Chapter 324: Facing Darkness and the Chaos Realm

Inside the defensive line.

Silent and still, only the breeze brushing past and the engine's roar created an atmosphere that made the auxiliary army soldiers on guard duty or on patrol feel heavy‑hearted.

Facing a rift that defies physical law, which could at any moment shatter completely and release a demon army, these 'mortals' who fight side by side with the wild wolves are not only free of confusion and fear, but each is resolute.

After all, the 'big brother' they respect and admire, who is ready to face darkness alongside them, stands not far away.

At this moment, on the lookout platform protruding from the defensive line, there is the OriginalBody, having donned the Wolf King Armor and reaching a staggering height of 4.9 meters, and also the 'big brother' looked up to by the auxiliary army, the wild wolves, and the wolf cubs—Rus.

Rus's Wolf King Armor likewise bears small decorations matching the legion's style, such as beast fangs, beast bones, and a cloak of wild beast pelts—or rather, the legion has this style because of his personal habit.

At his left and right waist hang the Frost Sword and Frost Axe, two divine weapons personally forged by the smith god Hephestus, which in the afternoon sunlight gleam with a chilling blue light.

And Rus…

Yet he rarely puts away the hearty smile usually on his face; his expression is solemn, brows furrowed as he stares at the rift.

The interspatial storm raged for nearly three hours.

During this time, he needed to coordinate, organize, and defend, analyzing which colony planet required evacuation, how the civilian evacuation was progressing, and the casualty count was rapidly climbing…

When the death toll surpassed a hundred million, then a billion, several billion, Rus only felt the weight on his shoulders growing heavier, to the point he could barely breathe.

Although everything was the best decision for the current situation, behind the numbers are living lives, living people…

Thinking of the deaths of billions of compatriots, Rus felt increasingly oppressed and exhausted, even missing the talkative Rog, the taciturn John, the paralyzed Leon, and the other brothers.

If Rog helped him defend, Angelong shared the clearing duties with him, and Kelakesi led the Dark Crows in guerrilla tactics, the casualty count could absolutely be kept to a minimum.

But Rus knows full well that each brother cannot easily leave his post, or else only more casualties would result.

Now, he and the troops he leads must be at the front lines as bait; only by 'following' the evil god demon's expectations and plans can that gods' chosen one be drawn out of the interspatial realm.

"Hah…"

Rus drew a heavy breath, steadied his mind, and led several whom he called 'head wolves' of the Honor Guard, turning away from the lookout platform, moving through the trench lines to patrol.

When they arrived at the area under the responsibility of the UNSC 214th Airborne Division…

"Commander, aren't you afraid?"

?

Rus halted, slightly turned his body to look left.

It turned out to be a young‑looking soldier with his helmet raised who asked him a question, and the soldier's face looked quite familiar.

Looking again at the soldier's left chest armor identification number and the name 'Lin Hong', Rus instantly recalled the scene twelve years ago when, following his father's instructions, he personally placed medals on two children.

This Lin Hong is very likely the eldest son of Lin Shengsheng.

Who would have thought this child would actually follow his father's footsteps, becoming a UNSC soldier and moreover an airborne trooper.

Immediately, Rus did not expose Lin Hong's identity, nor mention the already sacrificed Lin Shengsheng, but instead broke out into a hearty laugh:

"Hahaha! Fear is a creature's instinct; you say I won't be afraid?"

Speaking, Rus pointed his right hand at Lin Hong's chest and continued: 'But every point of strength, courage, and confidence accumulated in your soul comes from your repeatedly facing fear.'

And the source of strength, courage, and confidence…

"Soldier, you're already standing here; do you still need me to explain the source? Hahaha, all of you raise your vigilance—those ugly things could attack again at any moment!"

Having received clarification and encouragement from the OriginalBody, and also hearing the OriginalBody's reminder, Lin Hong and the surrounding soldiers all saluted:

"Yes! Commander!"

"Hmm."

Rus also raised his hand to return the salute.

Putting his hand down, he then led several head wolves away from here to continue patrolling the defensive line.

Not long after…

"Crack—crack~ splash—!"

!!

Hearing the violent sound like glass shattering, Rus turned his gaze toward the rift before anyone else.

Only to see the distorted space completely unable to maintain stability, reflecting the surrounding scenery like shards of a mirror sliding off one by one, causing the fissure to rapidly collapse and expand.

