Austronesian Empire, Imperial Majapahit, Aceh, Banda Aceh, Inside A Barracks In Aceh

First Year Of God, Second Day, First Week, First Month

Even as of now, Melian is still astonished at how such a horseless iron carriage is moving, and more of that, she was actually felt marveled at its smooth motion and remarkable comfort. Moreover, the crystal-clear glass panels that could be raised and lowered beside each seat only added to her awe. Such a magnificent craftsman should be able to do it, yet it seemed like the humans were able to mass produce it, because as far as she was seeing, almost all these carriages had the same flawless glass on them. For such a thing that requires extreme care and control to be able to be mass produced. Just how they were able to do it?

Though she should have expected it since, advancing in technology means being able to mass produce stuff in a much easier way, after all having advanced in technology would require a massive amount of resources. The mold of the carriage is much more sophisticated at first glance. Such angles and measurements would require extremely precise tools and measurements that were far beyond what she had imagined possible.

After the iron carriage entered the city, it was extremely surprising for Melian to see that every house and building was illuminated. There were even some buildings that were tens of stories high, and she wondered how they were even able to support such a humongous structure? The lights on every structure were bright and pure, almost angelic in their clarity.

As she looked at the streets, Melian now understood why the city was so heavily guarded. All over the streets thousands of men, women, children, and elderly were being treated in countless white tents marked with the same red cross. She also noticed trucks transporting people who appeared injured or traumatized.

It seemed to her that these might be refugees from other cities, seeking refuge and medical care in a place equipped with an enormous amount of medical supplies to aid millions.

The iron carriage soon stopped in front of an immensely tall structure, which appeared to be the main headquarters of the military base. As Melian gazed through the glass panel, admiring the magnificent buildings, she was too absorbed to hear the conversation inside the carriage, preoccupied with the views that had led her to this destination.

The other iron carriages diverged to different locations. Observing them from a distance, Melian marveled at their size, each spanning several meters in length and standing about three meters tall.

Inside the other carriages, she saw the faces of her fellow Elves, each displaying a range of emotions and reactions while staring at her. Some were smiling, others had a look of concern and all that stuff. As of now, she could gauge who among them were on her side and who were her enemies. Regardless, she felt assured by the blessing of the goddess, which she possessed as undeniable proof of her divine favor.

Just earlier, a mark had appeared on her hand. Having a mark on the hand means that you indeed receive the blessing of the Elven goddess, which would mean she gained the favor of the goddess and was now considered the legitimate ruler of her nation. Any opposition to her would invite the wrath of the revered deity whom they worship so much.

Melian moved forward the tall structure as the soldiers escorted her. Since she was able to communicate with the humans, and was willing to negotiate for trade and possibly an alliance, she is now considered an important person to the Austronesian Empire. This status ensured she and her people would receive better treatment than before.

With a firm heart and resolve, she moved forward. Even though her entire navy was decimated, it is much better to be given the chance to reform the degraded system in her country and secure a better future.

Upon being escorted to the building, she was greeted with a door, more specifically a door made of glass, which she had never seen before. She would never have thought that a glass could be used as a door, yes, a door. In her homeland, glass was a rare and precious material, demanding extreme craftsmanship to produce, and the idea of using it as a door was unimaginable. Here, it seemed, glass was abundant enough to be used even for such purposes.

As she approached the glass door, one of the soldiers escorting her noticed her wide-eyed stare and couldn't help but comment.

"Impressive, isn't it?" the soldier said. "Not something you see in your place, correct?"

She nodded, still marveling at the craftsmanship. "In my land, glass is rare and precious. To see it used as a door is quite strange."

"We've heard from the soldiers escorting you that you can speak our language. Is that true?" he asked.

"Yes," Melian replied calmly. "How I learned it might be obvious to you."

"I've also heard that you are the queen of a nation that we've first contact with?"

"...Yes," she confirmed.

Murmurs spread through the room as the soldiers exchanged surprised glances, clearly shocked to hear her speak their language very fluently. It became apparent why she was brought to this building, and the atmosphere shifted to one of warmer reception.

