Long Wu knew that they wanted to experience more battles that drew their power more. But he was concerned about the enemies.
‘This time, it is certain that they will bring some sort of counter against us. What was the intel said again about the Glings having a Hive Mind? Yes, they are the extension of the Queen’s sense. So this is actually the case where the plan clashes with reality.’
Long Wu then probed his senses internally, doing Self-Introspection. He had gained an additional undead element from the structure the Transcendent Group had destroyed. In fact, Long Wu felt that after purifying the additional undead element, he could give it a go at advancing his power further.
What that meant was that he wanted to attempt to break through to the fourth heavenstage.
He also let the core located at the lower Dantian spin at a slow rate. This made the transcendent energy inside him keep circulating, never stopping. In this mode, he was ready to unleash the prowess of the Transcendent upon the enemy.
Of course, the output depended on his will. He could let out a power of the transcendent at the Nothingness Realm or he could increase it to the point of using the energy inside the core, unleashing the prowess of the proper Core Formation Realm transcendent.
Like when they were dealing with the nest and the Glings, the Transcendent Group was only releasing their power mostly at the peak of the Nothingness Realm, while they slightly increased it when dealing with the Elves.
This was done not only to preserve most of their power but also to be able to increase their strength at the fastest rate.
“Check your weapon and equipment because you cannot do so in the battle!” Hecates’ voice spread throughout the place where they were, causing some rustling branches and leaves to fall.
They checked the weapon and the equipment. Some of them then replaced the damaged equipment and grabbed the newer and more compact equipment. This was the standard equipment for Transcendents like them to use.
But it was also the reserves of the Transcendent Academy so they used it carefully.
Long Wu then checked his dagger. It was similar to how he saw it years ago when he had been given it by someone. Its blade let out a luster as light hit it, reflecting the light and letting Long Wu know how durable the blade was.
It was the strongest weapon Long Wu had as it sliced through many vital parts of his enemy and bathed in their blood. It also had a good transcendent energy conductivity as the undead element flowed through the entire hilt, grip, and blade.
Long Wu also adjusted his own body by checking the energy circulation in each part of his body. This was done to make sure that the circulation was not obstructed by something. Circulation of the transcendent energy was of utmost importance to the Transcendent so anyone also did the same thing.
After that, they were going to their position. Waiting for the incoming enemy was no easy feat, even if you expected it. Their will had to be strong to endure the wait while also anticipating what kind of enemy they would face.
Then they could see it clearly. The appearance of the enemy they had to face. They came from the sky above the group as the flying Glings finally let out projectile attacks.
“Disperse!” Hecates was someone who had a good sense so he knew that a long-range attack was more than enough to disturb them. He gave the order and the group obeyed him as fast as they possibly could, spreading out in all directions.
‘If the intel is correct, the flying Glings’ projectile attack is likely to…’ As Hecates thought about it, he finally saw what he had thought was just information.
The projectiles were bouncing once they hit the ground, causing those who had evaded to reevaluate their position and try to dodge the ricocheting projectiles. Some of the projectiles even hit some of the people in the group.
“Gh!”
“Damn, I’m hit!”
Pained groan could be heard in the group but they persisted. Then the group used the specially made rifle for them to wield. It was specifically made to be able to contain transcendent energy.
With it, the group also gained ranged attack and started to retaliate against the flying Glings by shooting at them with enhanced power granted by the undead element. They adjusted the output to be at the peak of the Nothingness Realm.
The Transcendent Group was trained in combat, especially in firearms so their accuracy was quite high. Most of their shots hit the flying Glings, causing the creatures to fall down one by one like being hit with a giant swatter.
The black-colored bullets from the rifle were suitable for their undead element, increasing their power output by several magnitudes.
The injured also returned fire despite their injury. But their friends started to shield them from the projectiles that were ricocheting around, trying to prevent more of their members from being hurt.
Long Wu was also holding and aiming his rifle at the flying Glings, before pulling the trigger and hitting one of the creatures, causing it to fall to its death.
‘This is just the first wave and already so challenging, what will come next?’ Long Wu had a somber expression as he kept returning fire to the flying creatures.
Hecates was also shooting the flying creatures until the bullets ran out and he needed to reload. While reloading, some people protected him from the projectile. Then, after he was done, Hecates would be able to shoot while protecting the ones who were reloading.
They were dispersed enough that the projectiles were not concentrated on the whole group but spread to a large area, where they could at least diminish the bouncing projectile.