Immediately, the chaos realm deep within the interspatial space was directly exposed before Rus and everyone's eyes, and the shattered rift is the bridge from the chaos realm to the physical universe.

Only to see the sky within the Chaos Realm filthy, with lightning and thunder, seemingly forever shrouded in red and purple light.

Under this sky that never sees day, the ground is not barren or desolate, but rather covered with orchards and estates, and within them, in the midst of 'labor', are either naked bodies or handsome 'men and women' clad in light gauze.

At the edge of the distant lake lies a vast complex of buildings, and at its center stands a grand ancient Greek‑style temple,

Of course, from Rus and everyone's viewpoint, they cannot directly observe the Chaos Realm's various 'strange', 'other', and 'perverted' sights.

Because an endless demon army is continuously pouring through the fully opened rift, emerging from the Chaos Realm and setting foot on the land of Fenris.

The main body of the army is undoubtedly fallen divine servants.

Although likewise driven by instinctual desire, these loyal servants of the Olympian gods still observe discipline, knowing how to coordinate and provide cover.

Besides these fallen divine servants, there are also countless mutated, twisted, or bloated and rotting 'pure' interspatial beings.

Their massive bodies, with bloody behemoths flapping double wings behind them, fly in formation with the divine servants; each flap sprays 'blood mist' and 'frenzy', 'scorching' the clean, cloud‑free sky of Fenris.

There are also purple‑skinned beings with serpent tails, much smaller than the blood behemoths, possessing dual‑sex characteristics, and whose form and appearance also meet human aesthetic standards as 'alluring snake demons'.

These snake demons twist their bodies while making seductive gestures at the soldiers stationed on the defensive line, simultaneously releasing a pale pink 'aura' to the utmost extent to bewitch and lure.

"Woo~ ya ya~!"

On the contrary, innumerable 'little things' cheer and jump, weaving and running between the formations of the divine servants.

These 'little things' are insignificant compared to the behemoths and snake demons, having a light green, viscous body covered with various pustules.

If the divine servants march inattentively, they might step on and crush them; if they encounter uneven terrain, they will deliberately tumble and roll, looking rather comical.

It seems these alternative 'sprites'…… 'filth spirits' are truly simple, treating the march as an outing, following instinct to play.

But…

But any ground stepped on or walked over by them quickly becomes eroded; the green grass withers and rots, the soil turns into muck, and even the air begins to emit a faint green "marsh gas", rapidly polluting everything they reach.

!!

Even with some combat experience and having prepared mentally, when the soldiers see such a massive demon army with their own eyes, they still feel shocked, fearful, and hesitant.

The troll's earth‑shattering roar and the serpent demon's seductive form constantly assault the mind.

"Ha! The scum finally dares to appear!"

Yet Rus sneers, draws his frost sword with his left hand, raises his frost axe with his right, unleashes pure Spiritual Energy from his body to swiftly envelop the entire front, and roars:

"Soldiers! Before you stand a pack of cowardly, weak‑hearted, desire‑driven scum! They are trash polluted by Spiritual Energy, driven by instinct to satisfy their own lusts!

We are defenders of home and people! Warriors of faith and conviction! For our families and children behind us, kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Ah—! Ah—!"

As Rus finishes speaking, the wild wolves and wolf pups immediately emit the metallic battle cry unique to their legion.

With Rus's Spiritual Energy shelter and the OriginalBody's inherent deterrent, the soldiers also roar, and morale soars to its peak.

At this moment…

Ri～!!

The Destroyer and ten Gorgon‑class adjustment ships tilt their hulls; then the bow begins to flash with a pale‑blue charging glow, and then…

Swoosh———!

25‑ton and 35‑ton tungsten‑iron alloy projectiles burst forth almost silently, sparing ground troops from "excessive volume" friendly fire, while instantly emitting an intensely bright, straight blue‑light trajectory across the sky.

Boom!! Boom!!

Finally, the projectiles slip through the fissures into the Chaos Wheel Realm and smash into the gathering demon army; their kinetic impact creates a cataclysmic, world‑shattering effect.

The ground rolls and collapses rapidly, mercilessly devouring the assembling demons, and the entire Chaotic Realm trembles.

"Boom!! Boom!!"

