Chapter 338: Bloody ambush
Unfortunately for the hive, Overlord had anticipated this move. Before the aerial drones could ascend more than a few meters above the battlefield, the soldiers at the back of the formation—who had remained still until now—sprang into action.
They hadn’t been idle out of fear or hesitation; they had been charging their attacks. In the next instant, they unleashed a barrage that covered the sky above the battlefield. Spells of all kinds streaked upward, tearing through the aerial drones and blasting them to pieces.
A sharp glint appeared in the drones’ eyes as they recognized the threat. They saw the archers and mages poised and ready, waiting to shoot down anything that took to the air. Rising skyward would only make them easy targets; before they could maneuver or gain sufficient altitude, they would be plucked from the sky. Realizing this, the hive immediately redirected their efforts to the melee clash on the ground, intensifying the pressure on the soldiers.
The clash intensified. The soldiers braced themselves as waves of drones crashed against their shields. The impact rattled their bones, but they held firm. Swords flashed in deadly arcs, cutting through the drones’ chitinous armor. Spears thrust forward with precision, piercing vulnerable joints. From time to time, a soldier would cry out as a pincer found flesh, but comrades quickly closed ranks, dragging the wounded back and filling the gaps.
Sergeant Lysa gritted her teeth as she parried an aerial drone’s snapping pincers with her shield. With a swift motion, she drove her sword into its maw, dark ichor spraying across her armor. Beside her, a middle-aged man swung his mace with a roar, shattering another drone that attempted to leap over the front line.
"Watch your left!" Lysa shouted, spotting a drone trying to flank them. The middle-aged man spun just in time to deflect the attack, the force of the collision sending vibrations up his arm.
"Thanks, Sergeant!" he shouted back, sweat dripping down his brow.
Despite injuries and the relentless assault, the soldiers remained focused. Their training took over as they moved in unison, each action supporting the next. They knew that faltering for even a moment could spell disaster.
The drones, for their part, fought with a killing focus that was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. They showed no fear or hesitation—only an unyielding drive to destroy anything in their path.