Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 438, Section 47: Ringing the bell once heralds the arrival of the insect swarm; ringing the bell twice announces your death!
(Bonus chapter for "konstanzzz" [3/5])
Upon arriving in Pandaria, the Vigilant requested the Overmind to prepare an additional Zerg swarm for "dealing with" the Mantid. Therefore, after Anveena and her combat advisor finalized their strategy, the Zerg's "airborne troops" began landing at the locations selected by the two.

Several Shadow Hunters tore open a rift in the Sea of ​​No Light and gathered near the "Osul Fire Camp" in the northeastern part of the Mantis Plateau.

This place was once a stronghold of the Bison, but due to the constant attacks by the Mantid and the recruitment by the Pandaren, most of the local Bison "reformed" and retreated to the east of Panlong Ridge. Some Bison were also transferred by the Shado-Pan to guard the area near Niuzao Temple further west.

That is the only and most fortified military stronghold of the Pandaren in the Mantid Plateau, where Niuzao, one of the Four Celestials, is stationed.

The mantis demons spent thousands of years trying to defeat this excessively resilient divine bull, but they could never do so. In Niuzao's earth-stomping and earth-shaking charges, no matter how many mantis demons rushed forward, they would die.

Although they do have air superiority, the problem is that you can't deal with the stronghold just by bombing it without occupying it. To completely drive out the enemy, you need the "big brother of the army" to step in, but the god Xuan Niu Niu Zao is known for his "land attack".

Even the mantis's fear of insects is useless; it will be mercilessly crushed by the snail's accelerated charge.

However, today is an exception.

Because the immovable Niuzao had unusually left his temple, and the elite warrior monks of Niuzao Temple had also left, this gave the mantis demons a great deal of strategic space.

"This Great Queen is truly insane. She has already deployed all her forces to try and swallow up Kun-Lai Summit, and now she wants to spare some of her remaining defensive forces to attack Niuzhao Temple? Is her appetite really that big?"

Anvina, this "war apprentice," scouted the battlefield situation at Niuzao Temple using the wyverns she sent out, and couldn't help but complain:

"Even a newbie like me knows that firing in all directions means scattering our forces. Is the enemy commander really less capable than me?"

"The Mantis Plateau is their sphere of influence, Anvina. This doesn't mean the Great Queen is arrogant; on the contrary, it shows that she is very confident in the outcome of this battle."

Jarod Shadowsong observed the battlefield situation through a special "consciousness sharing" technique, explaining:
"Without the Zerg swarm's ability to freely choose its landing point, any enemy force that wants to threaten the Great Queen would have to break through enemy lines from the Kun-Lai Summit direction."

Given the current situation, she has no need to worry about that possibility at all.

If I were in her position, I would seize the strategic window in the shortest time and take down Niuzao Temple, the enemy's major stronghold. Their strategy is sound, so use the mantis demons at Niuzao Temple as your first victory in this war!

Command your swarm south!

To conquer the sacred amber tree called 'Corlives'.

It is said that this 'Keppa Amber' is a strategic resource for the Mantid, who use that tree as the first stronghold of their hive.

"Ok!"

Anvina immediately issued an order in her capacity as "temporary overlord," and a mixed low-level force consisting of warrior bugs, zebras, and wyverns set off for the designated target.

Garrod did not speak again.

He was cooking for his two children while patiently waiting for Anvina to spot the enemy's location.

As clever as he was, after playing "war simulation" a lot, he realized the direction the Vigilant was taking in training Anvina. He figured that the saint must have had many things to deal with, so he didn't have time to personally teach Anvina and therefore designed this simulated war for her.

In that case, these mortal commanders who were chosen to "play along" have a responsibility to teach Ms. Anvina their respective "arts of war".

During these days, he wasn't actually accompanying Anvina to fry fish all the way, but rather trying to subtly teach her how to judge the course of the war.

Unfortunately, they could only offer advice in small-scale conflicts, and this was the first time Garrod Shadowsong had been invited to participate in such a large-scale campaign.

While waiting for Anvina's "single-core reaction," Garrod also took the time to observe the operation and warfare patterns of the swarm they were commanding.

He had already heard Anvina complain that the swarm was too "stupid".

Anvina believes that the Zerg's combat units have no "subjective initiative" at all, and she has to perform "micro-management" every time a large-scale war is fought. She also complains that the Zerg are very rigid and it is difficult for them to react to changes in the battlefield situation. As the temporary overlord, she has to deal with a massive amount of war information.

This is very bad for her brain.

However, in the eyes of a "professional commander" like Garrod, all the shortcomings that Anvina complained about were actually advantages.

While the swarm may lack self-awareness, this means they will be 100% obedient to orders and will never slack off, disobey orders, or suddenly do something awful that would send the commander's blood pressure soaring.