The sound of the gunshot and the projectile being shot was like a melody on the east part of the base. The machine gunner at a distance saw all that and could not help but feel fortunate that he was not there.
“They all are Transcendents, right? I saw that some of them are injured. Aren’t they supposed to be strong enough that they can withstand a pistol bullet? The attacks from the flying creatures are at least stronger than that!” the machine gunner commented.
“They also have a coat of black mist that covers their entire body so the damage is even reduced. But that attack seems to penetrate that coat of protection.” The other soldiers added.
The battle in front of them was something that they could not participate. It was because their bodies were too fragile compared to the Transcendent. But even so, they were willing to help if it was necessary.
Sadly, the current situation did not allow them to participate. They were ordered to defend their position, not to assist the Transcendent Group in front of them.
As the gunshot kept coming out, the number of the flying Glings’ swarm started to decrease. Long Wu was moving around to help the group with the bouncing projectiles that kept coming to them. He used his movement technique to move around faster and respond quicker.
But his worry did not lessen. He knew that whatever god the Glings had would definitely use any means necessary for their victory.
‘It looks like the usual swarm tactic. The next ones will come on the land from our front. But…’ Long Wu thought as he had a certain scenario that would allow the Glings to use the advantage of the swarm tactic without being disturbed by the Transcendent and the Undead Race.
‘…they had to have someone equal. From the looks of it, the delay in their offensive is because the Glings are producing the suitable creatures that match the Transcendent Group and the Undead Race.’
As of this moment, even Long Wu could not think of a solution due to the tight time available. He believed that as long as he was strong enough, whatever the enemy threw at him would become an inconvenience at most. He could only leave everything to the previously agreed plan.
As Long Wu darted past another Transcendent who was almost hit by the ricocheting projectile, Long Wu pushed him slightly and caused the projectile to miss.
“Thank you!” Despite being pushed, the man realized that it had saved him from being struck by the projectile. The person then stood up and raised the rifle in his hand before pulling the trigger and shot at the flying Glings.
Long Wu then had the time for analyzing the projectile that the flying Glings were letting out since the group managed to stand their ground and properly retaliate against the attack from the sky.
He crouched down and looked at the projectile. It was like a tooth of the smaller beast that Long Wu used to see but this thing probably came from the inside of the flying creatures. Even its purple bloodstain could be seen on it.
‘I wonder what kind of property it would have to be able to ricochet when hitting something.’ Long Wu pondered before he took one for a sample and stored it in the only special bag of holding.
Then the ground could be felt trembling. All the people realized that the distance between them and whatever caused the tremor was near.
“Prepare for the swarm tactic!” Hecates had expected this so he shouted, instructing the group. The group then released more of their power as black mist formed around their bodies.
Dozens of the Transcendent released the undead element at once, causing the black mist to permeate the area they were in. Part of the forest started to decay as some undead element touched the bark and the leaves of the trees.
This was the counter that Hecates could think of when facing the swarm tactic. They made a black fog where living beings decay and rot, while the fog strengthened them. It was basically an area of effect special technique designed to counter beings who were equal in strength or weaker but had an overwhelming number.
Long Wu also let out a black mist, which swirled around him as he became the center and the source of the mist. It merged with the fog and strengthened him as a result.
Then the swarm came in tides, as if their life and death did not matter in the slightest. The only thing they cared about was the order and instruction from the Queen and that was why they attacked at this moment.
The swarm was filled with the Glings, who had purple skin and brown limbs. Their eyes were barely visible on their head which increased their fierce appearance from the human perspective.
The Transcendent Group now had to deal with attacks from both air and land, so inevitably, some swarm managed to pass through the Transcendent Group. Most of them were now entangled with the Transcendent who brandished their weapon, sharp and blunt.
The blunt weapon crushed the bones and skeletal figures of the Glings while the sharp weapon cut through their skin and flesh, causing purple blood to flow on the battlefield. Now the group was divided into two: those who defended the front and those who shot back at the flying Glings in the middle, while the rear tried to protect those in the middle.
This caused the pressure for them to increase dramatically. Long Wu moved to the front as he had to deal with the incoming Glings. He spotted one and dashed to its position immediately using his movement skills.
The skills even left an afterimage of Long Wu as he found the weak point of the Gling. He slashed at the neck of the Gling while infusing his undead element into his arm and the dagger, enhancing its sharpness and strength.
The Gling stood no chance withstanding Long Wu’s attack as its head was separated from its body, turning into a lifeless corpse while the undead element ate away at the severed part. Long Wu was not done as he continued his attack on the incoming Glings.
