Leveling Up by Seducing Milfs-Chapter 114. The Horde Arrives

The demon squad ran at a speed that should have been impossible to keep up with, but they were so desperate that every step hurt. Rick bounced in Vyra’s arms as she ran across the wasteland, and even though she was going so fast, her breathing stayed steady.

The corruption wave was visible on the horizon behind them, like a dark stain spreading across the desert.

"We won’t get there before them!" Krell yelled, and his voice could be heard over the sound of feet pounding.

The giant demon’s face was set in grim determination as he carried Carmilla with one arm and swung his war axe with the other.

Rick made his tired mind pay attention. "We need to warm the camp with something else at this point!"

"Communication crystal!" Natasha was able to gasp out as another demon carried her.

Rick’s hands shook as he fumbled for the crystal, almost dropping it twice before he was able to turn it on. In his hand, the device glowed faintly. "General Zara!"

"A huge wave of corruption is coming! More than 500 enemies! Estimated arrival in twenty minutes!"

For a few painful seconds, static crackled through the crystal. Then Zara’s voice came through, clear and strong.

"Confirmed."

"We can see them from the towers."

"All units move to their defensive positions immediately!"

Rick could hear horns starting to sound across the demon camp in the distance. The sound echoed across the wasteland, a chilling call to arms that made his blood run cold.

Zara’s voice came through again, and this time it sounded like there might be worry behind the authoritative tone. "Come back alive, little human."

"I’m not done testing you yet."

As Zara cut off the connection to plan the camp’s defense, the crystal went dark. Rick dropped his hand because he didn’t have the strength to hold the crystal any longer. Vyra put it in her pack without stopping.

"How much farther are we right now?" Rick asked in a weak voice.

"Ten minutes at this speed," Vyra said, her amber eyes fixed on the horizon where the demon camp was difficult to see. "The wave will hit about five minutes after we get there."

"That’s not enough time to fully mobilize," Natasha said, her exhausted mind still working. "They won’t be completely ready."

Krell growled in anger. "Then we should hope that General Zara is just as good at defense as she is at offense."

...

As they finally reached the last ridge before the demon camp, the sun was setting. For a moment, Rick forgot how worn out he was when he saw what was below.

In the short time since they had left, the whole camp had changed. What had once been a well-organized military camp was now a fortress getting ready for a siege.

Thousands of demons moved in an organized way, with each warrior taking their place. At important places, barricades were being built.

Archers stood in the high places. Heavy weapons were being moved into position. Mages got together in groups and started to cast defensive spells.

It was impressive, scary, and beautiful in how precise it was in battle.

As the squad ran toward the command area, demons moved out of the way to let them through. Krell carefully put Carmilla down, and the other demons did the same with Natasha. Vyra put Rick down on his feet, and he had to lean against her right away to keep from falling over.

General Zara stood in the middle of the command area with her huge greatsword strapped to her back. She was looking at a quickly drawn map of the battlefield. She looked up when the squad got close, and her amber eyes went straight to Rick.

"Krell’s first report from a scout runner says you destroyed the nest," Zara said, her voice echoing across the command area.

"Good job for a group of three humans and a demon."

Rick tried to stand up straighter, but the pain from his broken ribs made him wince. "Is this a sign that we are allies?"

Zara’s lips turned up in what could have been a smile. "It means I’m ready to talk about the terms seriously."

"You deserve that much for showing how strong the bond network is."

"Seems like you’re not just all talk and—"

Grrrddddddd...

She stopped suddenly and turned her head to the east. Her face went from thoughtful to alert. "Hold on.

"Do you all hear that?"

Rick pushed his senses to the limit and felt it before he heard it. A vibration in the ground that started out weak but quickly got stronger.

He could hear the rumbling, which was a deep bass note that made his teeth rattle. Then there were the roars, hundreds of twisted voices screaming their anger and hunger.

Scouts ran from the watchtowers in the east. "GENERAL! THEY’RE HERE!"

Zara grabbed her greatsword in one smooth motion, and the huge blade came out of its back sheath with a soft metallic sound. "Get everyone in place!"

"HOLD THE LINE!"

"This is what we practice for!"

"Let’s show these evil bastards what the demon warriors are made of!" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The command area erupted into controlled chaos as officers sprinted to their units. Rick watched Zara transform before his eyes from a contemplative general to an embodied war goddess. Her entire demeanor changed, becoming sharper, more primal, and more alive.

The wave of corruption reached the eastern ridge, and Rick’s breath caught in his throat. There were a lot of them.

There were hundreds of twisted beasts, corrupted animals, shadow constructs, and, worst of all, corrupted demons. Demons who used to be soldiers, scouts, and civilians turned into horrible versions of themselves.

The same dark energy that had corrupted the demon in the nest also altered the bodies of the other demons.

"Holy fucking shit," Rick said quietly. "There are so many of them...!"

When Zara looked at him, her face was serious. "That’s enough, little human."

"Stay behind the lines with the wounded."

"That’s not a request! It’s an order for me."

"But—" Rick began to argue.

"You can barely stand," Zara said, cutting him off. Her voice left no room for argument. "In your current state, you’ll be a liability on the battlefield."

"Let my warriors take care of this."

She turned to speak to the whole demon army, and somehow her voice was loud enough to be heard all over the camp. "DEMON WARRIORS!"

"Corruption is a threat to our home!"

"OUR PEOPLE! AND OUR FUTURE!"

"We don’t fight to win today! We fight to stay alive!"

"FOR REVENGE FOR OUR DEAD! AND FOR THE RIGHT TO BE!"

Rick could feel the thousands of demons roaring in response. It was a sound so loud and primal that it shook him to his bones. The wave of corruption hit the defensive lines, and the fight began.

The clash was apocalyptic. Corrupted creatures slammed into demon defensive formations with suicidal fury. The demons held firm, shields locked and weapons ready.

The sound was overwhelming.

Screaming, roaring, the clash of weapons against corrupted flesh, the crackle of magic, and the thuds of bodies hitting the ground.

Rick punched the ground, feeling all useless and weak. "Goddamn it... if only I could help more to impress Zara."

"But... I can still think of a strategy for us all to win against that corruption."