Apocalypse Gachapon - Chapter 1587: Preposterous Rumour

“Hold on a little longer! We’ll break through soon!”

A blond man shouted to his companions while swinging a blade.

Behind them, not only were there hundreds of White Tiger Beetles, but beyond the swarm, faint white figures could also be seen.

Ye Zhongming’s pupils contracted—Blowdart Dolls!

Their short stature, pale skin, dense bone spikes, and grotesque faces matched Old Man’s description exactly.

Their numbers were hard to estimate for now, as the dense ice crystals provided perfect cover for these creatures.

Faced with the onslaught of White Tiger Beetles, the remaining few dozen members of this Caucasian team were struggling. Their equipment was decent, with quite a few green-grade weapons, but whether due to their evolution level or injuries, their attacks couldn’t kill the beetles in one strike. At best, they left deep wounds—non-fatal ones that still allowed the ferocious creatures to counterattack.

Already outnumbered and battered by wave after wave of attacks, while also having to dodge the Blowdart Dolls’ sneak attacks, the team was on the verge of annihilation.

The blond man’s earlier shout now sounded more like encouragement and wishful thinking than reality.

In Ye Zhongming’s eyes, this squad was actually quite capable. The blond man was an eight-star evolved, and his team included several seven-star members, over a dozen six-star fighters, and the rest at five-star. In China, such a team might not crack the top fifty, but they’d easily rank within the top hundred.

And that was after suffering losses. This team would’ve been truly formidable if their original numbers were accounted for.

To Ye Zhongming, such a team was nothing special, but what surprised him was that they’d been reduced to this state by mere White Tiger Beetles. Clearly, that wasn’t the case, so it had to be the Blowdart Dolls.

The blond man was visibly injured. As he retreated, a trail of blood marked his path. One hand gripped his weapon, while the other clutched his chest.

“Boss, should we save them? They seem to have come from the direction of Yakutsk,” Xiao Min whispered beside Ye Zhongming.

Her meaning was clear—these people might have valuable information about the Talking Lady.

“Wait a bit,” Ye Zhongming replied. He wanted to see just how dangerous the Blowdart Dolls really were.

What he wanted to witness soon unfolded. When the blond man was caught off guard by several White Tiger Beetles, a slash to his leg forced him back, disrupting the team’s formation. Seizing the opportunity, the Blowdart Dolls—who had only been sporadically firing—sprang into action.

Emerging from behind the ice crystals, their numbers surged from a few dozen to over five hundred. Darting swiftly across the terrain, leaping between gaps in the ice, they unleashed a barrage of bone needles. The human team was instantly overwhelmed.

The injured eight-star evolved raised his hand, summoning an earthen-yellow energy shield above them, blocking the subsequent volley.

But the first wave had already struck as he was unable to block them due to his injuries. Despite their desperate evasions, over half the team was hit.

Screams erupted immediately.

Clearly, they knew the horror of these bone needles, especially their venom. The cries weren’t from pain alone, but from the dread of what came next.

The blond man roared, unleashing a skill toward the Blowdart Dolls. Stone spheres the size of human heads materialized midair and hurtled toward their targets.

But the Blowdart Dolls had already retreated behind the ice crystals. The stones shattered harmlessly against the ice, failing to break through.

Ye Zhongming shook his head in disappointment.

As an eight-star evolved himself, he understood this level well. While Cloud Peak’s eight-star fighters—enhanced by modified evolution potions—outclassed their peers, even an average eight-star shouldn’t struggle to shatter mere ice with a skill.

This man was clearly at his limit.

The ice birds circling above relayed new intel: roughly seven hundred Blowdart Dolls were present, with over two hundred still hiding in reserve.

These creatures clearly possessed some degree of intelligence.

“Move out.”

After relaying the Blowdart Dolls’ positions, Cloud Peak’s forces struck.

The ice birds dove from the sky, exploiting their aerial advantage to disrupt the Blowdart Dolls’ ranks. Ice mist sprayed from their beaks, wings sliced through the air, and talons tore into the small creatures, throwing them into chaos.

The young warriors charged first, bypassing the foreign evolved to engage the White Tiger Beetles. Revitalized and now familiar with these armored foes, they quickly gained the upper hand.

Though the female guards joined last, their superior strength and speed allowed them to overtake the young warriors. Capitalizing on the chaos caused by the ice birds, they launched a ruthless assault on the Blowdart Dolls.

No mercy was shown.

Ye Zhongming feared the venomous needles and wasn’t taking chances.

The Female Guard’s ranged firepower was devastating.

The battle ended swiftly. Every White Tiger Beetle was eradicated, while half the Blowdart Dolls escaped.

This surprised Ye Zhongming. These creatures’ defenses were tougher than expected, their speed astonishing, and their retreat disciplined—the moment they realized defeat was inevitable, they fled without hesitation.

Wary of the lethal needles, the female guards didn’t pursue.

Two ice birds landed beside Ye Zhongming, now towering over him. He carefully plucked five or six bone needles from their bodies, storing them for research. Fallen needles were also collected and handed to him.