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Chapter 580: One On One With The Zerg

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The dark ones threw themselves at Wang Tong with abandon, flapping their bat wings and shooting hundreds of bone shards at him. Seeing that the bone shards were ineffective, they closed in and attacked him using bone spears. However, in the end, all of the dark ones met their maker at the tip of Wang Tong's lance.

As Wang Tong slaughtered these dark ones who had gotten close to him, he also cast mastery spells at the ones further away, causing mayhem among the mass of dark ones.

In half an hour, the ground was covered with dark ones' dead bodies. Suddenly, the dark ones stopped their charge all at once. Even Linmo was caught off guard by the turn of events. He smirked again, urging his soldiers to charge at Wang Tong, but to no avail.

The dark ones' order was to capture Wang Tong alive, and after having sacrificed so many lives of their own, they knew that the mission was impossible. Unwilling to end their lives in a meaningless task, the dark ones disobeyed their master's order for the first time.

Linmo shrieked again, this time doubling the severity in his tone. Finally, a few dark ones flew toward Wang Tong reluctantly. With a few clanks of metal against the bones, the sky rained green blood and flesh onto the dark ones on the ground. They knew that this was the blood and flesh of their own kind.

For some reason that no dark one could explain, they felt a sense of dread, and the desire to live. They realized how fragile they were, and how little they were worth. Most important of all, they felt fear. They feared for their lives, and feared losing all the things that they enjoyed while they were alive.

Death used to carry less weight than the fluffy clouds in the sky to the Zerg race. However, only a few generations after the first dark one who could sense pain was born, they started to fear death. Life was good, so why would they give it up unnecessarily? As soon as they questioned the order, they started to defy it.

Linmo shouted again with as much authority and threat as he could muster. Fearing their leader's ire, the dark ones' panicked; however, not a single dark one was willing to meet his death still.

Wang Tong was pleasantly surprised by the development. His initial intent was to attract the attention of the dark ones. This was necessary considering that the huge number of enemies inside the city would easily overwhelm three hundred human soldiers. Wang Tong wanted to lure the most powerful dark ones out of the city, so that Yin Tianzong could protect the casters after they sneaked in.

"YOU!"

KOM!

A fire dragon flew toward Linmo. Wang Tong noticed that this city lord looked much bigger than average dark ones, and his armor was also of exceptional quality. Wang Tong wagered that he ought to be a high ranking dark one in the dark lord's court.

Linmo waved an arm and diverted the fire dragon, his face awash with anger.

"Stop screaming! Why don't you fight me instead?"

The other dark ones also heard Wang Tong's taunt. Knowing that the powerful human warrior was not coming after them, some dark ones heaved a deep sigh of relief. At the same time, some lamented about how difficult their situation was after being sandwiched in between the wicked master and the deadly human warrior.

All the dark ones looked toward B-Linmo, waiting to see his reaction for Wang Tong's challenge. At first, Linmo was taken aback by this human's taunt, but he quickly gathered himself and plastered a confident look on his face. He knew that if he backed down right now, he would have lost the control over these dark ones forever.

Wang Tong had never been so intrigued by a dark one ever since he arrived on Mars. He registered that this dark one's action would reveal to him a whole new aspect of Zergs.

Wang Tong's face was lit up with glee when he saw the Zerg lord fly into the air to meet him. This one on one fight would be as uneventful as that with any other dark ones. However, this turn of events was a tell-tale sign that the dark ones were picking up bad habits from their human genes.

After millions of years of steady evolution, humans not only knew their weakness well, but they had also gotten very good at handling them. However, the dark ones were known to their human traits, and therefore, they did not know what to do with them yet.

"Ah, Attaboy! " Wang Tong smirked.

"Very well, we will do it as you humans would. If you lose the battle, you and your band of soldiers need to admit defeat." B-Linmo said with a smug smirk on his face

Although the Zergs considered humans as the inferior race, they held a different attitude toward the really strong and powerful ones among humans. The Blade Warrior, for example, was even highly praised by the dark ones for his combat and strategic skills.

The thought of subjugating the heir of the Blade Warrior brought a smile on Linmo's face.

"What if you lose?" Wang Tong asked.

Without witnessing the human side of the dark one, Wang Tong would have already unleashed death onto Linmo. However, he was intrigued by what would happen if he played along.

"Lose? Haha, I will let you live if I lose." Linmo rolled his eyes at Wang Tong.

Linmo was a terrible liar, and Wang Tong knew it, so he couldn't help but chuckle at the dark one's failed attempt to beguile.

The thought of a lying dark one also made Wang Tong lighthearted. Perhaps Linmo could not represent all the dark ones, but it at least signaled the slow transition of characteristics due to the dark ones' special genes.

The Zergs had gained the upper hand in the war; however, humans' comeback would hurt them much more after they had grown content. Wang Tong wagered that his surprise attack would have ushered a whole new array of emotions onto the dark ones.

Seeing Wang Tong unruffled by his threat, Linmo charged up his soul energy as the energy crystal on his body started to glow. A wide and heavy bone blade protruded out from under his right arm.

The scene agitated the throng of dark ones on the ground. The few higher level ones— judging by the color and size of their METAL—extended their wings and flapped them a couple of times while shrieking.

Linmo shrieked back at his minions, and suddenly, all dark ones started to fan their wings and let out high pitch shrieks.

Hiding at a corner of the city, Yin Tianzong watched the development with amazement and concern. This was not in their plan; Wang Tong was supposed to lure the high-level dark ones out of the city, but not to start a duel with the Zerg lord!

The human soldiers looked at each other with confusion on their faces. What was their captain thinking? Tan Bu and Lun Duo knew Wang Tong the best, and therefore, he was shocked that Wang Tong would challenge the Zerg in an honest one on one fight. The real Wang Tong they knew would either stab the Zerg lord while he was sleeping or use a trick to lure him into a trap. But a duel? That was just not Wang Tong's style.

"What the hell is going on? What are the Zergs yelling about?" Tan Bu murmured while holding back the urge to join Wang Tong.

"Are they…cheering for their lord?" Guan Dongyang remarked under his breath. He didn't want other people to know that his childish mind had thought that Zergs would cheer like a human.

However, when soldiers heard Guan Dongyang's comment, they didn't laugh at him. The up and downs in the pitch did resemble that of human cheerleaders shouting slogans.

While the rest of the human soldiers were still at a loss, the battle in the air had already started. As a blood kin, Linmo was much more powerful than a golden dark one.

Belligerent Dash

It was the first move that Linmo executed. He had learned it from a human warrior he killed not long ago.

Wang Tong started the battle lightheartedly. For the longest time, humans regarded the dark ones as a perfect, albeit bloodthirsty race. Not only could they copy any human's abilities, but they could also do it at an incredible speed. They were practically flawless. Wang Tong had thought the same; however, there and then, he had noticed a fatal flaw in dark ones.

Although this flaw might not be able to bring down the Zerg race right away, it would poison the Zergs slowly, and let it die in a gradual but painful death.

Not every race could control their emotions like the humans could. Desire, greed, and fear, were only a tip of the iceberg of emotions that could be deadly if left unchecked.

Once Linmo had entered battle mode, his power was on par with a legendary warrior, but on steroids. He was able to execute the human moves without using any human tactics. Backed only by his incredible physique and the energy in the crystal, he could deliver tremendous force to his opponent.

After a few exchanges, Wang Tong estimated that Linmo had reached level twenty-three. He guessed that the latter could even make it to the elite unit under Moye.

On the ground, Linmo's minions cheered and danced like there was no tomorrow.

Chapter 581: The Dark Ones' Weakness

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The humans had never gone so far into the Zergs' territory. They had only seen Zergs on the battlefield as enemies, but what were they like while they were in their home-base?

No one either cared nor asked such a question, since it seemed irrelevant to their problem at hand.

Yin Tianzong, Guan Dongyang, and Xiao Yuyu watched the battle unfold with a great measure of distress. So far, they still don't know what Wang Tong was trying to achieve. Unless there had been some unexpected development while he was in the city, he would never sidetrack from the task he was supposed to perform.

Encouraged by his minions' cheers, Linmo attacked with newfound strength and ferocity. He had executed a few martian combat techniques that he had learned over the years perfectly. Thanks to his wings, he was able to perform a few highly demanding moves with ease and grace. His frame was very similar to that of a human, and with the increased power, even a common move used by human soldiers could be a deadly coup de grace when executed by Linmo.

Zing!

Linmo's bone blade slashed open Wang Tong's armor. Wang Tong didn't wear the Einherjar METAL, since he didn't bring Mr. Wannabe with him; therefore, it couldn't stand the level twenty-three dark one's blow at full force.

The small edge Linmo had gained over the human soldier had elated the dark ones on the ground beyond description. They hurrayed—in their own language, if they had such a thing— for the sweet revenge on the human who had murdered so many of their kind.

Linmo was excited as well. His blade danced around Wang Tong, barely catching his target with each strike. Whenever his attack grazed the latter's METAL suit, the impact sent a flash of sparks down at the onlookers. Some less fortunate Zergs were zapped by the sparks and reduced to a shrivel of charred meat in an instant.