The swarms of insects are fearless and do not retreat. Their morale is constant and locked. Once they have a clear target, they will continue to charge even if they are wiped out.

This is the army every commander dreams of.

As for the fact that war information is too complex and difficult to process, that is a matter of the commander's own "ability".

No one is born a general. Even a legendary figure like Jarod Shadowsong, who twice served as the commander of the anti-magic alliance against the Burning Legion and won both times, struggled to lead an army to annihilate a single hellhound when he was the city's defense officer in Suramar.

He had been through this process himself, so he had the patience to guide Anvina to try again.

However, Anvina must adapt to this command model as soon as possible. Right now, it is only a regional conflict. Once the scale of the war rises to the continental level, the decision-making pressure she will face will increase exponentially, and she will really be "overloaded with brain damage".

"Hmm, I've got it! Once we've seized that Amber Tree, we should launch a full-scale attack and head straight for the Mantis Palace where the Great Queen resides!"

After a moment's thought, Anvina said to Gallod with some uncertainty:
"Following your suggestion of besieging the enemy's stronghold and attacking their reinforcements, we will create enough war pressure on her in a short period of time, forcing her to mobilize the army closest to the battlefield to come back and reinforce the mantis demon that attacked Niuzao Temple."

We also need to ambush them near the 'Shadow Guard' to eliminate them while continuing to put pressure on the Great Queen.

"Very good, there's nothing wrong with your tactics, but then what?"

Jarod guided the question by asking:

"If you were the Great Empress, what strategic choices would you make in this situation?"

"I will break through?"

Anvina tilted her head, rubbed her chin, and frowned as she said:
"After realizing that I have become 'bait,' in order not to disrupt the current positive situation in Kun-Lai Summit, I will most likely choose to concentrate my superior forces to break through the blockade and return to the Dread Wastes."

That was the mantises' true battlefield, where reinforcements seemed endless.

Oh, I get it.

We also need to scramble an elite swarm to guard the strategic passage between the Mantid Plateau and the Dread Wastes! Once the Great Queen orders the Mantid from the Dread Wastes to provide support, we must drive them back.

If the Great Queen tries to break out, we'll have to send our entire army to drive her back to the palace or capture her alive!

However, this would require the Zerg swarm deployed near the palace to be extremely elite; ordinary Zerg squads would not be able to undertake such a mission.

The Mantis is far too specialized in warfare.

These creatures used a cruel 'great cycle' to eliminate all the weak genes among them, leaving behind swarms of extremely skilled warriors. Ordinary Zerglings, Hydralisks, and Mutalisks find it difficult to gain an advantage when facing them.

We are facing an 'elite' military swarm, which is the opposite extreme of the Qiraji swarm that relies on 'numerical superiority'.

So, what would you choose?

Galloard patiently explained:
"The Vigilant has assigned you a powerful 'Lord-level' unit, a Zerg 'hero' who can exert an absolute advantage on any battlefield, but you must place it in the most perfect battlefield to maximize its effectiveness."

"It's not just one."

Anvina explained:

"There are two! However, the second Zerg hero, 'Malik the Unwounded,' is not a strategic unit. It has its own war mission and cannot be used casually."

I understand what you mean.

I will place the Overlord 'Agamaggan' at that node and equip it with my most elite Zerg warriors. Then, I will use lower-level units to block the Mantid army and, taking advantage of the Zerg's racial trait of 'getting stronger as it fights,' quickly obtain enough biomass resources for the Corevis main hive.

Following that, we will initiate the 'Elite Incubation' program!
When the mantids of Kun-Lai Summit return to reinforce, they will face a continuous stream of elite units hatching from their hives. Ideally, they should hatch a few Thunderlord Lords to counter the mantid's dire bugs and also to clean up the battlefield.

"Very good, you have a plan now, so implement it accordingly."

Garold said with satisfaction:
"This plan may not be perfect, but the advantage of the Zerg swarm lies in its large 'margin for error,' meaning it can survive even if something goes wrong due to its numerical superiority. If you are commanding a strategic unit like the Lightforged Legion, you will need to develop a more detailed war plan."

But that's enough for now.

Switch your perspective to the Zerg frontier. You must have a thorough understanding of the characteristics of each Zerg unit so that you can better perform micro-management in local battles.

The swarm lacks adaptability, but your existence as the 'overlord' is their trump card.

"Humph."

Anvina, pleased with the praise, snorted twice, waved her hand dismissively, and said:
"On the battlefield, we address each other by our titles. Staff Officer Garrod, in the current situation, please call me 'Queen of Blades'!"

------

"What do you mean by strange 'insects' appearing outside the palace?"

