Battle cries erupted from the other side.
Since Cannibal Chain flanked Cloud Peak on one side and Governor Spade on the other, while competition existed with the former, outright conflict wouldnât break out unless absolutely necessary. As for Governor Spadeâs side, wary of Cloud Peakâs first-arrival status, the massive leader hadnât targeted them even as the staircase battle commenced post-countdownâat least for now.
"Boss Ye!"
The shift in address reflected Ruan Xiao and Wu Xiuâs current mindset.
Cannibal Chain was indeed formidable, their collective magic attacks potent enough to unsettle even Ye Zhongming.
But ultimately, those were skillsâbound by cooldowns and mental energy constraints. Cannibal Chainâs wealth allowed them to equip their ranks with identical magic skills, amplifying power through synergy.
Yet they couldnât possibly endow every member with high mental energy reserves or cooldown-reducing gear and potions.
In short, Cannibal Chainâs short-term burst was terrifying, but sustained combat was their weak spotânot fatal, but a prolonged fight would drastically diminish their effectiveness.
The Death Staircase Contest perfectly exploited this vulnerability.
Twenty factions had survived rigorous trials to reach this point. None were pushovers, even if individually weaker than Cannibal Chain.
The Wheel Spaceâs rules were clear: only one faction per staircase. Thirteen would be eliminated.
While the rules didnât specify elimination consequences, deaths during the struggle were inevitable. The final survivors might well be just seven factionsâthe rest, if not annihilated, reduced to remnants.
Facing this, Cannibal Chain urgently needed reliable allies.
Five minutes might seem brief, but in the apocalypse, where every evolved was superhuman, battlesâespecially in confined team-scale zonesâwere brutally decisive.
Five minutes could see thousands of evolved perish.
And how many had Cannibal Chain brought?!
"Cooperate with us. Name your terms. At the summit, weâll assist your Mountain King Wheel bid."
As Cannibal Chainâs deputy leader (Ye Zhongming wasnât sure of her exact rank), Wu Xiu demonstrated exemplary leadershipâfighting fiercely when advantageous, yet pragmatic enough to cut losses when necessary.
Ye Zhongming agreed.
Confident in Cloud Peakâs ability to secure a staircase alone, he knew the toll would be steep. Desperate factions wouldnât shy from confrontation when cornered.
Casualties were inevitable.
An alliance with Cannibal Chain offered mutual benefitâand a chance for Cloud Peak to eliminate rivals.
"Magic scrolls."
Two words conveyed Ye Zhongmingâs admiration for Cannibal Chainâs mage corps.
Good things belonged in oneâs own pocket.
Wu Xiu responded briskly, as if anticipating this demand.
"Iâll tryâquantity and tier both."
Ye Zhongming nodded silently.
A specific promise wouldâve rung hollowâaccumulating enough scrolls for their mage corps was a Herculean task even for Cannibal Chain.
"Try" carried more sincerity than numbers.
Ye Zhongmingâs gaze fixed on the nearest stone staircase.
"This one?"
"Agreed."
Wu Xiu immediately signaled her forces to charge the occupied passage.
Cooperation didnât mean outsourcing their battles.
From his vantage on the ring-shaped path, Ye Zhongming glimpsed distant clashesâtoo chaotic to identify participants.
"Xia Bai, take two squads and Yangos there. Hold backâkeep that passage contested without securing it."
With only seven staircases, Cloud Peak and Cannibal Chain claiming two required strategy.
Prioritizing Cannibal Chainâs capture first, Ye Zhongming aimed to seize another for Cloud Peak later.
Full commitment now might leave Cloud Peak vulnerable elsewhereâa risk not worth taking.
Keeping a second passage in flux was idealâsecure one allyâs path first, then pivot.
Cannibal Chainâs ranks erupted in brilliant flames.
Not Fireballs this time, but Raging Skyfireâa wind-fire hybrid spell using air currents to amplify flameâs reach and area damage at the cost of single-target potency.
Perfect for the current scenario.
The staircaseâs occupiers, Red Death (named as a counterpart to the Black Death, with the apocalypseâs virus turning humans into "red" zombies), had established a strong defensive position after weathering two assaults.
Three more repelled attacks would grant them passage rights.
Then the sky turned crimson.
As flames cascaded down, Red Deathâs gaunt leader looked up, fear flashing before battle-hardened resolve took over.
Barking orders in an obscure tongue, he rallied dozens of evolved who raised their hands, emitting black sand that linked into a net.
With a thrust toward the heavens, the leader launched the sandâ
âjust as the inferno descended. â