After a while, Wang Tong was confident that he had a pretty good idea of what this dark one was capable of.

At first, Wang Tong registered that the dark one not only possessed the level twenty-three soul energy, but his incredible physique also meant that his strikes could come with more intensity than that of a human warrior of the same level. However, he soon realized that despite the dark one's unrivaled brute force, he was quite flexible in changing his power according to the situation. This, he wagered, had much to do with the dark ones' nearly monotonic emotional state.

That being said, Linmo's audiences were convinced that this human soldier's doom was near, and their conviction pushed their revelry toward the climax.

The joy and excitement in the audiences could be felt in Linmo's heart as well. He had cornered his opponent, so that the latter had nowhere to hide from his final attack. Raising his blade high above his head, Linmo was ready to deliver the killing blow. Drunken with the admiration of his servants, he felt that he would be the next dark lord after he had finished this final move.

Kom! Zing!

At that moment, Wang Tong folded his hands, clamping onto the bone blade like a vise.

Linmo could not believe what he saw. The energy crystal on his body shimmered brighter as he tried to wiggle the blade out of Wang Tong's hand. But, the latter's hold was iron-strong.

Frustrated, Linmo roared like a lion whose pride was hurt.

He couldn't come to terms with the reality. Victory had been so close, it was right at his fingertips! Plus, he was sure that this human's level was much lower than his.

He shouted and howled, but he was unable to move the blade the slightest.

Wang Tong gave Linmo an ugly grin, then yanked his arms up, lifting the blade and Linmo and kicking squarely at the dark one's groin.

KOM!

If Linmo had balls, they were busted by now.

Suddenly, Wang Tong disappeared and reappeared among the throng of dark ones on the ground. Linmo barraged the ground using his bone shards, without a shred of concern for his servants' lives.

However, before he could discern if his attack had landed on his target, Wang Tong reappeared in the air, right behind the dark one. He then punched squarely at the unsuspecting dark one's spine.

Kacha!

The Layered Fist of Tong went through the dark one's bone and severed it in half. Linmo could no longer feel his legs. Before he realized what had happened, he was dealt another blow from the back.

The Zergs on the ground were stunned by the catastrophe. They heard something drop to the ground, so they looked: those were two bloody bat wings.

As pain shot through Linmo's body, he howled in agony. The pain was another gift that evolution had bestowed to Zergs, so that they could feel the pain and suffering they had brought to other races.

"Who else wants to try me?" Wang Tong shouted to the dark ones. He held the bloodied upper body of Linmo in one hand and Linmo's signature broadsword in another, face smeared with the dark one's green blood. If the Zergs believed in devils, they would think that they were looking at the devil in person.

"Who else?" Wang Tong shouted again and squeezed the neck of Linmo. Linmo howled again, and then he pleaded. "Please… don't… don't kill me " Linmo spoke with his last breath.

He finally tasted fear in his mouth. He didn't want to die; he wanted to live. He wants to enjoy the things that he enjoyed; he wanted immortality.

"Order them to lay on the ground!" Wang Tong ordered. "Oh, and don't worry, I won't let you die. I enjoy watching you suffering much more than killing you." Wang Tong said plainly.

Wang Tong's words made Linmo's body—the upper part at least— shiver. He obeyed Wang Tong uneasily.

The dark ones on the ground were at a loss. The order issued by their half-dead lord sounded wrong, yet irresistible. After a few seconds, almost half of the dark ones had given up their weapon and lay flat on the ground. The other half were still hesitating, but they were wavering.

By then, Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu were already preparing for the ultimate spell. But, after seeing what Wang Tong had done to the Zergs, they were left with only awe in their hearts. They knew that it was time to start the final assault.

As the spell started to gather energy, the frightened dark ones felt the presence of its immense power. Some turned their heels and fled the city, but most of them remained on the ground. Fear had rendered them motionless, and the notion of fighting back was nothing but a fleeting thought.

The fear that Wang Tong had sowed into the hearts of the dark ones was the perfect catalysis for the total corruption of their minds.

The spell was ready, and as fire rained on the stupefied dark ones, they let the flame torch them without moving a muscle. Only a very small group of dark ones thought of escaping, and those who did make out of the fiery hell were met with Yin Tianzong's deadly attacks.

The soldiers shouted as they formed a wall in front of the casters, they would not let even a single Zerg cross their defense, and neither would they let a single Zerg escape the punishment.

As the flame claimed the Zerg's lives, Wang Tong darted within the fire to finish off any escaping dark ones. Most dark ones were scared motionless as soon as they saw the body of Linmo still hanging in Wang Tong's left hand. They didn't even have a chance to defend for themselves.

Thanks to how densely the dark ones were packed together, the fire spell was extremely efficient. Many dark ones lost their lives before they could utter even a cry.

Amidst the agonizing howls of the dark ones, the courage and battle spirit of the human soldiers soared. They no longer feared the dark ones after seeing them shriveling under fear.

Boer City had a large number of dark ones, and therefore, Wang Tong didn't design to attack the city directly. However, after the Zergs were crippled by their fear, the clandestine attack turned into a conspicuous slaughter.

When the moon finally rose, except for a few dozen dark ones who managed to escape the city, all Zergs were dead.

Still holding the skull of Linmo, Wang Tong stood under the pale moonlight, looking like a devil rather than a human.

He was the devil who had found the weakness in the dark ones.

Chapter 582: The Demon City

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The dark ones' minds were modeled after the humans, and therefore, not only did they look and acted like a human, but also think, feel, and worship their god as a human would.

One of humans' gods was the blade warrior, a god of power and strength. In humans' system of worship, there were two extremities: one was the god, and the other was the devil.

They were both mighty, mysterious, and omnipresent.

When the few dark ones fled the city of Bore, they brought with them the account of the devil who lived amongst the human. To the Zergs, the existence of the devil was indisputable, since their limited logic told them that if the Blade Warrior existed, so should the devil.

The account of what had happened at Bore finally raised the high-level dark ones' concerns. They were well aware of the immense power of the god and the devil. Since only the humans could ascend to godhood through cultivation, the Zergs had decided to evolve into human forms, hoping to gain the divine power. However, before their breeding program had produced a legitimate heir of the devil, the devil himself had come for them with a vengeance.

"The devil?" Wu Juetian couldn't resist a laugh. Sitting across him was the city lord of Mephisto, C-Naru. Many dark ones who had escaped the ordeal at the Bore had fled to Mephisto, and therefore, Naru was the first city lord to have heard of the rumor about the "devil."

"Mr. Wu Juetian, this human is the heir of a god. Therefore, it is very likely that he is the…devil!" Naru said with a heavy accent. The dark ones usually ignored any facial expressions while talking, since they considered them redundant.

Wu Juetian was the younger brother of the sect leader of the Dark Witch Sect. The Dark Witch was one of the top ten sects before the great war occurred five years ago. Wu Juetian turned on his brothers and led his men to Patroclus' camp as soon as the war broke out.

During his stay at Mars, he had come to know about the stupidity of the dark ones. He found it amusing that these dense imbeciles thought that they could rival the immortals. As a former human, he knew better than any dark ones that there were no gods in the human world. However, he didn't disclose the truth to his dark one friend, since he wagered that it was a good thing for the dark ones to fear his human background.

Greetings over, Wu Juetian, furrowed his brows and said, "My lord, I am afraid that Mephisto will be the next target, so we need to prepare."

Naru's face twitched as he hesitated to reply. The lord of Bore was one level above him; however, the report said that he was literally torn apart by the human devil. In just a few days, he had razed three cities to the ground. Meanwhile, after the Kazakh city was destroyed, the warden had issued an order to all the city lords to capture or kill Wang Tong. The reward would be huge for anyone who succeeded in doing so, but if anyone let him slip away, the 'Cauldron' awaited them.

The 'Cauldron' was an extreme punishment among the dark ones, where the victim's energy was sucked away by the executioner.

The Zergs had a collective memory of the human's god, and that memory still frightened them till this day. The Zergs didn't become active again until the Blade Warrior had left the human world for good. However, the heir of the Blade Warrior, who had transformed into a devil, sounded even more terrifying to Naru than his predecessor.

Not only was Linmo at a higher level than him, but the city of Bore possessed much stronger army than Mephisto. Naru conceded that he stood no chance while fighting against the devil.

Wu Juetian curled his lips into a contemptuous smile. The more he knew about the dark ones, the more he thought about the Divine Lord, Patroclus's statement about them. Although the dark ones possessed incredible, if not outright impossible, ability to evolve, they were not gods, and their ability also had limits. Evolving too much too fast was not necessarily a good thing, as it would bring many unsuspected defects in the gene pool. These defects might not show up at first, but would eventually surface and catch everyone by surprise. The effect of fear on the dark ones in the Bore city was a good example.

On the other hand, the immortals were previously human, and they had much better control over their fear and other negative emotions. They had seen Wang Tong when he was only a fledgling; of course, they wouldn't be afraid of him. Wu Juetian was not afraid of Wang Tong at all; instead, he was eager to kill him in order to add another war achievement on his record. That being said, Wu Juetian was well aware of the struggle between the divine lord and the dark lord; as an immortal, he wouldn't offer help to Naru freely.

