Apocalypse Gachapon Chapter 1878: Evolve?

The eyes of White Robe fluttered open. At that moment, the concern etched on the faces of the two Star-Eye Clan fighters standing nearby finally faded away.

Their relief was obvious to anyone watching.

Though they kept silent about it, deep down, both warriors thought the Order Leader's choice this round was far too impulsive and reckless.

Why drop his own Fureila level like that?! Even if they weren't sure of the exact power the Order Leader had achieved, they figured it surpassed ten thousand Fureila. After all, his battles against Cheng Liujin always ended in a close loss, and the Gold Order Leader's Fureila had been verified above eleven thousand cosmic years back.

All this effort, just to glimpse that clan's number one genius?

On top of that, dialing back one's strength meant swallowing a unique elixir. That stuff wasn't fully refined yet. What about hidden risks? If any existed, how severe were they? Such issues loomed large. Should this lead to lasting harm for White Robe and a drop in his power, it would amount to outright treachery! He stood as the Star-Eye Clan's shining hope and backbone!

Did the gain justify the risk?

These three simple words had lingered in the minds of the two Silver Mask warriors ever since hearing White Robe planned to head down this path.

The call to drop into the beginner battlefield had come suddenly, shifting schedules and making White Robe gulp the potion right then and there. That's why he had just stirred from the drug's harsh effects.

"How long has it been?"

"Almost an hour."

A frown creased White Robe's brow as he absorbed the response.

Right after ingestion, the elixir clamped down on his power to slip past the scans, but it left him in utter misery. Combat was out of the question; even basic motion proved tough. Fresh off the landing, he needed time to recuperate, and only now did things start to ease up.

Still, aches throbbed through many spots on his frame. White Robe hid the pain from his expression, though. He realized time was slipping away; locating Ye Zhongming demanded immediate action.

Fighters from diverse cosmic races had poured onto the fresh planet. The old guidelines got overhauled—no more zone barriers, granting full freedom to roam. Thus, everyone launched from the newbie base in unison.

"Where is Ye Zhongming?"

"Still in Zone 50."

White Robe could've pulled up the data on his own device. Yet he saw it as a delay; quizzing his followers proved quicker. They had surely kept tabs on this nonstop.

"Let's go!"

At White Robe's command, the trio bolted from the outpost and stepped into the transport circle.

Light flared up, and in the quiet, White Robe murmured inwardly.

Just hang in there, young one!

…………………………

Ye Zhongming was indeed clinging on for dear life.

Once joined by He, they took down a rookie first, then, through a grueling clash, finished off a pair of Chaos Heart Race foes.

Yet as he had foreseen, pursuers had locked onto him.

His wounds ran deep already. One arm hung limp and broken; her form bore heavy blows. Despite her stock of remedies, she managed only to stabilize herself. That arm, at minimum, wouldn't mend right away—the bones lay in fragments.

Ye Zhongming fared no better. To dodge earlier chasers, he'd taken hits too. Meds had patched him somewhat, but dispatching those two Chaos Heart Race members cost plenty. In scooping up their scores, he racked up fresh damage.

And that crimson label broadcast his spot, dashing Ye Zhongming's final flicker of optimism.

Scarcely ten minutes since the cosmic races' soldiers touched down, a hunter zeroed in on him.

It resembled a beastman hybrid—a humanoid build topped with an animal skull, gripping a metal rod.

For all its bulk, the thing moved with surprising nimbleness and speed. Spotting Ye Zhongming, it unleashed a wild barrage.

Ye Zhongming met it straight on just once and came out slightly the worse.

This brute's power edged just beyond his own!

Without even firing up his bloodline, the fact alone chilled him.

Ye Zhongming grasped he couldn't linger anywhere fixed. His pace, nor He's, sufficed to lose this beast-kin. Battle was his sole option, and victory had to come swift to break free.

The Cloud Peak King poured everything in. He sparked his bloodline, deployed every purchase from the authorized shop during breaks that might help, maxed out the duo of element spirits and the Earth Ruler gear's potential, and pushed even the slothful Qiuqiu into peak mode.

The beast-kin's rod hummed through the air. It fired off skills endlessly, as if without limit. The pair that plagued Ye Zhongming worst: first, blistering flurries—this foe's limbs bent in odd ways, spinning the hefty rod like blooming petals. In moments, it struck from everywhere, leaving Ye Zhongming reeling.

The second trick had the rod stretch abruptly, sprouting three prongs from its core for a lunge. Unlike energy blades or such, this was pure weapon morphing—an extension and split. One had to admit the rod's craft was elite; else, Ye Zhongming would've scoffed at any old stick pulling that off.

In mere moments, Ye Zhongming ate multiple blows.

Luckily, his guards held firm. Though battered, no grave hurts landed.

He tested swapping wounds to counter, but this rival was no greenhorn—a seasoned battler. Its arms, skills, and kit outclassed the last one's by far. After a few injury trades gone sour, Ye Zhongming backed off.

No alternatives left. Had it been eight hundred lost to slay a thousand, he'd bear it to shake this pest.

But twelve hundred gone for a thousand? No chance.

In that instant, Ye Zhongming teetered on hopelessness.

"Papa, I'm very sleepy. I can't hold on much longer."

A voice rang suddenly in Ye Zhongming's thoughts, jolting the near-broken Cloud Peak King still.

He knew that tone intimately. The Earth Spirit spoke.

Given its odd nature, upon entering cosmic race lands, Ye Zhongming banned its full reveal and any chatter. Who could say if these aliens had ways to rip the tiny being from him if spotted?

Its words now signaled collapse imminent. Ye Zhongming didn't ponder why; evolution loomed!

Helplessness washed over the Cloud Peak King. Normally, he'd yearn for its upgrade, new powers blooming. But the sprite grew finicky. From devouring scraps, it turned choosy, craving rarities alone. A couple times evolution teased, yet it just beefed up old tricks or sparked a fleeting skill that faded post-drain.

Why pick now to advance?

With the Earth Spirit dozing off, who'd sustain his Black Earth Armor?! Ye Zhongming wanted to weep, but tears wouldn't flow.