Apocalypse Gachapon Chapter 1865: Half an hour sneak attack (2)

Those individuals weren't idiots; they understood that staying united was the smartest strategy to avoid getting taken down individually. Having numerous nine-star evolved assembled together made it a tough challenge for any attackers to succeed.

The group swiftly headed toward the spot assigned to the sentry, scoured the surroundings, yet uncovered no signs of the two missing comrades expected to be present. Still, they spotted a few hints.

"Blood?"

The captain turned to a team member expert in tracking. That person scooped up dirt from the location, held it close to his nose for a sniff, and then gave a nod followed by a shake of the head.

"It's bloodstains, but..."

Noticing the tracker's pause, the captain realized there was tough news to share. With all eyes on them, though, he urged the man to just come out with it.

"It looks a lot like an instant kill from a particular ability. The injury is tiny, and the dying happened so fast—practically in a blink."

The captain's face grew dark, laced with doubt. "Instant kill?"

For fighters at their rank, getting one-shot even in a surprise attack was rare. Anyone capable of pulling that off had to be way stronger than them all.

Without question, such words would spark fear in the ranks.

"I'm afraid that's the case."

The captain drew in a sharp breath, ready to respond, but halted abruptly.

"The south side folks haven't reported in either."

These words thickened the already heavy mood.

"We should divide and scout the area. Check the remaining three sides too," suggested one, eyes darting around warily, obviously on high alert.

"No way, call the sentries back instead. If they fail to return, trouble's afoot. Better not to venture out alone; we ought to probe the issue as a unit or just bail from here. Time's running short, after all."

Another voice rose in protest. Regardless of their kind, survival instincts push toward safety when threats loom.

"We can't just leave them behind, not even with the faintest chance."

"This could be tricky parasites or elite red-name newbies at play. With under thirty minutes to the safe zone, rash moves will only doom us more!"

"Remember, out of the eight sentries dispatched, two possess unique skills. Losing them would cripple our hunts for upcoming rounds!"

"Quiet!" the captain barked. "Things are murky, and you're already bickering?"

"We won't ditch our allies just to stay safe or dodge danger. Put yourself in their shoes—if you were trapped and your team left you, what would that do to you?"

At these words, the arguments died down. Though reluctant, no one dared voice it; they knew it could backfire on them later.

"Airezeiya, lead half to the south. I'll take the others north. Report back here in five minutes no matter what. Signal at the first sign of issues."

Airezeiya inclined her head in agreement, her palm on the hilt of her lengthy samurai blade. Only her eyes showed on her face, emotionless, yet her furrowed brows hinted at icy resolve.

She picked her group and moved southward, as the captain guided the remainder in the opposite direction.

This leader, boasting more than three thousand points, could never have foreseen the disaster his solid-seeming choice would unleash on the squad.

Close by, Jie Kui hurried back to Ye Zhongming.

"Boss, third option—they've divided into north and south groups."

Ye Zhongming and his crew grinned at the news.

It was precisely the outcome they desired above all.

In their calculations, the enemy squad facing vanished scouts had three likely responses.

The initial one involved retreating far off, ignoring their fellows' fates. Ye Zhongming and Ji Ruiguang dreaded this most, as it limited their moves and pushed for a head-on clash.

Such a fight would claim heavy losses, with victory odds hovering at just sixty to seventy percent, derailing later strategies badly.

The next path saw the enemies probe as one. It appeared close to fleeing, yet differed hugely by drawing them into a trap. Though it led to a full showdown, the foes would battle shorthanded, handing Ye Zhongming's forces a clear edge.

The final choice meant splitting up. No matter how they portioned out, it diluted their power, creating an ideal strike window for Ye Zhongming and Ji Ruiguang.

"Where's their leader headed?" Ye Zhongming inquired sharply.

"North," Jie Kui answered without delay.

"South it is for us."

The call came quick and firm, propelling the team after Ye Zhongming toward the south. Truth be told, their pick didn't matter; they'd reach the fight site ahead, thanks to the trails laid to funnel the enemies straight into the snare.

They seized key positions fast, triggered preparations, leaving just Jie Kui and Shi Kangbu with Ye Zhongming. This trio handled the opening ambush.

"Boss... will our allied group actually join?"

Jie Kui held no fear, only skepticism toward Ji Ruiguang. From snippets Ye Zhongming dropped, he sensed old rivalries from their origin world.

"Relax," Ye Zhongming assured, then gazed forward and murmured, "They're coming."

Not Ji Ruiguang's crew, but the detached enemy faction emerged into view—precisely in the prepared kill zone.

Four such setups existed, blanketing every potential enemy approach.

Ye Zhongming and his two companions squinted tightly, while others looked away.

They dreaded alerting the intruders; elite senses could pick up the slightest anomaly.

Airezeiya whispered harsh Japanese under her breath, releasing her frustration.

Her personal prowess ranked high, second only to the captain in the group—owing to fortunate retention of powers from her native world upon arriving on Earth, granting her an innate edge, plus her relentless battle spirit—yet joy eluded her. The interim command role brought no real sway among the members.

These allies harbored a deep bias against Earth natives.

Merely moments earlier, they'd found signs of the lost sentries. She believed regrouping with the captain first made sense before digging deeper, but her words fell on deaf ears. Bypassing her lead, they trailed the leads into this zone unchecked.

True enough, the spot looked benign—mere short bushes, rock fragments, lichen, and abundant toppled grass.

Airezeiya figured no real threats lurked, but resentment boiled inside her. She kept silent, trailing the pack with little enthusiasm.

Yet as they crossed into that innocent-looking patch, chaos erupted. Scores of icy flashes burst from below, surging straight at the formation.