"Lord Naru, I am sure you will prevail. On another note, there is something that I am not sure if I should bring up…" Wu Juetian said with a calculated smile.

"Speak along! We need to fight together, I trust you!" Naru said earnestly. He needed all help he could get right now.

"Mephisto used to be the name of an ancient demon in human language. I wager that the human devil will almost certainly visit us very soon." Wu Juetian spoke under his breath.

"The city of the demon. You mean…we are his next target?"

"Indeed! He is the devil, isn't he? Of course, he will come to the demon city. We need to prepare for a full-on war as soon as possible. Otherwise, neither of our lords would let us live in peace." Wu Juetian urged and saw fear flicker in Naru's eyes.

Patroclus had ruled the immortals with order, and at times, even some measure of understanding. However, the same could not be said about Moye.

As soon as a dark one was born, they were thrown right into a fierce competition, where only the fittest survived. The dark ones strived to become the perfect race, and therefore, not even the smallest mistakes were tolerated.

Naru didn't overthink the situation, neither did his intelligence allow him to. If the enemy came, he would kill the enemy; it was as simple as that. However, what if the enemy was so strong that it posed a danger to himself? Before he met Wang Tong, Naru never had to think questions like that.

As he pondered his options, he finally had a light bulb moment. He turned to Wu Juetian and said, "Mr. Wu, you were a human, I am sure that you know how to deal with this devil. Tell you what, if you can help me handle Wang Tong, I will give you all the force inside Mephisto." Naru felt relieved and was very proud of himself for coming up with such a brilliant idea.

Wu Juetian suppressed a chuckle and said, "As you wish, my lord. But, since the enemy is a devil, please assist me during the battle."

"Of course! I will be at your command." Naru answered in a cheerful tone.

The dark ones were used to following orders. When they were not sure what to do, nothing sounded more comforting and reassuring than an order from an imperious leader.

Without firing a shot, Wu Juetian had taken over the city of Mephisto. He had only brought five other immortals with him, and Naru had never considered him a threat.

As for Wang Tong, Wu Juetian was sure that he could overcome him with ease. He was already level twenty-one before he was transformed into an immortal. With his invincible body, he could kill Wang Tong like squashing a fly.

In addition to taking over as many dark one's cities as possible, capturing Wang Tong was also one of the orders from Patroclus. He could not pass up the opportunity of killing a famous human warrior, particularly if Wu Juetian didn't even have to look for him.

…

Meanwhile, the city of Maersa was no longer a derelict backwater forgotten village that it used to be. As more and more people migrated into the city, it grew in size and prospered. The mass production of the energy crystal gun had also drawn many powerful factions into the city to discuss potential opportunities as business partners.

The mad scientist, Wang Tung, had drawn a lot of attention to himself, partly due to his invention, but also because of his name. Many people thought that Wang Tung was Wang Tong's brother because how similar their names sounded.

However, Wang Tung considered his popularity as nothing but a distraction.

Chapter 583: The Legendary God Of War

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Aamir and Marcos were reveling in their role as the lord protectors of Maersa. They used to be only two leaders of unknown warbands, but now, they were powerful managers of a powerful city.

The City of Maersa had changed a lot. After having received donations and profitable business deals for a while, the city's development had started to pick up speed. The problems that people initially worried about were solved easily.

Since Maersa City provided technical support for the production line of the energy crystal gun, everyone wanted to be on their good terms. Therefore, despite the boom in population, there were still plenty of resources to go around.

As the population grew, Maersa also started to draft more soldiers into its force. The requirement of becoming part of the defensive unit was very low: a level three soul energy. Moreover, there was no restriction on age. After the soldiers were drafted, they only participated in one type of training: shooting.

"Is there any news from Wang Tong?"

"Nothing."

Despite the boom of Maersa under their watch, neither Aamir nor Marcos could find any joy in their hearts. As their power grew, so did their responsibilities. The more reports they had heard, the more they realized that the situation on Mars had reached a turning point. The Martians' united front had re-established themselves at the third line of defense, preparing themselves for a final showdown with the Zergs. Every major faction had contributed to the defensive line to the best degree they could; some cities had even sent in their reserves. If the humans were able to hold back the Zerg attack at the last line of defense, it would be safe to say that the Zergs wouldn't be able to amass another attack for a while.

The city of Maersa had also sent in ten thousand of their soldiers, leaving the city barracks practically empty.

However, despite the effort of all Martian resistances, the situation remained unpredictable. If the energy crystal guns could be manufactured a few weeks earlier, the humans might be able to organize a GN gun special unit and send it to the front line. However, so far, the first group of soldiers who had received the guns was still under training.

The humans had done what they could do, and the rest was up to the decision of the gods.

The public in the city remained optimistic about the war, largely because of the propaganda. This was going to be the final battle, and the main force at the defensive line had received unequivocal support from the public behind the front line. Everyone knew that this was the time of life or death, and only in unity would they survive.

Marcos had sent out scouts everywhere, trying to gather as much information from the other side of the battlefield as possible. Ever since Wang Tong entered the Zerg territory, the communication was cut off. Therefore, Marcos didn't even know if the latter was still alive or not. Although Wang Tong had ensured him that he would return alive, Marcos knew even that if the latter was the heir of the Blade Warrior, he could not surpass the impossible.

Aamir heaved a sigh and patted on Marco's shoulder while saying, "We all have our devils to fight. Perhaps for him, to be able to die in the enemy territory was his greatest wish. We will be joining him soon anyway."

Neither of them was very optimistic about the humans' odds in winning the war. Even if the Martian united front were able to push back Moye's army, what would happen when Patroclus finally joined forces with Moye?

Humans' days were numbered, and that was the hard truth no one seemed to be willing to admit.

Even if the Blade Warrior returned to the human world, what could he achieve if he was fighting all by himself anyway?

"Every city had supported the war, and we had mobilized fifty regiments to the front line. I am confident that we should be able to deliver a blow to the Zergs."

"Yeah! Let them come, and they will never go back!"

"The defense behind the front line was practically none. Are you comfortable with that?"

"Not really. There were still Zerg activities in the human territory. However, we have them under control. It is not just us who are gathering force at the front line, the Zergs are too. Their home base is very fragile as well. Have you heard about that Einherjar? He has been very active lately."

"Yes. I had seen him in my city. His appearance helped a lot with placating the nerves of the soldiers. He was not just a charlatan; he was actually very powerful. I have heard that the Zergs had cornered him twice with the Einherjar's Bane unit, but he was able to destroy the EB unit on both accounts with ease. "

"I have seen this guy once." A voice boomed, and the meeting room suddenly quieted down.

"Captain Ding, you have? Really?"

Captain Ding was in his thirties, a veteran general of House Lie. "Indeed! I ran into him while I was on a business trip. The golden Zergs were harassing the city which I was staying in, and the city defense were getting wrecked."

"Did you hide under the desk?" Someone jested. Captain Ding rolled his eyes at the jester and announced, "Who do you think I am? Of course, I went into the fight right away!"

"And?"

Ding Zhan opened up his jacket and revealed an ugly scar running from chest to his lower belly. "These golden dark ones are really tough SOBs. They are much tougher than a normal dark one, and the three of them knew how to work as a team. I thought I was done for until that Einherjar showed up. He ripped those poor Zergs into pieces with bare hands. "

"Get out of here! That's impossible! The only person who can do that on Mars would be Zambrotta and Lie Jintian. "

"That's not the end of it! The three golden dark ones were merely baits for the Einherjar as a level twenty-five EB unit suddenly joined the battle."

Everyone gasped; they had never seen a level twenty-five EB unit before.

"The sky was covered with Kamikaze Zergs and over a dozen golden dark ones. These b*stards had been hiding until the Einherjar showed up. Gosh! I have never seen such a battle before. He could have destroyed an entire city if he wanted to." Ding Zhan said with a broad smile on his face.

"And, and? What happened to him? Did he live?"

"Of course! Otherwise how the hell am I still alive and retelling the story to you? "

"He defeated a level twenty-five EB unit? That is… unbelievable. Balls! This is great news!"

"Did he get hurt? A level twenty-five EB unit is no joke! Remember what happened to Einherjar Luo Kuang? He was killed by a level twenty-five EB unit right after he had advanced into Einherjar Level."

"Yeah, I want to know too! What kind of move did the Einherjar use?"

"Why don't you take a guess?" Ding Zhan asked, letting the suspense hang in the air. Everyone booed him and urged him to give them the answer. Ding Zhan then shrugged and said, "Well, I don't know either."

"Balls! You probably had passed out." Someone piped up.

"No! I was conscious, and I tried to look at his final move as much as possible, but I couldn't. I remembered that his first move was a punch, and then there was a white flash. When I saw him again, the ground was already covered with dead Zergs." Ding Zhan said as admiration flashed across his face. As a soldier, Ding Zhan worshiped power and might. The mysterious Einherjar was a paragon of those two attributes.

Truth be told, the existence of the God of War was the main reason for the optimistic mood among the public. Encouraged by the War God, the people on Mars contributed to the war in many ways. Although some of them couldn't fight on the battlefield, they worked hard in the factory to produce supplies for the soldiers.

