Apocalypse Baby

The second trial was about to begin.

A notification flashed before every player's eyes, and in that instant—

Tension filled the air.

The nervous chatter from moments ago vanished as reality set in.

No one paid attention to the exploded vendor's shop anymore.

And the culprit behind the destruction?

Alex.

He stood there, still grinning like a madman as if he had just finished a work of art.

Freya, standing beside him, had a look of sheer disbelief on her face.

"Did you really have to—" she started but stopped herself.

There was no point.

Instead, she just sighed and shook her head.

Meanwhile, every player began moving toward the starting line—

A narrow cliff's edge that overlooked a deadly chasm.

They were anxious. Tense.

Only a few, like Alex and Onigi, seemed excited.

Then they saw it—

The trial itself.

A path of floating, tile-like platforms stretched across the molten abyss.

Each platform was separated by wide, uneven gaps.

Some were close enough for a simple jump.

Others would require perfect timing, speed, and agility.

One wrong move... and it was over.

Below, the lava bubbled and popped, sending up small bursts of flame like a living, hungry beast. It looked alive like it was waiting to swallow anyone who fell, the heat making sweat drip down their faces.

The players gulped.

Some clenched their fists.

Some adjusted their gear.

But they all felt the same thing.

Dread.

A new notification then flashed before everyone's eyes.

Ding!

[Welcome to the Second Nightmare Trial]

[Rules]

Use the footholds to cross to the next door. Try not to fall—lest the lava claims you.

[Reward]

3,000 Nightmare Points 30 Upgrade Points

[Note]

Some footholds will crack immediately upon being stepped on. Others will hurl you sideways or even drag you backward. Some trigger deadly traps. And if that's not enough… expect Nightmare Bats and aerial monsters to attack mid-jump.

The moment the players finished reading, panic set in.

Some sucked in deep breaths.

Some gulped, suddenly regretting ever signing up for this.

Others dropped to their knees, unable to handle the pressure.

The reality of the situation hit them hard.

One mistake… just one… and they were dead.

Freya let out a long, slow exhale, trying to steady herself.

Then, the final notification appeared.

Ding!

[Without further ado, let the trial begin.]

A loud buzzer echoed through the cavern.

And yet… no one moved.

Tension hung thick in the air, paralyzing the players.

Except for one.

With a powerful leap, Onigi launched himself onto the first floating platform. Then another. Then another.

He moved like a blur, bounding forward with insane speed.

His clan members, seeing their leader charge ahead, snapped out of their hesitation and followed, leaping onto the platforms after him.

But the rest of the players?

They stood frozen, watching in stunned silence.

Until...

SHING!

A barrier trap snapped into place the moment Onigi's foot left a platform—designed to lock him in and push him backward.

But it caught nothing.

Only his afterimage.

By the time the trap activated, Onigi was already gone.

Then...

FWIP!

A dart shot out of nowhere, aiming straight for his neck.

In a split second, Onigi twisted midair, blade flashing—

CLANG!

The dart was deflected, spinning harmlessly into the lava below.

The players watching from the cliff's edge gasped.

Some in awe.

Most in terror.

This trial wasn't just about jumping. It was a death trap.

And no one wanted to go next.

Until, a new notification flashed before their eyes, glowing red,

Ding!

[Warning: Any Player who does not begin in the next 5:00 minutes, will automatically be attacked by a limitless amount of Nightmare Monsters]

"Eeh?!"

The time began its countdown.

[4:59]

Panic erupted.

Players started rushing forward, scrambling onto the platforms.

Even Freya, after taking a deep breath, stepped onto her first tile.

The trial had truly begun.

Freya turned to look at Alex.

She had a feeling—a gut instinct—that he hadn't moved yet.

She suspected the madman might wait till the timer ended so he could battle some monsters.

But when she glanced back she saw he was gone.

Her eyes darted forward to find him.

And there he was.

Already ahead.

Her breath hitched.

When did he...?!

She shook the thought away.

Why even bother.

Of course. He had shown insane speed and agility in the first trial.

It made sense that he could move that fast.

But then...

Chaos erupted.

Two players leaped toward the same platform.

They crashed into each other, in mid-air—flailing, grasping, panicked.

SPLAT!

They tumbled straight down—plunging into the molten lava below.

Their screams were short-lived.

The lava swallowed them whole.

Freya's breath hitched.

And it was only getting worse.

