Chapter 54: Fierce Battle Against the Beast Tide
Mist Forest Monitoring Command Room.
Zhao Lie was still staring at the wave detection screen, trying to analyze the source of that strong wave just now.
Just then, another communications soldier rushed in clutching a walkie-talkie, his face as pale as paper.
"Vice General Zhao! Bad news!" The soldier's voice trembled.
"The patrol team on the Eighth District defense line sent a message. The Eighth District Beast King, the Ice Soul Silver Python, has led tens of thousands of beasts out of its territory and is moving towards the Mist Forest!"
"It's... it's a Beast Tide! It has launched a Beast Tide!"
"What?!" Zhao Lie stood up abruptly, his voice tight.
"Is it confirmed? The Ice Soul Silver Python has appeared? How many represent the numbers?"
"Confirmed! The patrol team saw it with telescopes. The Beast King is right at the rear of the herd!"
"Conservative estimate... over ten thousand! And it's still increasing!" The communications soldier's voice grew more urgent.
"The land beast herd is moving very fast. They are expected to reach the edge of the Mist Forest in half an hour!"
"The aerial beast herd is expected to arrive within ten minutes."
"Why at a time like this..." Zhao Lie's gaze fell on the map.
He dragged his finger heavily across the route from the Eighth District to the Mist Forest.
In half an hour, the Beast Tide would rush into the Mist Forest.
And right now, there were nearly a thousand examinees scattered throughout the Mist Forest. Their defensive strength was practically zero.
It was likely too late to order an evacuation now.
"Activate the Great Wall defensive fortifications. Organize ten thousand troops to be stationed at the five sentry towers within the Mist Forest. Prepare to intercept."
"At the same time, immediately notify all examinees in the Mist Forest to gather at the sentry towers at once!"
Zhao Lie's voice carried unquestionable authority.
"Order the soldiers currently on the outer perimeter defense line of the Mist Forest to impede the Beast Tide while conserving their strength. Buy us time!"
"Also, ask the Eighth District what the hell is going on!"
He stared at the movement route of the Beast Tide on the screen and said in a deep voice,
"No matter what, we must hold the Mist Forest... we cannot let the examinees come to harm!"
"Yes, sir!" The communications soldier immediately turned to execute the orders.
Zhao Lie looked at the examinee positioning signals still flashing on the screen.
Recalling the strange wave earlier and the influx of beasts, a strong sense of unease suddenly rose in his heart.
Then he turned to look at the admissions instructors observing the assessment.
"Everyone, this Beast Tide is incited by a Seventh Order Beast King. The scale is no small matter."
"I implore you all to join the battle. However, if you wish to leave, I won't stop you. But do it soon. Once the fighting starts, we won't have the time to look after you."
The air stagnated for a few seconds.
Thoughts varied among the group, and eventually, several people left their seats.
Soon, only a few remained. Among them was Lin Mo.
Zhao Lie glanced at the remaining people. They were instructors from the Alliance's four top Awakening Academies.
He couldn't help but sigh secretly. Worthy of top academies.
They don't produce cowards!
There was one other person he didn't recognize, but judging by his temperament and mechanical prosthetics, he looked like a retired soldier like himself.
He clenched his fist and said solemnly, "Thank you!"
Chen Yu had only taken a few steps.
Suddenly, the Surveillance Transponder Snail hanging from a tree branch ahead lit up with a blinding red light.
"Emergency Alert: The Eighth District Seventh Order Beast King, Ice Soul Silver Python, has launched a Beast Tide!"
"Aerial beast swarm expected to arrive at the Mist Forest within 10 minutes! All examinees immediately follow the Transponder Snail's marked direction and gather at the nearest sentry tower!"
"Repeat, Emergency Alert: Eighth District Seventh Order..."
Chen Yu's footsteps paused. His Color of Observation Haki instantly spread out, clearly capturing the low-order beasts scattering and fleeing around him.
The premonition from his Observation Haki began to come true.
"Of all times." Chen Yu cursed under his breath, looking back at the spot where they had besieged the White Snake beast.