The officer smiled and extended his hand. "Well, welcome to the Austronesian Empire, Your majesty."

Melian stared at the extended hand, analyzing the welcoming gesture.

"Oh, I apologize," the officer said, withdrawing his hand slightly. "I assumed you knew what a handshake was."

"I do," Melian replied, "At least, I have seen versions of this."

The officer explained the basic principle of their gesture meeting, which was surprisingly simple. Melian accepted the handshake and shook his hand softly.

"It's nice to meet you. My name's Colonel Jefferson Blake."

"Florian Melian Shelberry," she introduced herself.

"You know, it's surprising to see something out of a fantasy story right in front of my eyes."

"What—" Before Melian could respond and question his meaning, the sound of gunfire shattered the moment. The building shook, and everyone instinctively ducked.

"Stay here," Jefferson ordered, but Melian was already moving toward the door. "Hey, did you hear what I said? It's dangerous out there!"

"I must see what is happening," she insisted, pushing past him.

Outside, Melian could see numerous flashes of light over the first layer wall outside of the city and heard roars of demons filling the air. She spotted an injured soldier being treated by what seemed like medical staff and hurried over, kneeling beside him, but a medic tried to stop her.

"Wait! You can't just—"

Ignoring him, Melian uttered a few words and placed her hands over the injured part of the soldier.

The medical staff were initially alarmed, worried that her actions might further endanger the soldier if someone doesn't know the proper way of holding pressure to an injury. But then, as if a miracle had occurred before them, Melian's hands began to glow with a green light, and the soldier's wounds started to heal and close at a visible rate.

The medical staff dropped their equipment and held their breath as they witnessed the miraculous event that was transpiring before them.

"Unbelievable," one of them whispered. "How did you...?"

"No time to explain," Melian said. "There are more who need help."

Melian continued healing the wounded soldiers and civilians inside the base as fast as she could. Everyone watched in awe, viewing her as if she were an angel sent from the gods. Some like religious people murmured prayers of gratitude, while others such as atheists simply stared in disbelief.

They all knew that they were in another world, but who would have thought that angels also existed here physically? Melian, however, dispelled these assumptions, urging them not to become complacent and reminding them that she was an elf, not an angel.

A deafening explosion shook the walls, and Melian heard screams and desperate pleas for support coming through the communication boxes of the commanding officers.

"This is too bad. It seemed like the humans were being overwhelmed. I must help them somehow."

With a determined look, Melian looked into the direction of the battle. Uttering a few words, she summoned what seemed like a sword, which glowed with a golden hue.

As soon as she manifested a magical sword in her hands, her right leg bent abruptly as a faint light enveloped her legs.

*Boom!*

In the next instant, the ground quaked as Melian dashed toward the battle like an arrow fired from a bow, covering tens of meters in less than a second.

Witnessing this inhuman feat, many people who saw it for the first time could not help but stare in shock.

————————————

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Hold the high ground!" the commanding officer shouted. "We absolutely cannot let them enter!"



At his command, 20,000 soldiers positioned on the city walls opened fire on the massive waves of demons. According to surveillance drones, the demonic horde numbered over 100,000, meaning they were outnumbered by 1 to 5.

Bullets flew towards the oncoming wave, piercing thousands of monsters and killing hundreds instantly. Many demons were injured and subsequently trampled by those behind them.

But these slain demons were just a drop in the ocean. Almost instantly, they were replaced by countless more, advancing relentlessly.

*Booommmm!!!*

Then the demons clashed against the wall.

The impact was immense, causing the wall and the city to tremble as if struck by an earthquake. Thousands of demons crashing against the city's defenses simultaneously created a shocking force. Fortunately, the walls, constructed of tough materials, were tough enough, and the gates made of tungsten alloy resisted the onslaught.

It remained firm even when many monsters tried to knock it down, but the commanding officer knew that it was only a matter of time before the situation grew more dire.

"Soldiers, keep firing and be ready to fight the monsters that climb the wall with your bayonets!"

"""OORAH!""" the soldiers roared in unison.

