Apocalypse Gachapon

“Logically speaking, among the thirty thousand novices monitored by the spacefaring races across the seven Slave Race-controlled planets—excluding those ambiguously trained warriors—at least twenty thousand should originate from these seven worlds. In other words, there should be two to three thousand from the same race, yet we don’t see that many identical lifeforms here.”

“Earth may be a small planet, but it’s still one of the seven. There should be hundreds of spokespeople, each distributing admission tickets. We should’ve seen nearly a thousand Earthlings here, but the entire country has only sent a handful—likely no more than ten from the whole planet.”

“So where did the other novices come from? Why didn’t Jikesu or Aslan mention this?”

Hidden beneath the broad leaves of a shrub, Ye Zhongming’s mind raced through these inconsistencies, searching for answers but finding none. He’d have to ask Aslan and Jikesu later.

At the same time, his goodwill toward the Star-Eye Clan waned slightly. They hadn’t been fully transparent with him.

But what was their motive for withholding information?

Beside him, Jie Kui was proving unexpectedly impressive. Despite his earlier reluctance and apparent lack of confidence in choosing this location, his performance since arriving had been nothing short of professional.

The Star-Eye Clan specialized in assassins, killers, and raiders—their trained warriors reflected this, and Jie Kui was no exception. Only Ye Zhongming, through sheer happenstance, stood apart.

This area, designated Zone 27, was called the Vengeful Mist Rainforest—a newly added trial zone for this Novice Battlefield.

Naturally, this meant its danger level historically exceeded what was suitable for novices, which was why Jie Kui had initially objected.

For Star-Eye warriors, simpler zones were paradise. Their combat style thrived there—lethal strikes allowing them to maximize kills per unit time while avoiding injury, sustaining themselves for the full twenty-one days.

Through gradual accumulation, they might’ve stood a real chance at amassing points.

But Ye Zhongming thought differently. After studying the provided intel, he chose this place. His reasoning: If you don’t improve during these twenty-one days, relying solely on your current strength, the Star-Eye Clan has no hope of ranking well.

Especially under the new rules—where cooperation and betrayal were both incentivized—playing it safe to grind points was no longer viable.

There was another, more critical reason Ye Zhongming had set his sights on the Vengeful Mist Rainforest…

The two had been lying in wait for three hours, motionless. The rainforest’s mist had soaked their clothes, its mild toxins inducing a maddening itch that tested their patience.

Ye Zhongming and Jie Kui were reaching their limits.

The issue wasn’t just the discomfort—the mist’s toxins weren’t merely irritating their exposed skin; they were rapidly degrading their armor’s durability.

The Vengeful Mist Rainforest lived up to its name.

For mobility, Star-Eye warriors wore lightweight leather armor—exceptionally crafted, as even Ye Zhongming, a master craftsman, had to admire its ingenious design and flawless execution.

His own set was roughly purple-grade in quality.

Yet the mist here was already eroding these high-grade pieces within hours.

Their target still hadn’t appeared. If they waited much longer, their gear would deteriorate beyond repair—a loss they couldn’t afford. Paying for repairs was impossible, and Ye Zhongming lacked both materials and expertise to fix them himself.

Just as they were about to abandon the stakeout, a faint rustling sounded in the distance.

Both tensed.

Something was brushing through the foliage.

Soon, a large, boar-like creature emerged, trailed by two smaller ones.

“Parasite Ping-7: Aesbeasts.”

Thick hides, volatile temperaments, immense strength, blinding charges—no obvious weaknesses.

These weren’t ideal prey for Star-Eye tactics, better suited to brute-force warriors trading blows until one side fell.

Silently, the two calculated the distance. Then, at the perfect moment—

Jie Kui struck.

He burst forward explosively—astonishingly agile after hours of stillness.

His arm shot out, a glint of steel flashing before the two juvenile Aesbeasts.

This was one of Jie Kui’s retained abilities: his arm’s afterimage would strike first, though with reduced force.

The mother Aesbeast, seeing her young attacked, snapped. All four eyes burned crimson as her coiled snout shot out, body lunging to shield her offspring.

Jie Kui’s strike was blocked, but he pivoted effortlessly, darting sideways before—

Light-Stealing Heartstab!

A Star-Eye technique Jie Kui had mastered.

A suicidal, all-in attack trading life for lethality.

His twin-sectioned dagger—custom-forged for this move—slashed deep into the mother’s flank, drawing an immediate fountain of blood.

Parasites were formidable, adults especially. Without the Slave Race’s presence here to drain their energy, their growth was unchecked.

But Jie Kui was still a level nine evolved, clad in purple-grade gear, wielding one of the Star-Eye Clan’s signature killing moves—and his target was immobilized, focused solely on protecting her young.

The mother roared, her elongated snout and powerful legs driving her toward Jie Kui in a devastating charge.

In head-on clashes, most parasites feared nothing.

Then—a juvenile’s shriek.

The mother skidded to a halt, whipping her head around to see one offspring decapitated, the other impaled by an energy weapon, writhing on the ground.

She went berserk.

Abandoning Jie Kui—still locked in his attack’s recoil—she turned on Ye Zhongming.

With her weakness exposed, the two made quick work of her.

Their recorders updated: Jie Kui +3 points, Ye Zhongming +4 (likely for finishing both juveniles).

“We waited here just to kill these things. Now, can you tell me why?” Jie Kui wiped his brow—the fight had been no cakewalk—but his respect for Ye Zhongming had grown.

The decisive blow had been Ye Zhongming’s: a single punch that crippled the mother, robbing her of any chance to flee. Something Jie Kui, armed as he was, couldn’t have achieved.

Instead of answering, Ye Zhongming carefully gutted the mother’s carcass, extracting something with meticulous care.

“This is the reason.”