"Just one punch?" The captains were dumbfounded by Ding Zhan's story.

"Only if I could meet him in person…"

…

Wang Tong had no clue that he had already become the reincarnation of the devil for the dark ones. After three intense battles, more and more people in his units were getting injured. However, so far, there had been no casualties.

Chapter 584: Massage

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

The injured party members needed rest, and therefore, they quickly left the Bore City and hid in the woods to recuperate. Even though there had been no casualties, thirteen warriors were injured, and they needed immediate medical care. After some stressful hours of work, Xiao Yuyu and other field medics were able to steady the condition of those warriors. However, to fully recover would take a much longer time.

Despite their injuries, those soldiers didn't waver at all, and were willing to get back to the battlefield right away.

After what had happened at Bore City, Wang Tong seemed to have found a new opportunity. Keeping on fighting city after city was not a good long-term strategy. As Wang Tong saw new opportunities, he also found many new difficulties. He could not guarantee that all the dark ones were cowards like Linmo, and it was possible that they would walk into the camp of an extremely ferocious dark one. In addition, after the destruction of three large cities, the guards of all the Zerg cities had been doubled, and therefore, the human soldiers would have lost the precious element of surprise.

There was another problem: food. They packed light when they left the human territory, and had been restocking their supply every time they sacked a city. Each time they did so, they only packed just enough for them to last until the next raid. Unfortunately, the fire had accidentally burnt all of the food storage in Bore city. Therefore, the human soldiers were not able to restock their provisions.

They tried hunting for wildlife, but it was easier said than done. The savage Zergs had long since hunted all the animals to extinction during their brief reign. They would be lucky if they could even catch a rat.

"Out next fight would have to secure our food ration." "Women are not like men. They can't just eat anything." Guan Dongyang put in. Field medics were not as tough as METAL warriors; some food might not site well in their tender stomach.

"I can speak on behalf of all medics that we can swallow down whatever the METAL soldiers do." Xiao Yuyu announced.

"Sorry, that was not what I meant. Field medics and casters need to concentrate while working. You can't concentrate while you are suffering from malnutrition." Guan Dongyang explained.

Guan Dongyang was not a sexist; he knew that in order to march swiftly under difficult terrain, everyone on the team would have to be in their prime condition.

Everyone looked to Wang Tong for a solution. Although their victory was encouraging, the soldiers couldn't feed on their thoughts regardless of how positive they were. When hunger finally struck them, they wouldn't even be able to stand up and fight.

"We can make an adjustment to our formation so that the injured soldiers can take on fewer enemies, but the issue with the food needs more discussion. In addition, those injured soldiers' METAL suits were badly damaged, and they can't use them any longer. "

"Exchange them with the METAL warrior's suits." Guan Dongyang put in, and Wang Tong nodded. "That will do. As for food, I think I might have a solution."

"What is it?" Lie Xuan couldn't resist asking Wang Tong.

"After each battle, there is food lying in front of us everywhere, only if we can allow us to be more adventurous. Although this food doesn't taste good, it has all the nutrition one needs."

Wang Tong was talking about Zerg meat. He had to live on it for a year while he was trapped on Norton. So, he was very familiar with all fifty shades of its disguising taste.

A few girls faces turned pale at Wang tong's suggestion. "Captain, can we eat something else instead?" Ye Zi's face was white like a parchment paper. Eating Zerg meat was the last thing she ever wanted to do.

Some of the soldiers finally realized what Wang Tong was alluding to. "Are Zergs edible?"

"Yes, all parts of their bodies are, as a matter of fact. But, the taste is…not the best. I think we should start eating them after the next fight. We can no longer rely on searching food in the Zerg cities, since our missions are getting more dangerous, and we need to get out of there as soon as we have done our job." Wang Tong explained.

"We should leave the normal food to the girls and the injured, and the rest of us should stick with the Zerg meat from now on," Vorenus suggested.

"I agree!" Yin Tianzong said.

This time, Xiao Yuyu and her band of field medics had kept their silence. Although they were not afraid of dying on the battlefield, the thought of eating a Zerg made their skin crawl.

"Our next target is the Mephisto City. We need to survey the ground before we attack." Wang Tong said as he pointed at a map.

"If we continue in a straight line, are we risking being too predictable?"

"Good point! And, that is why we need to survey the land and be ready. However, I don't think the dark ones will be that quick to respond yet. I wager that will change after we sack Mephisto." Wang Tong pointed on the map where their current course was leading to. It was the Zergs' headquarter. They would pierce straight into the hearts of the Zerg land without even taking a single detour. It was a brazen challenge and a conspicuous proclamation of war.

"If the Zergs are planning on playing tricks, we will play nasty with them as well. " Tan Bu clapped his hand had said.

"That's right! We will give the Zergs a lesson on battle strategies. Have you guys noticed that there are only very few Zergs guarding the city?"

"Indeed! The number of dark ones was not nearly as many as we had initially estimated. "

"I think they are stretched pretty thin because of the war. Although we are not a large army, we can surely make them hurt while they are in such weakened state." Wang Tong said with a broad smile.

Everyone headed back to their tents after they had decided on a few more details of their next move. Wang Tong rubbed his forehead as he lamented on how tired he had gotten. However, each one of them looked as spirited as when they first followed Wang Tong through the wasteland to the Zergs' territory. Although Wang Tong couldn't guarantee everyone's safety, he was determined to make sure as many soldiers could return to the human world safely as possible.

Their plan had reached a critical moment; Wang Tong knew he had to be careful in every step he took from then on.

He needed to use the dark ones' shortcomings and turn them into his advantage while striking a balance between being overly cautious and arrogant. So far, he and his team seemed to be making progress. However, something nagged at his mind as if he had overlooked a specific key element.

He had calculated and recalculated all of his moves, and everything seemed to play into his favor. So, why did he still feel such unease?

Bang, Bang!

"Come in." Wang Tong's pulled his mind out of his reverie; it was Xiao Yuyu at the door. "Chief Medic, why are you not in bed?"

"Why aren't you?" Xiao Yuyu answered with a question.

"I don't get tired easily." Wang Tong smiled.

"Is there anything I can do for you? You look tired." Xiao Yuyu asked.

"Thank you…We are fortunate to have you here. Otherwise, those warriors would have already died." Wang Tong remarked.

"Do you need a massage?" Xiao Yuyu blurted out and then blushed.

Wang Tong paused for a second and then replied, "Of course! Haha. I do feel sore around my neck."

Wang Tong's laugh relieved some of Xiao Yuyu's embarrassment. The perilous situation had lent Xiao Yuyu courage to make a move on Wang Tong. Only God would know if she could wake up tomorrow and see his smile again. She didn't have time to wait and contemplate; if she wanted him, she needed to act now.

Wang Tong was not a fool; he had felt Xiao Yuyu's feelings for him, and had decided that it would be rude to refuse her outright.

Xiao Yuyu was never trained in massage, but she tried her best. She put her soft hands on Wang Tong's neck, squeezing and rubbing it. Neither of them spoke, dragging out the silence. Wang Tong's mind had wandered off back to the time when he was on Norton. He had fought by himself and fought without any burden; it was a much simpler time than the situation he was in now. He had to concede that Being the savior was a difficult job.

Seeing the relaxed smile Wang Tong's face, Xiao Yuyu gained more confidence in her skills. She started to use strength as she pressed on Wang Tong's naked skin. Unconsciously, she inched closer toward Wang Tong. Wang Tong smelled her perfume, and he opened his eyes. Xiao Yuyu's bosom was right in front of him.

Suddenly, Wang Tong shouted, "I got it!"

Startled, Xiao Yuyu collapsed into Wang Tong's arm. The touch of her soft body and firm breasts quickly kindled the fleshly desire inside the latter.

Chapter 585: Miscalculate

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wang Tong would be lying if he said he felt nothing at all while looking at Xiao Yuyu's blushing cheeks and alluring lips. The urge was strong, and Xiao Yuyu was cooperating. Although she had come with Wang Tong in the name of fighting for a better future, she would not be this dedicated if she felt nothing for him.

However, Wang Tong had learned to use the brain on his shoulder this time. He wrenched his lewd glance away from Xiao Yuyu and said, "Thank you, Yuyu. I have just thought of something."

After Xiao Yuyu opened her eyes, Wang Tong put her down beside him on the bed, and unconsciously linked their hands together. "I had this nagging feeling that I had missed something in our plan. Now I know what it is! "

"Oh? What is it?" Xiao Yuyu's interest was piqued.

"So far, we had overlooked another party: the immortals." Wang Tong said with a smile. If they attacked an immortal inhabited city with the same method they used on dark ones, they would be defeated very easily.

"The immortals?"

"Yes, they are coming after me. We should prepare ourselves. I think Patroclus really wants to kill me." Wang Tong said nonchalantly.

"You don't hate him for it?" Xiao Yuyu asked curiously. She was taken aback by how casual he sounded.

