Apocalypse Gachapon

Wang Hanran carefully examined Yang Feng’s condition. The attack from the recently killed level eight marine prey had given him quite a scare, as he feared something might happen to his long-time companion.

Fortunately, thanks to Yang Feng’s energy-based constitution, the effects of physical attacks were minimized. Though injured, the wounds weren’t too severe and would heal with a day’s rest.

Yang Feng affectionately nuzzled its master before lying down at Wang Hanran’s feet to rest.

“Captain Xiaopeng, where is our target this time?”

Accompanying the leader of Cannibal Chain was Xiaopeng, the head of Cloud Peak’s First Division.

Compared to when the division was first established, Xiaopeng had gained some weight and was no longer the ordinary evolved struggling to survive. Now, he governed a territory even larger than Cloud Peak’s headquarters. Beyond his direct combat teams, he commanded over 50,000 warriors in the coastal region, making him the undisputed ruler of this area.

In fact… Wang Hanran still remembered the shock he felt upon arriving here. He had never realized that Cloud Peak had already extended its reach into the ocean.

Literally into the ocean.

Even in peacetime, the ocean was called humanity’s last hunting ground, as it contained the richest natural and biological resources on Earth, not to mention its vast expanse compared to land.

After the apocalypse, the abundance of marine life naturally led to an abundance of mutants, turning the ocean into a true forbidden zone for humans.

Back then, not even Cannibal Chain—let alone the Resistance Zone—could do anything about the ocean. Aside from a few isolated coastal cities, there were no human settlements within 100 kilometers of the shoreline.

The frequent marine beast tides were simply beyond any human faction’s ability to withstand.

Yet who could have imagined that Cloud Peak’s First Division was established right on the coast? Not only had it survived, but it thrived. Not only did it maintain normal operations, but it also turned the nearshore waters into a hunting ground, even building a fleet that, while not massive by pre-apocalypse standards, was nothing short of miraculous in the current era.

Now, with Xiaopeng’s coordination, elite members of Cannibal Chain, alongside a combat team and a magic crystal weapons team from Cloud Peak, were hunting level-nine lifeforms in the ocean.

A few days prior, they had successfully hunted a level nine mutant coral, securing a precious level nine magic crystal.

Casualties? Zero.

This was partly due to the coral’s limited mobility, but any lifeform that evolved to level nine was undoubtedly formidable. Even if someone could challenge it underwater, they’d still face the inherent difficulties of aquatic combat.

Truthfully, even if Wang Hanran himself—fully equipped and with Yang Feng—entered the water, he wouldn’t stand a chance against a same-level ocean mutant, let alone a level-nine.

This was the fundamental difference between land and sea.

But Xiaopeng could do it. Or rather, Cloud Peak could do it—because of one item.

The Ocean King Crown!

Wang Hanran knew of this equipment. Through this cooperative mission with Cloud Peak, he also learned that it was a ruler-grade item with nine abilities, some still sealed.

Just like the Mountain King Crown that the King of Cloud Peak had recently obtained.

One of the Ocean King Crown’s abilities was called “Abyssal Domain.” It transformed a portion of the surrounding ocean into a special space.

The seawater remained, but its resistance vanished, allowing land-based creatures marked by another ability, “Sea King’s Mark,” to exist and fight within this space as if on land.

This was the key reason they had so easily slain the level nine mutant coral.

Though Wang Hanran had been astonished by everything he’d witnessed these past few days, he was gradually growing accustomed to it. What truly impressed and humbled him, however, was Ye Zhongming lending the Sea King Crown to Xiaopeng.

This was a seven-colored-grade equipment—at least, that’s what Wang Hanran and everyone else believed, even if the crown wasn’t fully awakened yet.

Rumors said that since Xiaopeng wasn’t its true owner, he couldn’t unleash some of its abilities. But even so, its power was staggering.

Putting himself in Ye Zhongming’s shoes, Wang Hanran knew he could never entrust such a priceless treasure to someone else.

Not even as a loan.

As Xiaopeng detailed the next target’s location, appearance, habits, and Cloud Peak’s unique threat assessment, Wang Hanran’s mind drifted back to the condition Ye Zhongming had set at Cloud Peak Villa.

Hunt level nines.

The reason? He needed more level-nine magic crystals to ensure he could spin the wheel for a nine-star evolution potion.

No one objected to this.

Based on their earlier estimates, Cloud Peak likely had around ten level nine magic crystals. Combined with the fifteen they’d contributed, that was only enough for two spins.

Two spins were far too few to guarantee a nine-star potion. It made sense for Ye Zhongming to ask everyone to help hunt more level-nines for additional crystals.

What Wang Hanran hadn’t understood at first was why Ye Zhongming had split them into seven hunting teams, including Cloud Peak’s own forces.

Wouldn’t it be easier to pool all their strength and focus on hunting level-nines together?

Initially, the leader of Cannibal Chain couldn’t comprehend this. But after arriving here with Xiaopeng and effortlessly slaying a level-nine lifeform alongside Cloud Peak’s team, he finally understood. It was possible.

Now, faced with the task of procuring three level-nine magic crystals within a month, what had once seemed impossible to Wang Hanran now felt entirely achievable.

What he didn’t know, however, was that Cloud Peak’s stockpile of level-nine magic crystals wasn’t as limited as he assumed. Ye Zhongming’s request for joint hunting wasn’t just about securing the nine-star potion—it also served a personal agenda.

By pairing these top-tier experts and their elites with Cloud Peak’s forces, the King of Cloud Peak had formed seven hunting squads.

In fact, if not for wanting to minimize casualties, he could have assembled ten such teams.

Each of the seven squads was tasked with obtaining three level-nine magic crystals, totaling twenty-one. Combined with Cloud Peak’s existing stock and the allies’ earlier contributions, Ye Zhongming would have enough for five spins of the level-nine wheel.

With his Super Elimination Technique, this virtually guaranteed at least one nine-star potion. But Ye Zhongming was aiming for two.

He didn’t want a companion to join him in the heavens—he wanted Cloud Peak to retain the world’s most formidable combat power during his absence.

Only then could he leave with peace of mind.

A month later, all seven squads returned to Cloud Peak Villa via teleportation arrays, delivering their harvested level-nine magic crystals.

After dismissing the others to rest, Ye Zhongming took the crystals and left with the Female Guard.

Everyone knew: when the King of Cloud Peak returned, the first nine-star evolved of the Chinese region would be born.