Capítulo 1459: -1440- [ Arachnell-class ]
Within Freon's field of vision, the screen displayed a three-dimensional image of Mistgun, surrounded by countless red dots rapidly approaching.
The scene resembled a red storm engulfing Mistgun, and it looked terrifying.
Freon knew all too well what those red dots represented.
They were all Armored Beetles.
What did this mean?
It meant that if each red dot represented an individual Armored Beetle, then a storm of such magnitude was approaching, one that could engulf the entirety of Mistgun.
How many Armored Beetles were there?
Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? Perhaps even more?
"Switch to live footage!"
Freon immediately ordered, and the screen in front of her flashed, projecting the sky outside of Mistgun.
But the instant the projection appeared, it made everyone present break out in cold sweat.
A dense swarm, like a plague of locusts, was approaching Mistgun's air defense zone.
These were creatures with red compound eyes, resembling giant flies, but with sleek, mechanical bodies that emitted a sickening presence.
Each of these Armored Beetles was about two meters long, resembling small personal aircraft, but they had sharp forelimbs and fangs, and constantly vibrating wings that induced a sense of revulsion.
"Arachnell-class..."
Freon muttered the classification of these Armored Beetles.
—Arachnell-class.
They were the weakest of all Armored Beetles.
They were the smallest of the small-sized class, with the weakest individual strength, but from another perspective, they posed the greatest threat to humanity.
This was because their numbers were terrifyingly large.
One of the main reasons humanity was forced to abandon the mainland and live in the skies was that the Arachnell-class Armored Beetles had multiplied to the point of covering the entire world.
To put this in perspective, the human population once numbered in the billions, yet no one ever claimed that humanity had filled every inch of the earth.
But the Arachnell-class had done just that.
Their numbers were beyond calculation. Even though countless had been exterminated by humanity, they still swarmed like locusts, innumerable.
Compared to these Arachnell-class beetles, the human population might now be on par with a once nearly extinct endangered species.
In the past, the first creatures to appear in the human world and begin massacring humans were these Armored Beetles.
So, while their individual strength was low, if you look at the statistics, they have undoubtedly killed the most humans.
Now, an alarming number of Arachnell-class beetles were flying over from the other side of the sky, like a black tide, densely packed and surging forward, making people's skin crawl.
On the three-dimensional map, those red dots were all Arachnell-class beetles.
Compared to them, the blue dots representing Mistgun's Sky Wizards were pitifully few, like drops of water that could be swallowed by the red storm at any moment.
If this massive swarm of Arachnell-class beetles managed to breach Mistgun's air defense zone, it wouldn't take the involvement of a Variant to cause devastation; their sheer numbers alone would be enough to crush the floating city, causing it to fall.
Realizing the dire situation, Freon quickly conducted a series of inquiries.
"How is the civilian evacuation progressing?"
"Nearly complete."
"What about the heads of the divisions and the Academy Director?"
"They have all taken refuge in the shelters."
"Have all the available Sky Wizard squads been deployed?"
"Yes, all squads except the guiding E-Class squads and the S128 Special Squad have been deployed to intercept the Arachnell-class."
"And the maintenance of the air defense barriers?"
"The barriers are currently stable, but they are only using standard mana. If the Arachnell-class launches a coordinated attack, the barriers won't hold for more than 30 minutes unless we use the new energy source developed by the Mage King. However, the supply is limited, and it can only be activated with the permission of the Mage King or by unanimous decision of the Council. Before evacuating, the division heads and the Academy Director authorized the Sky Wizard Division Head to make that decision."
Hearing this, Freon, who had quickly grasped the situation, nodded.
In matters of fighting Armored Beetles, the authority of the Sky Wizard Division Head surpassed that of Mistgun's highest authority, the Academy Director.
After all, the Academy Director was just an ordinary person, and the other division heads were not specialized in combat. Only the Sky Wizards bore the responsibility of battling the Armored Beetles. As the head of the Sky Wizard Division, Freon now held the highest authority in Mistgun.
So...
"Order all deployed squads to prioritize protecting Mistgun. Disperse them in the direction of the incoming Armored Beetles!"
Freon decisively issued the command.
"Have the vanguard squads fall back. When the first wave of enemies arrives, focus on long-range attacks from the rearguard with shooting, sniping, and artillery to annihilate as many Arachnell-class beetles as possible. Any that manage to get through will be taken down by the middle guard's artillery. The vanguard will remain on standby to eliminate any stragglers. Do not let a single Armored Beetle reach Mistgun!"
"Understood! What about the S128 Special Squad?"
"I will personally contact and command them!"
With that, Freon took out a communication crystal inscribed with a small rune and placed it on her ear.
"Can you hear me, Chloe?"
The voice was transmitted, and a response came immediately.
"This is Chloe Sevegny of the S128 Special Squad. I can hear you."
Chloe's voice came through the communication crystal.
Freon, without hesitation, gave her orders with a stern expression.
"The Arachnell-class is vast in number. It's impossible to wipe them all out. To protect Mistgun, we must force them to retreat."
This was not just wishful thinking.
Although the Arachnell-class moved in large groups and always acted collectively, they lacked intelligence. Without a leader to guide them, they would wander off unless there was a clear target.
If that was the case...
"You understand your mission, don't you?"
Freon spoke firmly.
"Yes, I understand," Chloe replied with her usual gentle laugh. "The S128 Special Squad will penetrate the enemy ranks, locate the Variant controlling the Arachnell-class, and eliminate it."
"Good." Freon's expression softened slightly. "I'm counting on you."
"Understood." Chloe responded before ending the call.
...
At the same time, in the vast, clear sky...
"You heard that, Kanata? Yuri?"
Chloe, dressed in a robe-like protective suit and holding a magic cannon staff, smiled at her teammates.
"Yeah, I've been waiting for this."
Kanata, dressed in a combat-style protective suit and wielding a jet-black magic cannon sword, grinned with fighting spirit.
"Chloe-senpai..."
Yuri, also dressed in a protective suit and holding a crimson spear, had a determined look on her face.
"Then..."
Chloe turned to face the massive swarm of Armored Beetles ahead.
"S128 Special Squad, move out!"
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