Chapter 2005: The Heart of the Swarm

After seeing Sethem off, Sein could hardly wait to begin his experiments on the Cobalt Flame.

He even turned down his upcoming combat assignments and handed command directly to Belphane and Mel.

Doing this during wartime carried a certain degree of risk, but Sein simply could not resist.

Few beings from other worlds could understand the obsessive pursuit of truth that drove the mages of Magus World.

Fortunately, the war in Divine Descendants World was an overwhelming, full-scale campaign. Even without Sein’s direct involvement, there would be no major issues.

The Rank Six knight and Rank Four warlock were more than capable of leading the forces under him, including the God of Black Mist.

As Sein’s most trusted laboratory assistant, Yuri naturally remained in the planetary fortress’ laboratory to assist him with his experiments.

Fermera could no longer go out to fight either. As the strongest combatant at Sein’s side, she had to guard his immediate surroundings and prevent any outside disturbance from interfering with his experiments.

The planetary fortress also began activating its energy shields around the clock, providing Sein with the best possible environment.

Once Sein fully immersed himself in his experiments, Gongsun Wudi, who was stationed on the flank of his battlefield, eventually heard about it as well.

“I have learned that a Rank Six demon recently paid Master Sein a visit,” one of Gongsun Wudi’s Rank Four handmaidens stepped forward and reported.

Gongsun Wudi merely nodded and hummed in response, but said nothing more.

***

The Eastern Continent Battlefield...

James was a first lieutenant, as well as the commander of an automated assault squad.

According to the Gallant Federation’s military hierarchy, a first lieutenant was roughly equivalent to a Rank Two creature of the Astral Realm.

Over the course of his long military career, Lieutenant James had led his squad in eliminating more than one Rank Two creature.

However, most of those achievements had taken place while he was fighting in the Witt Galaxy.

Back then, large numbers of undead creatures and chimera beasts had appeared in the Federation’s rear lines. Lieutenant James’ mission had been to cooperate with the fleet and eliminate those monsters.

It was also during that period of war that James rapidly rose from an ordinary corporal with no notable background to the rank of lieutenant.

Given James’s combat achievements in the Divine Descendants Star Domain, it would have been entirely reasonable for his superiors to promote him to captain!

But now, that chance was gone.

There were not enough supplies. No adequate reinforcements. Even communications with the Gallant Federation headquarters, far beyond the star domain, had been completely severed.

Forget being promoted to captain. Right now, even the lives of Lieutenant James and the more than one hundred men under his command were hanging by a thread.

James still remembered the last time he had spoken with a major at the base. That man, who looked even younger than James, had already suffered a complete nervous breakdown.

Not all soldiers were tough, hardened warriors. They feared death too.

Yet death seemed to be their only fate, because none of them were willing to surrender.

At the time, the major, whose emotions had spiraled completely out of control, grabbed James by the shoulders and shook him hard.

“If we can get out of this damned world alive, you’ll be promoted! Not just to captain—maybe even to major! And me? I could become a colonel. Maybe even a senior colonel!”

After his hysterical outburst, the young major seemed to lose all strength and slumped back into his chair.

“But it’s over. We’re going to die here,” he said.

James said little in response. He was a middle-aged man who had always carried himself with quiet composure.

He merely looked at the young major, now drained of strength, then picked up a blanket and draped it over him.

After that, James left the major’s office and headed toward the combat zone under his command.

When the two master sergeants under his command could not help but approach him to ask about the situation, James answered with unwavering certainty.

“Our reinforcements are on their way! Hold out for another 1,320 quantum ticks!” Lieutenant James said, his gaze sweeping across the soldiers around him.

1,320 quantum ticks.

Upon hearing Lieutenant James’s reply, the two master sergeants exchanged a glance. The soldiers nearby lowered their heads.

According to the reconnaissance data provided by the frontline robots, the swarm would arrive in 360 quantum ticks![1]

And judging from how quickly these swarms had destroyed other fortress bases in the past, how long could their own base possibly hold out?

Their strongest weapons were only B307 ion turrets, whose destructive power was roughly comparable to a mid-stage Rank Three attack.

Could they even last ten quantum ticks?[2]

Ten quantum ticks was probably enough for the swarm to breach the base, trample over their corpses, and leave only ruins behind.

Invincible.

Unstoppable.

That was the Gallant Federation garrison fleet’s assessment of the Insectoids on the Divine Descendants World battlefield.

