Apocalypse Gachapon Chapter 2062.5 - Level nine green skinned monster

A squad leader from the Guangyao Battle Squad, affiliated with Cloud Peak Villa.

He assessed this individual to be at the seven-star level. His nearby squad mates were all six-star, and their gear was predominantly green-grade.

Yet, a person like that, no, a whole team, was annihilated in a mere ten minutes?

Scattered around Squad Leader Niu Zhan were the remains of his fellow team members, their bodies fragmented, their demise occurring in ghastly circumstances.

Zhang Jialun surveyed his surroundings, noting the proximity of this location to his previous position. Had the monstrous creatures pushed humanity back this far already?

"Rear formation, exercise caution!"

"Rear formation, exercise caution!"

Exclamations suddenly echoed from the front. Zhang Jialun's squad promptly drew closer to their commander. This signaled the enemy's breach of the frontline and their penetration into the inner defense.

"What the..."

This particular species of monster was absent from the intelligence provided by Cloud Peak.

Regardless of its identity, engagement was unavoidable. Allowing these creatures to further penetrate the human defenses would inevitably lead to a chaotic battle.

And chaotic combat, in this post-apocalyptic era, resulted in the highest casualty rates.

"Target the vanguard!"

The squad leader bellowed, charging forth with his weapon brandished.

The term 'vanguard' in such confined engagements referred to the foremost enemy combatant, often the strongest or most audacious. Subduing it swiftly would bolster their own morale and diminish the enemy's.

His weapon became a streak of light, slicing towards the four-meter-tall monstrosity.

Others followed suit, unleashing a barrage of diverse energies and skills upon the monster group.

The impact was fierce. Zhang Jialun had barely completed a single strike when he witnessed their leader, who had attacked first, being hurled backward. Subsequently, a warm fluid cascaded down.

Blood!

Zhang Jialun was intimately familiar with the warmth and aroma of this viscous substance.

His skill expended, and positioned near the rear of the contingent, he immediately retreated to support their leader, preventing his fall.

However, upon examining the leader's condition, Zhang Jialun's heart plummeted. A gaping wound stretched across the leader's abdomen, nearly bisecting him. His body remained intact, connected only by his spine and a sliver of dorsal flesh. More disturbingly, the edges of the wound bore a pallid, grayish hue, appearing petrified, their origin an unknown ability.

"Let Ai Dadu assume my position. After this ordeal, all of you must join the Cloud Peak Sect."

Declaring this, aware his end was nigh, the leader summoned his final reserves of strength to push Zhang Jialun away. "Leave, go..."

Zhang Jialun clenched his jaw, drew a sharp breath, suppressed his surging emotions, and rejoined the fray with a roar. His leader, watching from the ground, offered a faint smile before closing his eyes.

The leader's demise fully unleashed the team's fury. They assaulted the monster responsible for his death with a ferocity bordering on madness. By the time this formidable foe, possessing strength equivalent to at least an eighth-star entity, was vanquished, only fifteen or sixteen individuals remained.

Zhang Jialun, fortunate to survive, bore a grievous wound on his left shoulder, a significant portion of flesh torn away, and even a piece of bone gnawed off. Short-term recovery was improbable; he could only fight one-armed for the time being.

He cast a glance at his weapon, which sustained further minor damage, contemplating a search for a Cloud Peak supply convoy. Abruptly, he observed allied soldiers collapsing in unison, as if a small grove battered by a tempest.

Then, a blur of green flashed into Zhang Jialun's sight, vanishing to the side in the very next instant.

Zhang Jialun promptly retreated.

His gaze swept over the reinforcements arriving from the rear.

He was not fleeing; his mission was to deliver a critical message. He knew Cloud Peak possessed an efficient communication network. Locating Cloud Peak warriors promptly was paramount.

Fortuitously, after merely two seconds, he spotted an individual clad in complete blue equipment, accompanied by a squad of over forty individuals adorned in green gear.

They were undoubtedly an elite assault unit dispatched by Cloud Peak.

"Level nine green-skinned behemoth! Level nine green-skinned behemoth!"

Zhang Jialun sprinted towards them, his voice strained with urgency!

The figure in blue equipment paused momentarily, then swiftly communicated into a device affixed to their arm. This individual, clearly a mid-ranking commander within Cloud Peak, not only held their ground but began coordinating their subordinates to ensure the retreat of the humans in the vicinity.

Zhang Jialun allowed himself a grim smile. With Cloud Peak alerted, formidable beings of equivalent caliber would undoubtedly arrive to render aid.

A sudden chill traced its way through his body, compelling him to instinctively look down. There, protruding from his chest, was a claw, exuding an aura of utter terror and malevolence. He had no idea when it had appeared.

As he watched the claw twitch slightly, Zhang Jialun sighed inwardly.

It seems my end is here.

He understood that the creature responsible was none other than the level nine green-skinned monster. No other being, not even a level eight opponent, could have reached his position so swiftly and silently, undetected by him or the surrounding onlookers.

Facing death at the hands of a top-tier lifeform felt almost fitting, somehow.

Zhang Jialun braced himself to close his eyes and accept his fate, as common sense dictated the next action would be the monstrous hand rending him asunder.

However, a searing pain erupted within him, growing more intense by the second. This agony made Zhang Jialun realize he was, against all odds, still alive. He forced his eyes open once more, only to discover two brown, branch-like appendages had somehow been embedded into his shoulders, even forming a knot. They were yanking him free from the monster's grasp, flinging him aside.

Zhang Jialun had narrowly escaped death, though he lay severely injured and immobile. Fortunately, several warriors from the Cloud Peak Sect rushed over and pulled him to safety.

As his body was shifted, Zhang Jialun finally caught sight of his savior – an incredibly graceful, female figure. A hundred branches swayed like a living entity on her back.

In stark contrast to the menacing green-skinned monster standing five meters away, this female lifeform's back appeared so delicate, possessing a strange and unparalleled beauty.

Yet, before Zhang Jialun succumbed to unconsciousness, he heard the female being utter words that only hastened his descent into fainting.

"Damn you! This old hag is going to shove your head up your ass today!"