After being forced to step down, the once-annoying nun eloped with me.

But they also knew very well that once the firepower support from the golems ended, the demons' attacks would become increasingly difficult to withstand—and that was indeed the case.

Ten minutes after the artificial magic reactor was activated.

After the howitzer Gorem silenced the enemy.

The high-ranking demons evolved armor with physical resistance, and also developed acid-projecting organs on their shoulders, a feature common to new demons.

They went to the battlefield and immediately put enormous pressure on the front lines of the United Nations.

Chapter 10: Nia's Deal, and the Evolution of the Demon - 2/5 8K

High-ranking demons, as the most important and powerful component of the demon army, bring fear and despair to the human army every time they advance, a fear and despair that is unmatched by any other demon except for the Titan demons.

Although the demons on the floating continent are still primitive demons, and although the warriors of the United Nations want to tell the demons that "times have changed," no matter what, a high-ranking demon is still a high-ranking demon.

Especially after they evolved new tubular organs that spray acid from demons, the pressure these already tall and strong demons exerted on people naturally became even greater.

"What the hell?! How are these guys so hard?!"

The elf, who had just finished treating the wounded, looked at the high-ranking demon slowly approaching in the distance. Not knowing whether the demon's true form was a fire-breathing demon or some other kind of demon, all he could do was try to have the heavy machine gun positions spray fire at the demon's weak points.

However, it is obvious that with ample food and a long period of evolution, the chitinous armor on the opponent's body has become so hard that even a 12.7*108 mm bullet cannot penetrate it directly.

Heavy machine guns could not stop the advance of the high-ranking demons, and the only weapons that could physically penetrate their armor were the machine gun golems and the grenade launcher golems behind them.

However, the former not only has to fight against high-level demons, but also stop the demon larvae beneath the feet of high-level demons. The latter itself is not very accurate, so it cannot be expected to cause effective damage to high-level demons.

Therefore, after futilely firing indiscriminately at the high-ranking demons in the distance, the soldiers at the front began to refocus their attention on the most numerous demon larvae. With better visibility, the soldiers targeted the newer demons, while the high-ranking demons were dealt with by specialists.

Amidst the roar of gunfire, the corpses of demonic larvae shattered and flew high into the air in waves. Just as the demons, led by high-ranking demons, finally broke through the first barbed wire defense, the elven archmage, preparing to cast a spell in the distance, signaled to his own troops.

With firearms now widely deployed, mages are used more as "trump cards" than as "regular spellcasters."

They possess the largest magical usage quotas, and are even followed by several wagons specifically used to transport magical storage devices for emergencies. They generally do not cast any spells, only when facing high-value targets will they follow the practice of thousands of years ago, applying elven magic capable of causing widespread destruction to the most intense parts of the battle.

The area where the high-ranking demons were located was the area where the battle was most intense.

As the archmages spoke with great conviction, countless magical vines sprouted from the ground. They effortlessly used their magic to destroy the armor on the high-ranking demons' limbs, and began to multiply rapidly, centered on one of the high-ranking demons.

On the magically rich floating continent, vines sprouted by elven magic could run rampant among the surrounding life forms, drawing all the nutrients they needed to grow. Especially now that almost all high-ranking demons had chosen to evolve physical defenses and neglected magical resistance, the casualties inflicted by magic on high-ranking demons were far greater than initially anticipated.

But the demons were no fools. They quickly used their special abilities to fight against the ever-growing and multiplying vines.

Fire-breathing demons spewed out raging flames in an attempt to burn the proliferating vines, while sulfuric acid demons spewed out mouthfuls of thick green phlegm that corroded the center of the vines. In the distance, some demons even summoned magical meteorites in an attempt to directly destroy the United Kingdom's position, but the magical meteorites were blocked by some special force halfway through their flight.

It was Elena—Yang Hao and the others turned around and saw that it was Elena, who had just arrived, who had stopped the meteorite from summoning the demon from falling into the battle line.

"Explanation: Artificial magic technology of the Kingdom of Eden. We can easily decompose objects formed from magic into harmless magic factors and forcibly bind this part of the magic into a resource that only we can use."