Almost immediately, some of the monsters began scaling the walls. Monkeys, ferrets, rats, and lizard-like demons clambered up and attacked the soldiers defending the fortifications. The battle intensified as soldiers engaged the climbing demons with their bayonets, fighting desperately to hold the line.

At the same time, the demons unable to climb the walls continued their assault, searching for weak spots to destroy the wall and enter the city.

The officer brought out his LMG and laid down suppressive fire on the attacking demons. He fought bravely in front of the soldiers, boosting the morale of the defenders and inspiring them to fight harder.

However, inwardly, he was worried.

He could see that most of the air support was entangled in a battle with other dangerous monsters elsewhere on the battlefield. In other words, there was no hope of air support assisting them soon.

Even more concerning were the few dangerous presences he sensed within the demon wave, entities as deadly as tanks, lurking and waiting to strike.

The defense line remained firm. Even with some demons climbing the walls and killing some soldiers, the defenders managed to repel them. Occasionally, there would appear holes in the defenses, but they would be quickly dealt with by other soldiers on the second layer wall or by the battalion that was stationed in the field within the perimeter.

However, the number of casualties was large. In the first ten minutes of battle alone, at least five hundred soldiers had fallen. And that was without counting the casualties caused by the demons that somehow bypassed the defenses and attacked the civilians.

'Damn it!' the officer cursed in his mind. This was almost the worst situation possible.

And soon, the situation worsened even more when an earth-shattering roar erupted.

"ROOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRR!!!"

A massive gorilla-like demon let out a deafening roar, silencing the other demons as they opened a path for it to pass.

The gorilla demon was almost the size of the Statue of Liberty, with red, armor-like fur covering its entire body. It emitted powerful waves of mana, showing its strength that measured at 50,000 magicules.

The beast growled as it walked forward, and when it was just a thousand meters from the wall, it scanned the people on the walls before fixing its gaze on the gate. Slamming its fist on its chest, it leaned down and narrowed its eyes. In the next instant, it kicked the ground strongly and shot itself toward the gates with immense speed.

"Damn it! Fire the 1000kg bomb!" the officer shouted, his expression turning grim. He hurriedly called out to the soldier manning a truck that carried a single large tube.

"On it!" a female soldier responded, nodding. She quickly adjusted the tube's angle, and a large missile containing the 1000kg bomb shot out toward the demon.

"ROARRR!" The gorilla's eyes burned red with rage. It showed no signs of stopping, even as the massive missile was flying toward it.

BOOOMMM!!

With a terrifying explosion, the missile engulfed the monster. The super-high temperatures consumed everything in the flames' path, incinerating many demons within hundreds of meters and creating a massive mushroom cloud that rose high into the sky.

Such power could reduce a ship to ruins.

But soon—

"ROOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!"

With a powerful roar, the demon charged out from the cloud of dust. Its fur had turned black, and parts of its skin were charred, but beyond that, the monster appeared completely uninjured.

"Shit! The missile was ineffective!" the female soldier panicked.

Boom!

In the next instant, the giant demon gorilla burst through the wall and sent soldiers falling from their positions.

"Damn it, damn it!" the officer cursed loudly as he yelled into the comms, "I need mechanized support! The northern wall has been breached! I repeat, the northern wall has been breached!"

Fortunately, a Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) known as the FV-15 "Monarch" was stationed nearby, accompanied by a platoon of soldiers. Adding to the officer's hope, a Utility Helicopter, or the UH-28 Golden Eagle arrived in the area.



"Fire! Fire at that thing!" the officer ordered.

Immediately, a combined force of 30 soldiers, the LAV, and the Gatling gun from a door gunner on the chopper began firing their rounds at the gorilla-like demon. The beast raised its arm, blocking bullets and explosive shells, but this only angered it further. The demon charged at the soldiers with deadly pace.

Despite their attempts to retreat, the gorilla demon reached them swiftly and slammed its fist into the ground. The impact caused the earth to tremble and launched soldiers and the LAV into the air. The gorilla then grabbed the LAV effortlessly midair and tossed it at the helicopter, sending both vehicles crashing to the ground before erupting in a massive explosion.

"ROAARRRR!"

