Apocalypse Gachapon - Chapter 1594: You are the solution (2)

At Pei Jia’s level, he had long since experienced countless life-or-death battles. The moment he was attacked, his body reacted instinctively—dodging, pivoting, and striking in one fluid motion. His massive hand transformed into a blade, slashing toward Red Hair’s grip on her spear.

This reaction alone proved Pei Jia had earned his evolution through sheer combat prowess. Even against Red Hair’s ambush, he countered with precision, blending defense and offense seamlessly.

Red Hair released her grip, evading Pei Jia’s strike, then pushed the spear’s butt with her palm. The weapon’s tip whistled through the air, whipping toward Pei Jia’s head.

Pei Jia kicked off the ground, his body arching backward with unnatural flexibility. The spear tip grazed past his chest, missing by a hair’s breadth.

At the same time, his hands ignited with energy—a skill was coming.

Red Hair reclaimed her spear, her hair—unnoticed until now—lengthening and spreading around her like a living net. In an instant, it lashed out like crimson needles.

Pei Jia’s expression finally cracked.

He abandoned his half-formed skill, slamming his palms forward in desperation. Even rushed, his combat instincts shone. His left hand generated a shimmering barrier, shielding his torso, while his right unleashed a wave of energy that scattered outward in a radiant arc, clashing with the red tendrils.

Crackling explosions filled the air.

But thinking this would stop her was pure delusion.

Her spear had already realigned. This thrust carried far more power than before, so much that the air itself ruptured, forming a visible vortex. The crimson spearhead seemed to teleport, appearing before Pei Jia’s eyes the instant she struck.

“Hah!”

The eight-star evolved spat out a black orb, which splattered against the spearhead like viscous sludge, halting its momentum for a critical second. Seizing the opening, Pei Jia crossed his arms before his face.

The spear pierced clean through his palms.

Yet no blood flowed—only a thick, pitch-black liquid oozed from the wounds.

Behind his shield of hands, Pei Jia’s lips curled into a cruel smile.

His body seemed to liquefy, the same tar-like substance seeping from the gaps in his armor. Instead of dripping, the revolting fluid hovered midair, then—at Pei Jia’s smirk—shot toward Red Hair like bullets.

With her spear trapped, Red Hair appeared to have only two choices:

Abandon her weapon and retreat.

Tank the attack head-on.

Either way, the initiative would shift to Pei Jia.

Pei Jia’s mercenaries were already swarming the area, their numbers dwarfing Cloud Peak’s. Though skirmishes erupted everywhere, this was the focal point. If Pei Jia seized control here, the entire battle would tilt in his favor.

Red Hair chose the first option.

With a soft chuckle, she sidestepped, evading the black projectiles—and leaving her spear behind.

Pei Jia’s grin widened.

He was certain this spear constituted the bulk of Red Hair’s strength. Its sharpness, its speed—it had to be at least gold-grade, possibly purple.

Today was his lucky day.

But his triumph shattered instantly.

Instead of reclaiming her weapon, Red Hair plunged into the fray where the Red Guards battled his men.

Despite outnumbering Cloud Peak’s forces, Pei Jia’s mercenaries were already barely holding on—casualties mounted by the second. Now, with Red Hair unleashed, their formation buckled.

Even unarmed, she was a nightmare. Every punch, every kick, every lash of her crimson hair claimed a life.

Five elites fell in as many seconds.

The rest broke ranks in terror.

“RAAAAH!”

Pei Jia roared, snatching up the spear and charging after her. Her cunning infuriated him—he’d never abandon such a weapon.

Though he couldn’t replicate Red Hair’s spatial-piercing thrusts, the spear in his hands was still deadly. He vaulted high, driving it downward with a shriek of splitting air.

Red Hair, having thinned the enemy ranks, turned to meet him.

Instead of dodging, she threw a punch directly at the oncoming spear tip.

Pei Jia’s smile turned savage.

Even without mastering the spear’s full potential, he knew no flesh could withstand a purple-grade weapon’s strike.

This woman was overconfident.

He poured more strength into the thrust.

The spear tip met her fist—

—and vanished.

Poof.

Gone.

Red Hair’s fist plowed into Pei Jia’s wide-eyed face.

The eight-star evolved catapulted backward, black ooze spraying from his body like ruptured veins.

Before he could rise, Red Hair was upon him. The spear had reappeared in her grip. With a chilling smile, she drove it through his shoulder blade, pinning him to the frozen earth.

Pei Jia’s defeat collapsed his army’s morale.

Within half an hour, every surviving mercenary surrendered.

Cloud Peak’s casualties:

1 youth soldier dead.

300+ wounded (including a seven-star female guard and five youths severely injured, sidelined for a week).

The missing warriors were found ambushed by foreign evolved using debuffs and binding skills. Even unconscious, they’d killed several attackers in their last stand.

Their battle beasts had been butchered for cores and spite.

Luckily, Cloud Peak’s swift retaliation—and the captives’ conspicuously high-grade gear—had deterred further abuse.

Pei Jia’s forces fared worse:

Hundreds dead.

Hundreds more incapacitated.

The rest stripped naked, shivering in the snow at gunpoint.

Xia Bai executed every kidnapper personally before regrouping with Red Hair and Xiao Min to discuss damage control.

Meanwhile, news of the massacre had already reached the alliance’s frontlines, carried by fleeing mercenaries.

The storm was just beginning.