Apocalypse Baby

The moment Alex spoke, [Petrify] shattered.

Kyiv's body lurched back into motion.

His instincts screamed—Move!

And he leaped away, his sword raised high, his eyes burning with fury.

On seeing this Alex clicked his tongue.

Tsk.

This was a problem.

His clone only had 20% of his real strength.

That meant [Petrify]'s duration and that of his other skill was weaker.

His skills were significantly nerfed.

If that wasn't the case then the one-armed swordsman shouldn't have broken free so soon.

From the sidelines, Kato watched.

His brows furrowed.

He had faced Alex before, and he knew how powerful [Petrify] was.

No one ordinary person could break free from that skill.

So what the hell was this?

Kato's mind raced.

He could tell Kyiv wasn't that special.

There was no way the one-armed swordsman was stronger than him.

So how?

How had he broken free?

His eyes narrowed.

Something else was at play.

There was only one explanation that made sense.

And it was that Alex was weaker than he thought.

Maybe he had been using a power-boosting skill all this while.

Onigi, as if reading Kato's thoughts, then uttered under his breath.

"Whatever you're thinking now is an illusion. You will gain nothing from this."

Kato's frown deepened.

His master words were vague, cryptic as always, and useless.

He had no time for riddles.

With a scoff, he turned away.

Focusing his gaze on Alex and Kyiv to understand more. Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

There was silence and the air around two seemed to crackle with tension, the weight of the situation pressing down on everyone present.

Xeno, who was somewhat close to Kyiv, broke the silence.

"Kyiv… what are you doing?"

The one-armed swordsman's jaw clenched.

His fingers tightened around his sword.

"There is no other way," he muttered through gritted teeth.

"There are no nightmare monsters left to kill. No one is dumb enough to hand over their points. That leaves only one option."

A deadly silence fell.

Then Kyiv continued, voice grim.

"Unlike back in the tutorial, where killing a player only gives you a percentage of their points…"

His breath hitched.

"Here, you get ALL of their Nightmare Points and Upgrade Points."

The weight of his words settled over everyone.

A chilling realization.

They were stunned expressions.

But Alex was unmoved by the new info.

His face remained unreadable.

Of course, he hadn't known about this mechanic.

But he wasn't surprised.

This realm was ruled by a twisted being—one that wanted nothing more than to see them all break and fall so their bodies outside will be consumed.

Alex's eyes narrowed as a thought crossed his mind.

"I see," he muttered, his voice eerily calm.

He took a step forward, staring down at Kyiv.

"The reason you know this… is because you've killed before. Is that right?"

Kyiv's grip on his sword tightened.

A flicker of something...guilt?

No. Resignation...passed through his eyes.@@novelbin@@

Then, with a deep breath, he nodded.

"Exactly."

His voice held no regret.

No hesitation.

Then he turned his gaze locking onto Onigi.

A smirk played on his lips.

"That Dorion kid you keep asking about?" Kyiv tilted his head slightly.

"He probably killed your daughter for the same reason."

A sharp intake of breath. The Ronins tensed.

Knuckles whitened.

Veins pulsed in anger.

Murderous intent filled the air.

Alex sighed. This damned place.

Nothing but death and blood.

He turned his head slightly, eyes flickering to Freya.

She was still frozen in shock.

Her breathing was uneven.

She had almost died just now.

Alex sighed once again.

Was it his problem if she did die?

Probably not.

But at the same time…

Someone who walked with him shouldn't die so easily.

If anything she would rather die to the nightmare devices than a fellow player kill her.

More importantly, he had another curiosity.

He wanted to know.

How long would his clone, with only 20% of his original strength, last against other players?

Alex let out a sigh, though inside, he was grinning.

"I don't have a choice but to kill someone, so I hope you understand."

"I don't to be honest."

"She is the weakest here so it makes sense she is the one who dies? Is that clear now?"

Alex tilted his head.

No way that's a serious question.

It was absurd.

The man in front of him had clearly lost his mind.

Freya, the target of his word was also reasonably pissed.

Her expression was cold, as she took out her blade raising it in defense.

"I'd admit. I'd have zero confidence in making it out alive. But I'd be damned if I let a disabled bastard tell me where my end would be."

Kyiv gritted his teeth, and then he yelled.

"I have obligations!"

"Doesn't deem your action right," Alex responded.

"I have a daughter!"

"I have a daughter so I have no choice. No matter what, I will proceed to the next trial. I will escape this hell… No matter what."

Alex paused for a second.

Then he continued.

"Well, even with that…" he said, slowly drawing his weapon [Murzok Fangblade].

"I still can't let you kill her. Daughter be damned."

Kyiv's mouth widened in disbelief, then it closed and his expression twisted into fury.

His grip tightened on his sword.

Then, with a deep breath, he lifted his blade and pointed it directly at Alex.

"You asked for this," Kyiv said, voice firm.

But there was a bit of hesitation behind his words after all he had seen Alex in action.

Alex's fingers curled around the hilt of his weapon.

The dark, serrated edge of the blade gleamed.

Tension crackled in the air.

Only one person in the crowd truly understood what was happening—Onigi.

The old man watched in silence, arms crossed.

He knew.

He knew Alex was a clone.

But he didn't say a word.

And Alex understood why.

The old man wouldn't bother fighting a weaker version of him.

He also wouldn't inform the others.

Because like Alex, Onigi was curious.

He wanted to see how long Alex's clone could last.

To gauge his real strength.

But there was a problem.

If Alex lost here…

If his clone was defeated…

What would that mean for him?

If his clone died, his original body wouldn't be able to swap in time.

That meant he'd have to restart the trial.

Not that he was worried about it and would be any problem.

But it seemed like such a drag.

So what were his options?

Fight, or… Fight.

A grin stretched across his face.

There was only one choice he'd ever make.

He would fight and see how long he could last just for the fun of it.

Kyiv studied him carefully.

Alex didn't seem like was going to back down.

His face darkened.

"You know… I only need to kill one person to get the points I need."

His fingers flexed around the hilt of his sword.

"If that person is you...so be it."

Alex's grin widened.

"Then what are you waiting e at me."

His words provoked the swordsman.

And Kyiv moved.

In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Alex.

His sword flashed downward, aiming for Alex's neck.

But Alex was ready.

He raised his blade in an instant—

CLANG!

Steel met steel and shockwave of force erupted from the impact rippling through the air.