corruption reached him, he would have to commit suicide. While usually a positive thing, the gained attributes were now dangerous.

"Good. For the rest, stay at your posts, conserve your aether, and avoid flashy attacks. Priam, how long until the barrier is restored?" [26 min, 43s before Log-a-rhythm's protective barrier's reactivation.]"Twenty-seven minutes."

"Then we must protect Log-a-rhythm for twenty-seven minutes. It's our top priority; we'll eventually be overwhelmed without it. Any questions?" The activation of the event had destroyed Log-a-rhythm's protection. Yet, it was their only way to survive an infinite horde.

"Log-a-rhythm currently has over a thousand Potential points," revealed Priam.

"I was thinking of purchasing Abundance - Life II or Camouflage II." Priam wanted the hoplite's advice on this kind of tactical decision. Kazuki had been the active military leader of an empire for decades. The High Human wasn't arrogant enough to think his calls would be any better.

"Could Life reinforce Log-a-rhythm's resistance to corruption?"

"It's almost certain. But if Camouflage is powerful enough, it could end the conflict," analyzed Priam. If the revenants couldn't find their base anymore, its inhabitants would no longer be in danger. Silence answered him, as Kazuki was deep in thought.

"Let's wait for the barrier to be restored," the hoplite decided eventually.

"If we can't defend, we'll use Life. Otherwise, Camouflage will be more useful." As if waiting for Kazuki's decision, a roar came from the cover of the trees. From the shadows, hundreds of animals, each different from the others, began to march. Bone-white, putrid black, and bloody red mixed to form a colored wave of death. The ranks of the dead were tight, and their contained rage made the air tremble. Priam paled at the marching necromantic army. The fate awaiting those who succumbed to corruption was chilling.

Priam was confident in his ability to survive, but he feared for his loved ones. The battle would be tough because each corrupted could spread the Necromoon's curse. Unless I kill them first, he motivated himself." [Spirit of the Braves]," declared Hyshana's voice just before a wave of vigor invaded Priam. His already formidable endurance seemed bottomless now. A tremor shook the rampart as the first corrupted monsters impaled themselves on it. Priam sighed in relief as he saw the skeletons crumble to dust.

The spikes were working. Furious and enraged, the revenants continued to throw themselves into the ditch. A few seconds later, the situation was beginning to deteriorate. If the bones disappeared, the System did not take care of the recently dead revenants' putrefied flesh. As the corpses piled up, the pit filled.

"Contact in a few seconds," Kazuki said.

"Let your blades sing!" Priam prepared Promesse as the claws of a giant reptile reached the rampart's edge. The enemy was finally here. Without unnecessary thought, Priam attacked, splitting the skull of the claw's owner. Turning his hips a few degrees, Priam used [Unrelenting Thrust], retrieving his weapon and attacking again, pulverizing a new enemy. Everywhere, the corrupted ones climbed. The pile of crushed bones, flesh, and revenants was rising, allowing the enemies to progress.

Imagining a death line, Priam began to leap from one end of his section to the other, slashing and thrusting tirelessly. Entering a deadly routine, part of his consciousness calmed down, focused on eliminating opponents optimally. He micro-controlled his muscles, executing his skills perfectly. Time lost its meaning. Promesse beheaded, pierced, eviscerated, pulverized, and bisected his enemies. His Sun points accumulated as the pit filled with white powder.

Like a death machine, Priam made no mistakes, directing his armed arm against every monster that dared to cross the death line. He was in the zone. Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 39 PERC +1 VIVA +1 DEXT +1 Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 13 STR +3 As his vengeful arm destroyed a new Necromoon slave, Priam detected out of the corner of his eye the skeleton of a monkey that had just climbed the wall. The no monster's land had been breached. Priam leaped and impaled it.

The world gave him no respite as five new arrivals penetrated the left of his section. Barely out of breath, Priam understood that defeating the hundreds of corrupted ones coming was impossible. I need to change tactics. [Moon Mist], [Kinetic Control]. His summoned mist quickly condensed to form ice crosses. Floating in the air in front of the army of death, the sharp crosses began to rotate on themselves. Quickly, their speed became so fast that a spectator would have thought they were seeing circular saws.