The petite synthetic doll with white hair and red eyes spoke, standing not far from Yang Hao and the others, and then curiously looked at the battle line in the distance.

Elena was surprised. She was surprised by the discipline of the United Nations' army, and even more surprised that the United Nations' current physical weapons were so advanced.

The Kingdom of Eden is not without similar weapons, but in essence, the magic emitters of the Kingdom of Eden are simply crudely pushing magic forward and through some kind of "prism" to turn it into acid, fire arrows or other forms and launch it out—in a sense, they are blowgun weapons that do not require the mouth to provide kinetic energy, and are not very technologically advanced.

If one had to pinpoint any technological innovation, it would be in the magic storage device and the concentrated firing mechanism for artificial magic—but when compared to the rifles currently in the hands of the United Nations, its outdated mechanical structure becomes glaringly obvious.

(Reflection: Structurally, Eden's magical weapons cannot compete with the United Nations' standard weaponry... Our only advantage is firing [magic], but the enemy's [physical bullets] are more powerful than our magic projectors.)

Elena stared intently at the firing devices on the distant battlefield, pondering what those things capable of continuous fire were, and why the weapons wielded by those strangely structured golems were so powerful.

At this moment, the high-level demons' offensive was temporarily interrupted—after the magic meteorite was intercepted, the demons were preoccupied with dealing with the vines spawned by elven magic, and they were temporarily unable to advance or retreat. At this critical juncture, Yang Hao received news from the front-line troops that the soldiers needed to return for rest.

"Your Majesty, our frontline soldiers are almost out of ammunition! We have decided to consolidate our defenses while the elven magic intercepts the high-ranking demon forces. Please move to a safer location immediately!"

The on-site commander communicated using magic; his voice sounded hoarse, and the faint cries of pain from soldiers could be heard nearby.

"We cannot guarantee that all demons can be intercepted by the defense network, especially since those demons seem to have evolved structures similar to our infantry; they are extremely dangerous—so please leave here immediately!"

"Understood. We will leave this high ground. You all retreat immediately and withdraw to the second line of defense to await further orders."

Yang Hao did not intend for the front-line troops to hold their ground to the death. After all, the most important significance of multiple lines of defense was to give the front-line soldiers time and space to retreat and rest.

After hanging up the communication, Yang Hao ordered Elena, who had just arrived, to leave with him in an unquestionable tone. They rode on the back of the black dragon to another high ground, where they could still clearly see the high-ranking demons fighting the vines at the front line, and they could also see soldiers gradually beginning to retreat.

The Eagle Knights were hurling explosive shells from their high perch atop the demons' heads, occasionally firing their weapons at any demons that had just evolved wings and decided to take to the air. However, the Eagle Knights had limited supplies, and after their initial barrage, they had to immediately fly back to replenish their ammunition.

Under their cover, the soldiers would withdraw to the second line of defense in two minutes—this thought had barely crossed Yang Hao's mind when Elena spoke first, asking:

"I'm puzzled... Mr. Yang Hao, do all the armies of the countries on Earth have the same level of discipline as the United Nations?"

She pointed to the troops that were retreating in an orderly manner. With the aid of magic, Yang Hao could clearly see that when the United Nations was retreating, they prioritized transferring the seriously wounded, followed by the supplies and equipment that needed to be transferred and the lightly wounded, and finally the main force that was intercepting the enemy while retreating.

Their daily routine was one of perfect order. What was even more admirable was that, even during their retreat, the soldiers didn't forget to have the last soldier set up the prepared barbed wire traps, and they even sent others to cover their retreat...

Yang Hao knew what Elena was surprised about, so he simply patted the head of the little elf who had inexplicably come closer and the antlers of the Ling Clan chief, then, under the strange gaze of the black dragon who had reverted to human form, explained to the bewildered Elena:

"No, this is only the discipline of our united nation and... Isgard. On the surface, most countries do not have the strength of our army."

"...Relax. I thought the surface world was that tough."

