"Never thought the day would come where Immortal kneels before us." The Waning Essence System cackled aloud, resembling a building-sized drum-shaped apocalyptic monster. They had all integrated themselves into the apocalyptic scenario to better counter their opponents.
The Core Skill Manifestation unleashed by Apocalypse was terrifying in that it could affect even Genre Representatives. But, the reason only Apocalypse unleashed it was because it had its price.
Fifty percent of all Mental Energy!
The loss of one level!
Inability to use the Core Skill for the next century!
This was the price for activating the Core Skill Manifestation. And, losing a level was too sharp a price for a Grade 3 System, as it took them tens of thousands of years to gain the necessary Mental Energy. Moreover, being unable to activate the Core Skill for a century meant they would be out of commission for that period, which allowed the Genre Representatives to target the worlds they were working on.
Moreover, depending on the level, the power of the Core Skill Manifestation varied. Therefore, when Apocalypse activated it, the rest of the Grade 3 Systems simply followed its lead and integrated themselves into the picture. After all, as one of the oldest Systems, Apocalypse was the strongest among Grade 3 Systems.
Grade 3 System—Apocalypse (Level 299)!
Grade 3 System—Apocalypse (Level 298)!
It lost a level, losing its status as a peak Grade 3 System. But considering the level of the enemies they were facing, it was a necessary price.
"I'm gradually accumulating exhaustion," Slayer muttered, clenching his hand into a fist as he unleashed multiple attacks to annihilate the common apocalyptic monsters produced in the place.
Thankfully, the Fantasy World was barred from its effects, so Slayer wasn't worried about the natives. Though, Apocalypse hadn't targeted the Fantasy World because it would stretch its Core Skill Manifestation thin, making its effects weak and easy to breach.
After all, the foundation of the Fantasy World was strong enough to keep the Regression System's power of time at bay.
Boom!
Slayer glared in anger as the apocalyptic monsters he just killed reformed their bodies to charge at him once again. Their timelines were regressed by the Regression System.
In this manner, the Regression System constantly pressured its opponents.
Bam!
Balveta collapsed to the ground, fainting immediately. She currently looked like she hadn't drunk a drop of water for more than a week, hadn't had a morsel, a wink of sleep, and worst of all, had been fighting nonstop during the entire time.
Both her body and mind had endured until the breaking point before giving in, resulting in her falling out of commission.
"Slayer, Balveta fainted!" Keel shouted in alarm, carrying Balveta as he dodged a forest of tentacles that sprung out from underneath him.
"Hmm…" Slayer thought for a moment upon observing his surroundings become more and more stable. An apocalyptic bubble had formed in his universe, one that was gradually becoming more and more solid as Apocalypse continued to fuel its growth.
It added a variable into the universe's power structure, one of an apocalypse.
'If this goes on, we'll be devoured by the apocalypse.' Slayer thought as he closed his eyes, sighing as he recalled his past, from a time when he was a weak System Slayer, having dived into a world facing an apocalyptic setting.
At that time, a native of the world had imparted him wisdom, something Slayer forgot down the line. After all, with otherworldly powers, he never had to restrain himself to the condition and situation of a world.
But now, when the situation forced him into an apocalyptic setting, one that he couldn't escape from, even with his otherworldly powers, he recalled the imparted wisdom.
"Three ways to survive an apocalypse," Slayer muttered as suddenly, Apocalypse stopped targeting Arnark and had to focus on him.
Slayer placed his hand on the ground and immediately, the surface rumbled, causing large hills to protrude out of the ground to wash away the nearby dilapidated buildings.
The hills had a steep cliff, akin to a wall, reaching a height surpassing two hundred metres, the same height taken by Grade 3 Systems in this scenario. The area it spanned was around a square kilometre as immediately, grass jutted out of the ground, rapidly absorbing the stale air to freshen it up gradually.
Moreover, a geyser gushed out from the centre to result in a pond, one where fish began to live in immediately. Trees grew in the surroundings, enlivening the place as some of them reached a height surpassing a hundred metres, with their fruits growing to the size of a human before falling to the ground.
Exiting the pulp were humanoid creatures, roaring the moment they were created as they rushed to the hills. Growing at the top of the hills was a sort of bamboo out of which bows and arrows were produced, equipped by the Fruit Humans.
Finally, a spiritual tree grew at one edge of the pond, reaching a height of two hundred fifty metres, absorbing the energy from the apocalyptic setting to generate mana, the same present in the Fantasy World.
This mana gushed into the bodies of the Universe Relic Wielders, freshening them up a little as soon after, Balveta got up. She was still exhausted, but now, the surroundings healed her, both physically and mentally.
"Rest a little." Slayer cautioned her, "Only then will you be able to endure this fight long-term."
"The first way to survive an apocalypse is to gain access to a resource replenishing facility. And this here generates everything we need."
He then noticed how the Systems were making camps already, with the Grade 2 Systems generating their respective races already to form the core army that would invade during the apocalypse.
"This battle wouldn't end anytime soon. Until one side suffers a crippling defeat, this war will continue…especially since there are three sides now." Saying so, Slayer glanced at a truck that was rushing past the rubble of a skyscraper, evading the apocalyptic monsters to close in on an almost defeated Immortal.
His eyes focused on the figure of Compass Carburettor seated in the truck, feeling nervous as he communicated with Arnark, "Why didn't you kill Compass?"
"I couldn't," Arnark landed beside him to stare at the truck and state solemnly, "Even though I stole Lore and the power of the Relic, I couldn't gain anything that forms what he represents."
"You mean to say…?" Slayer trailed, looking at Arnark to get a decisive answer.
"Ignore them," Arnark said decisively, "Zaira wants Stencil and Gehera. So, the Systems would do everything in their power to get their hands on them. And that makes them Compass' mortal enemy."
"Let them wear each other out. Let's not interfere." Arnark said, "Don't forget that in terms of being the Main Character, Compass is scarier than me. And Hazen is still alive."
"Let Zaira bang her head in trying to kill them."
