Apocalypse Gachapon Chapter 1894: Surround

"Pei Cun?"

Spotting the man who carried himself with clear arrogance, White Robe lifted his brows in response.

As the fifth successor to Shuoxing, this prominent individual from Survivor Fortress No. 3 oversaw a large portion of Shuoxing's commerce. His reputation preceded him for years, yet White Robe never anticipated crossing paths with him in this place.

This figure was one White Robe had never interacted with previously.

Within the Star-Eye Clan, the Silver Order Leader stood as a major authority, idolized by countless followers, and his personal exploits had amplified his renown across vast distances.

Nevertheless, to numerous powerful factions, he amounted to little more than a tiny insect. What set him apart from the rest might simply be that he was an insect bearing a recognized title.

Earlier, Pei Cun—the fifth successor among the Shuoxing—had addressed his close ally in a manner suggesting he regarded White Robe with importance. In truth, though, his interest lay solely in the competition itself and the rewards from securing a high position, rather than any regard for a titled insect of the Star-Eye Clan.

This held true even with the addition of six additional allies to that insect's group.

Regarding those Novices... were they truly worth considering as combatants?

One member of the Luther Clan appeared acquainted with Pei Cun, perhaps having encountered him in the past. After a brief pause for thought, he advanced a couple of paces and began, "Respected..."

But after uttering just those three words, Pei Cun abruptly hurled every stone he held in his grasp at the man. Scores of tiny pebbles flew forth akin to projectiles.

Though startled, the Luther Clan member avoided fleeing in haste. Rather, he formed a circular motion with his arms, summoning a soft barrier of energy ahead of himself.

Those fighters permitted to enter the Novice battlefield were exceptionally skilled without exception.

Still, he had misjudged the prowess of a senior heir from an elite major lineage. Those stones, flung with apparent nonchalance, disrupted him thoroughly. The protective airflow he believed would halt the assault merely slowed it for an instant before his shield shattered, allowing every pebble to strike his form.

He staggered backward multiple times, halting only upon reaching his group's territory. At that point, his protective gear bore numerous fractures, with several spots where the stones had lodged deeply into it!

This gear fell short of purple-grade quality, offering somewhat lesser protection, yet it was far from commonplace. Even so, it failed to endure the foe's offhand toss!

The Luther individual attempting to converse hadn't foreseen such rudeness from Shuoxing's fifth successor, who didn't permit him to complete even a single phrase. His features flushed vividly crimson, be it from humiliation and rage or from wounds sustained within.

The opponent's stance shone through plainly—they were foes, not allies.

"Expansion Gloves combined with Space Push, that's all there is to it."

Out of nowhere, White Robe voiced this, his statement laced with hostility right from the outset.

Pei Cun's eyes expanded a bit as he regarded White Robe with evident astonishment.

He had meant that move as a pointed caution, embedding profound intent in a minor gesture. Yet he hadn't foreseen anyone discerning its nature so swiftly.

"Impressive." Pei Cun commended, before adding, "Regrettably, this marks the end of your path for now. The Star-Eye Clan's sole support stands on the verge of collapse."

"Empty boasts."

White Robe shot back with icy disdain. His eyes scanned the vicinity, revealing a clear itch for action.

"Planning to head that way?" Noticing White Robe's look, Pei Cun grinned and continued, "Off to link up with your ally Jie Su? Relying on the Su Clan's energy formation to endure until the Novice battlefield concludes, claiming the prize afterward?"

"A solid plan, backed by a companion ready to assist. Sadly, it will fail." Pei Cun fixed his gaze on White Robe and declared, "You won't make it beyond me."

"We number seven."

The Luther who had been targeted seethed with fury and interjected without restraint.

His remark rang true as well. White Robe's group now boasted seven seasoned fighters, against merely two on the opposing side. In external settings, they might not rival this elite heir of a supreme lineage combined, but within this zone, with each possessing roughly two thousand units of Fuleila energy, sheer quantity would tip the scales.

Ye Zhongming and the remaining Novices drew zero attention from him.

With a casual smirk, Pei Cun proclaimed haughtily, "Even solo with Jing Wunan, you'd find no way through."

Huh?

All present grasped the implication behind his declaration.

"Check the perimeter."

Ye Zhongming murmured a quiet alert. The group promptly accessed their device maps, spotting seven or eight green markers drawing perilously near.

They all knew these markers had been dispersed earlier, their paths veering nowhere near this spot.

This setup screamed ambush; those markers had been positioned deliberately in proximity.

As anticipated, mere moments passed before the initial arrivals emerged.

"Sir."

A pair of veteran fighters accompanied by four Novices offered greetings to the Ainilu known as Jing Wunan.

"Mhm."

Jing Wunan felt a touch of shock; he hadn't thought his clan's allocated Novices would locate him with such speed.

In a flash, the adversaries added two more veterans, totaling four, which sharply diminished White Robe's numerical edge.

But that wasn't the extent of it. Yet another contingent materialized on the enemy flank. White Robe glanced over, and his face soured at once.

These were the Evil Armor Star folk from the prior defeat!

Guided by three of their kin, they returned into view before him, glaring at Ye Zhongming, Jie Kui, Helsky, and the rest with savage hunger, as though eager to devour them whole. Revenge drove their arrival.

It couldn't be avoided; these opponents had nearly eradicated them before, and with this prime chance presenting itself, they seized it without hesitation.

Immediately, veteran combatants evened out to seven per side. Novice counts aligned closely too.

"Oh, and don't forget my pair of escorts."

Pei Cun let out a soft laugh. To those listening, it echoed like a decree of doom.

A duo of Shuoxing veterans, flanked by five Novices, materialized without a sound behind White Robe's squad, sealing their escape route.

In that instant, the power equilibrium flipped; White Robe's forces found themselves utterly outmatched.

"See? I told you passage was impossible."

Pei Cun relished this scenario thoroughly; total dominance felt like second nature to him.

White Robe inclined his head, replying, "Quite the setup, but what of it?"

Suddenly, a single figure launched forward like a released bolt, charging directly at Pei Cun and Jing Wunan.

Amid these conditions, he launched into combat without delay, rejecting flight in favor of a direct assault.

Defying the pair's superior might—though they numbered only two—he targeted Pei Cun and Jing Wunan head-on.

The fraught standoff tipped over then, igniting clashes across both factions at once.

What distinguished it was that, for White Robe's group, solely he pressed the offensive willingly, as his comrades fended off incoming strikes reactively.

The trio from Luther advanced on the Ainilu duo, pitting three versus two. Meanwhile, the Tianqi Star members clashed evenly with the Evil Armor Star foes in a balanced three-against-three skirmish.

Yet the rear pair of Shuoxing veterans went unchallenged.

Helsky felt profound unease. The Luther trio's choice wasn't misguided, but committing three to face two while abandoning the backline duo struck as profoundly unfair.

This amounted to forcing the Novices to anchor the defense.