Apocalypse Gachapon Chapter 2009: Commotion

Once the meeting wrapped up, the Thousand-Person Leaders headed back to their own camps. The word spread instantly, sparking a huge uproar across the whole Bronze Camp.

That was Red Condensation level equipment!

A single piece demands tens of thousands of Moonspan Gold.

It wasn't reserved just for Thousand-Person Leaders; even regular soldiers could seize the opportunity!

Plus, lacking top overall power didn't bar them; shining in one category might still land Ke Steel Grade equipment.

Lacking personal might? They could team up to hit a top-three group spot and claim rewards that way.

To the destitute fighters of the Bronze Camp, who saw even basic mimetic combat weapons as treasures, Ye Zhongming's reward rules hit like a thunderbolt, shattering the still pond of the camp.

Thrills gripped not just the rank-and-file soldiers, but Hundred-Person Leaders catching wind of it and the returning Thousand-Person Leaders too.

Earlier, to secure loyalty, Ye Zhongming wielded carrot and stick, gifting each a piece of gear. A pure wheel technology item matching purple equipment level. The Thousand-Person Leaders had been thrilled enough already.

Not one Bronze Camp Thousand-Person Leader owned Red Condensation-level equipment—zero exceptions!

The shockwave hit beyond the Bronze Camp, rippling through the entire Star-Eye Clan. White Robe and Cheng Liujin rushed over. One griped that even if you craft gear this caliber, shouldn't you share it clan-wide? The other complained it put them in a bind, with subordinates shooting resentful looks. One added, “Zhongming, if people's hearts scatter, the team's hard to lead.” The other piled on, the two big brothers always looked out for you...

Ye Zhongming finally lost patience. He swore to forge two custom gear pieces for each of them. Beyond that, every thirty days, two Red Condensation-level equipment pieces would go to the other two teams for evaluation prizes.

Only then did the pair beam with joy and release Ye Zhongming.

"Hand these to the families of the five fallen golden-masked warriors. And give these two pieces of equipment to the survivor."

As Cheng Liujin prepared to depart, Ye Zhongming held him back, passing over 100,000 Moonspan Gold and two Red Condensation-level equipment pieces. Compensation for those six golden-masked warriors.

The Gold Order Leader nodded without refusal, clapped Ye Zhongming's shoulder, and departed.

Clan pensions covered the slain golden-masked warriors. Yet Ye Zhongming's were personal gifts. Cheng Liujin neither could nor wanted to turn them down.

Elite troops from his command! Five gone in a flash! With Ye Zhongming's capabilities, he hoped these devoted warriors' kin would thrive.

……………………

With the assessment order out, Bronze Camp plunged into intense drills. Every Thousand-Person Leader burned to shine in the big contest ahead. Top-three group chasers pushed limits. Even the doubtful ones drove for individual event breakthroughs.

Thus, Bronze Camp training grounds turned into prime hotspots overnight. Subordinate squabbles even erupted over spots.

Yet Ye Zhongming and the Thousand-Person Leaders clamped down hard—no major chaos. They seized the chance to test rivals instead.

Meanwhile, Silver and Gold teams in Bronze Camp started curious about Ye Zhongming. Aware their Order Leaders bonded well with him, they warmed to this top Novice.

Bronze Camp's exam reward news stirred envy, but they shrugged it off as Bronze business. Then, learning the Bronze Order Leader pledged two Red Condensation-level equipment pieces every thirty days as prizes, immense thanks flooded toward this fresh clan arrival.

The true factors that led them to accept and even revere Ye Zhongming boiled down to two key aspects. Firstly, he boosted the Bronze Camp's pensions, enabling every warrior to battle for the clan without nagging worries. Secondly, five golden warriors laid down their lives shielding him this time, and Ye Zhongming quietly disbursed a massive fortune to honor their sacrifice.

Ye Zhongming had no obligation to offer compensation; the clan had dispatched guardians for him, after all. Yet he provided it anyway—and generously so—winning the gratitude he rightfully earned. This revealed him as someone who understood appreciation, someone truly deserving of esteem.

As a result, the Silver Mask Warriors and Gold Mask Warriors came not just to accept Ye Zhongming but to hold him in high regard.

Likewise, the Bronze Camp enlistment proclamation, issued under Ye Zhongming's directive, sparked an enormous uproar. The array of perks outlined in it left eyes gleaming.

Even more crucially, it imposed zero eligibility requirements!

Put simply, anybody could throw their hat in the ring!

No caps on age, no barriers for gender, no thresholds for power... Provided they believed in their potential and chances of selection, everyone was free to apply.

Countless individuals sprang into action. Applying carried no cost, so why hold back? A shot in the dark cost nothing—if they failed, they'd only gain insight; if luck smiled on them, they'd ascend straight to the ranks of the prestigious Masked Warriors of the Star-Eye Clan!

Thus, the very first day the notice went up saw thousands flooding in to register. Over the ensuing days, turnout skyrocketed several-fold. As the cutoff loomed, applicants had surged past the 100,000 mark.

Remember, the Bronze Camp sought just 100 recruits.

Given the overwhelming volume, Ye Zhongming implemented initial screenings. He weeded out the elderly and the very young, those with impairments or illnesses, and anyone incapable of cultivation, among others.

When the final round loomed, the pool had shrunk to more than 8,000 candidates.

It was clear a thorough follow-up screening would demand considerable time and effort.

Ye Zhongming felt no anxiety over the picking process; quite the opposite—he was thrilled, confident he could unearth a stellar group of 100, even if it meant extra toil.

His real worry centered on the few hundred souls idling away in the Assault Camp reserve squad.

Two hundred among them had been nominated by their teams for prowess in ambushes and stealth kills. Ye Zhongming recognized they weren't top dogs in their Thousand-Person Teams, but far from the bottom; in truth, they shone brightly, potentially topping certain personal metrics.

Yet now, they lingered in this reserve team, time slipping by as they watched old squadmates strive for prime gear. It'd be odd if resentment didn't brew within them.

Besides those two hundred, the rest bore unique traits ill-suited to the Star-Eye Clan's cultivation paths. Ye Zhongming understood that, tallying those two hundred, they were misfits or hopeless laggards who'd shown scant progress.

In plain terms, these almost one thousand individuals represented most of the disruptive elements Ye Zhongming had sifted from the ten Thousand-Person Teams. This purified the teams' makeup, accelerating their battle prowess buildup.

He planned to deal with these outcasts personally, Ye Zhongming mused upon crossing the reserve team's threshold for the initial visit.