"It's nothing personal. We had chosen two different paths, and that is it." Wang Tong said wistfully. His sincerity tugged at Xiao Yuyu's heartstrings. Compared to him, even her former idol, Michaux, seemed distant and hollow. Only the strongest would face one's true feelings. Xiao Yuyu was madly in love with Wang Tong's truthfulness to himself. As a matter of fact, no girl could resist that charm.

Xiao Yuyu was not the only girl —neither was she the first—who had followed Wang Tong while she had much better options. The field medics on her team all had reached at least level nineteen, which meant they could have stayed at the Sect and enjoyed their carefree life as medic instructors. They didn't have to follow Wang Tong to these extremely dire circumstances.

Women were animals of emotions; therefore, their decisions were more likely to be driven by infatuation than reason. That was also what made them such beautiful creatures.

…

The Zergs didn't allow the humans too much time to prepare for the defense. The battle which would determine the fate of an entire planet had begun, starting with a massive charge from the front. The air was filled with the smoke and Zergs' hideous shrieks. Dark clouds loomed in the sky, casting long dark shadows onto the battlefield, where currents of Zergs swelled and roiled.

In order to ease the pressure on the front line, Zambrotta and the Kaedeians had sneaked their troops to the side of the charging enemies and flanked them from both sides. However, they were quickly met with fierce resistance. The dark ones knew that humans would flank them, and hence were prepared. The defense formation was made up of mostly dark ones, and their mission was simple: defend the sides of the charging formation at all cost.

Every day, there were tens of thousands of human soldiers who lost their lives. At this critical moment, no one would back down as long as they were still alive. Despite the waves after waves of belligerent assaults, the human defense stood firm. After three days, the initial charge of the Zergs finally stopped. However, this was only a prelude to the so-called "Martian Mass Defense."

Unlike the skirmishes humans had encountered so far, this battle was meant to bring them. Moye's plan had succeeded, as his soldiers had leveled up significantly after practicing against the human warriors. This was the time to get rid of the humans once and for all.

The Zergs' determination in this battle had proven that Lie Jintian's decision of fighting back was wise. If they had let the Zergs enter the last line of defense, they would have mass murdered all humans and destroyed any resources that human forces would need to fight back. Without the support of the civilians and ample provisions, even guerrilla warfare would be impossible to carry out.

So far, Lie Jintian's plan had worked. Despite the massive casualties humans had endured, Zerg's losses were much greater.

The three days that followed the initial cease-fire had been difficult for most human soldiers to endure. A large number of reserve troops was sent to the front line to fix up the defensive structures, and supply fleets traveled between the heartland of the human world and the front line. Everyone carried out their tasks in a cheerless silence as dread slowly crept into their minds. The longer they waited for the Zergs' next attack, the more nerve-wracking it had become.

The silence of the firing line could be broken abruptly at any time, such that despite the long wait and anticipation, human soldiers would still feel that the attack came unexpectedly.

"Report!"

Not all leaders attended the briefing conference call; the captain of the sixth regiment, for example, was absent.

Lie Jintian glanced at the empty seat and flipped Lie Jian a look, willing him to explain the situation. Lie Jian stood up and said, "The sixth regiment had taken the brunt of the Zergs' attack, but they stood their ground firmly for three days without backing an inch. However, Captain Jiang Guang had paid the ultimate sacrifice, and so did many other soldiers in the sixth regiment."

Although everyone had expected casualties during this war, when the reality set in, the captains realized that the death was much closer to them than they had thought.

Everyone's face turned hard and solemn. The death of Captain Jiang Guang showed them the Zergs' determination in killing every last human being. Never before had these captains realized how close they were to the extinction of the human race. They had no other choice but to fight to their death and defend the line. They were all in this together, and no one wanted to become the weak link that broke the chain.

Every regiment briefed Lie Jintian on their casualties and the difficulties they were having. Lie Jintian listened calmly; in the end, he concluded the meeting after conveying the only message: Jiang Guang was the exemplar of bravery, and every soldier should learn from him.

Everyone at the meeting agreed with his loud and clear message; the Zergs could only cross the defensive line over the human soldiers' dead bodies!

After the meeting, Lie Jintian's 's face looked troubled. The had warded off the Zergs' initial charge, but when the real attacks came, would the current defense suffice? The Zergs' alarming replenishing rate meant that they could keep throwing Zergs toward the human defense without having to worry about casualties. He reckoned that the only hope in turning the situation around would be the energy crystal gun.

The report said that the guns would finally be ready in ten days. In order to meet the deadline, some production plants had even pushed the METAL suit production back.

However, Lie Jintian wagered that even with the GN guns, the situation would remain unclear. It might help the human force to push back the Zergs once or twice, but no one knew how many Zergs were gathering behind the enemy lines. If they rushed the defense all at once, even the GN guns wouldn't be of much use.

Meanwhile, deep inside the Zerg controlled territory. Wu Juetian was listening to the briefing on the war and waiting for Wang Tong. After a couple of days of investigation, he finally got the picture of Wang Tong's activities. He estimated that the latter was leading a very small unit—three to four hundred at most—and had conquered three Zerg cities without any casualties. The cowardice of the dark ones at Bore City amused him.

Wu Juetian was convinced that Wang Tong would come after Mephisto city. However, after three days of quietness, reports said that he was spotted near Lantian City, on the other side of the district. Wu Juetian was disappointed by the finding; however, he conceded that Wang Tong was not stupid enough to attack Mephisto City while he was the commander here.

Patroclus didn't issue any order relating to the ongoing war between the humans and Moye. However, Wu Juetian knew that Patroclus' reticent behavior was a hint for all the immortals to stay put and let the other two parties fight to the death. Therefore, despite the urgent request for reinforcement from the dark lord, Wu Juetian held onto the forces under his control. The dark ones had questioned him a few times about not helping out in the war, but he dismissed their question each time by using excuses that were beyond the comprehension of their thick skulls.

When the news about the sacking of the City of Lantian came to Wu Juetian, he didn't give up his hope. Lantian was not far from Mephisto; if Wang Tong didn't come to him, Wu Juetian would go to him instead. The next day, Wu Juetian led all the dark ones and the primitive Zergs out of Mephisto and headed toward Lantian to capture Wang Tong.

After, and only after the troops were already on their way to Lantian did Wu Juetian think about drafting a letter to the northern warden, requesting permission for his action. In the letter, he had exaggerated the enemy force, claiming there were over ten thousand human soldiers under Wang Tong's command.

However, when they were halfway to Lantian, a report from his home base reached him: Wang Tong was attacking Mephisto.

Wu Juetian was shaken after the news. If he lost the city and failed to capture Wang Tong, he would be as dead as a door-nail. Although the dark ones were easy to fool most of the time, there was a limit to their stupidity as well.

Chapter 586: The Dark Witch Sect

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

Wu Juetian had given his word to the dark ones that he would be able to defeat Wang Tong, and in exchange, the dark ones had also given him the rights to command. At this point, even the divine lord, Patroclus himself would not be able to intervene in the matter.

The moment Wu Juetian got the news of Wang Tong's attack, he led his most loyal men—mostly turn-cloaks from the Dark Witch Sect, and stormed back toward Mephisto. All the while, he could only pray to the gods that the meager defense he had left at the city would be able to fend off the humans' attack until he returned.

Wu Juetian started at dusk, and he didn't reach Mephisto until dawn. Looking at the city from afar, Wu Juetian heaved a sigh: it seemed that the city walls were not breached. As long as he could re-enter the city, he would still have a chance of winning the war.

As his party got closer to the city wall, a few dark ones started to shriek in a fearful tone. Wu Juetian cupped his palm over his brow to block the rising sun. When he finally made out the thing on the wall, he realized that he was already too late: it was Naru's head on a pike.

Wu Jeutian's face was awash with anger after seeing such a blatant provocation. As a youngster, Wang Tong was arrogant enough to challenge a veteran like himself…That was preposterous!

Wu Juetian pressed on the gas pedal and let his maglev wheeze across the battlefield to the city gate. Behind him, soldiers of the Black Witch Sect and a few golden Zergs followed him closely.

The city gate was left open, and as soon as Wu Juetian entered the threshold, he was greeted by a bleak scene. The bodies of dead Zergs were lying everywhere in the streets. The queen was hung by the neck at the tallest tower of a church. The church was the only building that was preserved by the dark ones due to its aesthetic qualities.

The queen was still alive, but gravely injured. Seeing the approach of her own kind, she cried out for help. Although the queens were not the de facto rulers of each colony, they were the highest authority in Zerg culture. Each Zerg, dark one, or immortal had an intrinsic connection with the queen. Her scream made Wu Juetian's head hurt.

Swallowing down his remorse and pain, Wu Juetian flew himself to the air and shouted with hatred, "Wang Tong, show yourself!"

"Come out now! Come to me if you are a man! Aren't you the heir of the Blade Warrior? I think you are the heir of the Turtle Warrior!"

Wu Juetian had never been so riled up before. The place where Wang Tong hung the queen was clearly a trap, but he didn't mind. The fact that Wang Tong had to rely on a sordid method such as a trap meant that he was afraid of him.

Suddenly, a man appeared from behind the tower. It wasn't Wang Tong; it was Tan Bu.

