Apocalypse Gachapon Chapter 2002: Following Formation

"The Su Clan is no longer the Su Clan you imagine."

As Jie Su uttered those words, two powers burst forth—one hovering over his head, the other surging from below his feet. From afar, innumerous energy motifs rapidly materialized and stretched out at incredible speed.

This sight was truly peculiar.

Observed externally, Jie Su appeared confined in a separate realm. Blue energy motifs swirled above him, while black ones churned underfoot. The wild energy encircling him remained unseen yet palpable, even to regular folk, who could sense the fury brewing within.

Jie Su himself transformed as well. Veins surfaced on his outstretched hands, one aimed skyward with black markings, the other earthward bearing blue ones—precisely reversed from the hues of the motifs wrapping him from above and below.

The female Armored Thorn Race assassin sensed trouble right as Jie Su unleashed his power, prompting her swift reaction.

Bone spikes from her feet unfurled and spun relentlessly. Combined with the rapid beats of her dual short wing pairs, she lifted off and soared through the air.

Her steel fork whirled too, trails of shimmering light coiling around it. As it spun, it morphed into twin orbs of radiance. Once these orbs reached two meters wide and fully shrouded her form, they launched like projectiles—one upward, one downward. They aimed not at Jie Su, but at the almost-complete energy motif formations over his head and under his feet.

The Armored Thorn Race warrior had no clue what those were, nor had she ever heard of the Su Clan wielding such a technique. Dread of the unfamiliar and aversion to surprises drove her to shatter them first.

Why did the Armored Thorn Race rank as the top assassins across cosmic races? That fame wasn't undeserved. Beyond their cloaking skill, they maximized every strength.

They forged potent energy spheres using their own power for frontal assault. Then, harnessing that same released energy, they blinked short distances while still veiled. Striking hard upfront and slinking from the rear, they exploited their edges flawlessly.

In typical fights, this combo sealed victory. Her Furelai outmatched Jie Su's originally, and assassins boasted devastating strikes. Against a formation-focused Su Clan fighter, triumph seemed assured dominantly.

Regrettably, she faced a Su Clan prodigy who'd stayed understated until lately, now emerging brightly since the Novice battlefield.

The light orbs struck true, without error. Yet the Armored Thorn Race warrior saw no desired outcome. The spheres burst apart, merging into the chaotic energy around them.

This frontal failure disrupted her rear ambush. She'd planned to demolish the odd constructs above and below Jie Su, scatter the energy, then strike lethally from behind.

But with the front assault failing, her stab met an energy barrier like a solid wall.

The steel fork halted, mere ten centimeters from Jie Su's nape.

Jie Su pivoted slowly, his turn clumsy due to arms locked in their upward-downward stance.

The Armored Thorn Race assassin realized peril. She pushed harder on the fork, using the bounce to rocket back. Meanwhile, tiny spheres ejected from her body, detonating two meters out and spewing vibrant fumes that slowly filled the area.

Her silhouette vanished anew amid the haze.

Yet Jie Su, now facing her way, curled his lips in a chilly smirk.

He casually twitched the fingers of his skyward hand. The completed upper energy motif array unleashed a matching colored light blade, slicing into the fumes. At once, a stifled groan echoed, followed by blood splattering down.

"This is impossible, what is this?!"

From the colorful fog rang the Armored Thorn Race warrior's incredulous shriek. She couldn't fathom how this Su Clan fighter pinpointed her location.

"Nothing is impossible. Your race was exterminated; wouldn't it be better to truly disappear? Why reappear?"

Jie Su's face remained expressionless, his tone icy enough to send shivers down one's spine. He shifted his lowered hand, unleashing yet another beam of light that slashed forth. The Armored Thorn Race member let out a sharp cry once more.

"Why are you able to locate me?" Having been struck precisely twice consecutively, the Armored Thorn Race member stopped doubting it. She simply couldn't comprehend what method this Su Clan individual was employing.

"Nothing special, just one ability of this formation. You can call this formation the Following Formation!"

Jie Su responded with casual indifference. In that moment, he fired off two more energy slashes, each landing squarely on target, compelling the Armored Thorn Race member to burst straight out of the smoke.

Hiding within was pointless regardless.

"Following Formation?"

Right then, in the topmost chamber of the Library Palace, the old dean—his eyes repeatedly gleaming—muttered those words.

"It seems over these years, the Su Clan hasn't been as idle as they seem on the surface; they've truly developed something new."

"Body-following Formation? If it can truly scale up for widespread use, then the Su Clan could still prove noteworthy."

The Su Clan's promising talent, whom the old dean deemed 'might still be worth watching,' watched the assassin expose herself and casually let his arms drop naturally.

This sight filled the Armored Thorn Race member with delight. She thrust power through her pair of short wings, flapping fiercely as her form arrowed downward. The steel forks clutched in her hands and the bone spines on her feet assaulted Jie Su in a frenzy.

Jie Su stood motionless, allowing his foe to unleash her wild barrage. Regrettably, despite her efforts, the Armored Thorn Race member failed to pierce the invisible, surging energy barrier enveloping him; every strike proved futile.

Yet the Armored Thorn Race member refused to yield. She believed that any defense, no matter its nature, would dissipate once its absorbed energy reached full capacity.

To achieve this, she held nothing back. Her steel forks glowed once again, and aided by her short wings, her body twisted and spun relentlessly, gathering momentum. Soon, only blurs trailed her motions, delivering multiple strikes to the exact same spot within each instant!

The fork tips edged ever nearer to Jie Su's form, halting at last just a sheet of paper's breadth away.

But Jie Su stayed utterly composed.

At that instant, the old dean—observing via some mysterious means—shook his head faintly and remarked to the returning Luo Chi: "This Armored Thorn Race member fixates on her assaults, aiming to shatter the defense through sheer force. Yet she's far too confident; her assessment of the battlefield is overly rushed."

"Still, it's hardly her failing. The Su Clan unveiling such a surprise is bound to catch anyone off guard."

"It's finished."

With those final words, the old dean settled back into his chair and resumed his reading.