Apocalypse: King of Zombies Chapter 1310 1310: That Was the Source
Previously on Apocalypse: King of Zombies...
With a singular, devastating swing of Dopey's poleaxe, the ore seam they had laboriously chipped only half a meter into was blasted open into a chasm exceeding thirty feet in depth.
A collective gasp rippled through the group.
They had just witnessed, firsthand, the sheer resilience of that black ore. It was already incredibly hard, and being a kilometer beneath the surface, the immense pressure only amplified its toughness. Their strenuous efforts had barely yielded a half-meter indentation.
Dopey, with effortless grace, swung once and created a breach over thirty feet wide.
In that instant, the disparity between their abilities and Dopey's transformed from 'significant' to 'utterly insurmountable'.
Despite already being at Stage B, they felt like insignificant ants before him, capable of being swatted away with contemptuous ease.
"Ethan…" Chris inquired, his expression taut, "what Tier do you estimate Dopey to be?"
"No idea," Ethan responded, his tone equally grave. "But if I had to venture a guess… he's likely not below Tier 30."
"Which puts him at Stage S."
"Stage S?!!"
Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.
It was no wonder he exuded such terrifying power. For someone at that level, their annihilation would indeed be as simple as slaughtering chickens.
Disregarding the cascading debris, Dopey raised his poleaxe once more and slammed it into the ore seam.
BOOM!
The impact resonated like a subterranean cannon blast. The earth convulsed, and an even greater deluge of dirt rained down.
The deep shaft painstakingly excavated by Garrick was now completely sealed. Their only remaining sanctuary was within the protective dome Garrick was valiantly sustaining.
Dopey remained unfazed, continuing his relentless assault.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
With each thunderous strike, he carved a direct path through the black ore as if it were yielding, soft clay.
The others hastened to follow. Before long, they arrived at the location of the crystal Ethan had previously spotted.
"Stop!" Ethan commanded, a sudden fear gripping him that Dopey might inadvertently shatter the crystal.
Dopey halted instantly, his form rigid and motionless.
Ethan retrieved the poleaxe, then proceeded to store Dopey within his spatial storage ring.
"Barely over three feet remain," Ethan announced, his eyes alight with anticipation. "Now, it's our turn."
"You bet."
All present drew their weapons. Three feet was a trivial distance.
Following a brief, intense flurry of blows, the final section of black ore fractured and gave way.
A colossal, unblemished white crystal was embedded within the dark seam, radiating a brilliance so intense it appeared almost otherworldly against the somber backdrop.
The instant it was revealed, the ambient mysterious energy surged dramatically, becoming so concentrated it felt as though the very air had thickened.
The crystal, roughly the size of a human head, was flawlessly white, devoid of any impurities or cloudiness. The mysterious energy emanating from it was so palpable it was almost visible.
"Sweet heavens…" someone murmured, their gaze fixed and dazed. "What in the world is that? The energy is so potent, it feels like one could simply stand nearby and their Tier would ascend spontaneously."
Ethan reached out, his fingers brushing against its surface. It felt warm and smooth, akin to polished jade, radiating a pleasant sensation under his palm.
"I'm uncertain of its exact nature," he stated, his voice imbued with barely contained excitement, "but it is undeniably a paramount treasure. An item of this caliber could only form under exceptionally unique circumstances."
"I'm telling you, that's an energy crystal," Big Mike declared, his body trembling with fervor. "And not just any—this is a colossal, top-grade energy crystal!"
For once, no one interjected to contest his assertion.
"Calling it an energy crystal is plausible," someone mused thoughtfully. "But its sheer size is remarkable. Most we've encountered were no larger than marbles. This one is the size of a head."
"My hypothesis is that this is the core of an entire crystal vein," another added. "It likely absorbed the surrounding crystals over an extended period, growing to its current state."
Henry knelt by the black ore, examining it closely. "Observe these black rocks. Some still possess a faint residual energy. Perhaps they were once energy crystals themselves—only to be drained and transformed into this."