"That snake cry just now... don't tell me..."
Shave!
He abruptly launched himself, his figure turning into an afterimage as he sprinted towards the sentry tower.
The trees along the way receded rapidly..
Scattered beast footprints on the ground became denser and denser.
Obviously, the beasts within the Mist Forest had sensed something and were fleeing.
When he rushed to the periphery of the sentry tower, the scene before him was completely different.
The originally empty clearing had been turned into a circular fortification with sandbags.
Soldiers in camouflage were mounting heavy machine guns on top of the fortifications.
Two soldiers carrying rocket launchers ran quickly to a hidden point at the edge of the forest.
The entire sentry tower had clearly entered combat mode.
"Halt! Show your ID!" A soldier stepped forward with his gun raised, muzzle aimed at Chen Yu, his eyes alert.
Chen Yu raised his hand to show his examinee ID, his voice urgent.
"Chen Yu, Trainee Awakener (Tier 2), an examinee resting at the tower earlier."
After verifying the ID, the soldier stepped aside and pointed to the tower entrance.
"Your people are inside. Get in there, the aerial swarm is almost here."
Chen Yu sprinted into the sentry tower. As soon as he entered, he bumped into Ling Yue.
The cold aura on her body had weakened significantly.
She was holding onto the doorframe, looking at the army outside, her brows slightly furrowed.
"Just received the notice. A Seventh Order Beast King..."
"Prepare for battle first." Chen Yu's calm voice echoed in the room.
Everyone's hearts seemed to settle a little.
Jiang Qingye was unsheathing his longsword, repeatedly checking the blade.
Li Mufeng, enduring his pain, strapped two machine guns to his back.
Xia Wanqing was shouldering a giant axe, communicating with an officer, her voice loud as ever: "I want to fight!"
Lin Yan leaned against the corner, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his cuffs, calculating the best escape routes in his mind.
Just then.
A sharp air defense siren suddenly sounded outside the sentry tower. The mournful noise tore through the sky.
The soldiers instantly tensed up. Heavy machine gunners gripped their triggers, their eyes locked dead on the sky above the forest.
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Meanwhile, Lanjiang City was in chaos.
Street broadcasts blared the Alliance Military's emergency notification, the sharp electronic voice piercing the noise:
"Emergency Alert! Eighth District Seventh Order Beast King, Ice Soul Silver Python, has launched a Beast Tide. Expected to reach the outskirts within 1 hour!"
"Citizens, please immediately take your ID and necessities and proceed to the nearest shelter. Do not linger! Repeat, proceed immediately to the shelters!"
On the main roads, cars formed long dragons, horns honking incessantly.
In roadside supermarkets, people frantically grabbed compressed biscuits and water. Shelves were pushed over, goods scattered on the floor.
An old grandmother was helped forward, tightly clutching her grandson's hand.
The grandson was crying, asking for his parents.
Others ran with suitcases on their shoulders, panic written on their faces.
In the direction of the Mist Forest, the sky there faintly turned a layer of gray-black, as if dark clouds were gathering.
"Here they come!" the lookout on top of the sentry tower suddenly shouted.
Chen Yu looked up and saw a black shadow sweeping across the distant sky.
Like dark clouds dyed with ink, they approached at extreme speed.
Although their cultivation realm wasn't high—only First Order—the sheer quantity turned quantity into quality. The dense sight was scalp-numbing.
Accompanying the shadows was sharp screeching, piercing enough to make eardrums ache.
"Fire!" The officer shouted the order.
Heavy machine guns instantly roared with a da-da-da. Bullet chains cycled rapidly, tongues of fire spraying from barrels, sweeping towards the flying beast swarm.
For a moment, feathers flew and blood rained down. Beast corpses fell like dumplings into a pot.
But there were too many aerial beasts.
The subsequent beasts used their companions' bodies to absorb the ammo and continued to charge, their sharp claws grabbing at the soldiers on the fortifications.
When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.
The examinees who had entered the sentry tower joined the battle one after another.
