Apocalypse Gachapon

Chapter 1688: Western Alliance

”Women Guard.”

The moment these words were spoken, an uproar erupted among the listeners.

Everyone had assumed Ye Zhongming would direct his ally to target Great America.

After all, while Great Americaʼs Bright Star count lagged behind Cloud Peak and the Mechanical Genius, they still ranked third. It was easy to imagine that as the top two factions fought fiercely, their star counts would plummet, giving third-ranked Great America an opportunity.

In such a scenario, wouldnʼt it be better to have an ally eliminate this potential threat? Why choose the Women Guard, who stood little chance anyway?

Moreover, the Women Guard had maintained a relatively peaceful stance throughout, especially toward Cloud Peak.

Yet Ye Zhongming had chosen them?

Even Wu Xiu was momentarily stunned. She, too, had expected Ye Zhongming to instruct her to challenge Great America.

”Boss.”

Xiao Min, standing behind him, couldnʼt hide her urgency. She shared the same thoughts as the others.
The Cannibal Chainʼs performance in the later stages had surprised many, revealing them as an extraordinarily powerful mage team—one even Cloud Peak couldnʼt confidently withstand.

Shouldnʼt such a team be deployed to snipe more valuable targets?

This was no time for courtesy. While the Cannibal Chain would suffer greater losses, Cloud Peak had promised compensation. Besides, their alliance was built on mutual benefit—why shy away from hard battles?

Ye Zhongming shook his head and reaffirmed Wu Xiuʼs choice.

”Mr. Ye, weʼve shown you nothing but respect along the way. Your actions now chill our hearts. And given the many women by your side, you should understand that our gender means we can be far more ruthless than men when pushed.”

The black female leader of the Women Guard spoke coldly, her face dark as she raised her chin slightly, addressing Ye Zhongming across the distance.

They had indeed been exceedingly courteous to Cloud Peak, always paying tolls when encountering their stars—a stark contrast to Great America and the Mechanical Genius, who opted for occupation.

With the Women Guard not being a primary rival, Cloud Peakʼs provocation seemed anything but wise.

No matter how strong the Cannibal Chain was, occupying the Women Guardʼs star would only reduce their count by one, a negligible impact. Yet it would earn Cloud Peak another enemy. The cost-benefit ratio was abysmal.

This was the prevailing sentiment among onlookers.

”I just want to simplify the situation.”

Ye Zhongmingʼs calm reply carried a hint of despair.

What did ”simplify the situation” mean? It meant forcing those with no real hope to withdraw from the competition entirely!

Turning their disappointment into utter despair!

In blunt terms, the Cloud Peak King was telling the unqualified to step aside and stop cluttering the field.

For powerful factions accustomed to respect—if not outright reverence—outside this space, these words struck like a hammer, shattering their pride.

”Donʼt go too far!”

The white female leaderʼs voice was icy, her fists clenched so tightly they trembled. The humiliation she felt rivaled even the time sheʼd spent with Spade to obtain intel on the Mountain King Crown.

A fierce desire surged within her—to challenge this Eastern man.

”Save your money. Save your strength. Complete the ten rounds. Even if you gain nothing, youʼll leave alive.” Ye Zhongmingʼs words silenced the entire starry expanse. ”But once you join the fray, it becomes a fight to the death.”

”Sometimes, knowing when to yield is also a survival skill in this apocalyptic world. Forcing things often leads to poor outcomes.”

This was Ye Zhongmingʼs hard-earned wisdom, the rational decision-making honed through two lifetimes.

Fight when you can, persevere with unyielding determination.

But if the odds are truly insurmountable, know when to retreat.

In this regard, Ye Zhongming felt Gyanendra had done well.

”Our fate is ours to decide.”

After a moment of silence, the white female leader responded thus before falling quiet.

Seeing no further drama, Wu Xiu tilted her head thoughtfully, then stepped forward and lightly struck the Soaring Crystal, landing precisely on the Women Guardʼs Star No. 4.

To widespread surprise, Wu Xiu—this woman—chose to fight personally!

Ye Zhongming smiled. Working with smart people was truly effortless.

Why the Women Guard? Beyond the stated reason of thinning the herd, there was a more critical factor:

The Women Guard had spent too much on tolls!

Buying stars cost money. Paying passage cost money. Purchasing guardian beasts cost money... Even if theyʼd gained some rewards on the stars, Ye Zhongming refused to believe a faction holding only a dozen or so stars could afford to keep this up.

Their only hope for the ultimate prize lay in the top factions mutually annihilating each other or being weakened enough for an opening.

Either way, they had to wait until the final rounds, when theyʼd make their move based on the situation.

Apart from Cloud Peak and the Mechanical Genius, all other factions shared this mindset. The difference was that factions like Great America or Gyanendra would still fight hard, while the Women Guard relied entirely on luck.

Thus, Ye Zhongming deduced they wouldnʼt—or couldnʼt—spend much on guardian beasts, let alone upgrades.

Another clue came from the timing of guardian beast disappearances in earlier rounds, allowing Ye Zhongming to roughly gauge which factions had chosen which tier of beasts.

While not precise, it gave the Cloud Peak King a general idea.

If Ye Zhongming could figure this out, so could Wu Xiu.

Clearly, despite abandoning the Mountain King Crown pursuit, she hadnʼt slacked off. She maintained a sharp understanding of the situation and each factionʼs status.

Of course, Wu Xiu also realized that advancing just two stars at a time made them easy targets. If the Women Guardʼs guardian beast was indeed weak, fighting it herself was manageable.

This confidence stemmed from her belief in her own strength.

Ye Zhongming was genuinely curious: How powerful was this second-in-command of the Cannibal Chain? What heʼd seen before might have been just a glimpse.

Wu Xiu stood before a guardian beast. As predicted, the Women Guard hadnʼt invested much in it—a bottom-tier creature, the weakest of its kind.

The Cannibal Chainʼs deputy manager activated her bloodline and throughout the battle, shifted between three different forms!