At that moment, five ZTZ-999 tanks arrived at the scene and immediately fired their shells at the demon, hitting it directly in the chest. The impact injured the demon, enraging it further. The beast roared in fury, only to be silenced when the tanks fired again. This time, the shells hit deeper, reaching the demon's heart and causing it to collapse as blood spurted from its mouth.

Seizing the opportunity, the platoon of soldiers rushed forward, surrounding the fallen demon and emptying their rounds into it from all sides. The relentless stream of bullets slowly drained the life from the gorilla demon.

As they were subduing the beast, an urgent call came from the soldiers on the walls.

"All of you down below! Another horde of these bastards is approaching the breach the giant monkey made! We need more fire support!"

Without wasting time, the soldiers moved to the breach, aiming their guns and ready to fire at anything that stepped through.

But what they didn't know was what they were about to face.

"Woooo~!"

With a howl, a horde of wolves with dark red fur stormed through the breach in the first wall.

Reacting quickly, the platoon all moved in formation, shouting orders and trying to shoot the creatures down. Armed with firearms and protective gear, they began firing at the wolf pack in an attempt to halt its advance.

"Argh!"

"Ugh!"



However, none of the demonic wolves were even bothered by the bullets. Soon, they overwhelmed the soldiers quickly, slaughtering them with brutal ferocity. Even with support from the five tanks, they struggled to hold back their rampage and save many of their comrades in the field.

"Die, you sons of bitches!" one of the remaining soldiers roared as he emptied all of the rounds from his rifle into one of the wolves, but it seemed unaffected.

With a bloodthirsty look, the demonic wolf rushed toward the soldier, intent on tearing him apart. Just as the wolf was about to reach him, a golden fireball suddenly appeared out of nowhere and slammed into the wolf, exploding on impact and killing it instantly.

Before any of them could understand what just happened, Melian had appeared as she dashed forward and sliced the second demonic wolf that she came across. She uttered a few spells towards herself and made her movements even more quick and decisive. With these buffs and decisiveness, she moved with a lethal grace, swiftly destroying every demon that came her way.

The rest of the surviving platoon members were stunned to see a silhouette pass by, and the next thing they saw was a woman in strange clothing standing against the monstrous wolves alone.

"Oi oi... does anyone go after her?!" shouted one of the soldiers, intending to rescue her from the beast, only for his expression to shift to one of astonishment after he witnessed how she was fighting.

Melian moved with incredible speed as her enchanted blade cut through the demonic wolves with ease. Her movements were a dance of death, each strike precise and deadly. The soldiers could only watch in awe as she single-handedly held the line, buying them precious time to regroup and mount a counterattack.

Melian faced a pack of over thirty dark red wolves known as Bloodhounds. Each of these Level 6 monsters, with their steel-like fur, could take out a small squad of soldiers. As a pack of over thirty, they posed a threat capable of taking down an armored vehicle, or possibly even a tank.

However, Melian had no trouble dealing with them as she blocked the claw of one of the Bloodhounds and used the recoil to escape their encirclement, she didn't land on the ground but on top of another Bloodhound on the back. An almost invisible golden drill appeared on the sole of her foot that pierced the monster's spine and crushed it.

As she landed, she spun, her blade moving in storm-like arcs. It was cool yet deadly as limps flew and blood splattered, dyeing the ground red.

She moved unfettered, dispatching Bloodhounds here and there as if they were mere small animals.

To the human soldiers, she looked like someone dancing under the moonlight night sky and her movements were both deadly and, most of all, graceful. Her elegance and beauty, combined with her lethal efficiency, made her appear almost otherworldly. If Westerners were here, they would have thought that she was the reincarnation of Joan Of Arc.

In less than a minute, Melian had eliminated all the Bloodhounds.

Glancing at the commanding officer on the wall on top, she gave out a nod which he returned. Channeling mana into her legs once again, she sprinted across the field at astonishing speed. The soldiers on the walls watched in awe and felt unable to believe their eyes.

"Who the hell is she?" This thought echoed in the minds of the commanding officer and all the soldiers on the northern wall as they watched her extraordinary display of power.