"I got this!" Xia Wanqing leaped up violently, her giant axe tracing an arc in the air.
With a BANG, she cleaved an incoming Iron-Feathered Vulture, severing its wing directly.
The Iron-Feathered Vulture let out a scream, crashed to the ground, twitched twice, and died.
Lin Yan's figure flashed, teleporting onto the heads of beasts one by one, delivering precise headshots.
Chen Yu gripped his sword, Ace. Black Armament Haki quickly covered the blade, while he simultaneously mobilized his tempestuous energy.
Green gale winds wrapped around the blade, resembling a tornado transformed into a sword.
He leaped onto the top of the fortification.
His Observation Haki locked onto a dozen Iron-Feathered Vultures rushing in. He swung his sword, unleashing a tornado.
"Dragon Twister!"
The tornado grew in the wind, turning into a miniature cyclone that threw out countless wind blades.
Full map AOE damage. A dozen Iron-Feathered Vultures were killed instantly.
However, more Flying Centipedes surged toward Chen Yu, their poison sacs spraying venom at the tower.
Ling Yue immediately stepped forward, unleashing the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit with both hands. "Air Cannon!"
A giant paw-print bubble imprinted itself in front of Chen Yu. The Flying Centipedes were blasted apart.
Jiang Qingye, Li Mufeng, and the other examinees gasped. "Two freaks."
Their powerful performance boosted morale significantly.
The battle entered a fever pitch.
The roar of heavy machine guns, the screeching of beasts, and the clash of weapons wove together.
The ground outside the sentry tower was soon piled high with the corpses of flying beasts. Blood dyed the soil red.
Chen Yu stood atop the fortification, constantly swinging his sword. Flame and sword qi intertwined, cutting down the last batch of aerial beasts.
"Hah... hah..." Lin Yan panted heavily. "Is it over?"
Xia Wanqing flexed her biceps. "A Beast Tide is nothing special..."
Before she could finish.
The earth suddenly began to tremble. The shaking grew more violent, and the roar of beasts became clearer.
Standing on high ground, Chen Yu turned to look. Outside the edge of the forest, a massive, crushing black shadow was approaching rapidly.
Thick trees collapsed one after another.
( TO BE CONTINUED)
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***"""""*****"SPOILERS WARRING**********
ONE PIECE 1168 DETAILED SUMMARY
Short chapter of 15 pages, some of the pages are unfinished (like in chapter 1,098).
Chapter 1,168: "The snow of elbaph".
Reader request in the cover: "Little sheeps are making gloves for Hachi".
Chapter starts with narrator explaining that the image of giants improved all over the world thanks to trading with other countries, giant marines heroism and Harald diplomacy.
In Elbaph, Loki was sent to the "Detention center" in the underworld after destroying brewers village. Harald returned to Elbaph from his last mission and was taking care of Ida in her bar. Ida told Harald that his words made her feel better, and then she asked him if Elbaph will become one with the world soon.
Harald: "That's right, ida!! Soon, we will be connected with the world!! Then it'll be just like the old days!! We can go on adventures together again!!"
Ida: "Fantastic I can't wait!!" Harald: "Neither can I!!"
Ida reached out her arm and grasped Harald's hand, but as soon as their hands touched, Ida's arm lost its strength and she died. It was snowing heavily in Elbaph the day Ida died. Harald and Hajrudin were crying at Ida's bed while Loki sat in silent in jail.
14 years ago, Shanks disappeared just before he will be promoted to a "Knight of God". So Harald, the next one in line, was offered the chance instead. Harald accompanied the Five Elders to the empty throne room.
Harald: "Once elbaph becomes a part of the "World government"…I'm planning to let go of my crown, and give it to someone young and pure…' Imu: "That… Is something mu will decide."
Harald was shocked to see there was someone sitting on the "Empty throne".
Harald: "Why… Is someone on the "Empty throne"…?" Imu: "Come forth. I have been watching thee, Harald."
A huge scream resounded throughout the "Pangea castle".
