Apocalypse Gachapon

“Perhaps so many people wouldn’t have turned into disgusting monsters in that case. So many wouldn’t have abandoned their humanity for a piece of bread or a biscuit. Perhaps we wouldn’t even be enemies, but comrades fighting side by side, joining countless others across the world to resist the beings that enslave us.”

“Even if… we were to fail in the end, even if we were to die.”

Ye Zhongming listened quietly to these words from the God Hall’s director, who had just moments ago been locked in a life-or-death struggle with him. Suddenly, he felt he understood the man’s actions a little better.

Previously, Ye Zhongming had clashed with the God Hall, even destroying one of their laboratories, killing their highest-level experimental subject at the time, and convincing Dr. He to defect.

Logically, the God Hall should have retaliated fiercely. Back then, Cloud Peak was not what it was now—they were still embroiled in the chaos of developing the secret realm and were arguably at one of their weakest points since the apocalypse began.

Yet, the God Hall’s response had been to retreat rather than fight, seemingly cutting their losses to regroup for a future comeback. Later, however, they vanished entirely, never harassing Cloud Peak again.

Many assumed the God Hall had been intimidated. Ye Zhongming, of course, didn’t believe that, but he did think they had been conserving their strength, lacking confidence in defeating Cloud Peak.

After hearing these words, Ye Zhongming realized this director was a rather complex individual. Was he noble? It didn’t seem so—many of the God Hall’s actions didn’t align with nobility. They had avoided conflict with Cloud Peak, but there was ample evidence they had used many of the apocalypse’s typical ruthless tactics against others. Was he hypocritical? Yet it was true they had never sought revenge after the Flame Tiger Project, and just now, this leader had deliberately held back from going all-out to kill Ye Zhongming.

Whether he could have actually killed Ye Zhongming at full strength was another matter, but the fact remained that he had held back. The Demon Vine’s abilities were surely far greater than what had been displayed.

Ye Zhongming couldn’t discern how much of his words were true or false. Even the reason for his restraint was questionable—perhaps, in a more cynical interpretation, he had wanted Ye Zhongming to kill the Chairman first before unleashing his full power.

Even now, with the director still capable of fighting and the Demon Vine, was Ye Zhongming truly as exhausted as he appeared?

Habitually, Ye Zhongming refused to view an apocalypse survivor—especially one who had just been fighting him—in too positive a light.

“Do you have this?”

The director took out an object and showed it to the ice birds—Ye Zhongming’s current “eyes.”

Ye Zhongming nodded.

“As I thought…” The director put the item away, and the Demon Vine likewise vanished.

“I’m not negotiating or even requesting…” The director’s tone carried complex emotions. “Rather, perhaps soon, we will meet again in a different form, even under different identities. When that time comes, I hope our thoughts will align.”

After these ambiguous words, the director turned and walked away. Behind him, the spliced monstrosities controlled by Dr. Ziche reappeared. With a wave of his hand, both man and beasts gradually faded into the forest.