Apocalypse Gachapon Chapter 1892: A pot (2)

"Lady, you..."

"Shut up."

The initial speaker went quiet right away, yet her expression overflowed with clear discontent.

A companion beside her tugged lightly at her sleeve and gave a subtle shake of his head.

With the Lady already having arrived, what else could be said? Even if they wanted to back out now, escaping this spot seemed impossible. It was far better to focus on snagging some benefits from the Novice battlefield instead of regretting their choice.

Though Muskka Star paid little attention to such minor prizes and a handful of representative spots, grabbing whatever was available beat coming away empty-handed.

Still, the man couldn't help but sigh to himself. He understood perfectly why the Lady had come down here; securing points without risk probably wouldn't be straightforward.

As expected, once the Lady snapped 'shut up,' she narrowed her eyes and stared at the recorder for a moment before declaring, "Overall, this seems to be the zone where the signal vanished. We'll hang back here for now. No device can jam the signal indefinitely."

"Lady, couldn't we spend this wait hunting a few parasites? It might boost our rankings. That would give you something solid to report back to the Great Lord."

The Lady shot a sidelong glance at her servant, irritation flickering in her eyes, and replied, "Hunt parasites? Exhaust ourselves completely, only to miss aiding White Robe if he calls?"

The servant felt a wave of deep discomfort wash over her. She simply couldn't grasp why the Lady, poised to inherit leadership of a mighty race, would develop feelings for a lunatic from a nearly wiped-out species, even weakening her own power to visit a beginner planet on his account.

Her abilities diminished, accompanied by just two escorts who'd also toned down their strength, it felt like she was teetering on the brink of disaster.

Should anything go wrong... the servant shuddered at the thought.

Beyond that, the Lady had journeyed here expressly to support White Robe. Yet anyone could see that White Robe would surely shield the top-ranked Star-Eye Clan novice, drawing attacks from rival races eager to claim the lead spot.

Regarding the higher-ups' directives to eliminate parasites, plenty of races dismissed them as worthless noise.

What points did parasites even offer? Far fewer than taking out other novices. Plus, the Novice battlefield had long served as a grudge-settling ground among races. Now, with seasoned fighters entering the fray, they wouldn't squander the chance.

Under those circumstances, should the Lady link up with White Robe, she'd no doubt throw herself into the fight beside him. How could this be avoided?

Before the servant could devise a solution, the Lady suddenly uttered a quiet gasp.

"The location's updating!"

The servant and the male escort hurriedly checked. Sure enough, the jammed signal had returned. A single green marker glowed near Ye Zhongming—likely White Robe had located him.

And surrounding that point, countless other green markers surged toward it at high speed.

"Move!"

The Lady surged ahead in that direction, her stunning eyes brimming with worry.

……………………………………

Jie Su perched atop a modest rise, his gaze piercing into the thick woodland beyond, a grin playing on his lips.

At his back, a pair of figures drove objects into the earth. Every plunge sent a faint quiver through the soil.

"How much time left?"

Jie Su inquired. The pair, absorbed in their task, didn't glance up as they answered, "Twelve standard pillars and three elite ones remain—roughly ten minutes."

"Speed it up some. I worry White Robe might not last much longer." Jie Su expressed mild frustration at the pace.

"He'd demand a rematch if he caught that," one underling shot back with a chuckle.

Jie Su let out a booming laugh. "I'd accept each time."

"But you insist on battling within the defense formation. Even a battle-crazed Order Leader like White Robe wouldn't bite on such an absurd demand."

"Absurd? Our Su Clan's lifeline hinges on this very thing. Why abandon our strongest asset to brawl hand-to-hand with that savage brute?"

"He may not outmatch you in raw power anyway. Think of the array pillars' weight—you lug them daily."

The trio shared a hearty laugh.

Only those bearing the 'Su' in their names counted as pureblood Su Clan offspring, the genuine heart of the lineage. Such individuals were scarce; they alone absorbed the clan's deepest secrets and legacy. For one to venture into the perilous Novice battlefield defied the norm.

Yet Jie Su had arrived. Upon landing, he'd begun erecting a power formation right on this hill.

"Brother Jie Su, the clan... they've long opposed your ties to Order Leader White Robe. Sneaking down here without word to the elders again—this return might bring the Clan Leader's wrath..."

Jie Su stayed silent, eyes fixed forward. After an extended pause, he murmured, "We're cut from the same cloth."

His two companions exchanged puzzled glances, still baffled, and shook their heads while resuming their work.

"Endless setbacks. At times, bold shifts are essential."

………………………………………………

"Six green markers closing in from that side. Should we still head there?"

Ji Ruiguang eyed the recorder's display and voiced his doubts about advancing.

White Robe found himself in a bind too; he'd never anticipated the scheme hitting snags so early on.

But now, with everything in motion, could they pivot? Blades or flames loomed ahead—they had no choice but to press on.

"We have to. Backing off means most of us perish right here."

Though White Robe held Silver Order Leader rank, his sway over these novices paled next to Ye Zhongming's and Ji Ruiguang's. Ji Ruiguang's followers awaited their leader's word, and he turned to Ye Zhongming.

The Cloud Peak King paused merely two seconds before commanding, "Advance!"

The team rushed toward that path without delay.

Ye Zhongming wondered if his call would drag them all into ruin, but in that instant, waffling would only breed uncertainty in the group, achieving nothing else.

Through these post-apocalyptic years, hadn't survival always meant courting danger? The Cloud Peak King trusted this round would prove no different.

The gap between the parties shrank fast. The recorder showed both accelerating fiercely.

All gripped their arms tightly, stares glued to the heavy woods upfront. Any moment now, foes could burst forth, igniting a savage clash.

A stretch of short brush supplanted the thick trees, creating an open space amid the timber. The groups collided across this gap.

Both parties, primed for slaughter, halted at once. Joy lit one side, shock the other.

"Captain! We've tracked you down at last!"

Helsky's trademark grin emerged. Never had Ye Zhongming sensed such heartfelt relief.

They hadn't foreseen the approaching force as Helsky's crew! What stunned the group most was the full roster of Ye Zhongming's key fighters present, bolstered by six veteran combatants! How had that come about?

The factions merged swiftly.

White Robe's eyes scanned the warriors briefly, and he whispered, "Luther Clan? Tianqi Star folk?"