Apocalypse Gachapon Chapter 1912: Again

The battlefield plunged into complete silence.

Such a hush usually happened right before a big clash, as opposing forces gathered their strength and anticipated the critical strike.

Yet this quiet, emerging after a full half-day of combat, felt far too bizarre and chilling.

With their numbers dwindled to roughly two hundred, the assailants stood in a stupor. They couldn't grasp how a triumph that appeared overwhelming from every angle had flipped into this dire turn. They failed to comprehend their looming defeat.

"Not defeated yet!"

These exact words echoed nearly at once from various spots.

Across numerous displays in the seven Survivor Fortresses, clans with kin involved in the assault reached this very conclusion.

Indeed, the force had shrunk from thirteen or fourteen hundred down to under two hundred. It looked as if defeat was inevitable, yet truthfully, these remaining fighters maintained a clear edge in numbers over the guardians.

Even some of the on-site attackers voiced this sentiment. They admitted the fear sparked by Ye Zhongming's recent abilities had shaken them deeply. But those powers had ceased, and the sources of dread vanished, so what stopped them from pressing the offensive?

The foes' condition was obviously dire.

After that brutal massacre, clarity seemed to return, suggesting the defenders neared success. In reality, though, White Robe and his allies were all hurt, Yisewei of the Sheke Star included. During that frenzy, nobody worried about angering a powerful lineage; staying alive came first.

In the turmoil, every Novice defender except He had perished. The survivors lay gravely injured, incapable of stirring.

Exploiting the disorder, foes pierced the formation's core twice. The Silk Sea Light Array lay in ruins, its empowering light strands gone from sight.

Of the seasoned fighters still upright, two more had forfeited their battle prowess. They belonged to He's kin. Overly intent—or desperate—to shield their own, they suffered a sudden close assault. Though they swiftly summoned water chains and unleashed holy symbol strikes, they couldn't escape peril.

In essence, the defense now relied solely on White Robe, Yisewei, the pair from Sheke Star, Jie Su alongside his two kin, and He's last standing clansman.

As for He and Ye Zhongming, their states were plain for all to see; combat was beyond them now.

Two hundred versus eight—victory seemed assured no matter the view.

The Talos Red Dwarves proved their reputation for superior gear. Despite enduring Ye Zhongming's horrifying onslaught, they all clung to life. Just one suffered a shattered leg from the force and got hauled rearward by a comrade via that savage war chariot.

The remaining duo glared at Ye Zhongming with crimson gazes.

Unlike the Su Clan, the Talos Red Dwarves lacked that loathsome 'literary and artistic' vibe. The Su Clan skimped on defensive arrays for outsiders, using subpar clan scraps while weighing alliances and costs first.

The Dwarves, however, prioritized profit alone. Barring their clan's pinnacle tech and exclusive inventions, everything was for sale to whoever could pay.

One side chased bonds, the other chased coin—such stark contrasts bred ongoing friction between them.

Had it not been so, the Talos Red Dwarves might have aligned with the Su Clan faction long ago, like countless other peoples dodging the cosmic Ten Thousand Races' conflicts.

Spotting the Su Clan aiding their clan's 'betrayer,' they resolved to slay Jie Su before turning on Ye Zhongming.

The Talos Red Dwarves' chief bore a hot-tempered nature. His loathing for Ye Zhongming burned fierce. Witnessing the man's feeble form, he bellowed and lunged ahead, igniting the fight anew.

Simultaneously, an alert rang out: only thirty minutes remained until the Novice battlefield closed, urging all that win or lose, time ticked down to half an hour.

This chief barreled toward Ye Zhongming and arrived before him.

For an instant, unease flickered—why hadn't White Robe or the rest intercepted?

Still, the lure of ending Ye Zhongming right then erased the doubt, trusting his allies to cover him.

Suddenly, the top Novice, who ought to have slumped defeated on the ground, rose sharply and slashed his blade his way.

A mimicry war device? An outdated relic we'd discarded ages ago!

Inwardly, the Talos Red Dwarves fighter sneered, dismissing any threat from such junk.

He aimed to hoist his own armament, forcing this lowly outsider to behold the Talos Red Dwarves' tech might!

Confusion struck—why wouldn't his arm budge? Why froze his frame?

Alarmed, he glanced downward, spotting a massive earthen hand encasing his legs and limbs.

His stature being compact, the hand seemed almost dainty by contrast.

This... His eyes snapped to Ye Zhongming in realization.

But Ye Zhongming's expression eluded him; instead, the mimicry war device's icy edge filled his vision.

He yearned to cry "No!" as countless had before dying, yet the blade, unhindered by defenses, plunged into his mouth, through his skull, clanging against the helm.

Credit where due, Talos Red Dwarves' armor excelled. Even Ye Zhongming's savage thrust failed to breach the helmet.

Felling a mighty Talos Red Dwarf in a single blow halted many pursuers in their tracks. Too many shocks had rocked this fight; none dared assume what twists lay ahead.

Still, one fallen veteran couldn't halt the rush. Even now, fresh warriors and Novices encircled the hillock. They'd watched from the thick woods, sensing a chance to claim spoils.

Farther off, hordes more surged in. Some had aimed here from the start, others drawn by Ye Zhongming's bizarre power displays. Regardless, though over a thousand had fallen on this mound earlier, crowds even larger loomed soon.

To them, two irresistible bounties dangled, potent enough to shatter sanity.

One was Jie Su.

He'd woven the Silk Sea Light Array. Slain foes' points tallied to him. His score, plus his kin's, topped the charts!

The other was Ye Zhongming, of course. As the leading Novice, with the Star-Eye Clan once first overall, his fresh kills—though bested by Jie Su and the Su Clan—kept him second, with a sky-high tally.

Slaying either Jie Su or Ye Zhongming would vault any fighter and their race into the top duo spots!

The allure proved overwhelmingly strong!