Apocalypse: King of Zombies Chapter 1211: It’s Hollow Down There!

Far within the Void Realm, a colossal pit exceeding three hundred feet in depth gaped wide in the earth...

Down at the base, Garrick collapsed onto the soil, appearing utterly drained and discarded.

His power allowed him to alter the landscape and excavate a profound chasm swiftly, yet the further down he went, the tougher it became—and the greater the toll on his mental stamina.

The initial hundred feet proved straightforward. However, beyond three hundred, the energy expenditure skyrocketed exponentially, leaving him completely spent.

"Haa..." Garrick gasped, struggling to raise his head. "Captain... how much further down does it go?"

"Uh..." Ethan rubbed his cheek, looking sheepish. "I don’t know. I still haven’t actually seen the thing."

"..."

The whole group fixed their gazes on him.

"Captain," one person uttered deliberately, eyes bulging, "you had us digging blind! What if nothing’s there? We wasted all that effort!"

"Calm down." Ethan lifted a hand promptly. "I can’t spot the item itself just yet, but I detect an energy pulse. If it’s still emitting energy after so long, that thing below is bound to be incredible."

That reassurance reignited the spark of thrill on their faces.

"Great job, Garrick," Chris remarked with a smile. "Emily, patch him up quick. We’re pushing on."

"..."

Thanks to Emily’s restoration, Garrick’s vitality surged back rapidly. He seemed reenergized, as if his battery had been fully charged. Placing both palms against the earth again, he drove the pit even deeper.

Yet the profundity brought mounting strain upon him.

The first three hundred feet required just one pause. Between three hundred and six hundred feet, Emily revived him twice.

From six hundred to nine hundred, it took five recoveries.

And from nine hundred to twelve hundred...

Practically every thirty feet demanded a break.

"Haa... no way. I’m tapped out." Garrick fell flat on his back upon reaching twelve hundred feet. "Give me a moment to rest here."

Even Emily’s healing offered scant relief now.

At such depths, no explanation was needed from Ethan— all sensed it. Faint wisps of energy permeated the atmosphere, seeping into their forms, as though the very void exhaled life into them.

Joy exploded across every face.

Though the object remained unseen, certainty gripped them:

It was utterly invaluable.

Eagerness to proceed burned within, but seeing Garrick lie there motionless like the dead, no one pressed him.

"The mysterious energy density here is quite intense," Ethan noted. "While Garrick recovers, attempt to draw it in. Test if it functions."

"Roger that." They all agreed and settled cross-legged, employing the technique outlined in the manual.

Nearly at once, ambient energy flooded toward them—mirroring the stellar absorption at night so closely that exhilaration rippled through the team.

If this succeeded...

Would nighttime waits become obsolete?

They steadied their breaths, concentrated, and began pulling it in fully.

...

After two hours of deep slumber, Garrick hauled himself up at last.

The group ceased intake of mysterious energy and resumed operations.

Supported by Emily, Garrick compelled the pit another hundred eighty feet downward.

Ethan maintained [True Sight], scanning below.

Suddenly, his frame shuddered.

His eyes bulged in astonishment.

"Captain—did you spot it?!" a voice burst out.

The rest whipped alert, buzzing with anticipation.

"Ethan, what’s there? What sort of treasure?!"

Ethan required ages to regain composure. Shock lingered plainly on his features—for the sight defied all expectations.

"This so-called ’treasure’... isn’t quite what we anticipated," he stated deliberately. "Descend and witness it yourselves."

He gulped, then indicated. "Roughly another hundred twenty feet. Garrick, give it everything!"

"On it!"

A concrete goal infused Garrick with renewed vigor. Clenching his jaws, he surpassed his boundaries repeatedly.

Ninety feet...

Sixty...

Thirty...

"Watch out!" Ethan yelled abruptly. "It’s empty below!"

"Empty?" They all blinked in confusion.

Then Garrick exerted once more.

The ground beneath crumbled abruptly, plummeting the entire party downward.

"Thud—! Thud—! Thud—!"

Massive forms slammed into the floor sequentially.

Beneath lay an immense subterranean hall—vastly spacious, almost surreal, boasting a ceiling soaring over three hundred feet.

Rubbing sore rears, they glared reproachfully at Ethan.

The drop inflicted no grave harm, admittedly. Still, tumbling from such height stung fiercely.

"Why the glares?" Ethan opened his arms innocently. "I told you it was hollow. You folks didn’t mind your footing."

Suddenly, he sensed a shift. His face hardened, and he dropped into position.

"Quiet down," Ethan urged sharply. "The mysterious energy here is ridiculously concentrated—but it’s fading rapidly. Take it in. Immediately!"

None hesitated. They sat right there and commenced absorption.

Torrents of mysterious energy poured into them instantly. The rush felt otherworldly—like pure power surging through their bloodstreams.

An hour passed, and Henry, Garrick, and Mia all advanced to Tier 11. Ethan’s power also skyrocketed, hitting the peak of Tier 11.

The others hovered on the brink, nearly breaking through—yet the chamber’s mysterious energy had mostly vanished, insufficient for the final leap.

Nevertheless, given Ethan’s progress, he felt confident that one or two more nights under the stars would propel him to Tier 12.

"That was wild," one murmured in awe. "Why’s the mysterious energy so potent here?!"

Stunned expressions dominated.

That single hour equated to multiple nights of stellar absorption.

"Likely due to that." Ethan gestured afar.

Their eyes followed—and shock widened them all.

Now the reason for Ethan’s earlier dismay clicked.

A short distance away loomed a gigantic altar-like structure. Encircling it were nine enormous stone pillars.

Strange metallic chains bound each pillar. One side embedded in stone; the other coiled around a colossal skeleton sprawled at the altar’s heart.

Undoubtedly a mutant beast’s remains. Its type was indeterminable now—but its scale chilled the blood. Alive, it would have been a nightmare encounter.

And most astonishingly?

Despite endless years, the skeleton remained strikingly preserved.

That fact screamed its ferocity in life.

Atop the cranium rested a transparent crystal core.

The beast’s core, no doubt... yet its inner energy had leaked away, rendering it pristine and void. In that state, its former tier was unknowable.

The mysterious energy they absorbed stemmed from this cavern’s lingering essence after the core’s gradual depletion.

Precisely why it dissipated... Ethan puzzled over it. Perhaps sheer antiquity.

"This..." Big Mike gulped nervously. "What in the world is that?"

"Likely one hell of a fierce mutant beast," Ethan replied, gaze sharp. "I suspect this entire cavern was crafted to seal it away."

"It’s massive..." Chris murmured, transfixed. "How powerful was it alive?"

"No clue," Ethan shrugged lightly. "Plenty strong to crush us like bugs, guaranteed."

Deeper concerns gnawed at him, though.

Why imprison such a horror here? Why the elaborate effort over simple execution?

Ethan inhaled deeply. "Alright. Let’s approach and inspect closer..."