Only after the electromagnetic cannon array fires in unison and, after seconds of earth‑splitting devastation, do the soldiers hear the violent clash.

But the Chaotic Realm lies in an alternate dimension; the destruction caused by the synchronized EM‑cannon fire restores itself in an instant, and the demons continue to gather and march.

Seeing this.

The captains no longer try to destroy the source directly, but let the Destroyer and the Gorgon's plasma side‑cannons bombard the demon forces that have already stepped onto Fenris's surface.

At this point on the front line.

Mobile fortresses, siege tanks and other armored units equipped with heavy artillery also launch continuous bombardments.

The demons, of course, do not remain idle.

They also unleash purple and green Spiritual Shock, like plasma‑cannon barrages, mixed with countless Spiritual Energy‑filled arrows, raining down on the human front.

"Roar!!"

Dozens of Bloody Ogres emit Spiritual Energy roars, spread their wings and charge at the Destroyer and the Gorgons.

Howling and explosions erupt together, and in an instant both sides officially commence war.

The demons possess Spiritual Energy shields, and the human side also has energy shields.

To rely on brute force to crush human warships, the mid‑tier Bloody Ogre, a blood‑soaked demon, is intercepted by fifty Alpha Wolf Guard troops equipped with centurion bio‑exoskeletons, engaging in an aerial battle above.

The Bloody Ogre tries to tear through the centurion's diamond‑shaped "◇" shield with its claws, while the centurion uses pulse, gauss cannons, and a dedicated power axe to try to split the ogre's barrier.

Each ship‑borne squadron actively avoids the fighting centurions and ogres to evade stray damage, while providing fire suppression for ground troops.

And the ground…

"Tap tap tap!"

"Bang! Bang!"

"Die! Die, scum!"

"Aaah! For Fenris!!"

The ground battle is even fiercer and remains the main arena contested by both sides.

A total of forty‑thousand wild wolves and wolf pups, unafraid, surge out of the trenches, wielding explosive arrow guns, Chain Swords, Chain Saws, and other Astate‑exclusive weapons, forming a frontline with their giant bodies to shield the mortal comrades behind them.

This time, the Krigs do not charge recklessly; instead, together with support troops and UNSC soldiers, they spray ammunition to the fullest, assisting the Astates in fighting the demons.

From above, observation.

The demons surge from the fissures like a flood, meeting the dam built by Astates and mortal warriors.

As the demons continuously pour out of the fissures, the earth and sky also decay, gradually taking on the appearance of the Chaotic Realm.

At the same time, portals appear across Fenris's surface; one could say that from the start of the clash, the demons already held the initiative.

Therefore…

It is not that the Astates and mortal warriors built a dam to try to block the demon army around the fissures; in fact they are being encircled by the demon army.

If one observes within the gravitational sphere of Fenris…

There are thirteen fissures, each over a hundred kilometers in diameter, allowing interdimensional beings large enough to contend with warships to "wander" into real space and clash with the human fleet stationed in low Earth orbit.

A nearly fifty‑kilometer‑long, ghostly "whale" makes a single flip, then opens its blood‑filled maw to swallow two Gorgon‑class ships whole.

There is also an "octopus" of comparable size, whose massive suction‑cup‑covered tentacles wrap around and squeeze human warships.

Today's human navy, dominant in mobility, firepower, and numbers as the absolute ruler of the Orion arm, nevertheless finds itself passive and at a disadvantage against interdimensional beings that treat the universe as an ocean to roam.

Now the planet Fenris is gradually being cloaked in blood‑red.

But Fenris has not fallen.

The front line set by Rus still stands on the surface fissures; even though stellar light is blocked by blood‑red clouds, comrades keep falling yet morale only climbs, showing no sign of collapse.

Because…

"Puff! Pfft!"

Regardless of the type of demon, strong or weak, a blinding "whirlwind" dismembers and tears them apart, blood and flesh flying everywhere.

In the mêlée, Rus, exerting himself to brandish the frost axe and frost sword, had already left the ranks, even throwing far behind his following guards, charging alone deep into the formation of demons and divine servants; wherever he went, no demon could withstand him.

The presence of an OriginalBody that utterly crushes demons, together with the resolve to protect the populace, is the source of the soldiers' courage to confront fear and their high morale.

(End of chapter)