Apocalypse Baby

Onigi's sword flashed a brilliant blue as he activated a defensive skill to brace against the incoming attack.

The air around him shimmered with energy, forming a protective barrier that should have deflected any assault.

But nothing happened.

No clash of steel, no explosion of force—just an eerie, silent howl that washed over him like a tidal wave.

It wasn't a physical attack; it was something far more insidious.

The soundless scream burrowed deep into his mind, clawing at his thoughts and distorting his senses.

His vision blurred, the world around him twisting into a chaotic mess.

The tiles beneath his feet, once solid and predictable, now warped and shifted like liquid.

Patterns swirled and melded together, making it impossible to tell where to step next.

Onigi gritted his teeth, his instincts screaming at him to move, but his body hesitated.

He had missed a step.

His foot hovered over empty space, and the molten lava below seemed to surge upward, eager to claim him.

But Onigi was no novice.

He tightened his grip on his sword, and the blade flared a fiery red.

Flames erupted around his body, forming a protective cloak that burned away the mental fog clouding his mind. His vision cleared—just enough.

With a ferocious roar, he lunged forward, his blade slicing through the air with precision and power.

SHIIING!

The fiery edge of his sword tore through the massive demonic face that had materialized before him, splitting it clean in two.

The Nightmare Bats that had formed the monstrous entity burst into flames, their screeches turning into agonized wails as they scattered like dying embers.

One by one, they plunged into the lava below, their forms disintegrating into ash.

The battlefield fell silent, save for the crackling of flames and the distant echoes of combat.

Onigi landed just past the finish line, his knee hitting the ground as he exhaled sharply.

His chest rose and fell with each heavy breath, his body aching from the exertion. But there was no time to rest.

A glowing notification appeared before his eyes, its text bright and unmistakable.

Ding!

[You have completed the second trial]

[You have received 3,000 Nightmare Points]

[You have received 30 Upgrade Points]

Onigi raised a brow as he read the notification, his sharp eyes scanning the battlefield behind him.

His men were still pushing forward, their numbers visibly thinner than before.

The relentless waves of creatures had lessened—likely due to his and Alex's relentless onslaught—but it wasn't enough.

Many of his men had fallen, their bodies swallowed by the chaos of the trial.

And now, with the traps growing even more overwhelming, more were still falling.

Then, a scream pierced the air.

Onigi's eyes snapped to the source, where one of his ronin was being snatched up by a Blight Bird.

The creature's massive talons dug into the warrior's armor, lifting him into the air as he struggled in vain.

Without hesitation, Onigi moved.

His sword flashed from its sheath, the blade poised to cut the creature down with a single stroke.

But then his sword stopped mid-air, as if striking an invisible wall.

Something was wrong.

A faint shimmer in front of him made it clear: a barrier.

Just like the one that had stopped Baranga from attacking players who had already cleared the trial.

It prevented him from attacking the creatures or going back to aid his men.

Onigi exhaled sharply, a mix of frustration, regret, and realization washing over him.

He had been so focused on securing first place—on proving his strength—that he had forgotten his role as a leader.

He should have stayed behind, guiding his men, ensuring fewer casualties.

Instead, he had rushed ahead, leaving them to fend for themselves.

And the worst part? Even after all that, he still hadn't gotten first place.

With a sigh, Onigi lowered himself onto the ground, sitting cross-legged in a lotus position. Now, all he could do was watch.

The notification hovered in his vision, displaying the rewards for clearing the trial.

[Reward]

- 3,000 Nightmare Points

- 30 Upgrade Points

And then...

He expected bonus points for reaching first place.

…But there were none.

Onigi's brow furrowed.

That meant only one thing: he wasn't first.

Someone had beaten him to the finish.

Slowly, he turned, and there, sitting casually on a rocky platform behind him, was Alex.

The younger man was grinning, his hat tilted in greeting, his eyes dancing with amusement.

Onigi sighed, running a hand through his hair.

How? He hadn't even seen Alex pass him.

He was about to turn away, letting it go, when something shifted.

A ripple in the air. A faint, almost imperceptible distortion in Alex's aura.

Onigi's eyes narrowed, and then it hit him.

A chuckle escaped his lips, followed by an amused exclamation:

"Young man, aren't you a little too greedy?"

Alex's grin widened as he shook his head:

"You're a shrewd one, aren't you?"

Onigi smirked, muttering inwardly.

Shrewd? Not quite. I should have sensed it sooner.

Alex leaned forward slightly, his voice calm and confident.

"To answer your question..."

His grin sharpened as he replied:

"Yes, I am greedy. I want it all."

*

[Multiplicity]: Create up to 5 clones of yourself, each possessing 20% of your strength. The original can give remote commands and switch places with a copy.

Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire

Suddenly, at the starting line, another Alex appeared, standing with a grin. He had planned this from the start. Before he even began the trial, he had left behind a clone. Now, he could use the second perk of his skill.

[Multiplicity]: Switch places with his clone.

And why go through all that trouble? Well... it all started with a simple notification.

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

One word stood out to him:

Limitless.

Alex's grin sharpened. That was free stat points.

A golden opportunity to farm them like crazy.

No way he was passing that up.

His plan was simple:

• Leave a clone behind at the starting line.

• Proceed with the trial as normal.

• When the five-minute timer ran out, switch places with his clone.

• Get "penalized" for not starting the trial.

• Trigger an endless swarm of Nightmare Monsters.

• Slaughter as many as possible before swapping back.

Unlimited enemies. Unlimited rewards.

And just like that—the hunt was about to begin.

Now, it was time. Alex stared at the countdown.

[0:00:5]

[0:00:4]

[0:00:3]

[0:00:2]

[0:00:1]

[0:00]

A glowing red notification flashed before his eyes.

[Penalty: For not beginning the round, hordes of Nightmare creatures will hunt you down. Even if you begin now, they will still pursue.]

Alex's grin widened. "Music to my ears," he whispered.

He was no stranger to decimating hordes. No matter the kind of monster.

His fingers played with the Blast Shard in his pocket as the sky above him darkened. Nightmare Bats swarmed together, blotting out the light.

Some were massive, others smaller but just as vicious, their eyes glowing with hunger.

Mixed in were Blight Birds, their skeletal wings slicing through the air like blades.

Then, a faint glow pulsed at the back of Alex's neck.

The creatures snapped their heads toward him, their screeches turning into a unified, bloodthirsty roar.

Like a single entity, they dove—fast, unrelenting, violent.

But Alex didn't flinch.

Instead, he stepped forward, took a deep breath, and unleashed a sonic scream.@@novelbin@@