Apocalypse Gachapon

Since the Mountain King Wheel’s spatial trial began, the gathered factions had fallen silent many times—but never for this long.

Finally, a faction had been eliminated.

This meant that the deathly conclusion everyone had anticipated had officially begun.

Six years into the apocalypse, every individual had faced death countless times. Logically, fear and unease should no longer exist.

But when they reached a certain level, death became unfamiliar to them once more.

Thus, the fear that had faded—or been numbed—returned.

Especially when they witnessed Great America’s Bright Star being obliterated on the light screen, this emotion peaked.

So… death was right before their eyes. Again.

At this moment, even the weakest factions—the Women Guard and Gyanendra—and even the passive Cannibal Chain tensed up abruptly.

What would happen if the thunder struck them?

Gyanendra expressionlessly struck the Soaring Crystal. Currently, he had almost no cards left, little money, and his forces were severely weakened. Whether he could even survive this stretch was questionable.

Fortunately, this round, luck was on his side. He landed on a star originally owned by Great America. Though he lacked the funds to purchase it, at least he didn’t have to fight or pay.

For Gyanendra, who had no chance of a comeback—even with perfect luck securing stars every step—victory was impossible. Thus, nothing mattered more than stability.

Ye Zhongming then struck the Soaring Crystal, landing on the Mechanical Genius’s star. Without hesitation, he single-handedly took down the Guardian Beast, needing no assistance. With Yangos on his left and Yellow Ball on his right, who else did he need?

The Misfortune Card still lingered. Even after winning the challenge, Cloud Peak had to pay the toll fee, much to Ye Zhongming’s frustration.

Next was the Women Guard. Their luck? Frankly, terrible. They landed on yet another of the Mechanical Genius’s stars. Penniless, they had no choice but to fight. Under double difficulty, even a low-level Guardian Beast forced them into another grueling battle.

They won, but their numbers dwindled further. Now, they looked far worse off than Gyanendra.

It was clear to all—this was a faction on the brink. Perhaps next round, they would follow Greater America’s fate and be eliminated entirely.

As for Ella or the black leader Gianna’s tier and strength, it was unlikely they possessed any life-saving artifacts.

The last of this round was the Mechanical Genius.

Perhaps influenced by the round’s overall calm, even this neurotic figure was unusually quiet, obediently striking the Soaring Crystal and landing on one of Great America’s stars. After painfully purchasing a Guardian Beast, he added a star to his tally.

But the Misfortune Card spared no one. After buying the Guardian Beast and claiming the star, he was notified that—due to the Misfortune Card—the purchase was void.

Meaning: Money gone, star gone.

The Mechanical Genius erupted on the spot, unleashing his signature screech.

After five rounds, Gyanendra, the Cannibal Chain, and the Women Guard had lost all competitive hope. Only the Mechanical Genius and Cloud Peak remained as potential victors.

The gap between them hadn’t widened—Cloud Peak led by just three stars.

Round Six.

The Cannibal Chain entered the “death zone.” However, with Great America eliminated, many unclaimed stars dotted the path. Landing on them posed no issue. For the rest? They paid—money wasn’t a problem for them.

After surveying the path ahead, Gyanendra used a Free Choice Card this round.

This stretch was dense with Cloud Peak and the Mechanical Genius’s stars. Gyanendra had no confidence in landing elsewhere. In his current state, if he landed on the Mechanical Genius’s star, he might scrape through with sheer effort. But if he hit one of Cloud Peak’s max-level Guardian Beast stars? He’d be lucky to escape with his life.

Fortunately, he still had the Free Choice Card—one that allowed controlled landing.

He selected the only remaining unclaimed star from Great America in this stretch.

Relief washed over him afterward—no thunder struck.

When Ye Zhongming struck the Soaring Crystal, the Mechanical Genius shamelessly booed and even cursed, hoping for the thunder’s descent. But even with the Misfortune Card in its final round, no thunder came. Instead, Ye Zhongming had to challenge two adjacent stars’ Guardian Beasts simultaneously—a one-versus-three.

Yet, with Cloud Peak’s strength, they feared nothing. Deploying their full force, they bulldozed through.

The battle left the remaining evolved in the wheel space speechless.

Perhaps at his peak, the Mechanical Genius could have rivaled such a faction. But now? It was obvious—his forces were severely depleted. At least a dozen or twenty mechanical war puppets were gone.

Seemingly few, but his total numbers weren’t high to begin with.

Then came the Women Guard…

Their luck remained abysmal. This round, they landed on Cloud Peak’s star.

Fight? Against Cloud Peak, they lacked both the strength and the confidence to continue.

So they had to pay.

But did they have money? No!

Cornered, even leaders like Ella and Gianna—the backbone of their faction’s combat power—began stripping off their cherished equipment.

Their “weakness” was relative to the present factions. Outside, the Women Guard were formidable. Ella and Gianna were elite evolved—their gear was far from shabby. Ye Zhongming alone spotted over three gold-grade pieces between them, including one that, though devoid of glow, exhibited purple-tier power in battle.

Many Women Guard warriors resisted their leaders sacrificing these items. Without them, they’d become defenseless prey.

“At least no one died this round, right?”

Gianna smiled bitterly, comforting her subordinates.

After the Women Guard, the Mechanical Genius took his turn as the round’s final participant. Tension spiked as preparations intensified. Inside his war puppet, the Mechanical Genius never stopped cursing.

Because this round, the Annihilation Thunderstrike would strike—and with misfortune plaguing him, he was prime target material.

Having tasted the thunder’s fury once, cursing was the least he could do.

But just before striking the Soaring Crystal, his tirade ceased abruptly.

“This is the sixth round… can’t we buy a new card now?”

Seconds later, the space announced:

“The Mechanical Genius has purchased the Fortune Card!”