Apocalypse Gachapon

These two individuals, let’s consider them both as humans for now, have been adversaries from the very beginning.

Even though they were essentially on the same side within Cloud Peak’s faction, the clashes and conflicts between these two never truly ceased. It was only later, due to Ye Zhongming’s presence, that their open confrontations turned into covert competition.

At different times, each had their moments of dominance—sometimes Red Hair was stronger, and sometimes the Talking Lady held the upper hand.

Recently, however, Red Hair undoubtedly became more powerful. With the addition of the Undead Dragon-fish, she, who was already capable of fighting two opponents alone, gained a position that, if not overwhelmingly dominant, was at least firmly advantageous.

It was easy to imagine how unwilling the Talking Lady must have felt.

But everyone knew that level nine, nine stars—this was the ultimate destination for evolved life. Whoever reached that stage would win this long-standing rivalry.

Now, the Talking Lady had achieved it first, so she declared victory.

She and the black cat—two level-nine beings—were more than enough to crush Red Hair.

Red Hair looked at her old rival with a half-smile, saying nothing.

After all, the one who knows you best may not be your friend, but your enemy.

“Are you talking about it?”

The Talking Lady glanced at the motionless Undead Dragon-fish lying on the ground. Red Hair and it now mirrored the Talking Lady and the black cat.

Red Hair nodded, then shook her head.

“Aren’t you the one fighting? Go ahead.”

Faced with Red Hair’s evasiveness, the Talking Lady didn’t press further. She signaled to Ye Zhongming to initiate the challenge, then stepped past the group and entered the battlefield.

Since this was an effect created by the Swap Card, there were no rules dictating who should participate.

The members of the other teams naturally had no idea who the Talking Lady was. Seeing only a woman holding a cat representing Cloud Peak to challenge the powerful Guardian Beast, they found it hard to believe.

Even without increased difficulty, this should have been a level-nine Guardian Beast. Now, with the difficulty doubled, it was undoubtedly a terrifying existence.

Against such a foe, the entire team should have fought together—a single individual would never be enough.

So what was the deal with this woman and her cat?

Was Cloud Peak being overconfident? If the challenge failed, they would have to keep trying—there was no pause option here. Wouldn’t this just be a wasteful attrition strategy?

The battle began quickly, and the Cloud Peak members watched intently.

They wanted to see just how formidable a level-nine Talking Lady could be.

Her first move shocked everyone, including Ye Zhongming.

She…threw the cat in her arms forward.

Then came a meow.

Later, many in the Youth Army would often dream during their rest, waking to the sound of an eerie yet soft meow.

It wasn’t a nightmare—just a kind of…aftereffect.

Many of them had advanced in evolution level, but their overall combat capabilities were lacking, whether in jobs, bloodlines, skills, or even experience. Naturally, this included their mental resilience.

The Youth Army’s mental strength did not match their evolution level.

Thus, that meow left a lingering mental imprint on some of them for a long time.

After a brief daze, the spectators regained their senses, and many exclaimed in shock.

“Level nine! That’s a level-nine black cat!”

They had seen the magic crystal on the black cat’s forehead!

At that moment, whether it was the Mechanical Genius, Ella, Gyanendra, or even the Spade, even Wu Xiu and Ruan Xiao couldn’t suppress the shock in their hearts.

Cloud Peak actually had someone with a level nine combat beast?!

Why had no one known before? Why wasn’t it reflected in the national faction rankings? Was it recently acquired? And the evolved who owned this combat beast wasn’t even Cloud Peak’s leader, but an unfamiliar woman?

Just how powerful was Cloud Peak, then?

At the same time, the Western factions, while stunned, also felt a sense of relief at the Mountain King Wheel’s challenge format. If they had faced a Cloud Peak with a level nine combat beast head-on, it would have been a life-or-death struggle.

Sure, they had the strength to challenge Guardian Beasts approaching level nine here—but that was through group combat! If they had to fight a level-nine lifeform with backup, their defeat would have been almost certain.

The black cat leaped forward, let out a meow, and then a storm of claw marks engulfed its opponent.

How big could a house cat be? Yet with a single casual swipe, it seemed as if the entire space was filled with its attack—from the spectators’ perspective, there was no room to dodge.

Even through the light screen, everyone could sense the terror of the black cat’s strike. The moment those claw marks appeared, they displayed a power completely different from the skills everyone was used to seeing.

Was this the strength of a level nine? Why did it feel even more formidable than the level-nine beings they had hunted before?

Upon reflection, it made sense. There were no nine-star evolved humans yet. To hunt level-nine lifeforms, they had to rely on numbers and strategy.

Naturally, they wouldn’t target the strongest level-nine beings—and this black cat was clearly above average.

The Guardian Beast summoned by Ye Zhongming, now upgraded to its highest level, didn’t even try to dodge. Instead, it swung its forelimb downward, and a black line instantly transformed into a black door. The Guardian Beast stepped inside.

This evasive maneuver left everyone astonished.

Just as the black cat’s attack seemed about to miss, the Talking Lady made her move.

After throwing the cat, her hands rose slightly, and faint mist began to seep from between her fingers.

Then, she lightly stomped her right foot on the ground. From the spot where the Guardian Beast’s black door had formed, a gleaming brown, glass-like object suddenly erupted.

With sharp edges, it struck and shattered the energy door the moment it appeared, forcing the Guardian Beast out with a surge of energy.

The black cat’s claw marks descended, landing squarely on the Guardian Beast’s body.

A scream and the Mutant Speaker’s soft chant overlapped. The countless small gashes torn open on the Guardian Beast’s body split another centimeter outward under her chant, deepening its cries of pain as blood sprayed out.

The black cat, having delivered its strike, landed lightly before leaping again. As it did, its small body spun rapidly, soon transforming into a black projectile—one with a sharp, pointed tip—streaking toward the Guardian Beast.

The Talking Lady’s chant ceased after widening the Guardian Beast’s wounds. As the black cat charged, her throat moved slightly, and then a sound emerged from her.

It was…a surprisingly beautiful melody!