Up ahead, one of Onigi's men stepped onto a platform—

WHOOSH!

His foot slipped.

His balance shattered.

CRACK!

He hit his head on the edge of the platform—stunned—before his body rolled over the side.

Another life was lost.

Then, a woman froze in terror.

She had made it halfway across, but the gaps were getting wider. The jumps were getting harder.

Her breathing was ragged.

Her legs refused to move.

She hesitated.

And then—

CRACK!

The tile beneath her split apart.

Her eyes widened.

She tried to jump—too late.

She plummeted.

A horrified scream echoed through the cavern—until the lava cut it off.

Someone yelled, desperate, frantic...

"Don't stand on a tile for too long! It'll crack!"

*

Onigi was far ahead.

The only one leading the charge.

But he felt disappointed.

He had expected a race—a battle of skill and speed—between him and Alex.

Instead, Alex was taking his time.

Onigi clicked his tongue in annoyance.

He turned his head to track Alex but froze on seeing someone else.

Kato was moving towards Alex.

His intention was obvious.

So he has made up his mind huh?

Onigi's grip tightened on his sword. Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire

But then he sighed, shaking his head.

If Kato had already made up his mind, it wasn't his problem.

He turned away.

But then...

A piercing screech shattered the air, and Onigi's instincts screamed at him.

He spun around and saw a massive bird.

Tainted black with withered, drooping feathers and withered skin.

It was bigger than an eagle and it dove toward him.

Talons extended. Beak wide.

WHOOSH!

A flash of steel.

SHLICK!

And the Blight bird was split clean in two.

Onigi calmly slid his sword back into its sheath.

Then he looked up.

And saw them.

More.

A flock of Blight Birds.

Their hungry eyes locked onto him.

And behind them—

A black cloud.

A writhing, chittering, shifting swarm.

Hundreds—maybe thousands—of nightmare bats rushing toward him.

Onigi's lips curled into a grin.

"Now this is more like it."

He dashed forward—meeting them head-on.

*

Meanwhile, behind him…

Alex hopped onto a tile.

Then another.

Then another.

His flips flops letting out a swish sound as he landed.

He hummed with his hands still tucked into his pockets as he smirked.

So far this had been a breeze.

Alex glanced at the chaos ahead and noticed Onigi had already was engaged with monsters.

He grinned.

He wanted in.

But first...

His eyes shifted to the presence stalking him.

A silent shadow at his side.

Alex barely tilted his head, catching a glimpse.

It was one of Onigi's ronin.

The one who had attacked him before.

Kato was it?

He had heard someone yell the name earlier.

Kato didn't speak.

He just kept moving alongside Alex.

But his glare screamed murder.

Alex remained casual. Unbothered.

Then...

In an instant.

A fireball exploded toward him, roaring like a beast unleashed, and it came from Kato's outstretched palm.

His eyes burned with manic intensity as he poured more power into the flame, swelling it larger.

But...

CRACK.

The tile beneath Kato shattered forcing him to leap to safety.

He lunged to the next platform just in time, barely escaping a fiery plunge into the lava.

He whipped his head around—grinning—expecting to see Alex burned to a crisp.

Instead...

The Alex he had hit…flickered then vanished like a mirage.

An afterimage.

His grin vanished.

Then his gaze snapped forward and he saw Alex was already ahead.

Still humming and moving like nothing had happened.

Kato's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

It was as if Alex wasn't taking him seriously.

Like he couldn't be bothered to accommodate him.

This pissed Kato off and his grip tightened around his sword.

He chased after Alex with more vigor.

With a sharp breath, he lunged forward towards Alex—his blade cutting through the air in a blazing arc.

A fiery slash erupted from his weapon, tearing toward Alex's back.

The attack was fast. Precise. Deadly.

But...

CLANG!@@novelbin@@

The flame shattered against an invisible force.

Alex untouched and unaffected by the attack kept moving.

[Aegis Arcane] shimmering around him, dispersing the attack like it was nothing.

Kato's breath hitched.

Then Alex turned towards him and grinned tauntingly.

Kato frowned.

That grin.

Like he was toying with him.

Like he wasn't even taking this seriously.

Kato snapped and he roared, lunging forward.

"Damn you!"

His sword rose, ready to cleave Alex apart.

But then a deafening screech.

The sky darkened.

WHOOSH!

And multiple giant Blight birds descended all at once.