Tan Bu loathed the queen; every time he saw the morbid Zerg queen, he remembered the day his sister was eaten alive by one of those monsters. It was a scar on his heart that had never healed.

Tan Bu held a dagger in his hand, and he stabbed the fat queen with the pointy tip repeatedly without any hesitation. The queen let out a wave of painful shrieks as she helplessly wiggled her body. The dark ones acted out of instinct and threw themselves at Tan Bu.

Wu Juetian wanted to hold his soldiers back, but it was already too late.

Tan Bu didn't flinch as he stabbed the dagger into the thick skull of the queen and said, "Tell them to back off; otherwise I will beat your brain into a mush!"

The queen only struggled for half a second and then shouted in a deep voice. The charging dark ones stopped in unison and looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"Very good!" Tan Bu slapped the blubbery skin of the queen with the back of his dagger.

"Sh*t!" Wu Juetian exclaimed suddenly and ordered his immortals to pull back right away. Meanwhile, a giant, fiery dragon appeared in the sky, bearing down on the Zergs with a powerful roar. When it hit the ground, all the dark ones were engulfed by the flame. The earth trembled due to the impact, and the shockwave blew Wu Juetian and his soldiers into the air.

In the sky amidst the billowing smoke, three human warriors appeared: they were Wang Tong, Guan Dongyang, and Xiao Yuyu.

The fire dragon was the combined effort of the three powerful Mastery Casters. Wang Tong had been waiting for this opportunity for a few hours.

As soon as the queen saw Wang Tong, her body trembled in fear uncontrollably, mouth spitting out wads of gluey substances.

Wu Juetian picked himself up and looked to Wang Tong while saying, "Wang Tong, release our queen! We will sort this out between you and me."

Wu Juetian noticed the couple of casters besides Wang Tong and immediately regretted his decision. He registered that even the mastery casters had reached the legendary level, which had been unheard of.

The human soldiers laughed in joy after pulling off such a brilliant strategy. They attacked the Lantian City using a small force as a bait to draw the attention of their real target. When the Mephisto City was finally defenseless, they lashed out and captured the city with ease.

This time, Wang Tong didn't kill the Zerg queen right away, since he figured that he could use the queen to his advantage. He would never pass up any advantage he could get his hands on. The reason that all the dark ones and Zergs listened to the queen's order so obediently had to do with the fact that all Zergs were given birth by this very queen.

The cruelty in Wang Tong's plan was justified by the humans' dire situation.

"Are you afraid of me, coward?" Wu Juetian laughed, further taunting his opponent. He was less affected by the queen's orders, and after he gathered himself, he wagered that even if he couldn't do away with Wang Tong, he could drag out the fight until the reinforcements came.

"Fine, I will oblige. Show me what you had learned from the Dark Witch…Ah, sorry! I forgot you are no longer a member of the Dark Witch, as they kicked you out. You are a shameful traitor, a worm." Wang Tong couldn't resist a contemptuous laugh. The rest of the human soldiers returned to their ranks, but Tan Bu blade still pressed the dagger against the neck of the queen.

All the human soldiers knew that Wu Juetian was trying to drag out the fight. However, little did the immortals know that he had fallen into Wang Tong's trap once again. As long as they had the queen under their control, any reinforcements would be immediately turned into meat on a chopping block, waiting to be carved up by mastery casters.

Wang Tong slowly lowered himself and closed in onto Wu Juetian. Everyone watched him with a great measure of respect. They marveled at his brilliant strategy that played the Zergs like a fiddle.

Wang Tong's comrades also found out that their leader had a very deep understanding of the behavior of the Zergs. He was aware of the strength and weakness of every kind of Zerg. Rumors had it that Wang Tong had been a straight-A student while he studied at the Ayrlarng Academy.

"How is Wu Ma doing? We had met five years ago. He had been a talented soldier." Wang Tong spoke in a calm voice.

Wu Juetian paused for a second. The choice between humans and the Zergs had been a difficult one. However, once he made up his mind, he never looked back and tried to forget about this human past. But, Wang Tong's greeting brought all the old memories to his mind.

"He…He was a good Dark Witch. " Wu Juetian said blandly while old memories flickered in his eyes.

Wang Tong nodded and asked, "Is it true that Patroclus had preserved many human's lives?"

"Hehe, that is true. Some humans are allowed to survive, but they have to be under constant surveillance. When they finally make up their mind to join us, they will be given a new life and be treated the same as any other immortals. Patroclus had always admired your abilities. If you are willing to give our offer a consideration, I will put in a good word for you in front of our divine lord."

Wang Tong didn't speak and let Wu Juetian's proposal hang in the air. He had heard about Patroclus' brainwashing program in which they strived to distort the values of normal humans and make them think that joining the immortals was the right choice.

The moon had been under the rule of Patroclus for over four years. Wang Tong couldn't imagine how many things had changed. If Patroclus were able to convince the humans to let go of their humanity, could they still be called humans?

Seeing that Wang Tong didn't answer his question, he knew that the former was not interested. By then, he could feel a strong pulse coming from the Zerg in his chest. He knew that the reinforcements were near.

Even the little twitches of Wu Juetian's mouth didn't escape Wang Tong's eyes, who spoke again, "Talk is over. Now, it's time to send you back to your maker."

Suddenly, Wu Juetian flicked his fingers and shot our an array of dark balls toward Wang Tong. As the grandmaster of the Dark Witch Sect, Wu Juetian possessed an incredible power. Otherwise, he would never have made it to Patroclus' army. The Dark Witch sect specialized in a unique form of mastery, considered one of the ten deadliest mastery on the earth.

Although the Dark mastery's attack did not cover a large swath as the elemental fire attacks did, its damage was more concentrated, and therefore, lethal to individual targets.

These black ichor balls were highly corrosive, and could melt through even the toughest METAL suit.

Chapter 587: Elemental Body

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

In a blink, over a dozen ichor balls were deflected by Wang Tong. Wu Juetian didn't mind that his first attack was ineffective. He opened his arms as his body lit up with a dark glow. He started to chant and waved a spell that seemed to distort the very fabric of time and space.

A dark web was formed around Wang Tong and was closing in on him. This was the real 'Skynet'.

Wu Juetian's power was at par with a legendary mastery caster, and the potent effects of the dark magic also added more deadliness into his attacks.

A cold smirk found Wu Juetian's lips. "I really don't know why our divine lord admires you so much. You should feel grateful!"

If Patroclus paid him half as much attention as he did to Wang Tong, Wu Juetian would have been one of the top commanders among the immortals.

"Why did you choose to become a monster?" Wang Tong asked as he charged up his GN shield to protect himself from the encroaching dark web. As the corrosive strings of the web touched the GN shield, the shield sizzled as if it was singed by fire.

"A monster, you said? You are too backward thinking. What is so bad about becoming an immortal? We have anything that a human could have, and more!" Wu Juetian looked at Wang Tong contemptuously. Although he loathed his brother, he believed that his nephew, Wu Ma, could be a mighty immortal. He had tried to persuade Wu Ma several times, but to no avail. Wang Tong's actions reminded him of his stubborn nephew.

"Thanks, but no thanks! I don't want that disgusting parasite in your chest." Wang Tong said sarcastically. The worm ought to be these immortals' only weakness and their source of power.

"You are courting death!" Wu Juetian said coldly and then started to chant again. The energy crystal embedded in his palm started to shine as hundreds of dark arrows appeared in front of him. Pointing at Wang Tong, the rough shape of the arrowheads started to take a sharper form as they absorbed the dark forces in the universe. These dark energies were rare, but extremely potent; this was Wu Juetian's killing blow. So powerful were these dark arrows that they would go straight through a GN shield and METAL suit.

Wu Juetian never expected the dark web to inflict a significant harm to Wang Tong, as it was used to trap human soldiers. Wu Juetian wanted to capture Wang Tong alive, but fearing the power of the other two legendary level warriors accompanying Wang Tong, he decided to do away with the latter instead.

After a few seconds, these arrows were ready to fly. Meanwhile, outside the city wall, the Zerg reinforcement had also arrived.

"Say hi to the Blade Warrior for me when you reached the underworld." Wu Juetian said with a smile.

With that, the dozen or so dark arrows suddenly disappeared as they plunged into Wang Tong's body through the GN shield and the METAL suit and rendered it trembling uncontrollably. While watching this sudden turn of events, Xiao Yuyu's heart skipped a beat.

Regardless of Wang Tong's title, he was no match for a real battle-hardened warrior. It was time for the veterans to teach these fledglings a lesson: war was not a game.

However, after a while, Wang Tong regained control of his body, appearing to be unharmed.

KOM!

A powerful wave of dark energy dispersed from Wang Tong's system.

"That was really awesome." Wang Tong marveled.

Before he finished talking, he flashed out of sight and reappeared behind Wu Juetian. Wang Tong was not just a caster; he was also a METAL warrior. Letting him get so close spelled doom for any caster, legendary level or not.

"Elemental body!" Wu Juetian hurried to improvise a defense spell. Even as he shouted out the name of his spell, he watched as his body fell to the ground while his vision hovered above the body. Before he realized that his head had been twisted off by Wang Tong, he saw the Zerg parasite being wrenched out of his chest.

