Apocalypse Gachapon

Countless thorny vines burst from the ground. They did not grow very long, but instead bloomed into strange brown flowers.

Under the light, the petals glinted with a cold, metallic sheen.

The mutated lifeforms that had just rolled down the slope on the metal balls regrouped, only to find the path ahead covered in thorny vines.

Ye Zhongming was sweating slightly.

He was an exceptional craftsman. By now, he had reached the pinnacle of Wheel technology in that field, had learned and cracked the Talos Red Dwarves' techniques, and was now walking a path toward the heavens.

But his progress was not limited to craftsmanship. He had also improved rapidly in other areas.

Among them, his Gardener profession had also reached its peak.

With the main job gone, the paths to advancement for these secondary jobs had become numerous. At the very least, they were no longer dependent solely on job advancement scrolls.

For someone like Ye Zhongming, whose greatest strength was his mental energy, any job raised to its peak—especially a support profession—was extremely formidable. Moreover, he had taken things like the Heart of Nature, which had not seemed particularly significant at the time but were now incredibly powerful.

Yet Ye Zhongming rarely used his Gardener abilities. First, these abilities had little direct application in combat. Second, he deliberately let others overlook this capability, so that in critical moments, it could achieve a surprise effect.

Now was the time to use it.

It was Ye Zhongming who had convinced everyone to choose the Overlapping Water Dead Zone as their camp. He felt it was his duty to contribute more to its defense.

The Gardener job had originally possessed distinct abilities, just like the Craftsman.

The Craftsman's abilities were enchanting, forging, chiseling, gathering/refining, and strengthening. These still existed, but their boundaries had become blurred. Ye Zhongming could now perform strengthening while gathering, and even complete enchanting.

The same applied to the Gardener profession. The original abilities—cultivation, activation, etc.—had also become less rigid and fixed.

The abilities derived from these core skills were no longer fixed; they depended on how Ye Zhongming used them.

As he was doing now, Ye Zhongming had activated the plant seeds and shaped them into the form he needed.

This was already a very high level of mastery, though outsiders might not recognize it.

The mutated lifeforms, even seeing these metal-like, sharp flowers, were not particularly concerned. With their defensive capabilities, even stepping on real metal would not harm them. So, after the metal balls had rolled down the slope and scattered, losing most of their blocking effect, they charged forward without hesitation, stepping onto the thorny flowers.

But the first batch of mutated lifeforms onto the path only paused briefly before becoming agitated and restless. After advancing a few more meters, they collapsed.

Large amounts of blood flowed from their feet. After falling, blood also flowed from their bodies. Not only could they not advance, but judging by the volume and speed of blood loss, they would likely die from exsanguination in less than a minute.

But the charge did not stop. Those behind continued to surge forward, stepping over their fallen comrades and advancing toward their target—only to fall themselves, becoming stepping stones for the next wave.

Whether the few remaining Fanged Heavy-Hide Beasts or the other mutated lifeforms that followed, any that stepped on these thorny flowers could not walk more than five meters. They all ended up with severed feet, collapsing.

Those watching from the base sighed in amazement.

They wondered what those thorny flowers were and how they could be so sharp.

Ye Zhongming finished his ability, letting his hands fall naturally to his sides as he withdrew into the formation. No one saw the metallic sheen that briefly flashed on his palms before fading.

As professions' abilities became less rigid, cross-profession combinations became possible.

Ye Zhongming was a top-tier Craftsman and a top-tier Gardener. The thorny flowers he had just created were an attempt at such a combination. The powders, the seeds, the energy he had channeled into the ground—all were part of an experiment. It seemed the results were quite good.

Watching the mutated lifeforms surge forward, fall, and surge again, Ye Zhongming thought to himself that this technique could be called "hybrid" for now.

"Twenty minutes. Impressive."

The observers checked the time. The First Squad's defensive line had held for this long. From formations to metal balls to thorny flowers, the mutated lifeforms had charged multiple times without success. Their dense formations had even caused significant confusion among themselves—a total of five or six minutes' worth of chaos.

Combined with the attacks from the Kepaisi Sky Cover, the mutant army had been stopped at the front line, unable to advance an inch.

"This is probably as far as it goes. The mutants' probing is over."

Lord Eye, as an exceptional assassin, had keen eyesight. He often perceived changes on the battlefield faster than others.

Following the direction he pointed, everyone saw that the forests and thickets had been leveled and cleared, and several groups of lifeforms were moving toward the sides of the path.

It seemed they intended to use the height built up by their comrades' corpses to attack from the flanks.

They might not be able to reach the upper half of the path due to the elevation, but at the very least, they could assault the First Squad's first defensive line.

At the same time, tens of thousands of "Heavy-Hammer Apes" had formed neat ranks. They would be the second wave—the true main assault force—to break through the path and reach the interior of the small clan alliance's base.

The Heavy-Hammer Apes' arms were like thick iron hammers, each with tremendous force. Their legs were also powerful, granting them speed and a degree of jumping ability. With thick hides and a racial ability that sent them into a frenzy, they were ideal vanguard units.

The Fanged Heavy-Hide Beasts had fulfilled their mission. Now it was time for the true "regular army" to appear.

They gathered around the giant Multi-Armed Wild Man Demon. The logs in the giant's hands could block the beams occasionally fired from the Kepaisi Sky Cover, allowing the apes to prepare their attack without worry.

"Roar!"

Tens of thousands of Heavy-Hammer Apes let out a simultaneous earth-shaking roar. The sound silenced the entire battlefield—everyone who heard it felt a chill of fear.

Each of these apes, already over three meters tall, swelled to nearly four meters. Their bodies grew half again as thick, especially their arms, which became even more terrifying. Even before attacking, the mere swing of those arms produced a faint whistling sound.

"Order Zhongming and the others to withdraw!"

Lady Star had held back as long as she could, but now she gave the order. She did not consult anyone, but she believed Lord Eye would agree. Neither of them wanted Ye Zhongming to come to harm.

There were no more defenses in front of the First Squad. These frenzied Heavy-Hammer Apes would close the distance in about ten seconds. Though only about twenty could attack abreast at once, the waves behind them would be endless. They could even leap over their comrades' backs and land behind the First Squad.

If that happened, it would be too late to retreat.

The First Squad would be overwhelmed.

The order was relayed to the First Squad's communicator immediately. But Ye Zhongming refused, replying with just four words:

Wait a little longer.

"Zhongming, come back now! Any more delay and it will be too late! Holding out for over twenty minutes is already a miracle. Don't be greedy for glory!"

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