Enhanced by the Conquest Aura, the weapons were terrifying. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Priam grimaced as he felt his mind split into several parts. Controlling so many weapons simultaneously was a complex task. Fortunately, the System was there to help. [Focus], [Battle Sense]. The five crosses began to move slowly. A moment later, Priam gained confidence and sent them into the attack.

Bounding toward the enemies climbing the rampart, the first circular saw easily traversed a skull, a sternum, a tibia, a femur, and a bone Priam didn't know the name of. Three of the five opponents died on the spot. A second pass took care of the stragglers. The rest of the blades followed, creating carnage in the enemy lines. In a few seconds, they decimated two dozen adversaries, allowing Priam to catch his breath. He directed his gaze to his right and grimaced.

Blueberry roared, covered in red blood oozing from myriad small wounds. Despite his colossal power, the Viscount was in a precarious situation. Dozens of revenants crowded against him, attacking without thinking of protecting themselves. The berserk bear eliminated three opponents with each attack, demonstrating his terrible power. It wasn't enough. If this continues, it will escalate, Priam worried.

All had used their Potential to unlock [Necro Resistance], but he knew better than anyone that resistance was not immunity. If Blueberry continued to endure attacks, corruption was inevitable. Two of the deadly crosses were redirected to help Blueberry. With their help, the bear pushed back his adversaries. He had enough awareness left to nod in the direction of his friend. I won't let you die. Through two black runes laser-etched into her eyes, Jasmine could see from the shadows.

Today, she almost regretted her power as the spectacle unfolded, haunting her. The horde of revenants showed no sign of abating. Like puppets, the corrupted moved through the trees in long single files. All anatomies, skeletal or zombified, were visible. Animals, monsters, reptiles, rabhorns, skulcs, and spiders rushed toward the defenders. None sensed her presence. Tucked within a branch's shadow, enfolded in darkness, Jasmine was invisible and intangible.

She leveraged her position to observe the army of the dead. Their leader would undoubtedly be concealed by the multitude, but a single mistake would reveal their position. At that moment, Jasmine would strike. Where is that fat heap?! Scanning the army of the dead, Jasmine tried to deduce the leader's position from their movement. Even if the creature possibly had satellite vision like Seth, they would prioritize safety.

The Necromoon had undoubtedly partly erased their ego, but a strategist was worth a thousand soldiers when you had enough of them. And the Necromoon had an infinite supply. We can't defeat them all. Her boss and Kazuki could kill thousands, perhaps tens of thousands. But if Ève had fled, they were much more numerous than that. So, the boss had to be eliminated. If she were correct, they would hide where their army was strongest—where the Tier 1s were. Jasmine quickly surveyed the battlefield.

On the right, Louis, Blueberry, and Priam were wreaking havoc. Despite his age, the old man was a monster. The young woman was impressed by his formidable use of his body. Each of his movements sliced through bones, putrid flesh, and blades with ease. Louis danced, and monsters died. Blueberry seemed to be gradually succumbing to rage, and Jasmine worried. If the bear made the mistake of leaping into the crowd of revenants waiting at his feet… Fortunately, Priam was watching.

Her boss used circular saws to farm the un-life of the corrupted. In a choke point, Priam could have held back a whole horde of Tier 0s. On the left, Kazuki and Hyshana were also doing well. The couple took care of a section of over thirty meters, decimating the revenants with their mechs. In the center, no hoplite was currently overwhelmed, but most were in trouble. A few, like the sniper, were doing well, but they didn't have an endless supply of ammo. Without their mechs, the situation would have been perilous.

If the enemy isn't stupid, that's where they'll strike. Carefully observing the battle, Jasmine smirked when she spotted a suspicious movement. Some monsters, camouflaged by the minion tide, were stealthily approaching the hoplite soldiers. The corrupted leader had found the weak link in the defense and intended to attack." Priam, there's a vulnerability towards Elaine. They're going to attempt a breakthrough," she sent through the link that bound them." I got it." Jasmine bit her lip upon hearing the response.

