Apocalypse Gachapon

Chapter 1625: Another way to pass

”Ability 4: Thorns of Retribution. When attacked, reflects 10% to 50% of the damage back to the attacker. Consumes the wearerʼs mental energy. At 10% reflection, mental energy consumption is 10% of the wearerʼs total. Each additional 10% reflection increases consumption by 5%. Duration: 30 minutes. Other shield abilities are disabled during this time. Cooldown: 5 hours. The reflection percentage can only be set once per cooldown period.”

This ability was clearly the shieldʼs most significant asset in prolonged combat—its essence, one might say. Reflecting damage to the attacker, up to half of the original force, meant that every strike the enemy landed would harm themselves as much as their target. If the attackerʼs own defenses werenʼt high enough, they wouldnʼt even need to be defeated—theyʼd destroy themselves first.

After activating this ability, Ye Zhongming set it to reflect 50% of the damage. Every time the flaming stone giant attacked, it inflicted equal harm upon itself. Since it wasnʼt particularly defensive to begin with, it weakened rapidly. Combined with the assaults from Red Hair, Xia Bai, Xiao Min, and the Female Guard, Cloud Peakʼs victory was hardly surprising.

The team let out a collective sigh of relief. The dayʼs trials had left them exhausted, and victory was the only thing that could momentarily make them forget it.

But then, the shattered, burning rubble began to coalesce.

Soon, over twenty smaller flaming stone giants appeared.

If every member of Cloud Peak had ten thousand mythical beasts running through their minds at this sight, they couldʼve flattened this entire space with sheer frustration alone.

One Level 9 was gone... but twenty Level 8s had taken its place.

And if that were the case, would Level 7s and 6s be far behind?

Compared to the stone cavalry theyʼd faced earlier, these flaming stone giants were the complete opposite!
”Follow me! Donʼt focus on killing—weʼre breaking through!”

Ye Zhongming made the call immediately.

All signs indicated that this trial was the reverse of the one on the icy plains. Cloud Peak could stay and fight their way through, but casualties would be inevitable.

What if the next trial was the same? Would they let this place whittle them down bit by bit, draining their combat strength?

The Youth Army was the hope of the future, and the Female Guard was the foundation of the present—both were core forces of Cloud Peak. Ye Zhongming refused to let them be wasted here.

Since they couldnʼt afford a direct confrontation, their only option was to charge forward.

Another concern weighed on Ye Zhongming: the toxic fumes in the air were rapidly intensifying. Prolonged exposure could poison the entire team.

Under Ye Zhongmingʼs lead, the group surged forward, engaging the flaming stone giants in an instantaneous clash. Googlᴇ search novel~fire~net

Cloud Peak had no shortage of high-level combatants, though the restrictions of this space had crippled their battle beasts. Against these Level 8 flaming stone giants, the team struggled somewhat.

But thanks to Ye Zhongmingʼs overwhelming personal strength, as well as Xia Bai, Xiao Min, and Red Hairʼs ability to hold their own against two stone giants each, plus the collective might of the Female Guard and Youth Army, the formation held steady. When necessary, even Yangos and Yellow Ball—relying purely on physical prowess—could contribute.

Ye Zhongming also didnʼt hesitate to expend resources. The Staff of Nature, for instance, was repeatedly activated, shielding one flank of the formation while the others pressed forward.

Every time they killed a flaming stone giant, more—but weaker—miniatures spawned, chasing after Cloud Peak. As the team fought its way forward, it left a trail of fire giants in its wake. The battle beasts, lacking combat skills, ran at the front, guarded by the Youth Army, while Ye Zhongming and the Female Guard periodically turned to engage the pursuers.

By the time an hour had passed, all the Level 8 flaming stone giants had been slain—but the number of enemies hadnʼt decreased. Instead, it had grown, with even the lowest-tier variants now appearing.

Ye Zhongming sprinted ahead, sitting down to gulp recovery potions. As the strongest fighter, heʼd borne the brunt of the most dangerous clashes, leaving him drained. He needed to recover quickly for the battles ahead.

As for the possibility that not annihilating all the stone giants might forfeit rewards, he no longer cared.

But just as he closed his eyes to rest, he felt a disturbance beneath him. Ye Zhongming rolled aside instinctively, just as a fist-sized geyser of magma erupted from the ground.

Some of the molten spray splashed onto him, sending white-hot agony through his nerves. It dawned on him: the dangers of this hellscape werenʼt limited to the stone giants. Random magma bursts were now part of the equation.

He relayed the warning to the team immediately.

Knowing was one thing. Dodging was another.

Theyʼd entered an unstable zone of the molten hellscape. Magma vents of all sizes burst open without warning. Even with their heightened evolved senses giving them a second or two of forewarning, avoiding direct hits was possible—but splashes were inevitable. The searing pain was enough to make even the sturdiest warrior shudder.

The biggest problem, however, was that these sudden eruptions disrupted Cloud Peakʼs formation, allowing the flaming stone giants to close in.

The fighting grew even fiercer.

And casualties began to mount.

Given Cloud Peakʼs status and strength in the national region, they rarely faced such grueling odds. The teamʼs pace slowed further, and the stone giants encircled them multiple times, forcing Ye Zhongming and the Female Guard to fight tooth and nail for every inch of progress.

This brutal chase lasted over three hours—until, at last, the team stepped into a misty, water-filled zone.

Behind them, the molten hellscape vanished as if it had never existed, and the remaining stone giants disappeared with it.

If not for the teamʼs battered state, they mightʼve doubted whether any of it had happened at all.

Had they passed? Completed the trial?

”So... leaving that ʼzoneʼ counts as clearing it?”

Xiao Min murmured, a hint of amazement in her voice.

”Boss, look—that must be the reward.”

A Female Guard warrior at the rear called Ye Zhongming over, pointing to a clearing not far ahead.