Imu changed harald's mark to "Depths covenant" mark (the same Killingham has in the present)
Harald: "Aaargh!!! I can feel it…!!! My "Power" is increasing… To an alarming level!!" Imu: "From this moment forth, thou art a "Knight of immortality". A servant of mu…" Harald: "Immortality…. Still sounds like a dream to me…" Imu: "Craft an "Abyss" (pentagram) in elbaph for me, as a mark for the bond between us…!!And later, after the completion of mu's final order… The fruition of thy hard work will be realized!! Elbaph shall be allowed to join the world government!!
While Imu said that words, we see Harald returning to Elbaph in his ship.
Then Harald created the "Abyss" in the throne room of the Aurust Castle.
However, Imu's next order for Harald was to turn Elbaph into a military nation with a fleet as great as the marines. Harald tried to resist but his body started moving on its own. The condition of "Depths covenant" was that he can never defy Imu's orders.
Harald ordered soldiers to tie him to a pillar and summon Jarul and his sons at once. Hajrudin was out at sea so only Loki and Jarul were summoned to the Aurust Castle.
[Detention Center in the Underworld]
Giant guard: "Loki come out!! You're free!!" Loki: "Hmm?" Giant guard: "Head to aurust castle immediately!! The king demands your presence!!"
[Jarul's House]
Jarul: "Emergency you said!? Wait, what happened exactly!?"
Chapter ends with a panel of the famous portrait of King Harald (the one where he held a sword) while narrator speaks…
Narrator: [Now, back to the main story. On that day, a mass slaughter occurred at the castle. Leading the most beloved king of elbaph, the wise sovereign harald, to lose his life…!!!]
End of chapter. Break Next Week.
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MORE SPOILERS
There are three stages of contracts or covenants with "God" (Imu):
-The first and initial stage is the Shallows Covenant, written in Kanji as 「浅海契約」 (senkai keiyaku), literally meaning "Shallow Sea Contract." This covenant is granted by the Five Elders to the "Devoted Blades of God" (神の従刃, kami no jūjin).
-The second stage is the Depths Covenant, written in Kanji as 「深海契約」 (shinkai keiyaku), literally meaning "Deep Sea Contract." It is granted directly by Imu (according to the latest spoilers).
-The third and highest stage is the Abyssal Covenant, written in Kanji as 「深々海契約」 (shin-shinkai keiyaku), literally meaning "Deep Deep Sea Contract." It is safe to assume that this covenant is also granted directly by Imu.
In the previous chapter (Chapter 1167), V. Nusjuro said that the "Depths Covenant" and "Abyssal Covenant" are reserved for only "13 exclusive individuals," making them the elite among the elite.
In each covenant, the Kanji for "sea" is written, which is 「海」 (umi). If you reverse the romaji spelling of umi, you get "IMU"
Shallow Sea mark: Normal contract, no connection to Imu, no powers. Deep Sea mark: Contract with Imu (he can control you), in return you become stronger, can teleport/create a magic circle, become immortal (probably meaning regeneration power).
Abyssal Sea Mark: Probably gives a Yokai power/even stronger boost (Imu CoC).
It seems like Sommer indeed has the Abyssal mark, maybe he also has a Yokai power which he didn´t used yet? I mean something special must given with the Abyssal seal because Deep Sea already gives almost all abilities we know from the Holy Knight
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100 Power Stone= 1 Extra Chapter/ Weak
300 Power Stone= 2 Extra Chapter/ Weak
500 Power Stone= 3 Extra Chapter/ Weak
100 Collection in week = 1 Extra Chapter
[ COMPLETED ✅]
500 Collection in Week = 2 Extra Chapter
1K Collection in week= 3 Extra Chapter
Author Support: Want to Gift author for support go to author Contracted Novel " The Extra is a Hero? " Gift him there. Add Message: One piece.
1x Massage Chair = 3 Extra Chapter/ Immediately Updated.
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1x Dragon = 25 Extra Chapter/ Immediately Updated.
1x Castle= 50 Extra Chapter/ Immediately Updated.
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