Royal Chancellor Zorlock looked at the Royal Skyrider who had rushed to report the news. His large blue eyes were fixed on the mantis warrior bearing the marks of conflict, and he pressed for an answer:

"The Great Queen is resting, so I'll take care of these miscellaneous tasks. Explain clearly, what kind of insects are they?"

"It's hard for me to describe in words, Your Excellency, but they are ferocious!"

The Royal Skyraider pointed to the scratches and venomous wounds on his amber armor and said in a shrill voice:
"They emerged from the shadows and launched a surprise attack on the warriors guarding the palace. My Skyraider squad was attacked by a swarm of strange winged insects that could launch dangerous venom balls, and some of the vicious creatures would self-destruct."

They've built a strange insect nest in the 'Abyss Valley' swamp beneath the palace, which is right in the area connecting us to the Dread Wastes. You'd better go outside the palace and take a look.

Those fellows are trying to harass the noble Great Empress.

"What kind of bastard dares to provoke us under the sky of the Mantis Demons?" The Royal Chancellor sneered a few times, took his sonic amber gun from the guard, and led a squad of guards to take off from the platform of the Sacred Tree Palace to survey the outer battlefield from a high vantage point.

Flight is a racial ability of mantids; except for a few special individuals that have molted and developed wings, most mantids can soar through the skies.

Soon, Zorlock saw the battle near the cliff outside the palace. It was still some distance from the palace, but what was unbearable was that the fierce royal guards were being forced to retreat under the siege of those strange insects.

Especially on the ground!

When the valiant Gale Warriors land on the ground to fight the enemy swarm, they are often quickly killed by those huge and ferocious warrior swarms, as the two sides are not evenly matched in close combat.

The Mantis's Amber Blade struggles to cut through the Warrior Bug's thick armor, but its biological claws can easily tear apart the Gale Warrior's body.

"wrong!"

The royal prime minister quickly discovered the problem.

It screamed:

"Aren't those biological blades that the insects sprang from our arms our natural weapons?"

Beside it, a royal swift swordsman wielding a mantis-shaped arm blade adorned with amber sprang from his arm armor with a "whoosh." After comparing them, he whispered:
"That's true, but their biological blades are larger and mixed with special energy, making them more powerful than ours."

"Prime Minister, look! Our soldiers are fleeing!"

Another royal swordsman said solemnly:
"Our soldiers reacted in a daze. It didn't seem like they were overwhelmed by fear, but rather that they sensed the wrong pheromones, making it difficult for them to accept the commander's orders!"
These strange insects can interfere with pheromone communication between mantises.

They came prepared.

I suggest you immediately escort the Great Queen back to her palace in the Dread Wastes; their target here is clearly Your Majesty.

"To order His Majesty to retreat now would damage His Majesty's martial prestige, wouldn't it? Those wavering lords are watching. If His Majesty cannot demonstrate outstanding talent, they will side with the Elder Order!"

The royal prime minister shook his head and said:
"Send out the invincible Terror Bug Lord Galaron! Let it crush these laughable bugs and boost the morale of the warriors. The mighty Galaron will use its invincible charge to crush and mercilessly drive away these ridiculous clowns."

The prime minister's order was quickly conveyed.

Moments later, a colossal creature took flight from the sacred tree, escorted by a large group of Royal Windriders.

This thing has thick, black biological armor, and looks like a herring beetle magnified a hundred times. Its terrifying weight and powerful strength allow it to easily generate seismic waves when its four giant claws slam into the ground.

Its carapace has blue patterns and is adorned with exquisite amber by mantis artisans.

This is an "invincible insect" that is close to a demigod. After its birth, it broke through the tall city wall of the Panlong Ridge several times. It is the Great Queen's favorite brave insect.

Most importantly, insectophobia is simple and therefore makes people extremely loyal.

However, Galaron's terrifying weight makes it difficult for it to fly. Its wings flap with difficulty, but it can only glide rather than actually fly. Therefore, when it is in the air, it needs a large number of Skyflyers to protect it.

But this is not a weakness, because Galarón does not need to take to the air to fight in most cases.

"boom"

The terrifying insect lord crashed to the ground, and the fissure it created upon landing engulfed a large swarm of jumping insects. The ferocious warrior insects that rushed forward were crushed by the black behemoth's heavy limbs, and its sharp spikes easily pierced the warrior insects' armor.

The mantids around cheered, while the invincible Galaron tossed these ridiculous "clowns" into his mouth and crunched them to pieces.

The Warrior Bug's highly venomous blood couldn't harm a behemoth of its caliber, but the terrible taste enraged Galaron. It began to charge, instantly shattering the Shadow Bugs that had climbed the cliff into disarray.

The attack seemed to have ended rather anticlimactically.

