In Xiao Min's hand lay... a piece of candy.
There were no prompts, no descriptionsâjust a beautifully wrapped piece of candy.
Xiao Min looked at Ye Zhongming. No matter how decisive she usually was in battle, she was now at a complete loss.
Was this... edible?
No one could say for sure. They didnât even know if it was really candy. What if it just looked like candy but wasnât?
Ye Zhongming was also stunned. Why were the rewards this time so random? What kind of reward was this?
"Since itâs a reward, it probably isnât harmful. But as for its actual effect..." Ye Zhongming hesitated before giving his judgment. "Itâs up to you, but I suggest waiting until we return to Cloud Peak. With Sister Hong and Teacher Park around, itâll be safer."
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Xiao Min nodded and stored the candy away.
Unlike the rewards from the solo battle, which were clear and provided immediate power boosts, these two items were too unpredictable. Though Cloud Peak had won, the benefits would have to wait.
With the second battle over, the third began immediately. The energy arena prompted both sides to choose the next battle format.
For Cloud Peak, if they ignored the issue of casualties, they were in a relaxed position. One more victory would secure the final win. But for Hidden Snake Journey, this was a desperate last stand.
The little boy had stopped screaming. His eyes, filled with a venomous hatred that should never belong to a child his age, locked onto Cloud Peakâs side. Then, he made a decision that even surprised Ye Zhongming.
He chose... the five-person battle.
In the apocalypse, a team leader might exploit their subordinates, and in a lawless world, this was almost inevitable.
But when truly needed, they had to stand at the forefront, leading their team through danger and surviving in this ruined world.
Yet here, when the teamâs survival and interests were at stake, this child chose to avoid battle!
This was almost a fatal blow to the teamâs morale.
It was easy to imagine that even if this team made it out alive, they would no longer be able to function as before.
As the saying went: "When hearts are scattered, the team cannot be led."
Ye Zhongming was silent for a moment before declaring, "I choose the solo battle."
The two sides disagreed, and neither would yield. The Wheel Spaceâs decision wasâthe beast battle!
Ye Zhongming smirked at the little boy and returned to prepare.
He had predicted that the kid wouldnât fight himself, so the Wheel Space would randomly select the format. Whether it was the solo battle or the beast battle, Ye Zhongming was fine with either. Even the five-person battle was acceptable.
The result? Not the best-case scenario of a solo battle, but also not the worst-case of a five-person battle.
When it came to battle beasts, Cloud Peak feared no one.
The space had previously imposed restrictions on battle beasts, but these would be lifted once the battle began.
Little Adam was shouting and cursing on his side, but his subordinates all watched him coldlyânot a single one sent their battle beasts forward.
Aside from the fact that Adam had thoroughly broken their trust, Cloud Peakâs battle beasts looked terrifying. Beings like Yangos and the others were clearly not to be trifled with.
"Fine! Fine! Fine!"
The little boy gnashed his teeth and pointed at his subordinates. "Youâre all against me, huh? Then donât blame me for what happens next!"
The others paled, knowing exactly what he meant. An older middle-aged man spoke up, "Even if we sent our battle beasts, youâd still choose to increase the reward. Youâre not worth our trust. If it werenât for yourâ"
"Shut up! SHUT UP!" The little boy screamed, cutting him off. He turned away, refusing to look at them, and pulled something out from his spatial equipment.
"A Beast Pool equipment?!" Ye Zhongming was shocked, growing even more suspicious of Adamâs identity.
At the start of the apocalypse, this child wouldâve only been two or three years old. How had he survived? Even if someone had taken him in, what about all his gear? Had someone given him a full set of gold-grade equipment? And even a precious Beast Pool?
Even if this was just a Miniature Beast Pool, it was still priceless!
"Ah Chong, kill them all!"
Adam aimed the Beast Poolâs exit toward the energy arenaâs entrance. Slowly, a silver centipede crawled out.
Many people instinctively loathed multi-legged creatures, and few chose them as battle beasts.
The silver centipede was over five meters long but slender, no thicker than a childâs arm. Rows of silver legs lined its body, glinting like its hard exoskeleton.
Its head showed clear signs of mutationâfour antennae, each tipped with a red bulb like a cherry, swaying and spinning in the air.
The head wasnât much thicker than its body, but its mouth was filled with razor-sharp teeth. Even slightly parted, they looked like a forest of blades.
Once inside the energy arena, the eight-level evolved centipede reared half its body up, staring at Cloud Peakâs side. Even when facing a behemoth like Yangos, it showed no fear.
"Mercury Centipede!"
Ye Zhongming recognized it instantlyâa creature he knew from his past life.
This lifeform had two defining traits:
First, its multi-legged, segmented body granted it incredible speed, making it extremely agile in battle.
Second, its silver exoskeleton was incredibly tough, nearly impossible to penetrate.
Fast and durable, this thing was a nightmare to deal with, even if it lacked other outstanding attributes.
On top of that, it retained the natural traits of a centipedeâdeadly venom and razor-sharp, powerful mandibles.
"Damn it, daring to look at your Grandpa Dragon like that? Iâm going in!"
Yangos cursed and flapped its wings, eager to fight. Even injured, its pride wouldnât allow it to tolerate such provocation.
Naturally, if a nine-level being had provoked it, Yangos wouldâve pretended not to notice.
Yellow Ball also signaled its desire to fight. Since entering the space, it hadnât contributed much and was itching for action.
These two were currently Cloud Peakâs most powerful battle beasts. Whichever one went up, Ye Zhongming believed victory was assured. Though the Mercury Centipede was strong,Yellow Ball and Yangos were top-tier battle beastsâdefeating it shouldnât be a problem.
The only concern was avoiding too many injuries. If the Mercury Centipedeâs venom accumulated in large amounts, it wouldnât be easy to handle.
Yangos and Yellow Ball glared at each other, neither willing to back down.
But suddenly, both felt a strange force pulling them apart as another lifeform inserted itself between themâcharging into the energy arena first.