19 Chapter 19

"I am countless times worse than you guys," Aldrich had not been joking when he made that statement.

His plan was to implement stringent laws worldwide, applicable to everyone from ordinary citizens to supers. Anyone who dared to rebel against these laws would be swiftly dealt with - his ultimate goal.

The next morning, Aldrich intended to proceed with his routine dungeon clearing. However, something felt amiss.

The weather was clear, the sun hung in the sky, illuminating the world.

At the city's outskirts, a thick wall surrounded the entire perimeter. Soldiers dressed in green attire, armed with magical guns, patrolled the area.

The soldiers laughed and chatted amongst themselves.

"Why are we patrolling here?" one soldier questioned.

"Why? We're well-paid, with minimal risk. The work is straightforward. Why overthink it? Just enjoy," another replied.

The questioning soldier nodded. "But what's the point? It's not like monsters would suddenly attack us."

"Well, if someday a horde of monsters were to attack unexpectedly, we'd be ready. If they caught us off guard and breached the wall, the casualties would be catastrophic."

"Oh," the soldiers murmured in understanding. However, their eyes widened when they looked out onto the deserted land.

"Sir, isn't that... a monster horde?!" one exclaimed.

"Stop joking." The officer laughed as he followed the soldier's gaze, but his eyes widening as his body trembled.

"Alert the association!" he commanded in a rush.

In the barren land, with only remnants of buildings and dry land, a horde of 10,000 monsters marched towards the nearest city.

Above them flew a humanoid monster, with the body of a human, the head of an eagle, and two wings protruding from its back. Its face bore a sinister grin as it surveyed the city below.

____

Meanwhile, in the association, William's expression darkened as he watched the recorded footage on the screen, his heart filled with fear.

"The weakest monster in that horde is B-rank. Even if every super in the city were to attack, we might not be able to fend them off," William sighed heavily.

"Prepare the flights. Evacuate every super to another city and request reinforcements," he ordered.

"As you wish, sir. But what about ordinary humans?" a servant inquired.

"They'll have to fend for themselves. We lack the resources to evacuate them all, and this isn't a simple dungeon outbreak. There's nowhere for them to go," William stated without hesitation.

He really didn't value ordinary people; in his eyes, only supers were important enough to protect.

A notice was sent to every super in the city, but ordinary humans remained oblivious to the impending danger.

They continued with their daily routines, their focus solely on work, as without it, they couldn't afford food for the day.

Aldrich received the announcement in his house, his card glowing as holographic text floated before him.

[A dense monster horde is approaching the city. Due to insufficient manpower and a lack of strong supers, we have decided to evacuate every super to another city. The horde will reach the city in an hour at most. So every super is requested to reach the Central Airport in 45 minutes. If anyone misses the flight, the association isn't responsible for it.]

Aldrich chuckled as he read the message. "I knew the association doesn't care about ordinary people," he sighed.

"Lack of strong supers, huh," he scoffed. "It's finally my time to show my power to the world and make my presence known to all." Nodding, he reviewed his stats.

[Aldrich]

[Strength: 105 + 12]

[Stamina: 105 + 8]

[Magical Power: 100 + 11]

[Skill(s): (Necromancy), (Holy Shield - 20), (Predator's Gaze - 9), (Aura of Death - 3), (Small Illusion - 2)]

[Mana: 8600/8600]

All his stats were maxed, making him a peak C-rank super.

"Now, let me be a one-man army," he declared as he headed towards the walls.

The monsters were closing in, and supers throughout the city rushed to the airport to escape. However, a hundred or so supers, deeply attached to the city, gathered outside.

"We've lived in this city for many years. We've made countless memories here. Now, some monsters have come to destroy it. Tell me, brothers and sisters, should we sit idly by, tails between our legs, or should we retaliate?"

"Retaliate!" the crowd shouted in unison.

"We can't guarantee victory! Our lives may end here. Are you all scared?"

"No! We're ready to sacrifice our lives!" they affirmed, displaying unwavering bravery.

Aldrich arrived and glanced at them. The leader, a peak E-rank super clad in traditional armor, called out to him.

"Little brother, are you also going to fight for this city?"

The burly man's courage impressed Aldrich, but he shook his head with a smile. "I'm not fighting for this city."

Confusion clouded the man's face. "Then why are you here?" he asked, furrowing his brows.

"I'm here to massacre," Aldrich stated with a smile before moving ahead.

"What's with this guy? Is his head loose?" the man mumbled, but he didn't dwell on it and waited for the monsters.

Meanwhile, Aldrich pressed forward, his actions surprising many bystanders.

"Why is he going ahead?"

"Perhaps he wants to engage the monsters at the center of the deserted land to avoid damaging the city..."

"We should follow him," the crowd decided unanimously.

Even the leader glanced at Aldrich and nodded before trailing behind him.

After five minutes, they observed the horde of monsters charging towards the city.

Thud! Thud!

The ground trembled beneath their advance. Werewolves, giants, tri-headed canids, monstrous bats, demonic predator vultures, and various other B-rank monsters, some known to Aldrich and some unknown, comprised the horde.

Each monster stood 2 to 3 meters tall, emitting dense pressure that made onlookers tremble at the sight. Their strength, speed, and defense far surpassed that of C-rank boss monsters, and each possessed an innate skill, heightening their danger.

Despite the terror they inspired, Aldrich remained unfazed.

However, the supers following him trembled and fell, their horror palpable.

"Can we even fight against them?" they murmured, all being F and E-rank supers who couldn't even scratch a C-rank monster let alone B-rank.

Aldrich raised his hands, and bones flew from his palm.

One, two, three... six bone giants, each 20 meters tall, emerged on the battlefield. Undead Orc Wizards, twenty in number, buffed the monsters, while others hung onto the bone giants.

Standing atop a bone giant, Aldrich surveyed the monsters.

"Aura of Death."

Thick mist emanated from his palm, enveloping the area. The Undead Orc Wizards added their own deathly mist, mingling with Aldrich's.

The monsters halted, their expressions contorted as they weakened.

Bam!

With a mighty slam, the bone giant wielding a bone hammer initiated the battle.

___

Meanwhile, at the airport, William observed the screen.

"They're all marching to their deaths," he scoffed, seeing the weak supers attempting to fight the horde. "Just foolish actions. Leave them," he dismissed, showing little concern.

However, his attention was soon captured by Aldrich's presence in the wasteland.

"Is he there to confront the horde? Regardless of his strength, can he truly defend the city?" William doubted Aldrich's capabilities.

"He'll perish too," he sighed. "We'll lose another promising talent."

Moments later, his eyes widened as a colossal bone entity materialized on the screen, followed by a thick mist obscuring the view.

Suddenly, a deafening noise reverberated from the screen.

"What... what was all that?" Dumbfounded, William contemplated returning to the city to witness the battle firsthand.