Elena visibly relaxed. Was she worried that the gap between the Kingdom of Eden and the surface world was widening? Yang Hao smiled, and just then, the demon army in the distance finally cleared away all the vines blocking their path and began to invade the retreating United Kingdom army.

They moved quickly, and because of their large size, they could ignore the barbed wire and reach their destination in one go.

However, the demon larvae around them were tightly entangled in the barbed wire. To help the larvae break free from the barbed wire, a small group of high-ranking demons cleared the barbed wire, while the rest, breathing fire, chased after them menacingly.

Elena watched the demons' every move until all the soldiers of the United Nations had retreated to the second line of defense. Only then did she turn to look at the demon mother nest in the distance, which was still spewing forth a swarm of larvae.

"Question: Demons seem to have a kinship that transcends human concepts... While they don't care too much about the loss of their offspring in direct combat, they will help the demon offspring if they can provide assistance, even helping them withstand large-scale damage."

Speculation: Demons are a kind of "weapon" that is ethically and morally superior to most humans. However, perhaps due to their social structure, demons seem unlikely to emulate human structures before absorbing new "knowledge," and there are no demons who betray their own kind.

"You mean, is it possible that the demons might form factions within themselves in the future?" Yang Hao asked curiously, "or will they more likely choose to maintain the current situation?"

"Hesitation: It depends on whether the demons will choose to accept the political knowledge of the human world. But I personally believe that the demons have the potential to develop a political structure similar to that of humans, but they have chosen to [reject]. After all, the social structure of humans is not as efficient as the current structure of the demons."

Elena paused for a moment when she finished speaking. She watched as the high-ranking demons at the front knelt on one knee, extending their hands to protect their heads and vital organs, and then watched as they used their own bodies to provide cover for the demon larvae that followed.

They were already at a distance where they could unleash their special abilities to threaten the second line of defense at any moment, but perhaps because they had just neutralized the magic meteorite, the demons cautiously chose to preserve the remaining slots for their special abilities. They also seemed to have dispatched a special force to attack the flanks of the humans and elves, and also to attack this place...

Elena drew her dagger directly. Under the sudden, alert gaze of Finn and the others, she gathered a portion of her magic power into the dagger and hurled it fiercely towards a point in the sky where the light was distorted abnormally.

The dagger flew nearly two kilometers in an extremely short time with tremendous force. To the astonishment of the elves and the others, the dagger sliced ​​through the air, leaving a trail of purple blood mist, and then a demon with severed wings plummeted from the sky with a mournful cry.

That seemed to be yet another new type of high-level demon—before Elena could utter the neologism of "camouflage with reflective material," her ears perked up at Yang Hao's subconscious statement:

"It's optical camouflage... Have the demons evolved to this extent? The fight hasn't even lasted fifteen minutes..."

"Question: Optical camouflage?"

What are you saying?

Yang Hao's statement caused all the women around him to show expressions of surprise.

Elena was astonished by Yang Hao's knowledge, which further solidified her belief that Yang Hao was not from this world at all. She recalled Alexander's request to her, and now she truly realized that Yang Hao's existence was indeed very strange.

Finn and Black Dragon were more alarmed by the demon's displayed abilities. After all, they had already witnessed the demon's terror, and both sides needed to learn more about the demon's characteristics for the sake of their people and country—and now Yang Hao had once again demonstrated his wisdom and knowledge, how could they not be excited?

As for Naruja...

Although she tried very hard to understand, in the end, this patriarch, who knew almost nothing except golems, could only come to one conclusion: perhaps that optical camouflage could also be used on golems.

Faced with everyone's surprise, Yang Hao did not offer any explanation.

He only relaxed slightly after he solemnly instructed Finn to contact the Eagle Knights commander in the rear and have them illuminate the sky with lighting magic in broad daylight after takeoff.

"Optical camouflage is an extremely energy-intensive technology that can make users almost completely invisible—but as I understand it, if people wearing optical camouflage are exposed to rain or sunlight... their shapes will also be revealed."

Yang Hao's understanding of optical camouflage depends on his insights on Earth.

