Apocalypse Gachapon - Chapter 1576: Killing the bear

This spinning windmill-like skill gave the Bear King what seemed like the ability to fly, and at incredible speed. Though the Undead Dragonfish was merely an undead creature, its birth and inheritance of the Nine-Winged Crow’s legacy proved it possessed formidable abilities, including speed.

Among Cloud Peak’s flying creatures, Yangos was undoubtedly the fastest. After it, the Undead Dragon-fish came next.

Yet even such a swift being was chased down and swatted out of the sky by the Bear King, spinning like a top from the ground.

Broken bones and scattered energy traced the Undead Dragon-fish’s descent through the night, a glaring sight.

After receiving the Snow Wolf King’s energy transfer, the Bear King unleashed terrifying combat power. In mere moments, it had repelled and injured four nearly top-tier level-eight creatures—Yangos, the ice birds, and the Undead Dragonfish—while also incapacitating all eight-star evolved, including Xia Bai and Xiao Min, along with an equal number of battle beasts.

The Bear King had shown Cloud Peak the true horror of a level nine lifeform.

Only Ye Zhongming, Yellow Ball, and Nine Treasure were still standing among Cloud Peak’s remaining combatants.

The situation had turned dire in an instant.

Yellow Ball was in poor condition, injured from its earlier brief clash with the Bear King. Its beast armor was damaged, leaving it nearly useless against the level-nine creature’s attacks.

Ye Zhongming wasn’t faring much better. Using the Soul Shattering Bone Staff to injure the Snow Wolf King heavily had drained much of his mental energy. Though he had taken recovery potions, neither time nor circumstances allowed him to recuperate properly. Without sufficient mental energy, his combat power was halved.

Moreover, activating his bloodline had left the energy gates behind in the Snow Wolf King’s battlefield, meaning he couldn’t use them to ambush the Bear King. The Cloud Peak King had little initiative against a level nine opponent without this ability.

The only one still at full strength was Nine Treasure. But… Nine Treasure, the giant earthworm, was essentially a support-type creature with limited offensive capabilities, mostly relying on brute-force whipping attacks or spitting venom. Asking it to face the Bear King in its current state was pushing it too far.

When the Bear King landed, the earth trembled beneath its arrogance. The powerless Young Army could only watch in frustration.

But they remained calm, knowing charging in would be suicide.

Xiao Xuan and other core members locked their eyes on the battlefield, watching Ye Zhongming. If their leader chose to keep fighting, they would wait. If he retreated, they would cover him!

“I can still fight!”

Xia Bai rushed out from the female guards. The Bear King’s earlier attack had left countless small wounds on her body, many merging into gruesome gashes and bloody holes.

Yet, as the strongest among them, she retained some combat ability.

The fact that even Xia Bai had been reduced to this state showed just how powerful the Bear King had become.

She flew straight to Nine Treasure’s side. The giant earthworm, overjoyed to see its master unharmed, wriggled excitedly, its strange rabbit-like ears standing erect, tinged with crimson.

“If…” A glow enveloped both Xia Bai and Nine Treasure, pulsing in sync like breath.

“…it doesn’t work, you must escape!”

With that, the light intensified, and Xia Bai was absorbed into Nine Treasure’s body, not through its mouth, but directly merging into its midsection.

Ye Zhongming frowned. Seeing that he refused to retreat, Xia Bai had chosen to attack, clearly intending to stall the Bear King.

But retreat wasn’t an option. Yangos, the Undead Dragon-fish, Red Hair, and the ice birds couldn’t quickly disengage, their fates unknown. Could he abandon them and flee?

Even if he survived and became a nine-star evolved, this moment would haunt him forever. Not in the way of cultivation novels, where inner demons might drive one to madness, but as an unending torment.

After five years of surviving and fighting together, these people and beasts had become his comrades—even family.

He couldn’t abandon them.

Ye Zhongming’s gaze darkened. He stowed the Harvester Mimicry Shooter and drew the Undead Sand Moon Blade, slashing at the ground to create fissures while sending the round, six-tentacled hell creature to intercept the Bear King.

The hell creature, oblivious to concepts like “level-eight” or “level-nine,” charged fearlessly, launching itself like a cannonball.

The Bear King, having just landed, was recovering from the impact. Even a level nine lifeform couldn’t defy the laws of physics.

Now that it had stopped spinning, Ye Zhongming noticed something—despite its devastating attacks, the Bear King had also taken damage.

The Undead Dragon-fish’s Nine-Winged Crow mist had left patches of corrosion on its fur, turning white areas charred black. The mist’s corrosive power was terrifying!

Moreover, the Bear King’s breathing had quickened, its movements heavier. Continuous skill use had taken its toll.

In this state, the hell creature crashed into the Bear King.

Annoyed by yet another challenger, the Bear King roared and swatted it away.

Ye Zhongming sighed inwardly.

Today’s summoned hell creature had disappointed him.

Though it had helped restrain the Snow Wolf King alongside Red Hair, it had otherwise shown little remarkable ability, even seeming somewhat dull.

This one was far inferior compared to the last hell creature summoned through bloodline activation.

Logically, a top-grade bloodline summon should be powerful—if not level nine, then at least peak level eight.

This one, though obedient, was practically useless.