Apocalypse: Master of Soul Beasts

Chapter 471: Chapter 71: Hunting Group_2

Within the Spiritual Fluctuation, there seemed to be a magical power that compelled the rather dim-witted Soot Skin Demon Group to move with military precision to the front of the Demon Realm’s Gate from which they had emerged, and then line up.

Seeing this, a Soot Skin Demon Fiend, standing nearly three meters tall before the Demon Realm’s Gate, nodded slightly.

As the commander of this Demon Realm’s Gate and the great chieftain of the Samoglu Tribe, such a level of Control was a trivial matter for him.

Then, the Soot Skin Demon Fiend produced a black object resembling a leg bone and channeled a Spiritual Fluctuation into it...

”Reporting to the American Continent Command Headquarters: Demon Realm’s Gate 587, formation complete. We are not currently under attack by any native creatures. Please provide instructions...”

”Command Headquarters received. Remain in position. The Star Devouring Demon is en route to Demon Realm’s Gate 587. Await further support; Command Headquarters will issue your orders then!”

”Yes, my lord!”

The Soot Skin Demon Fiend spoke humbly into the communication device, as if the commander on the other end were standing right before him.

...Communication devices, a Command Headquarters, strategic tactics, an army, powerful experts, even strategic Weapons... The Demon Tribe possessed them all.

This was not merely a horde of Terrifying Demon Monsters that knew only slaughter and Evolution; this was a complete societal structure, a civilization!

The arrival of the Demon Realm’s Gate signified an all-out war between one civilization and another!

And it was clear that Earth was at an absolute disadvantage.

Time flew. In the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed since the Soot Skin Demon Fiend before Demon Realm’s Gate 587 had finished assembling his troops.

Demon Fiends of various types and levels continued to pour forth from the Demon Realm’s Gate. As soon as a Demon Fiend emerged, it would immediately fall into formation before the Demon Realm’s Gate, as directed by the Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader.

The Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader showed no sign of impatience.

After a moment, the bone-shaped communication device in the Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader’s hand suddenly vibrated.

”Demon Realm’s Gate 587, requesting combat orders from Command Headquarters!”

”Command Headquarters received. Issuing combat orders now!”

”Target: Los Angeles. Coordinates: XXX.XXX.XXX.”

”Demon Realm’s Gate 587, acknowledged!”

Upon receiving orders from the War Operations Command Center, an irrepressible killing intent and ferocity flashed across the Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader’s face.

Finally! Finally, they could indulge in slaughter and feast on delicious flesh!

Just as the Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader was about to lead his subordinates directly to the Los Angeles settlement, a cyan figure pushed through the Demon Fiends crowded before the Demon Realm’s Gate and strode out.

Its six-fingered cyan hand produced an oddly shaped instrument and calibrated it for some time before the Blue Tri-eyed Demon slowly nodded.

”Found it! Sequence Number 2!”

「...」

Seeing the black crystal on the Blue Tri-eyed Demon’s head, the Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader’s expression changed drastically. Before the Blue Tri-eyed Demon could approach, the Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader had already ordered all his tribesmen to kneel.

”My lord!”

Kneeling on the ground, the Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader dared not even raise his head, his tone so humble and respectful it was as if he were worshipping an ancestor.

”Mm.”

The Blue Tri-eyed Demon nodded slightly, ”Are you the Chief Commanding Officer of this Demon Realm’s Gate?”

”Yes, my lord.”

”Give me your communication device.”

Without a word, the Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader immediately handed over his communication device.

The Blue Tri-eyed Demon then immediately connected to the American War Operations Command Center.

”This is Argus. I have found Sequence Number 2. Sequence Number 4 is also with it...”

「...」

Argus communicated with the War Operations Command Center for a long time.

After a moment, Argus walked over to the Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader and tossed the communication device down in front of him.

”Your new combat orders. Listen for yourself.”

After speaking, Argus crossed his six arms and stood waiting before the Demon Realm’s Gate.

The Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader picked up the communication device, still kneeling, and listened carefully to the transmission.

”Combat target changed. New coordinates: XXX.XXX.XXX. The number of combat-capable units at the target is unknown, but three Sequence-class powerful experts are present there. Sequence Number 2 and Sequence Number 4 are located 30 kilometers from that position. Your objective: eliminate all life forms at the target location! Forces from nine other nearby teleportation gates will also converge on this area.”