He knew that optical camouflage had many weaknesses when it was imperfect. But to be honest, he wasn't sure if the demons could evolve perfectly—in that case, all he could do was ensure his soldiers had the means to fight back.

It was unclear whether this tactic would work, but it at least gave people a possibility of resistance. He looked down at the ground, then looked up at the Eagle Riders taking off again and asked, "How much time has passed now?"

“Answer: Fourteen minutes into the artificial magic reactor’s startup,” Elena replied. “But the second line doesn’t seem to be able to stop the demons’ invasion—look there.”

"..."

Following the direction Elena pointed, Yang Hao squinted but couldn't make out anything. Helpless, he could only continue to use Finn's magic to observe.

Looking at the image on the magic screen, the black dragon instinctively remarked, "Is that a tank?"

"tank?"

"...It's something we in Isgard are currently researching, something that uses steam as a power source to assist infantry in breakthroughs...I relayed this to Isgard after seeing that the United Nations' army possessed such powerful weapons."

Black Dragon blinked. On the surface, it seemed like she was being foolish, but in reality... she was seducing him.

After all, according to Black Dragon's thinking, Yang Hao is someone who is easily provoked into feeling threatened... If they could use this trait to lure him to Isgard for a "personal inspection," perhaps...

...She shuddered. The palpable killing intent emanating from the elf made the black dragon tremble with fear, but at least she had achieved her goal.

Yang Hao was clearly interested in the word "tank"—he seemed a little anxious, but quickly refocused his attention on the battle at hand.

In order to fight against the barbed wire, the demons seem to have evolved into a new type of being.

Overall, they look like two wheels side by side. These special demon larvae have evolved extremely thick chitinous carapaces and protruding rhinoceros horns at the front, but their rear is so vulnerable that even their internal organs are exposed.

These new wheel demons seem solely focused on relieving the pressure on the higher-ranking demons while simultaneously opening up new battlefields on the front lines. They appear to be aware of the United Nations' current tactical shortcomings, realizing that if they can break through the barbed wire and hail of bullets and successfully penetrate the enemy lines, the defenses of humans and elves will be utterly vulnerable.

Fortunately, the demon larvae at most evolve armor that can withstand the fire of Bayer Zans small-caliber rifles. When faced with direct fire from the Elven Japa 1404 rifle, machine guns, or even autocannons, these new demons are always knocked down in the next second.

But to put it bluntly, to evolve from being able to withstand only two shots to being able to withstand four or five shots from the front while being able to move at high speed... the Demon is indeed not to be underestimated.

Yang Hao's expression was serious. He immediately contacted the ground commander and ordered them to abandon the second line of defense.

"You all need to retreat to the third line of defense immediately—retreat into the city ruins! There are many obstacles here that will restrict the advance of a new type of demon. Facing a demon attack in the open will only result in your deaths! Hurry!"

The commanders seemed unable to understand why His Majesty would send them such an order.

But when they witnessed firsthand how a wheel-like demonic larva broke through several layers of barbed wire defenses amidst a hail of bullets before finally dying, and discovered that there were quite a few of these mutated individuals, they immediately began their retreat.

To ensure that the soldiers could retreat to the third line of defense, the frontline commanders chose to move the howitzer Golems, which had been reduced to non-fire, to the front lines to relieve the pressure on the demon charge.

Furthermore, they also requested that the Eagle Knights provide aerial support, at least to prevent attacks from high-ranking demons—this was effective, but at best it only ensured safety in the air.

On the ground, the high-ranking demons continued their slow but determined advance. Someone had to stop their attack, but who could stop them from advancing?

Yang Hao pondered. Although the elven mages had the capacity to continue casting elven magic, frankly speaking, they would still create gaps that allowed the demons to advance further. Those who slipped through the net still needed a strong person to stop them, and the only ones on their side capable of stopping the demons' continued invasion were Elena and the black dragon Nia.

The former is the queen of Eden, and she absolutely cannot be harmed.

The latter is a diplomat from Isgard, a greedy black dragon. If something really happens to her here, Yang Hao will have a hard time explaining it to Isgard.

what can we do about it?