Danmachi: The Multiverse Portal

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The transport helicopters touched down.

August slid down the rope and saw that a huge line of troops was already guarding the ruins.

"So these are the ancient ruins…"

Up close, the age and importance of the ruins were obvious. The site was half-destroyed by recent artillery, but that was necessary. The ruins were there only to keep the monster trapped inside.

"August, we're counting on you," Staff Officer Thomas's voice crackled over the comms.

"Got it."

August waved his hand and opened his inventory. Suddenly, fifty main battle tanks, a group of armored bulldozers, and a fully stocked munitions depot appeared on the landing zone.

Major Jay looked over the heavy armor. As the only commander on the front line, he was responsible for tactics.

"Tank crews, mount up! Pull back from the ruins for now to establish a perimeter!" Jay barked. He knew the interior breach required tight infantry work. The designated tank operators scrambled toward the newly materialized armor, firing up the engines.

"Engineers, move out!" Jay pointed at the bulldozers.

Engineers cleared debris to create a safe zone for combat, while the rest of the infantry guarded the perimeter and established a strong defense.

Once the surface was secure, the strike team got ready to enter the inner area.

"Let's move," August said, glancing at the three-hundred-strong assault team, which included the Artemis and Hermes Familias.

"Right," the others agreed, falling into step.

A commander led the team inside. As they entered, they saw something amazing. Blue light lined the walls, making the old ruins look like a glowing, magical fortress.

"..."

"It's beautiful," a young soldier whispered.

Even the most experienced soldiers were amazed. The building was made of simple stone and mud-brick, but the blue light filled the halls, making everything easy to see.

Artemis looked at the light, a nostalgic gleam in her eyes. "The Great Spirits who built all this… you could call them my very first Familia."

The temple's immense size showed how powerful the Spirits were. The blue light meant the old seal was still working.

"It's been a thousand years," Hermes said, tipping his hat as he surveyed the decay. "The seal has deteriorated."

The crumbling structure had weakened the seal, allowing monsters to escape and cause trouble on the surface.

As they pushed deeper, the enemy types shifted. Unlike the surface horde, these were all reptilian, scorpion-like creepers.

"They're in here too?" August noted. They were dangerously close to the main temple doors, meaning these monsters were acting as a royal guard.

"Antares offspring," Hestia said grimly.

She thought Antares needed to absorb Artemis to make more monsters, but it looked like the beast started making scorpion spawns as soon as the seal got weak.

Absorbing the Goddess was probably just to boost its power even more.

"Too many of them!" the commander barked, raising his hand. "Double-line formation! Spread out! Clear the hall!"

The soldiers moved forward and formed two straight firing lines. The rear guard kept watch behind them, creating a tight defense around August and the Gods.

"Open fire!" the commander roared.

Assault rifles barked in unison. The scorpions shrieked as they charged, only to be instantly cut down by a relentless hail of lead.

This was how effective fighting in a hallway could be. There was no wind or open space to mess up their aim. As long as they kept their lines, nothing survived in the hallway. It was just like August's Dungeon Tactics, leaving only a layer of Magic Stones behind.

"Sweep the area," the commander ordered. Drones buzzed out to check the dark corners. Once the area was confirmed clear, he signaled the men. "Collect the stones."

When the team reached the huge sealing doors, Hestia frowned and looked around carefully.

"Wait… where did those monsters outside come from?" she murmured, inspecting the gate that only Artemis could unlock. "This door is still completely solid. Nothing could have breached it."

She met August's eyes, her face growing serious.

August understood right away. "Commander, Call the surface! There's a hidden underground tunnel letting those things out. Tell them to watch their asses!"

"Copy that!" The commander felt a chill. They had checked the perimeter, and the ruins were supposed to be sealed tight. "Recon actual, be advised: we suspect a hidden subterranean breach connecting the inner ruins to the outside. Watch your sectors!"

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On the surface, Major Jay heard the warning over his earpiece.

"Did you sweep all the exits??" he demanded, turning to the captain beside him.

"Sir, we swept the entire sector! Zero breaches connecting the upper levels to the lower caverns!" the captain replied, sounding defensive. They were the airborne vanguard and had searched everywhere.

"Then how the hell…" Jay muttered.

Commander James's voice crackled on the radio. "Jay… you don't think…"

Jay's heart sank. "Thomas, you better not die on me."

He realized exactly where that hidden tunnel had to lead.

...

Back at the main camp, Staff Officer Thomas got the intel. He trusted his vanguard. If they didn't find a tunnel at the ruins, then the exit wasn't there. The scorpions must be using a hidden underground network.