The voice on the communicator paused briefly.

”Furthermore, you are to operate under Lord Argus’s command!”

”Understood!”

The Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader had no objections, or rather, dared not voice any. The hierarchy among the Demon Realm’s denizens was appallingly strict; Low-grade demonic creatures had to unconditionally obey the commands of high-level demon fiends.

The Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader cautiously raised his head, glanced at Argus—who stood with his three eyes narrowed and six arms crossed—and asked humbly, ”My lord, what are your orders?”

”Wait.”

Argus uttered the single word coldly, as if speaking even one more syllable to the Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader would be an insult to himself.

”Understood, my lord!”

All the Soot Skin Demon Fiends in the area remained kneeling silently, none daring to make the slightest movement.

Such was the authority of the Demon Hunting Group within the Demon Tribe. Their power was comparable to the Human Race Sequence. Throughout their long existence in the Demon Realm, these most terrifying Demon Fiends of their respective ranks had deeply ingrained the concept of their invincibility into the heart of every Demon Tribe member.

「Another half hour passed...」

Just as the Soot Skin Demon Fiend leader felt his legs growing numb from kneeling, the situation changed once more.

”Out of the way, trash!”

The first thing to emerge was a massive, hairy hand.

With a single swipe, its massive hand obliterated the Soot Skin Demon Group that had been blocking the Demon Realm’s Gate and streaming towards Earth. Following this, a terrifying Giant Beast, over ten meters tall, covered entirely in black fur, and wreathed in Demonic Qi, crawled out from within the Demon Realm’s Gate.

The Giant Beast surveyed its surroundings and immediately spotted Argus, the only one standing. A sinister grin touched its lips, and the black crystal on its forehead gleamed under the blood-red moonlight.

”Argus, I’ve arrived.”

After this simple greeting, the Giant Beast strode towards Argus.

Its immense weight caused the ground to crack with each step, a clear indication that the Giant Beast was far heavier than it appeared.

”Mm.”

Argus responded noncommittally.

The Giant Beast, unfazed and overly familiar, continued speaking as it approached Argus, ”Heard you found Sequence Number 2? We’re partnered up this time. The moment I heard I’d be with you, Argus, I knew this mission was guaranteed to succeed!”

”Don’t be complacent,” Argus warned. ”Sequence Number 2’s true strength, abilities, and profession are all unknown. A single careless move could be fatal.”

The Giant Beast scratched its head. ”I know, don’t worry. I won’t hold you back!”

From the Giant Beast’s attitude, it was clear Argus’s strength considerably surpassed its own.

After a moment, seeing Argus still standing motionless, eyes closed in meditation, the Giant Beast began to grow restless.

These damned Soot Skins, their stench is overwhelming!

Inferior creatures are just inferior creatures! the Giant Beast thought.

No longer able to bear the stench, the Giant Beast asked outright, ”Argus, isn’t the Hunting Group for Sequence Number 2 just the two of us? Why haven’t we departed yet?”

Argus glanced at the Giant Beast through narrowed eyes. That single look seemed to freeze the Giant Beast’s very Soul.

After a moment, Argus withdrew his gaze and said coolly, ”Sequence Number 2 and Sequence Number 4 are together. We must wait for Sequence Number 4’s Hunting Group. Otherwise, it’s two against two—too risky.”

”I... I understand.”

The Giant Beast swallowed hard.

「...」

Meanwhile, far off in the Red Stone Grand Canyon, Wen Yu and Qin Tian were already prepared for battle.

However, more than an hour had passed since the Demon Realm’s Gate’s arrival, and there was still no sign of movement from the Hunting Group.

Wen Yu had also asked Tang Haofei about the Hunting Group, but Tang Haofei couldn’t offer much detail. He only explained that each Hunting Group’s methods of appearance and engagement varied greatly; sharing specifics could easily mislead Wen Yu, so it was better left unsaid.

Thus, aside from knowing the Hunting Group was extremely powerful and likely consisted of more than one member, Wen Yu knew nothing else about them.

And the waiting was, undoubtedly, the most agonizing part...

After another half hour, the Demon Hunting Group, which held the initiative, was finally ready—or rather, their reinforcements had finally arrived.

「...」

Back at the Demon Realm’s Gate, just as the Giant Beast felt its sense of smell had become numb from the overpowering stench, the Hunting Group for Sequence Number 4 finally appeared.