Apocalypse Gachapon - Chapter 1865: Half an hour sneak attack (2)

These people were not foolish; they knew that the best way to prevent being picked off one by one was to stick together. With so many nine-star evolved gathered in one place, attacking them would not be easy.

They quickly moved to the position where the sentry should have been, searched the area, but found no trace of the two companions who were supposed to be there. However, they did discover some clues.

“Blood?”

The captain asked a member skilled in tracking. This member picked up some soil from the spot, brought it to his nose, sniffed, then nodded and shook his head.

“It’s bloodstains, but…”

Seeing the member hesitate, the captain knew there was something difficult to say. But since everyone was watching, he had to let him speak directly.

“It very much resembles an instant kill caused by some ability. The wound is extremely small, and the death process is extremely short—almost instantaneous.”

The captain’s expression turned grim, somewhat disbelieving. “Instant kill?”

At their level, even if ambushed, the possibility of being instantly killed was minuscule. If someone could truly do this, their strength must far surpass theirs.

Undoubtedly, this statement would cause panic among the team members.

“I’m afraid so.”

The captain took a deep breath, about to say something, but suddenly stopped.

“The people on the south side also didn’t check in on time.”

This sentence made the already tense atmosphere even more solemn.

“Let’s split up to investigate the situation. The other three directions should also be checked,” one person said, constantly scanning the surroundings, clearly already on alert.

“No, we should have the sentries return. If they don’t come back, it means something’s wrong. We shouldn’t risk going to check, but should instead investigate the cause together or leave this place. After all, there’s not much time left.”

Someone objected. After all, no matter the species, the instinct when facing danger is to seek advantage and avoid harm.

“We can’t abandon them, even if there’s only a sliver of hope.”

“We might have encountered troublesome parasites or the most powerful red-name newcomers. With less than half an hour until the safe period, acting rashly will only make things worse!”

“But don’t forget, among the eight sentries sent out, two have special abilities. Without them, our hunting in the next few cycles will be greatly affected!”

“Enough!” the captain growled. “The situation is unclear, and you’re already turning on each other?”

“We can’t abandon our companions for our own safety or unwillingness to take risks. Think about it—if you were in danger and your companions chose to abandon you, how would you feel?”

Hearing this, dissenting voices faded. Even if unwilling, they couldn’t show it; otherwise, they might be the ones abandoned in the future.

“Airezeiya, take half the people to the south. The rest come with me to the north. Whatever you find, return here to regroup within five minutes. If there’s any trouble, signal immediately.”

Airezeiya bowed and nodded, her hand resting on her long samurai sword. Her face, revealing only her eyes, showed no expression, but from her brows, one could sense a coldness.

She selected some people and headed south with them, while the rest followed the captain to the other side.

This captain, with over three thousand points, likely never imagined what this seemingly foolproof decision would bring to the team.

Not far away, Jie Kui quickly returned to Ye Zhongming’s side.

“Boss, the third scenario—they split forces north and south.”

Ye Zhongming and the others smiled upon hearing this.

This was what they hoped to see most.

In their anticipation, the target team would make three possible decisions when faced with silently hunted sentries.

The first was to flee far away, disregarding the lives of their companions. This was what Ye Zhongming and Ji Ruiguang least wanted to see because it would leave them with fewer options, forcing a direct assault.

That would result in many deaths, with a win rate guaranteed only at sixty to seventy percent, greatly impacting future plans.

The second was for the target team to investigate collectively. This seemed similar to the first, but was vastly different because they would enter an ambush. Although it would still end in a decisive battle between the two groups, the target team would be forced to fight back in an incomplete state, giving Ye Zhongming’s side a significant advantage.

The last scenario involved them splitting their forces. Whether divided into several parts, it would weaken their strength, presenting a perfect opportunity for Ye Zhongming and Ji Ruiguang.

“Which side is their captain on?” Ye Zhongming asked quickly.

“North,” Jie Kui replied swiftly.

“Then we go south.”

The decision was made in a few words, and the team immediately followed Ye Zhongming south. Actually, regardless of which side they chose, they would enter the battlefield before the target team because the clues they left would lead the target team into a trap.

Quickly occupying advantageous terrain and activating some setups, only Jie Kui and Shi Kangbu remained by Ye Zhongming’s side. The three of them would be responsible for the first wave of sneak attacks.

“Boss… will those people cooperating with us show up?”

Jie Kui wasn’t afraid; he just didn’t trust Ji Ruiguang. From Ye Zhongming’s few words, he could tell the two had been adversaries on their home planet.

“Don’t worry,” Ye Zhongming said, then looked ahead and whispered, “They’re here.”

It wasn’t Ji Ruiguang arriving, but the portion of the target team that had split off, appearing in everyone’s sight—right where they had set up the battlefield.

There were four such battlefields, covering all possible locations the target team might appear.

Ye Zhongming and the other two narrowed their eyes, while the rest averted their gazes.

They feared being detected by these people; top experts were very sensitive in this regard.

Airezeiya muttered a string of Japanese in the lowest possible voice, venting her dissatisfaction.

Although her individual combat strength was high, arguably the second strongest in the team after the captain—thanks to her luck in retaining many abilities after coming to Earth from her home planet, giving her a natural advantage, as well as her willingness to fight fiercely at all times—she was not happy. Her temporary leadership position didn’t substantially improve her situation within the team.

These people had an instinctive discrimination against Earthlings.

Just a minute ago, they had discovered traces of the missing sentries. She thought they should regroup with the captain before investigating, but the others ignored her entirely. Without waiting for her decision, they followed the clues to investigate this area.

Indeed, this area seemed to have no danger—just some low shrubs, stone pieces, moss, and plenty of fallen weeds.

Airezeiya also thought there were no major issues, but she felt indignant, brimming with rage. She didn’t voice it, only listlessly following at the rear of the team.

However, the moment they stepped into that seemingly harmless area, things changed. Dozens of cold gleams shot up from the ground, instantly charging into the team.