Lord of Annihilation

A Tier-5 Ordeal was different from the rest. 

Rather than 'test' a single group of people at a time for the Ordeal, it would target the entirety of the race. It would no longer be a short, contained battle but a long arduous war between two 'sentient' species.

To put it simply, if the Ordeals from Tier-1 to 5 were similar to short, single subject pop-quizzes, then the Tier-5 Ordeal was similar to the final exams with all subjects being tested on the same day!

Humans being the only dominant species within their system for a long time, led to the entire race having a sense of arrogance and superiority.

This arrogance resulted in them grossly underestimating the difficulty of the upcoming Ascension.

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And so it began. Mankind's Ascension on an elevated difficulty level began with a…

…horrendous defeat!

An entire race of invaders personally created by the Myriad Species Queen arrived in the skies of the Outer-Rim planets. They possessed vessels that were similar to the human spaceships and various weapons and artifacts that operated on soul power. 

Some of the better vessels of the invaders had runic formations engraved onto them allowing them to harness the power of the Rules! 

With overwhelming strength and unmatched wit, they fought and defeated the humans in just 5 days!

The entire fleet of warships, spaceships, droids, and battlecruisers, not to mention the land troops in the form of soldiers, tanks, mechs, soldiers, defenseless citizens. 

Everyone and everything that was related to the humans was utterly annihilated. 

The invaders then established their bases on the newly conquered planets and started to gather the remnants of human technology. Using the Outer-Rim planets as a foothold their war against humanity had begun.

Unable to accept such a result the Alliance sent over another batch of the army. They wanted to wipe out the invaders and reclaim those planets. 

It was extremely important for a war to have a good start. 

This is why, more often than not, grand ceremonies, rallies, military parades are organized before the start of each campaign. Though such ceremonies are bothersome, it has a noticeable effect on the mindsets and morale of the soldiers and the citizens.

The Alliance decided to broadcast the battle in the Outer-Rim planets was also due to such a reason. Unfortunately, the result was rather terrible.

Mankind could not afford to lose the first battle, for it would have a profound effect on the morale of the soldiers and the support of the citizens, during the remainder of the war.

And hence began Round 2 against the invaders.

General Peter Eyler, who has somehow managed to escape the first assault, was sent to lead the army once again. This time, the Alliance poured even more resources into the battle, gathering a greater number of warships, weapons, and soldiers.

Arriving near the Outer-Rim planets, people stared at the monster-like invaders with hatred and confidence. 

This time, humans planned to crush the enemy with absolute strength.

Battles were fought on the land, over in the skies, and even in space. All sorts of advanced weaponry, spaceships, and mechs were drafted into battle. Ace pilots and famous strategists were sent to the frontlines to bring home the nasty heads of the invaders.

Initially, humans did hold the upper-hand. Their technology and weapons were unmatched, with the Alliance not hesitating to use Planetary-level weapons of destruction.

As the name suggested, Planetary-level weapons possessed the strength to wipe out entire planets. These were the strongest weapons possessed by Mankind, ones which were never used since their making.

However, 2 weeks in and the scales of war started to shift. Not even these strategic weapons could help them.

The invaders started to study and understand the science behind humanity's weapons of war and built their own variations. 

Starting from crude guns, they developed bombs, and eventually a variation of humanity's energy weapons. Combining technology with their Stage 2 strength, the invaders started winning the defensive battles.

And in the fourth month since the start of the war, humans lost once more. 

The development and growth of the invaders far exceeded their wildest imagination. And against a foe that could use both scientific and mystical means of combat, humanity stood no chance at victory.

Multiple Planetary-level weapons were lost, many soldiers, pilots, and officers were killed, and General Eyler deserted the army, everything that could have gone wrong went horribly wrong. 

With no other choice, the Alliance ordered a retreat leaving behind a minimum amount of forces required to maintain a front-line circling the Outer-Rim planets which were protected by the invaders' own forces.

Mankind had lost once more. And this time, it was a loss that could not be ignored.

The people's faith in the Alliance was shaken and various influential families had their foundations weaken immensely. The future of the Alliance looked very grim.

Curiously enough, the invaders did not immediately leave the Outer-Rim planets immediately and attack the soldiers manning the front-lines. They huddled up in the Outer-Rim planets with unknown motives.

Sending any form of probes or scouts had disastrous results. The invaders fiercely retaliated each time, and routinely sent groups to attack and harass the front-lines.

As such, more human lives were steadily being lost.