The bond Priam had created between them was highly intimate for her. When he spoke to her, she felt his breath, conviction, and trust in her soul. She couldn't even imagine him failing. Rather than using circular saws, her boss sent creeping mist towards the attack. The fog seemed different than usual. Corrupted ones were often silent, but there was something in the silence emanating from the mist that sent shivers down Jasmine's spine. Suddenly, a dozen corrupted ones leaped at the hoplite sniper.

Jasmine began to carefully observe the rear of the horde. If the leader were to make a mistake, it would be now. Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 57 VIVA + 2 DEXT + 3 META (FOCUS) +4 Lvl Up: [Spear Slash] lvl 16, 17 STR +2 Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 15 PERC +1 DEXT +2 Lvl Up: [Unrelenting Thrust] lvl 14 STR +3" I got it." Keen on not alerting the enemy, Priam chose to bring his mist closer before creating sharp crosses. Following an impulse, he tried to incorporate his Aura into his Concept. The result was terrifying.

Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 59 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 Charisma exceeds 500 points. First milestone reached. Congratulations! The discovery allowed his charisma to surpass the first milestone. Priam instantly felt a difference in his presence and control of his Aura. The latter had become more tangible. Once a thing of the mind, his Aura now had weight, significance. Priam Azura existed, and the world acknowledged his presence and its effects. Let's try again.

With disconcerting ease, his aura merged with his mist, transforming it. As proven by his Unity with the Fire, Concepts had a defined instinct. When his Aura fused with his mist, its nature metamorphosed. His mist was no longer insidious and elusive; it was conquering and destructive. Priam loved it. Activating his charisma, and thus his aura, to the maximum, Priam directed his fog towards the revenants. The overwhelmed abominations froze as the aether structure supporting their skeletons collapsed.

Before Priam, the corrupted were in disarray, unable to resist his power. The deadly fog continued its path, mercilessly annihilating each corrupted one it touched, like their nemesis. It conquered aether, devoured energy, and corroded matter, Priam realized. Before he could experiment further, the Tier 1s launched their attack. To counter them, Priam summoned a dozen mist tentacles. Intercepting the attackers, the fog evaporated them on contact. Freshly resurrected, the corrupted did not yet deserve their Tier.

Only the former Tier 2 resisted the corrosion long enough to reach Elaine. The hoplite extended a hand tattooed with a glowing rune. A spear of light left her hand, pushing the assailant into the Conquest mist. Sacrificing part of his Conquest bonus, Priam strengthened his fog, annihilating the corrupted one. The next moment, the army of the dead descended upon the defenders as if possessed.

"Brace yourself!" Kazuki shouted.

"Allow me…" Priam replied before closing his eyes. Drawing from his reserves, he summoned all the mist he could. His meridians groaned under torrents of aether. A wave appeared among the defenders, and Priam fused his entire Conquest Aura into it. He opened his eyes and let the wave surge. The floods devastated the enemy ranks like a divine cavalry charge. Faced with such fury, the revenants were obliterated. The tsunami carried away part of the horde, leaving behind a white ground and a light silence.

Event: Necromoon. Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 2 - common) - Sun point +100 Banishment of… - Sun point +1784 Breathing heavily while the other defenders looked at each other in amazement, Priam scrolled through his long list of notifications. Something had changed. Finally, reaching the bottom, he found it. Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 60 PERC +4 CHAR +2 META (AFFI) +3 [Moon Mist] has reached level 60, its maximum level as an Epic skill.

Status: PHYSICAL: Strength 437 (+12) Constitution 794 Agility 446 Vitality 684 Perception 666 (+12) MENTAL: Vivacity 388 (+3) Dexterity 487 (+6) Memory 218 Willpower 836 Charisma 506 (+7) META: Meta-affinity 415 (+7) Meta-focus 334 (+4) Meta-endurance 260 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230 Meta-authority 15 Potential: 3304 (+19) Tier 0 Sun points: 2103 (+2071) [He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED. [Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 170 days 1 hours 29 minutes 28 seconds. Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800