Wang Tong held the wiggling worm in his hand and asked, "Look! this is who you are!"

The last thing Wu Juetian saw and heard was the sight of the cheerful soldiers of the Battle Wolf.

Wang Tong didn't want to spend more time on the rest of the Dark Witch abominations. In an instant, all the immortals found a huge hole in their chest; those poor b*stards didn't even see Wang Tong lift a finger at them.

As the remainder of Wu Juetian's entourage fell to the ground, Wang Tong flew himself up. The Zerg reinforcement had started attacking the city walls.

Battle Wolf used the high ground on the church tower and rained death onto the attacking Zergs. Wang Tong wagered that threatening the queen probably wouldn't work again, since the queen should know by now that these reinforcements were her only salvation.

However, as long as the queen was still in the city, the Zergs had to be very careful while attacking, particularly the giant Zergs. So far, none of the giant Zergs had made it too close to the queen, fearing that friendly fire might harm the queen further beyond help.

Unable to unleash their full power and disturbed by the queen's shrieks, the Zergs had lost their will to fight and were pushed back by the human defenders.

The human soldiers had taught the Zergs a hard truth: humans were more merciless than Zergs.

Despite the terrain advantage, the battle was not easy by any stretch of imagination. Thanks to the tall buildings, the casters were able to cast spells from a safe distance, and the shelters helped with the METAL warriors' defense.

Lun Duo led the third brigade and was assigned to protect the mastery casters. They killed the Zergs with an incredible efficiency, and the thrill of the battle had made them even forget about their exhaustion. Each day, they encouraged themselves to be more aggressive until they had turned themselves into Zerg killing machines.

However, Castro got carried over by the elation of killing Zergs and unwittingly wandered too far from the defensive line. Seizing the opportunity, the Zergs swarmed at him.

Zing!

A bone spear found an opening in Castro's defense; it was too late to dodge.

Zing!

Castro didn't feel any pain; however, he saw a body block the attack. The spear pierced through the METAL suit and into the flesh. It was Lun Duo.

Lun Duo wrenched the bone spear out of his body and hurled it back like throwing a javelin. "Follow me! Move!" The soldiers followed Lun Duo closely back toward the formation.

"Captain, are you alright?" Castro asked anxiously.

"How many times have I told you to watch the formation! Are you a deaf or dimwit?" Lun Duo rebutted in a scathing tone. Although Castro was his good friend, they were in a war, and people's lives were at stake.

"I am sorry, Captain! Why don't you take a break and let me make it up for you? I will not let a single Zerg pass our line, I swear!"

"Buzz off!" Lun Duo waved his hand annoyingly. Ye Zi had already started the healing spell. She released the pauldron from the METAL suit and patched up the wound deftly.

"Don't move for the next five minutes." Ye Zi said and then went to the next wounded. On the battlefield, field medic's words were the bible. In five minutes, the wound would close up and stop bleeding, but complete recovery would require a much longer time.

The battle quickly turned into a stalemate. The warriors had to fight in shifts due to exhaustion. When the queen was about to die, Wang Tong cast a healing spell to revive her back to her hell. Immediately after that, Tan Bu stabbed the queen, making her scream once again. The scream worked magically in scaring the Zergs, some of whom even turned around and ran away in fear. Therefore, it was almost impossible for the Zergs to form a cohesive line of attack.

The warriors worked from morning till dusk and the mastery spells didn't stop until nightfall. Exhausted and overspent, Guan Dongyang and Xiao Yuyu leaned against a wall and breathed heavily. However, joy was written all over their faces.

They had won again!

This was the fourth city that they had conquered, and no one had thought that they could achieve so much when they first left Maersa.

"Hang in there guys. We will leave as soon as the captains finish their headcounts." Wang Tong announced to the soldiers. Only a few soldiers were still standing straight; consumed by exhaustion, most of them were leaning against anything they could find and dozing off.

A few minutes later, the human soldiers finally left the city, which fell apart amidst a series of explosions behind them.

After a while, they finally joined forces with Yin Tianzong and Vorenus, who had been fighting at Lantian. Everyone hugged each other for their victory and surviving another day. That night, Wang Tong's camp was extremely quiet as everyone had quickly fallen asleep.

Chapter 588: The Smile That Kills

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

However, even though all the soldiers had fallen asleep, the captains still had to prepare for the unit's next move. Meanwhile, some were at guard posts to make sure that they were safe. This was the Zerg's territory after all, and a moment of loosening up would mean complete annihilation.

After they had made the camp, they gathered by the campfire and reflected on the battle together. This battle had claimed the lives of five soldiers.

Each death was a heroic martyrdom that was worth commemorating. As the deceased rested in peace, the living would pick up where they had left off and continue the fight.

The flames danced on the pyre as the solider bodies was finally cleansed of their worldly burdens.

After the ceremony, Wang Tong walked to a supply tent and dragged a Zerg out, throwing it in front of everyone. Xiao Yuyu knew what Wang Tong was getting at; the mere thought made her stomach churn.

"Ladies, you can excuse yourself. It's us gentlemen's time." Wang Tong cracked a smile and then said. His smile was so casual as if eating Zergs was not a big deal.

"Wang Tong, don't look down on us. All the women here are warriors, just like you." Lie Xuan was triggered. The field medics agreed with her wholeheartedly, but the disgusting smell and the grotesque image had kept them silent.

"Lie Xuan, this is not the time to play the heroine. Women are weaker than men physically by God's design. We don't want you to get sick after eating these pests' meat." Wang Tong said. "Let's give it a try. You will get used to it very quickly."

Wang Tong carved a slice of meat off a Zerg's thigh and then shoved it down his throat, blood and all. "You can eat it raw, but it might taste better once cooked."

The girl's faces paled after witnessed this gruesome scene; some even threw up.

Tan Bu was the first person to follow Wang Tong's lead. He walked to the Zerg and grabbed another slab of meat, then started to chew on it. He was Wang Tong's most loyal follower, and if the latter thought he could do it, he could even if he couldn't. As the meat slid halfway down his throat, the brave soldier's face turned into a knot. He squeezed his thigh and rounded his eyes, then finally forced the contents down his throat.

After Tan Bu gathered himself, he managed a smile and then said, "Haha! The taste is not bad. Come on everyone, this is food, not poison."

Yin Tianzong and Vorenus each grabbed a morsel and put in into their mouths. Their face expression was very much the same as Tan Bu.

"Yuyu, it's ok! You don't have to watch this." Wang Tong cracked a smile.

Su Yuyu turned around; however gross the meat looked, she didn't mind looking at it. She turned around because she didn't want others to see her tears. She was deeply moved by the warriors' sacrifice and what they had to endure for the sake of everyone on Mars.

Each one of these soldiers had been to hell and back. They would not be so squeamish as to be afraid of a few pieces of Zerg meat. A few minutes later, a strange munching noise rose from a corner of the camp.

"It's not as bad as you guys made it sound like. " Lun Duo had eaten a few pieces and was still shoveling more down his throat.

"Lun Duo, you are still sick, so be careful about what you eat! Don't force yourself."

"I didn't force myself. This is quite chewy, and has a nice texture to it too." Even Wang Tong was shocked by the genuine enjoyment in Lun Duo's voice. After so many years, Wang Tong still hadn't acquired the taste of Zerg meat yet.

The other warriors laughed out loud at such a comical development. Regardless of the situation they were in, as long as they stayed together, they could plow through all difficulties.

…

The northern warden was furious due to the news of Mephisto's defeat. They had to curse the devil, literally! How could a small group of human insurgents be able to defeat four of his cities? Not only had they razed the cities to the ground, but their methods were also beyond the brutality of the Zergs. The situation had escalated much faster than he had thought. By then, Wang Tong's disturbance was no longer just an annoyance; it had started to affect the war. Not only was the loss of four queens a blow to the speed of reinforcing the frontline, but the other city lords had become reluctant in sending more of their forces outside their city wall as well.

The name of the devil spread quickly among the dark ones; rumors had it that the devil was related to the Blade Warrior.

That being said, Xie Su was content with the current state of war. He had never expected to eliminate the human forces in one go, and had planned for a stalemate. The longer the war lasted, the more advantage the Zergs would have; at least, that was the case until Wang Tong showed up at the home base. The incident had caught the dark lord's attention, and he had given personal orders to the wardens that he wanted the leader of the human unit, Wang Tong.

The Zerg race had been searching for the source of Blade Warrior's power for a long time. They were convinced that as long as they possessed this power, they could be the real overlord of the entire universe. Their first step would be to establish contact with the Zerg main forces somewhere in the boundless universe. However far away they were from the brood, their desire to return to the mother queen remained strong. The cure to their homesickness lied in the power of Wang Tong. It was also the reason that spurred the Zergs to evolve into dark ones and immortals.

After centuries of waiting, the possessor of this power, the heir of the Blade Warrior finally showed up at Moye's doorstep; the dark lord would not pass up this opportunity.

Xie Su knew the importance of Wang Tong. He knew that if he failed, he would either be killed by Wang Tong during battle or by Moye for his incompetence.