He stabbed one at the supposedly heart of the Gling, the other was when he stabbed at the head of the Gling, trying to see whether its head was its weak point. Long Wu found out that the head was also a weak point as the Gling became crippled straight when he attacked it on the head.
He became something like the reaper of Glings but he was not alone, as the Transcendent Group also reaped quite a lot of the Glings. The corpses of the Glings fell one after another, while the corpses produced some undead element for the Transcendent to absorb.
As for the Glings who passed through the Transcendent Group, they were met with the fire of the machine gunners. The noise the machine gun produced was quite obvious so even the Transcendent Group realized that some of the Glings had passed their position.
The people who manned the machine gun position were ready for this. The machine gunners pulled the trigger as they aimed the weapon right at the incoming enemy. Fire came out from the mouth of the muzzle as the firing continued and the Glings were hit by the 12mm bullets incessantly.
One by one, the incoming Glings were shot down by the barrage of the fire unleashed by the machine gunners in their defensive position. But there were still some who were able to get out from the front and came to the defensive position.
The able soldiers then helped with moving the ammunition for the machine gunners since they kept shooting at the Glings. Even the muzzle started to heat up due to the extensive use of the machine gun.
“More bullets!” one machine gunner said as he pulled the trigger but no bullet came out. One of the soldiers who brought the ammunition box then came to his side while also doing the procedure of reloading the machine gun.
After making sure that everything was alright, the machine gun was ready to fire once more. The bullet was properly reloaded and it was enough for a while.
“Thanks!” The machine gunner gave a thumbs-up to the soldier before resuming his mission to shoot at the Glings.
This scene happened on the east and the west sides of the base. The incoming swarm was within the expected range of the Headquarters but it also depended on the situation at the field. Any drastic change could possibly alter the delicate balance that the Transcendent Group and the Undead Race had made.
“Something is coming! Fast!” Long Wu shouted before a large, muscular Gling who walked with two legs came from the swarm and targeted him.
‘This energy…’ Long Wu was analyzing his new opponent while doing an evasive maneuver using his movement skill. The enemy let out the same transcendent energy as the Elves he had encountered so he already knew that the combat would not be easy.
The green-colored energy manifested as a small green thing that covered the body of the particular Gling.
Long Wu glanced upward and discovered that the flying Glings were all eliminated. Now he could focus on the ground where the battle had reached a new height. He had found out that the enemy was also cautious against them, using hit and run tactic to diminish the advantage of the black fog.
“Prepare yourself for a formidable opponent! Gain distance and then engage!” Hecates realized that the enemy had deployed a similar unit just like his Transcendent Group so he knew that now was the contest of who had better things at their disposal.
“Understood!” The other transcendents also saw the situation and knew that their opponent this time could even pose a threat to them. Especially since the transcendent energy the enemy Gling possessed was diametrically opposite to what they had, it made the battle even more threatening to their life.
As the group distanced from each other, the strong Glings mirrored them and followed as if this were a matchmaking process.
Long Wu faced his opponent. He gauged the possible reaction of his enemy in his mind and was surprised to feel that this one could do well against him.
‘So this is the first response the Queen had done, creating Glings with a transcendent energy source. Formidable too.’ Long Wu thought.
He also thought about ways to defeat the figure in front of him but he was still in the middle of thinking while the figure made the first move. The figure moved like a blur in Long Wu’s eyes and he realized the direction the figure had taken was…
Long Wu placed the dagger in front of him, holding it tightly. The next thing he felt was a mounting pressure as the dagger clashed with something hard. Long Wu barely followed the figure’s movement as a punch was made by the figure at Long Wu.
Long Wu’s body was pushed back a few meters. He gained a foothold as he finally used his movement skill. The figure also moved, and it hit one of the afterimages that Long Wu had made using the movement skill.
But Long Wu did not waste the opportunity to attack and the rest of the afterimage went after the figure.
All of them made a slashing move, and the figure responded quickly, protecting its head with its strong arms as it tried to block the attack.
Long Wu then altered the trajectory of his slash attack slightly, hitting something else. A spark and a feel like metal hitting metal could be heard. Long Wu instantly executed his movement skill to fall back as the opportunity had passed.
‘Even some of the things I perceive as weak points turned out to be quite strong. This cannot go on.’ Long Wu realized that he needed to increase his output. The figure in front of him was as formidable as some of the Transcendents he knew.