One hundred kilometres from the South shoreline of the Eastern continent, fires raged and deathly screams were heard. The Hydra army marched day and night, devouring villages for sustenance on their way.
The Hydra race had intelligence akin to that of an Ape or monkey, mostly fighting on instinct but understanding primitive emotional behaviours and utilising basic tactics, but ultimately relying on brute force in a battle.
Only the two emperor Hydra's were of high enough intelligence to formulate battle plans. They had the intelligence equivalent to a teenage human, enough to be a significant threat to any army.
Currently, they were around forty hours into their march when they encountered a defence line manned with grandmaster bowmen, spanning more than five miles long.
Noticing this pathetic excuse for a defence, an emperor Hydra sneered in distain before raising one of its nine heads to the skies, screaming a deafening roar to the heavens. Reacting to the roar, the army of ten thousand hydras with varying heads manically ran towards the defensive line at high speeds, seemingly attempting to reach the bowmen before any casualties occur.
---
In the night, under a full moon in the Southern first defence line of Eastern continent, two grandmaster bowmen sat in deathly silence waiting for the signal to be sounded.
Ran Fei, a Grandmaster elder from the Golden turtle tribe, sighed to himself. This defensive line was more akin to a suicide mission to halt the invasion army for as long as possible. There were no reinforcements and anyone that fled was to be executed. This is why the first defensive line was silent, with a gloomy atmosphere. Everyone here was either sent or volunteered to die for time.
"Old friend, lighten up. After death, can we not simply meet again? At least this way, it will be glorious!" A sturdy man over eight foot tall laughed to ease the atmosphere.
Ran Fei replied "Hah, even if reinforcements come from the White Snake tribe, it won't help much. We need the help of both Protector realm warriors just to hold off the top brass. Even more so, these creatures are said to be unrivalled at their level, each almost impossible to kill one on one. Meaning we would need a few protectors per creature. Is this not simply a lost cause? A pointless death?"
Looking at his friend so down, the sturdy man hesitated before revealing some little known secrets.
Whispering, he spoke "Old friend, actually, there is still hope for a victory"
"Oh? What do you mean?"
Coming closer to the man, the sturdy man spoke "Do you know of the Demon Tribes?" he whispered discreetly, seemly terrified that he would be found out.
"You mean?!-" Ran Fei was stumped and jumped from his seat before being silenced by the Sturdy man.
"Be quiet Old Ran! This is just what I have heard, the demon sect has always been mysterious, apparently backed by a demon from the underworld. If this is the case, and they reveal themselves for the fight, we may have a chance. I heard they possess unfathomable means and have ancestors in the Protector realm."
Calming down, old man Ran Fei looked at his companion in a new light. If this was true, his sacrifice may be worth it! No, perhaps he does not need to perish at all!
Thinking of this, the mood in the makeshift tent lightened. Unfortunately, just moments later, a ringing of bells sounded from the top of the wall. Shouts were heard throughout the defensive line.
Over fifty thousand Master-Level Warriors, Five hundred Grandmaster Bowmen, and two hundred Grandmaster swordsmen were gathered immediately on the walls. The ghastly sight beyond them was one they would not forget about for the rest of their short lives.
Only minutes later, Hydras tore the walls down from the roots with brute strength, wielding almost impenetrable armour-like hide that numerous Grandmaster bowmen could not pierce through even with their strongest attacks, massacring the warriors of the first defence line with utmost ease.
Venerable Zhao Fan was not lying when he bragged about a race born for combat, born for slaughter. He ensured their hide was extremely thick, their claws able to break apart the strongest metal, their size enough to overwhelm numerous enemies. The Southern tribes were simply no match.
In just moments, the entire defensive line was massacred. Not a single Hydra was felled.
The beastmen had severely underestimated their enemies. Luckily, a few Beastmen warriors fled on a horse in multiple directions to report the situation, when the news reached headquarters of the alliance, they would surely be shocked.
---
Central continent, Void Sword Sect.
In the central hall, Sect elders and the sect master, along with the grand elder were discussing in the hall with bated breaths.
The Eastern continent invasion news spread across the Eastern continent, and through merchants to the central continent. Currently, major sects and dynasties were aware of the invasion.
"Sect master, they say that the Beastmen had a prophecy, that they knew this would come, and prepared for it. Yet, why is it that they are not united? That they create a half-cut defence line even one of our Major sect's could destroy with ease, and expect to emerge victorious? I always knew those savages were pathetic!" An elder spat
Another Elder chimed in, "We should make preparations, there are few minor sects between us and the seafront opposing the Eastern continent. When they lose, we will become the next target."
"Yes, Sect master, I agree!"
"Agreed"
Most of the elders in the hall agreed with this notion. The central continent despised subhumans and hybrids. They felt superior to the other races and fought with them constantly. Some dynasties were even established on the ruins of other races.
After deliberation, The sect master agreed with the elders. It was not just the Void Sword Sect that was eyeing this invasion with caution. some powers sent scouts to Eastern continent to verify the authenticity of the invasion whilst others dubbed it a petty war and didn't care, after all, this was too far away from them.
The races of Eastern and Central continent had misunderstood the nature of this invasion. This was not a small-scale ten thousand creature war, but a simple scouting party to make way for the mass of forces soon to follow. The three venerables had not even become serious yet. The Angels and Demons had not yet intervened, Tao Jue barely took a glance, disinterested in this starting battle.
---
Two years later, Eastern continent
A final bastion of hope lay in the greatest fortress ever built by the beastmen.
A ten-kilometre line of defence equipped with cannons and artefacts from various continents as support managed to beat back the forces of the invaders. Only three thousand of the initial ten thousand Hydras remained, slaughtering beastmen in a frenzy.
This bastion was the final line of defence for the beastmen. All surviving tribes and beastmen had moved into this huge mass of land to the far north of Eastern continent. If they fell here, they could retreat no more. Perhaps a few well-off families could escape through boats to the central continent, to be bullied by the cultivating natives and enslaved.
It was at this moment, a tall and lanky race with one huge eye on their foreheads stepped into the spatial crack of the universe, heading straight to the world below. Millions of Cyclops took to march from the south.
The Main force had arrived.