Perhaps Daybreak II Cluster Base, located not that far from them, could hold off the swarm for a little while. After all, it was guarded by a giant Rank Four mobile suit.

Still, no one could guarantee how things would actually play out because the federal legions stationed on the Divine Descendants World battlefield had yet to win a single battle against the Insectoids.

They had not even managed to slow them down for a moment!

As the sun set, Lieutenant James arrived at the frontline under his command.

The sunset on Divine Descendants World always carried a dreamlike, ethereal hue. Looking at the sea of crimson clouds on the horizon, he could not help but think of blood.

“It reminds me of my homeworld, Ida III,” James suddenly said, turning to the soldiers beside him. “There, it is always daytime, and half the population lives in underground cities.”

His words caused the soldiers around him to think of their own homeworlds.

They had all once had homes of their own, but today, they were going to die here.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

A series of urgent alerts sounded from James’s shoulder.

The swarm was approaching far faster than expected.

They had reached the outskirts of the base 120 quantum ticks[3] earlier than expected.

The Insectoids were already breaking through the Gallant Federation’s self-propelled artillery line and the minefields deployed before the base.

Given their fearless nature and terrifying speed, they could close the distance and engage in melee combat within two quantum ticks[4].

At that moment, every robot inside the fortress switched to emergency combat mode.

Even the few remaining drones shot out of the base at breakneck speed, racing into the sky to scout ahead and intercept the approaching swarm.

“Prepare for battle!” James barked into his communicator before striding toward the photomagnetic turret beside him.

The turret was powerful enough to melt the flesh of a Rank Two creature. As danger closed in, James chose to stand shoulder to shoulder with his soldiers.

Time passed, second by second.

The shrill screeching of countless insects grew louder with every passing moment.

Soon, clusters of pitch-black dots appeared on the horizon.

Every soldier stationed there recognized them immediately...

Winged Drakons—flying Insectoids capable of launching ranged attacks.

The moment the Winged Drakons appeared, the pressure bearing down on the defenders increased dramatically.

Most Winged Drakons possessed combat strength comparable to Rank Two creatures.

Even Lieutenant James, who appeared calm on the surface, felt a bead of sweat slowly slide down his cheek beneath his combat suit.

He held his breath, his eyes fixed on the battlefield ahead... Then, without warning, a gigantic horn nearly a hundred meters long burst from the ground beneath the base!

A Thunder Beast!

Explosions and energy beams instantly rained down on the Thunder Beast’s enormous head as it reared into the air.

Its ground-shaking roar echoed across the battlefield, delivering a single message to every soldier in the base—the swarm had arrived!

Like a black tide stretching across the sky, endless waves of Insectoids smashed through the outer artillery line, then poured into the heart of the base.

Many Swiftlings still had mechanical arms and gun barrels, twisted completely out of shape, wedged between their fangs.

High above, Winged Drakons streaked across the sky, unleashing wave after wave of deep-yellow energy spheres onto the base.

Explosions erupted everywhere. Dense clouds of yellow smoke swallowed the entire base, inside and out.

The furious roar of the electromagnetic cannons gradually fell silent.

The soldiers already knew how this battle would end.

As expected, they did not even last ten quantum ticks.

To be precise, the battle lasted only four and a half quantum ticks[5].

Then the endless swarm surged onward, leaving nothing behind.

Even Daybreak II Cluster Base, the command hub for the surrounding region, was nothing more than a tiny boat caught in a raging storm.

1. The original translation of “quantum tick” was “quantum hour”. However, in a much later raw chapter, 30,000 quantum ticks is revealed to be equivalent to approximately 7,500 sandglasses/minutes in our world. I have therefore changed the translation. Fortunately, this (minimally) affected only chapters 1378, 1492, and 1853.

Anyway, this means that the lieutenant and his men must hold out for approximately 330 minutes, or 5.5 hours. However, the swarm will arrive in approximately 90 minutes, or 1.5 hours. ☜

2. Could they even last for 2.5 minutes? ☜

3. Hey, y’all were supposed to arrive in 1.5 hours, but you guys ended up coming 30 minutes earlier?! RUDE. ☜

4. They’re making contact in half a minute!! ☜

5. Yeah, they thought they were gonna last 2.5 minutes, but they lasted only 1.12 minutes. GG RIP guys. At least the death was instant. ☜