Apocalypse Gachapon Chapter 2014: Assessment (3)

"Incredible, this score has straight-up surpassed the Silver Camp's average," White Robe exclaimed in astonishment upon checking the final result.

"It's pointless to pit their top individual score against your camp's average," Ye Zhongming shrugged it off indifferently. He then rose to his feet and began handing out rewards to the top hundred.

The display of Red Condensation-grade gear ignited greedy sparks in onlookers' eyes. Even the Silver Mask and Gold Mask warriors watching from the sidelines burned with intense jealousy.

Bronze Camp fighters who hadn't competed yet got swept up in the electric atmosphere, struggling to suppress their surging excitement.

The individual event tests flowed seamlessly afterward, delivering strong showings in each one. The two Star-Eye Clan leaders grinned ear-to-ear, and so did everybody else.

As the bedrock and origin for Star-Eye Clan warriors, a powerful Bronze Camp would inevitably bolster the Silver and Gold Camps too, propelling the entire Star-Eye Clan to new heights.

Still, the scene hammered home Ye Zhongming's 'boundless riches and lavish generosity.' Red Condensation-grade items and Ke Steel Grade pieces flew out one after another, making them look utterly worthless.

Even though strict rules had long banned sharing or documenting clan secrets, the display left everyone, including the two Star-Eye leaders, deeply uneasy. If this got out, the Taros Red Dwarves would throw everything at crushing Ye Zhongming and wiping out the Star-Eye Clan.

All they could hope for now was extra time for the Star-Eye Clan and Ye Zhongming to grow mighty side by side. Once they stood toe-to-toe with the Taros Red Dwarves, true security would follow.

It was just... nobody truly believed it in their hearts.

The individual tests wrapped up in a flash. Some cheered in triumph, others hung their heads in defeat. Beyond the top hundred victors, every other score got tallied too. The bottom hundred overall faced elimination, as the next group challenge wouldn't count toward personal records.

Final rankings dropped like a hammer, leaving the last hundred Bronze Camp warriors either frozen in shock or crumbling in despair. Before the massive crowd and clan leaders, their shame knew no bounds.

"You're eliminated, and I know it's brutal to declare it here publicly," Ye Zhongming shot to his feet and told them directly.

"Hate me if you must; this choice was mine alone. But don't resent the Star-Eye Clan—the burdens it carries dwarf yours. The clan teeters on annihilation's edge; each move feels like teetering over a bottomless pit."

All knew the clan's dire straits, but hearing it voiced openly was a first. Embarrassment flickered across faces, swiftly chased by defiance and a spark of hope!

The man uttering those words had sparked a seismic shift in a clan once mired in decay and despair.

"Don't quit either. You fell to Bronze Camp rules as its members, but henceforth, you belong to the Star-Eye Clan. Meet the recruitment standards again, and I urge you to fight fiercely next time to reclaim your spots here—show the two leaders, me, your kin, and yourselves that this setback is fleeting, not forever."

With that, Ye Zhongming ordered their Thousand-person Leaders to personally usher them from the camp.

Tears welled as they passed through the gates, most stealing final glances at their longtime home, hearts burning with silent oaths to return stronger.

"Survivors, stay vigilant—it could be you next time," Ye Zhongming pressed on. "Now, onto the team battles. Matchups drawn at random. Top Thousand-person team after round one skips straight to the final three. The other four redraw; victors join the top three. Then, round-robin kicks in. Two wins claims first. One win, one loss takes second. Two losses gets third. Ties at one each? Survivor totals decide the order."

Ye Zhongming wrapped up the rules, then summoned each Thousand-person team's leader to draw lots.

No sneaky tricks were involved here; the terminal handled the entire process.

Matchup results appeared quickly: one versus seven, two versus ten, three versus four, five versus nine, six versus eight.

The group battle setup remained straightforward: select a random map, then engage in total war.

On this occasion, the Thousand-person Leaders and Deputy Thousand-person Leaders would also step into the fight.

Despite its simplicity, the event gauged the overall power of every Thousand-person team. Solo heroism played a major role, but far from the sole one. Teamwork, battle strategies, instant decisions, fighting spirit, reflexes, and more all held great weight.

In line with the draw order, the First Thousand-person Team and Seventh Thousand-person Team stepped into the virtual battlefield.

This virtual battlefield bore resemblance to the prior one for the Assault Camp and Bronze Camp clash, yet proved more advanced and vivid. Clan approval was required for its use, as each activation demanded replacing numerous parts with heavy resource drain.

"Old Ye, tell the truth, have you given Jie Kui any special advantages?" White Robe slyly inquired from nearby.

Ye Zhongming rolled his eyes at these words. Privately, the man showed zero idol aura of the Star-Eye Clan's star. His traits echoed a beefed-up Xiao Hu. Ye Zhongming remained young, yet this fellow already called him 'Old Ye.'

"Of course I have," Ye Zhongming replied without shying away.

The bystanders nearby showed keen interest, probing Ye Zhongming on exactly how he'd pulled it off.

"I didn't provide equipment or anything; mainly, there wasn't enough time. But regarding some skills and medicines, I basically gave everything I could think of."

"You are cheating!" White Robe whispered in surprise after hearing this.

This holographic simulated battle incorporated every possible factor into the scene. Personal gear, physical states, supply lines, and such got fully computed to replicate actual combat as closely as possible.

Hence, Ye Zhongming's claim of giving Jie Kui everything but equipment would feed directly into the simulation.

For example, upon returning from the Library Palace, Ye Zhongming handed Jie Kui books on abilities and techniques. Ten days wouldn't spark a massive upgrade for his followers, but it surely enhanced their proficiency a touch. Even minor gains per individual meant the Thousand-person team's battle strength surged far beyond a trivial amount.

Another case: various potions went to Jie Kui—strength amplifiers, agility boosters, injury healers, and the like. These wouldn't truly deplete, yet pre-battle, the system would impose their buffs as data onto Jie Kui's Thousand-person team. Gains in raw power or battle stamina would prove massive.

These elements alone might not lock in first place for Jie Kui's Thousand-person team, but a top-three finish seemed extremely probable. The squad he inherited had solid foundations anyway.

As Ye Zhongming candidly owned up to his cheating, the opening collective battle commenced.