'If that's true…'

Thomas's eyes snapped wide open.

"Logistics! Grab the trucks! Get to the nearby villages and evacuate the civilians to the base immediately!" he roared at his officers. "Move, move, move! Son of a bitch! The monsters are flanking the main camp! Get those defensive lines up now!"

The logistics chief jumped into action. "Drivers, mount up! Get to the village! Drag them back here if you have to!"

The camp sprang into action. The soldiers were angry to learn the monsters were trying to sneak into their base. This was their home. Several transport trucks raced out, heading for the village less than a hundred meters away.

"Hey, what's going on??" Village Chief Olly asked in confusion as troops swarmed in.

"Get in the truck! The monsters are flanking us!" the logistics chief yelled, hauling the old man up by his shirt.

"What??" Olly was stunned. He thought the battle was miles away at the ruins.

The veteran soldiers moved quickly. They rushed into houses, grabbed kids, and loaded them into the trucks. But they were almost too late.

A scorpion spawn burst from the brush, lunging at a group of straggling village women.

"Fuck you!" A soldier roared, drawing his combat knife and throwing himself in front of them. He blocked the scorpion's pincer but took a brutal hit to the ribs as he drove his blade straight through the beast's arm.

"Dammit!" Ten nearby soldiers turned.

"Get them to the trucks!" three yelled, grabbing the women. The other seven raised their rifles and fired. The scorpion was blown apart, leaving only a Magic Stone.

"You good?" they asked, helping the injured soldier up.

"I'm fine. Just a busted rib," he gritted his teeth.

Attack helicopters thundered overhead, firing on the farmland two hundred meters away, where dozens more scorpions were coming out of the trees.

The logistics chief gritted his teeth. The fight had barely started, and they were already taking casualties. "Fall back to base!"

Most villagers were already in the center of town, talking about the military lockdown, so the evacuation went quickly.

...

Inside the camp, a comms officer shouted, "Report! Massive hostile signatures detected to the southwest! Less than five hundred meters from the perimeter! Vanguard units have engaged near the village. Air support is suppressing, and evac is complete!"

Staff Officer Thomas had already put on his tactical gear. "Southwest…"

He checked the topographical map. "The riverbed? That connects to all the local villages. Did they use a subterranean river?"

"Send the drones! Find that tunnel!" Thomas ordered grimly. "Son of a bitch is using a Zerg rush."

He realized Antares didn't need to absorb a Goddess to mass-produce offspring. It was a biological factory.

"Patch me through to all lines! Frontline and reserves, stay frosty! The target is a mass-spawner. I estimate tens of thousands of hostiles!"

At the forward artillery position, Commander James's face grew stern.

"You heard the man," he called to his troops. "Tens of thousands. Stay sharp. They might push our fire support lines. Hold this position, whatever it takes!"

"Hooah!" the soldiers roared.

"Tens of thousands… Holy shit." Major Jay muttered over the short-range comms. "August, that thing inside has spawned a massive army. Don't worry about the camp—Thomas will hold the line."

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

Deep underground at the temple doors, August copied the transmission.

"Got it."

"What's the situation?" Rethusa asked, noting his serious expression.

"Confirmed," August replied. "There's a hidden tunnel connected to the riverbed. The monsters have been bypassing the ruins entirely. The main camp is under attack."

"Tch. An ambush?" Rethusa clicked her tongue. She had never faced numbers like this. Even as a [Level 3], clearing tens of thousands of monsters would take the entire Artemis Familia days of non-stop fighting.

"Attacking the camp?" Artemis frowned. The seal hadn't just held Antares—it had given it a safe zone to nest and breed. "This monster is really terrifying..."

"We can't wait out here," Artemis said, channeling her Divine Power.

The massive temple doors groaned and unlocked.

The interior wasn't a nightmare of pulsating egg sacs like they expected. Instead, it was just another huge corridor. They moved forward quickly, leaving the doors open behind them in case they had to retreat.

As they ventured deeper, a loud, mournful shriek echoed from the abyss.

"Are we close?" the commander tightened his grip on his rifle. That was definitely the monster's cry.

They pressed into the depths, and finally, the true enemy revealed itself.

It was a colossal horror. Its upper half looked like a one-eyed human, while its lower half was the grotesque, armored body of a giant scorpion. It roared at the ceiling, not just shrieking but pouring out pure, raw hatred. Hatred for the Gods, hatred for everything.

The Monster that existed only to consume: Antares.

August stared at the towering monstrosity. He knew exactly what it was...

This was the target!

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