Therefore, he had considered capturing Wang Tong his priority. He had ordered his soldiers to slow down the attack at the front line and all the lords of the city to send out search parties.

…

"Boss, the Zergs are sniffing everywhere for our scent. What should we do?" Battle Wolf was hiding inside a valley. The terrain on Mars was extremely complicated, and the planet was vast in size. Searching for three hundred people was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Looks like our plan has worked! This is the northern warden's territory, and I think he must have slowed down the attack at the front line to focus on us." Xiao Yuyu said with glee. No one was convinced that their plan would have worked, but it did somehow.

Wang Tong rubbed his forehead while pondering over his next move. No one wanted to disturb him, so they talked under their breath quietly. They knew that he was planning to win this war using wits, and not might.

"I think we need to make some more noise! " Wang Tong announced firmly.

"We can't stop right now. The more noise we make, the more pressure we can relieve off of the soldiers at the front line."

"Tell us what to do, boss." Tan Bu asked eagerly.

"We will repeat our strategy again. If you are a dark one, where do you think we will strike next?"

The next city that lined up with Danube, Kazakh, Bore, and Mephisto was the Spider Fort. It was a new stronghold built entirely by the Zergs and occupied by high-level dark ones.

"If we show ourselves around the Spider Fort, and then attack here instead…" Wang Tong pointed at another city neither far nor close to the Spider Fort. "What do you think?" Wang Tong asked earnestly.

Meanwhile, inside Spider Fort, the dark ones were also holding a meeting together, discussing their options.

"Greetings everyone! The Dark Lord has given us his personal order to capture this Wang Tong, dead or alive. Meanwhile, we will work with the immortals." The lord of Spider Fort, Blu said.

"We have received the same order from our Divine lord. He wants us to do whatever we can to assist you in your mission. In my humble opinion, the key to capturing Wang Tong was to understand his moves. We should prevail if we are well prepared." A middle-aged immortal spoke.

"Honorable Divine General, I had heard that you had been an academy principal when you were human. I think we should listen to your opinion about what your former student's plan."

Harmon Candler was the immortals' highest commander on Mars. He was also a divine general, the immortal equivalent of the dark one's blood kin.

Chapter 589: The Vice Principal Of Capth

Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_

There were over a dozen immortals who had followed Candler to Mars, and their main mission was to capture Wang Tong.

Harmon had made a name for himself not because of his brute strength, but his astute judgment and keen observations. Patroclus knew that he would need all kind of talents in order to rule his kingdom; therefore, he had personally persuaded the former vice principal of the Capth Academy, an excellent administrator, to join him.

Harmon had already been a renowned leader before he joined Patroclus; therefore, his decision had spurred many other students from the Capth to join Patroclus.

Candler didn't answer the question given to him. The immortals beside him turned on their Skynet terminals and started researching. The dark ones regarded the strange machine with strong aversion; human technologies were garbage in their opinion.

"Danube, Kazakh, Bore, and then Mephisto… I think his next target is us, Spider Fort. He is well known for his audacity while he was at school. He didn't change at all in these years." Candler said.

"How do you know?" Blu asked.

"All the five cities are lined up on a straight line…He did it on purpose. He might play some tricks with us…for example, attacking another city as a smoke screen. When we dispatch our reinforcements, he will turn around and attack us while we are defenseless. It's a common strategy, simple but effective. As for why I am so sure of his motives, you need to look no further than here…" Candler pointed at the map. The dark lord's palace lined up perfectly at the end of Wang Tong's marching trajectory.

"You mean…Wang Tong is after the Dark Lord himself?" Blu asked incredulously, his throat making a wet croak out of sheer astonishment. Candler frowned with aversion on his face. These dark ones were not any more civilized than their primitive cousins.

"Well, humans are the arrogant lot. The four victories came so easily for him that he will be convinced that he is on the right course." Candler said.

"He is not afraid of the might of Spider Fort?" Blu asked. He doubted that even an Einherjar would dare to attack the mighty stronghold with only a small force.

"My lord, let him come. We will make him stay forever." A few hulking frames put in. Despite the rumors about this terrifying human devil, these high-level dark ones considered them only high tales or excuses for the other cities' defeat. Sometimes, these dark ones even wondered if the Blade Warriors was as powerful as he sounded. After all, it all had happened so many hundred years ago, and Zergs had terrible memories.

Candler cracked a smile and said, "You are right. Fort Spider is indeed a mighty powerhouse, and that is why we need to give Wang Tong a helping hand."

"A helping hand?"

"Indeed! To do that, we will need to march our troops out of the fort and circle around the district, then come back. The more noise your men can make, the better." Candler said with a smile. After all, these youngsters used to be his students, and surely they wouldn't outsmart their teacher. He was confident that Wang Tong would not be able to resist attacking the fort while knowing that the main force had marched out of the walls. As an expert in human psychology, Candler knew that Wang Tong was already carried over by his stunning success so far, and would march straight into the trap.

…

"It is so strange! The Zergs' northern regiments have almost halted the reinforcements." A human intelligence officer murmured.

"I hope they are not up to anything."

"It's hard to say. Could this be a bait and switch?"

"Very likely. The Zergs are quick learners."

"Sh*t! the war is getting harder and harder. "

"What can we do anyway? It's not like we have the Blade Warrior with us."

"Ah-Have you heard about the new Einherjar? He had finished off a level twenty-five EB unit!"

"I have heard the same thing. They said that he didn't even use any weapon, just bare hands! He killed the Zerg like squashing a worm."

"Yes, that's amazing, isn't it? Without him, our home cities are screwed. If our brothers and sisters had to worry about their safety constantly, they wouldn't be so eager to come to the front line. Although life is hard right now, at least our families are safe under the Einherjar's protection."

"That's true! All cities are expecting the final battle. Ah, right, have you heard about the other news?"

"What is it?"

"Once he has helped a city, he would leave a golden sword behind and anoint a knight."

"Yeah, yeah, that was old news. Those knights are all the leaders of the resistance forces behind the front lines. What about it?"

"I have heard that there are great secrets hidden in those golden blades."

"Secret? What kind of secrets?"

"Some kind of tactics that were able to transform a single circulation of GN force into double circulations. These tactics are gradually gaining popularity in those cities led by knights."

"Order from the command center…troop mobilizes toward the northern regiment number twenty-three. " A messenger shouted at the officers.

Everyone looked at each other with disbelief. Although the Zergs' reinforcements had been sluggish at the northern front, that didn't mean the situation would last. What if the Zergs started to pick up their reinforcement speed?

However, an order was an order.

…

Michaux and Lie Jian hovered over a table and studied a giant map with grave expressions. Neither of them had smiled once ever since the war broke out. The final battle came a bit too soon.

"You don't think it's too risky? Maybe, it was not Wang Tong." Michaux was taken aback by Lie Jian's daring decision.

"Hehe…I know you like Wang Tong, but you don't know him half as much as I do. There is only two persons that I feared…One is Patroclus, and the other is Wang Tong. I cared about Wang Tong's actions on Mars more than anyone else. I can tell you this for sure…The current inactivity of the Zergs was definitely the work of Wang Tong." Lie Jian said.

"So, you believe his strategy has worked?"

"Very much so. Although we can't get hold of him, no news is good news. If Wang Tong was captured or killed, we should have already heard it by now." Lei Jian's face finally showed a faint smile and then continued.

"Although Wang Tong is my rival, I know what is the best for everyone right now. We can continue our competition once the Zerg problem is gone. However, I doubt that Wang Tong will be enough to avert the crisis completely."

"You mean…you want to join Wang Tong?"

"If he can do it, I can do it better. Besides, the front line is not going to feel any different without a few hundred soldiers, but we can significantly slow the Zergs down from within."

"It's too dangerous. Einherjar Lie Jintian wouldn't approve it."

"He can't control me."

Lie Jian was tempted to copy Wang Tong's strategy after seeing how effective it was. His father was the absolute commander of the war, and therefore, he felt useless staying with the army. If he could sneak behind the lines, his abilities could be put to better use.

"Very well then, maybe I should join you too. I am sure Moye would want to meet me." Michaux said.

"Not you…You need to show the public that we are still with them."

"So, you get to be a hero while I stay home and be a statue? No way! I have already arranged everything on my side. If anything happens to me, Susu will inherit my title. Although I hope she can be more mature, she has accumulated enough prestige to stake her claim now." Michaux said.

Lie Jian knew he couldn't refuse Michaux, so he left the conversation at that. He wagered that his and Michaux's names should be able to attract the Zergs' attention. In addition, he reckoned that the elite soldiers could contribute much more to the war behind the enemy lines than on the city walls.

Just as Candler had expected, the Samgha city reported human activity. Wang Tong had used this trick once at Mephisto City. He would feint attack an insignificant target to bait the real target to leave the city, and then attack the real target while it was ill-prepared. This time, Wang Tong would not be able to pull the trick off so easily, since Candler was in charge.

"What exactly did the scouts say? How many humans did they see?" Candler asked.

"They had spotted two very powerful human soldiers. I think they work for the human devil."