Chapter 112: Hope of humanity

Some people cried.

Others covered their mouths in disbelief.

Many simply stood motionless, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing.

They had prepared for an invasion.

They had expected monsters to attack the cities.

But they had never imagined that the energy accompanying the invasion would transform the very creatures living on their planet.

And they had certainly never imagined that countless human beings would be caught in the middle of it.

The president of Arvia stared at the unfolding catastrophe, his face drained of color.

"How many people are still outside the barriers?"

Nobody answered immediately. Then a military officer lowered his head.

"Millions, Your Excellency."

The president closed his eyes.

For several seconds, he remained completely motionless.

When he finally opened them again, his gaze was filled with anguish.

"May humanity survive this night."

Fifteen minutes after midnight, the crimson radiance finally began to recede but a red hue remained there.

The monsters that had descended through the spatial fractures spread across the world, while the transformed creatures prowled through the devastated settlements.

The skies gradually darkened again.

The unnatural light faded, leaving behind a world that was no longer the same.

Forests had become hunting grounds for monstrous beasts.

Abandoned towns were filled with terrifying creatures.

The oceans concealed enormous silhouettes moving beneath their darkened surfaces.

And beyond the protective barriers, the cries of the unfortunate gradually disappeared beneath the roars of the monsters.

Only the fortress cities remained illuminated.

Their transparent barriers shimmered in the darkness, protecting the last organized concentrations of humanity from the terrifying energy that had swept across the planet.

Inside Aurora City, nobody spoke.

Noah stared beyond the barrier, his weapon trembling slightly in his hand.

Henry’s face had become deathly pale.

Sofia stood motionless, unable to tear her eyes away from the devastated landscape.

The president and his military officers looked equally horrified.

They had survived the first fifteen minutes.

But the world outside had become a nightmare.

Arthur stood at the front of the group, his gaze fixed on the distant darkness.

"So, the apocalypse has begun."

Arthur muttered as he watched the horrifying scene unfolding before him.

According to his memories of his previous life, the scale of this apocalypse was at least two or three times greater than before.

He knew the reason. The average strength of players at the time of the apocalypse was now two or three times greater than it had been in his previous life. Consequently, the monsters emerging from the spatial cracks were also far more terrifying, and the radiation accompanying their arrival was spreading across the world with unprecedented intensity.

Nevertheless, Arthur had managed to save most of the people inside the fortress cities.

In his previous life, only those playing the game when the apocalypse began and wealthy individuals with sufficiently advanced security systems had survived the initial catastrophe along with some lucky common people.

This time, Arthur had changed that outcome.

However, millions of people had still perished.

He couldn’t save everyone. There had simply been too little time, and too many variables had changed beyond his expectations.

Arthur took a deep breath before turning his attention toward the approaching monsters.

Countless grotesque creatures were advancing toward Aurora City. Some had emerged directly from the spatial cracks, while others had once been ordinary humans and animals before the radiation transformed them into horrifying monsters.

The same catastrophe was unfolding across the entire world.

Yet the players stationed along the fortress walls and the military personnel defending the city stood frozen in terror.

Some gripped their weapons with trembling hands, while others instinctively stepped backward.

"That... that thing used to be a human, didn’t it?" a young player whispered.

Another stared at the strange energy surrounding the monsters.

"What happens if that radiation touches us? Will we turn into those things, too?"

Nobody answered.

They had fought monsters inside the game, but this was different. The danger was real, and the consequences of failure were irreversible.

The terrifying roars accompanying the radiation had shattered their morale.

Arthur understood their fear, but he couldn’t allow it to spread.

Humanity was standing at the edge of an abyss. If its defenders lost the will to fight, the consequences would be disastrous.

He clenched his fist.

"Humanity needs hope. Then I, Arthur Miller, will become that hope."

Snap!

Arthur snapped his fingers.

Immediately, 1,100 Shadow Soldiers emerged from the darkness, followed by eleven imposing figures.

The eleven Shadow Generals.

They stood in a neat formation behind Arthur, their overwhelming pressure spreading across the fortress walls.

"What is that?! Have the monsters broken through?" a soldier shouted.

Several players instinctively prepared to flee.

However, someone soon recognized the figures.

"Wait! They’re Darklord’s summons! I saw them fighting in the Atlantian Empire!"

The surrounding players turned toward the enormous formation in disbelief.

They had witnessed Arthur’s shadow army before, but they had never imagined he possessed so many summons.

A middle-aged player swallowed nervously.

"He’s an entire army by himself."

Even the strongest players felt chills running down their spines. The eleven Shadow Generals, in particular, radiated an overwhelming presence that made them seem almost godlike.

"My King, what are your orders?" Atlas asked respectfully.

Arthur glanced at the approaching monsters.

"Each of you will take one hundred Shadow Soldiers and eliminate the monsters outside. Go all out. There’s no need to restrain yourselves."

"As you wish, My King!"

The eleven generals immediately organized their forces.

However, Arthur didn’t open the main barrier.

The radiation outside could transform ordinary humans and animals into monsters. If it entered the city, countless people who lacked sufficient strength to resist it would be infected.

Arthur raised his hand and created a secondary barrier beneath the main defensive barrier, isolating a small section of the barrier.

As the administrator of the barrier, he could control its functions. He opened a narrow passage through the secondary barrier while using his own protective field to prevent the radiation from entering the city.

"Go."

The Shadow Generals bowed before leading their respective units through the opening.

Once all eleven units had departed, Arthur restored the secondary barrier, leaving the main defensive barrier completely intact.

Then he turned his attention toward the rest of humanity.

Humanity needed more than protection. It needed proof that these monsters could be defeated.

Snap!

Across the world, the defensive barriers surrounding every fortress city suddenly illuminated.

Massive projections appeared above them, displaying the same figure.

Arthur Miller.

Players and soldiers stopped what they were doing and stared at the unexpected broadcast.

"Is that Darklord?"

"What is he planning?"

Inside military command centers, officials abandoned their discussions to watch the mysterious transmission.

Arthur stood calmly before the barrier.

"Hello, everyone. I am Darklord."

His voice echoed throughout every fortress city with a solemn tone of a monarch talking to his subjects about the war.

"Humanity is currently facing an existential crisis. I won’t lie to you and promise that everyone will survive. We are facing an unprecedented disaster, and many of us may not live to see tomorrow."

His blunt words silenced the crowds.

However, his expression soon hardened.

"But don’t think these filthy bastards are enough to destroy humanity. They may be terrifying, but they are not invincible."