Apocalypse Gachapon

Many people instinctively gasped.

Among these seven teams from powerful Eastern and Western factions, every evolved present was among the elite.

In their eyes, the items the black man had offered were nothing special, and the number of demon crystals was negligible.

But that didn’t mean these items were worthless outside.

The various-level demon crystals, his green and silver-grade equipment, and other miscellaneous items could still be sold for a decent sum.

Ye Zhongming roughly estimated that these items could be exchanged for two seven-star evolution potions on the outside.

But here? They only covered 32.5% of the first zone’s Bright Star purchase price.

Did that mean six seven-star evolution potions were needed to buy a single Bright Star?

Six seven-star potions—even for Cloud Peak, that was no small amount.

Since the payment was insufficient, the wheel space deemed the black man incapable of purchasing and automatically selected Challenge for him.

The black man vanished abruptly, and the entire space darkened—only the Mountain King Wheel remained illuminated.

This scenario wasn’t unfamiliar. It was similar to the Light Shadow Arena from before.

But the scene shifted dramatically. The massive energy domes enclosing each faction seemed to have been transported into the three-dimensional space, floating in an illusory starry expanse.

Now, everyone could clearly see the layout of the three-dimensional space and began piecing together the wheel’s earlier cryptic hints.

For example, Zone One.

Looking down, they could see the Mountain King Wheel’s space divided into seven zones, each spiraling toward the center where the Mountain King Crown rested, like seven coiled tubes.

For example, Bright Stars.

Within each zone’s entrance, clusters of glowing stars were arranged in some order. But deeper inside, where the zones intertwined, the Bright Stars from all seven zones merged chaotically, though they still retained their original zone’s characteristics.

For example, the bubbles.

From the outside, the bubbles had been indistinct, but now their contents were visible. Contrary to earlier guesses, each bubble contained a card, though its purpose was unknown.

These bubbles were the same size as the Bright Stars and clearly divided into sections:

Seven bubbles near the entrances, where the zones began merging.

A single passage leading into the chaotic mixed zone.

Five scattered bubbles deeper inside the mixed zone.

Now, the black man’s figure appeared on the first Bright Star within his zone’s entrance. From the omniscient perspective, the star wasn’t large, but to him, it was an entire world.

“Seven factions, seven entrances—one for each?”

Xiao Min voiced her speculation.

“Look,” Dai Zhi crouched, peering down as if it helped her see better. “Each zone has ten Bright Stars before the mixed area. That black man is on the first one—where the Soaring Crystal landed.”

“So, you strike the Soaring Crystal with the hammer, and where it stops is your destination? But how do you control where it lands? The force of the strike?”

“What about the mixed zone? The stars there are chaotic—how do you predict the Soaring Crystal’s path?”

“We’ll have to wait and see how this black man’s Challenge plays out. If he succeeds, we’ll learn the next step. Otherwise, we might have to repeat the first process.”

“At least we’re last. We can watch how the other six factions handle it.”

Members of the Female Guards and Youth Army analyzed their observations aloud, pooling their insights so Ye Zhongming could make informed decisions when the time came.

“Look! The Challenge is starting—what is that?!”

A Youth Army member pressed his face against the energy dome, spotting movement on the Bright Star.

A gigantic worm burst from the ground—its length immeasurable, its countless legs grotesque. Its bloated, grayish-white body looked soft, but along its back were fifteen tiny wings, fluttering rapidly to keep its mountainous form airborne.

From the omniscient view, the sight wasn’t overwhelming. But to the black man?

The sky was gone, replaced by the underbelly of a monstrous worm descending upon him, covered in sucker-like orifices that triggered his trypophobia. He screamed uncontrollably.

Then, the space’s announcement began:

“Equivalent payment provided: 32.5% of purchase price. Nether Moth’s strength reduced by 32.5%.”

“Challenge: Defeat the Nether Moth within 30 minutes. Failure to meet this condition will result in the challenger being converted into equivalent payment, becoming part of the Bright Star’s purchase price.”

“Converted into payment”? That meant death. The space’s euphemistic phrasing left everyone furious yet helpless.

“Boss, can you gauge that Nether Moth’s strength?” Xiao Min asked Ye Zhongming.

Without a demon crystal to sense or being physically present on the star, judging its power was impossible.

Visually, even Ye Zhongming couldn’t be sure—but its sheer size suggested formidable strength.

Yet he had an advantage: he was a reincarnator.

In his past life, he’d seen a sketch of this creature.

A survivor from a dungeon had drawn it to sell information.

Back then, it wasn’t called a Nether Moth but a Mountain Range Worm—and the one in the dungeon was only level seven, a third of this one’s size.

This one? At least level eight.

“Probably… level eight,” Ye Zhongming answered hoarsely.

His gaze drifted toward the distant, unassuming Bright Stars.

If the trials progressed from easy to hard…

How horrifying would the later ones be?