"Hmm," Chris pondered, his brow furrowed. "Henry has a valid point. However, if it absorbed the energy of an entire vein, shouldn't it be even larger?"
"It's not small by any measure," Ethan countered. "The quality of this crystal is astounding. It continuously releases mysterious energy, yet the internal reserves appear to diminish very little."
All eyes turned to him. "That's incredible. So… with this, we're no longer concerned about mysterious energy?"
"In theory." Ethan nodded. "As long as we avoid excessive depletion, it should maintain a continuous generation of mysterious energy."
"Holy cow," Big Mike whispered, then broke into a wild, ecstatic grin. "We've truly struck gold. With this artifact and our ritual circle… our power is set to surge exponentially."
"Indeed," Ethan conceded, his excitement now impossible to conceal. "This is an exceptional find."
With swift actions, he liberated the massive energy crystal and promptly stored it away. The instant Ethan claimed the energy crystal, the mysterious energy within the Void Realm began a rapid depletion. This fractured pocket dimension had long exhausted its capacity to generate its own mysterious energy. All the energy everyone had been drawing from stemmed directly from that singular crystal, which had been consistently infusing the environment. With the crystal now gone, the energy naturally started to disperse. Above, Oliver and his group remained, gazing in bewilderment at the completely caved-in shaft. Were it not for the recurring intense tremors emanating from below, Oliver might have seriously considered the possibility of having to unearth them himself. "Huh… something feels off," one subordinate remarked unexpectedly. "Now that you say it," another murmured, "yeah. It’s like… something is absent." Oliver’s brow furrowed. Then, a realization dawned on him. He lowered himself into a sitting posture, concentrating on perceiving the surrounding flow. A moment later, his expression shifted. "The mysterious energy—its concentration has decreased." "What?!" The others quickly sat down, attempting to sense it for themselves. Disbelief quickly spread across their faces. Having cultivated in this place for an extended period, they had grown accustomed to the energy's density. The disparity became immediately apparent the moment they extended their senses. "What in the world is happening?" They exchanged glances, utterly perplexed. "No idea." "Could it be connected to them?" a subordinate inquired, gesturing towards the ground. Darkness fell upon everyone's features. Was such a question even necessary? They had inhabited this Void Realm for an age, and nothing of this magnitude had ever occurred. The moment the Fallen Star Squad appeared, this crisis unfolded? It would take an utter fool to dismiss it as mere coincidence. "But what could they have possibly done down there to cause such a drastic reduction in mysterious energy?" "No clue. It must be linked to whatever they are engaged in below." "Perhaps there was a treasure down there, one that was responsible for the dense mysterious energy," someone speculated slowly, their voice hardening with grim realization. "They went down, acquired it… and now the energy is waning." The more they discussed it, the more plausible it seemed. "…Yeah," another individual agreed, their jaw clenching. "That actually makes a lot of sense." "So, what do we do now?" someone else asked, a hint of panic surfacing. "If this Void Realm loses its mysterious energy, how will we maintain our advantage over the others?" Silence answered the question. The stillness conveyed everything; they all grasped the severity of the situation. "Damn it," an underling snapped, his anger finally boiling over. "We should never have brought them here. Those rumors weren't wrong—those guys are pure bandits." "Not bring them?" Oliver shot him a chilling glare. "Do you truly believe that was a viable option?" "If I hadn't brought them, do you think you'd still be standing here, talking?" "But—" "Enough." Oliver cut him short. "What holds greater importance—some treasure, or your very life? If you're dead, what purpose does guarding a Void Realm serve?" "…Yes, boss." Everyone lowered their heads. Yet, despite these words, the resentment did not dissipate. It lingered on every face, thick and acrid. Oliver felt it too. It twisted within his chest like a sharp blade. But what recourse did he have? When one is weaker, choices are a luxury not afforded. That was the unvarnished reality.