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Thinking about recent events, Reyna felt her mood worsening. 

'At this rate, our destruction is only but a matter of time.' She could not help but worry about Mankind's future.

'Ah…I need to get back to work.' She sighed and forced her tired body and exhausted mind to work.

"Iris, prepare the next round of simulations." She ordered.

Woosh!

The sound of a pressure-locked door opening resounded inside the lab. It was followed by the sound of wide but steady steps.

"Reyna." A deep, masculine voice spoke. His tone was gentle and filled with tenderness.

Engrossed within her test, Reyna did not hear her name being called. Her brilliant, emerald-green eyes stared at the screen of data, unblinking.

Iris, the AI assisting Reyna in her tests noticed the man's arrival. The streams of data on the screen froze, as she replied.

"Welcome, Mr. President." Iris greeted.

"Hey! Why did you stop?!" Reyna complained. She turned her head around and noticed the man's arrival.

"Father..?" she involuntarily blurted out.

Erik Snowden, father of Reyna saw his daughter's weary-looking appearance and felt his heart writhe in pain: "Reyna…" 

"You must stop now, Reyna. You have done enough." His voice suddenly turned solemn as he continued.

"What?! Why?!" Reyna exclaimed. Her shocked expression then turned cold as she continued: "Are you here to dissuade me again? If so, then don't bother and leave."

She turned around and ordered her AI: "Iris, continue with the simulations."

Erik felt a surge of anger. He walked towards the screen of light and fiercely slammed his hand on the light screen.

"Enough! I've had enough of your follies! You will listen to my words and leave with me right now!" he demanded. Reaching in with his hands, he grabbed onto Reyna's thin wrists.

"NO!" Alas, against her Peak-Level Stage 1 strength, Erik stood no chance. Shaking his grip off of her hands, Reyna stared into his eyes and screamed.

"Don't you understand, Father?! There is no point in running away!" 

"How long do you think we can hide? 10 years? 20 years? But then what?"

"Do you really think that there will be an Alliance, a human settlement, to return to?"

"Those damned things have come to kill ALL OF US!! By running away, you are simply prolonging the inevitable!" 

"No one will come to save us! Life and death are in our own hands!" Reyna poured her heart out. 

Indeed, what future was there in running away?

One might be able to postpone their death, but then what? 

Would there be a planet to return to? A kind to call your own? A home to stay?

"I—" Erik tried to retort, but found himself unable to. He could not lie to himself anymore: "Do whatever you want." 

Saying so he turned around and walked away.

'I have failed you, my dear wife. I failed to protect our daughter from harm.'

His face seemed to age by dozens of years, as his body slumped with helplessness. Despair was written on his face.

Reyna's eyes blurred with tears as she saw her father like this. Many people were dying to the Invaders and there was nothing she could do to change that.

Her mind couldn't help but recall a certain scene.

'Did you actually think you and the others were my friends?' A handsome youth with an indifferent face and a pair of dark eyes, unfathomable as the ocean spoke.

'I will no longer stay around and protect you, nor will I ensure the continuity of your species.'

'Want to survive? Then do it yourself. For the sake of yourself, your family, and your race.'

His voice was bland and contained no emotions, but the words spoken were the reality of things.

'Mankind is but a bunch of pathetic bugs who think they are better than the rest.'

'Absolute power? You have no idea what absolute power is.'

Reyna clearly remembered the scene of him leaving. His final parting words shattered her illusions and woke her up.

She felt sadness, anger, disappointment, bitterness, and a variety of other emotions. Reyna even blamed Lucius, for what had happened to mankind.

'That army of bugs is only the beginning.' 

"If you knew, then why didn't you say anything?! If only you had said something, millions of people could have been saved!!" 

"You could have prevented this!!"

"You-you- you are the reason we lost. The reason so many people had died!"

On the day, Mankind lost against the invaders. Reyna screamed and cried loudly.

She cried and cried until she no longer had any tears to shed. Her emerald-colored eyes looked blank as thought to herself.

'I hate you. I hate you so very much! I will never forgive you!'

Pressing her hands against the ground, Reyna forced herself to stand up. Her body swayed with weakness, as she made a promise to herself.

'I swear that as long as I live, mankind will not fall.'

'I swear to dedicate every ounce of myself to ensure its victory.'

'I swear that one day, I will find you and make you speak the truth.'

"LU-CI-US!!" she hatefully spat out. Blood streamed from her eyes, staining her beautiful, pale face.