However, in the whispers of the shadows, Garold suggested to Anvina, who was observing the situation:

"Now's the time! Their elite units have appeared. Annihilate them!"

"King Beast!"

The Queen of Blades commanded in a passionate tone:
"I command you to slay the powerful enemy and uphold the might of the Zerg swarm."

"boom"

A deafening roar echoed at the edge of the battlefield.

As the smug Royal Chancellor Zorlock stared in astonishment, a purplish-black void rift was torn open.

Awe-inspiring energy reverberated, swirling into void lightning that coiled around the rift. Amidst the echoing tremors of the ground, the truly colossal being strode into the battlefield with invincible steps.

The first thing to appear outside the rift was a pair of huge, exaggerated, and terrifying sickle-shaped "horns." The black horns, wrapped with cold entropy energy, were connected to the sides of the giant beast's gluttonous maw. As it moved forward, another black horn shot into the sky and appeared together with the ferocious head.

It bears a striking resemblance to the skull of the Crypt Lord, Northrend's top predator.

However, its ferocious head is covered by heavy biological carapaces that form massive bone plates like those of a Triceratops, or perhaps more like a "war crown" symbolizing the power of a king beast.

It continued forward.

Its feet, covered in layers of dragon armor, tread on the earth of the material world. Its black, heavy hooves spew out sharp spikes, inspiring awe like an ancient mammoth.

But it would be premature to feel afraid here, because this king beast has four enormous, extended limbs on its back, as exaggerated as a "four-armed giant," with permanent black biological blades on the outside of the limbs.

As heavy as rock, as strong as steel.

It resembles a strange crescent moon, a reaping scythe, and with each heavy breath of the king beast, black entropy energy lightning leaps and swirls on the blade of this biological weapon.

The invincible Galaron sensed danger.

Deadly danger!
As the most powerful insectoid lord ever born in the history of the Mantid, its body is at least twelve meters tall when it is raised, making it a true "giant creature" in the entire world of Azeroth. However, it still needs to look up to see the eyes of this king beast that shine with a scarlet and savage light beneath its heavy armor.

This guy is at least 25 meters tall!

Even when it's still, it looks like a small mountain. Compared to this guy, I feel like a greenhorn who hasn't even finished kindergarten, trying to challenge a sleazy blond guy who's blocking a dark alley and begging for money from his classmates.

It was hissing.

That was the insect's instinct to convey some kind of fear, but its desire to retreat did not mean that the beast king was willing to let it go.

Ajamagam stared at the tiny insect before him.

It felt that the other party was too 'rude'. When faced with the appearance of a "Void King Beast" like itself, it did not tremble with fear but dared to raise its head and look at "Old Pig" me?

This is a provocation, isn't it?

So the king decided to teach it a lesson. It breathed dragon fire from its nostrils, lowered its head, and began to charge as its heavy hooves pounded the ground. With each step it took, a deep and desolate "bell" echoed across the entire battlefield.

Only then did the royal prime minister, horrified by the beast, notice a strange "bell" fixed to the top of the giant beast's head, where the black horn and the huge bone plate connected.

It's like some kind of unconventional "decoration".

However, wherever the bell rang, the Shadow Chasers seemed to be activated with "biological frenzy," howling as they charged after the invincible king beast. On the other hand, the Mantis Demons, as the bell echoed, retreated without warning, as if they had seen the most terrifying thing in their lives.

Galarón also heard the bells.

It seemed to have returned to the time when it was still a small insect, mocked by the mantis for its short wings. A surge of anger replaced fear, and Galaron's compound eyes turned bloodshot as it launched a suicidal charge at the beast before it.

This was an absolutely wrong choice.

It should have run away!
The King Beast has no wings and therefore cannot fly. As long as Galaron can fly with its short and pitiful wings, even if it only flies a dozen meters, the mighty Agamaggan will be helpless against it.

Under the chilling gaze of the Royal Chancellor and the swarm of Blademasters beside him, their most powerful siege weapons clashed with the enemy's Overlord.

The outcome was decided the moment of impact.

Galarón was torn to pieces.

It was like a laughable gust of wind trying to face a thunderbolt from the sky; it crumbled at the first touch, unsurprisingly.

As Agamagan pierced its mangled body with the biological blade on her back and raised it up, like waving a fluttering banner of flesh and blood, the morale of the royal guards under the Great Queen instantly collapsed.

"Ow!"

The king beast roared.

When it swung its limbs and smashed half of Galarón's body against the wall of the Sacred Tree Palace like a cannonball, even the most steadfast supporters of the Great Queen began to tremble.

They knew that the Great Queen's ambitious conquest had come to nothing.

From this moment on, they will fight for their lives.

Ps:

Appearance illustrations of the Swarm Overlords (Ultramon, Bull, Mammoth):

(End of this chapter)