Apocalypse Baby

Without hesitation, he raised his hand, fingers tensing, ready to blast the undead to smithereens just like he did the vendors, but Freya grabbed his wrist.

"What are you doing?! Don't blow him up!"

The undead chuckled, his teeth gleaming unnaturally white against his decayed skin.

"I must agree with your companion. I'd appreciate it if you didn't."

His hollow gaze locked onto Alex, unblinking.

"Without me, you cannot begin the trial. My role is to introduce players to the rules."

His grin widened.

"And I do so enjoy my job."

The way he stared at them made Alex's skin crawl.

He didn't want to tolerate this thing's presence any longer than necessary.

Alex narrowed his eyes.

"I think we can find a way around that."

Alex's voice was cold, his fingers still twitching with the urge to detonate the undead where it stood.

Freya's eyes widened in disbelief.

"No, we can't!" she shouted. "And neither can the other players who show up after us! So just let him explain the damn rules!"

Alex let out a slow breath through his nose, lowering his hand.

She was right.

As much as he hated it, he couldn't be selfish.

He'd blow up the undead later.

For now, they had to play along.

Freya clicked her teeth in irritation. She had no idea why Alex had such an issue with the undead, but she wasn't about to waste time arguing.

She turned toward their creepy, grinning guide.

"Alright then," she said. "Can you explain what it is we're facing?"

The undead's rotting lips curled into a grin, revealing jagged, yellowed teeth.

"Sure…"

His voice dropped into a guttural rasp.

"This trial is called... the Death Maze."

"Death Maze?" Freya repeated, her brows knitting together.

The name alone sent a bad feeling crawling up her spine.

The undead guide gestured with a skeletal hand, directing their attention to the enormous labyrinth before them. It stretched for miles, its towering stone walls pulsing faintly with magic. A shimmering veil covered the top, likely preventing anyone from seeing what lay inside.

"The name is self-explanatory," the undead rasped. "Run through the maze and find a way out. Simple, right?"@@novelbin@@

He chuckled, the sound dry and hollow, like bones clicking together.

"Of course, there's a catch. Monsters will be hunting you. Traps are everywhere. One wrong step, and you're dead. And scattered throughout the maze, you'll find undead vendors, eager to sell you items that may or may not help you survive."

Freya folded her arms. "That's it?"

"That's basically it." The undead flashed another rotting grin.

Alex narrowed his eyes.

Like hell it was that simple.

Nothing in the Nightmare trials had been easy so far, and he doubted that would change now.

Especially when the vendors were involved.

Alex had dealt with these undead vendors enough to know one thing:

They thrived on desperation.

And what could be more desperate than players trapped inside an endless maze, running in circles, unable to find a way out?

His mind was already piecing things together as he asked, "Is there a countdown?"

The undead shook its head. "None."

"Are there players who never make it out?"

"Plenty." The guide grinned, enjoying the tension. "Some have been at it for days. Others... well, they die before they get the chance."

Alex exhaled sharply. Figures.

"So we should watch out for our fellow players as well," he muttered, almost as if speaking to himself.

Freya blinked. "What makes you say that?"

Alex turned to her, looking almost insulted. "You're seriously asking that? After everything you've just seen?"

Freya frowned, still not getting it.

Alex sighed, then explained:

"Think about the second trial. There were traps. There were monsters. And in the end, the Nightmare forced players to kill each other."

His voice lowered as he gestured toward the maze.

"This is no different."

Freya scratched her forehead, deep in thought.

Sure, she understood that players would try to kill each other for Nightmare Points, but how did that actually help them escape the maze?

Then it hit her.

The vendors.

Her eyes widened slightly as she turned to look at Alex.

He smirked, already knowing she had pieced it together.

"The vendors will sell things you need," he repeated. "And what currency do they trade in?"

Freya clenched her jaw. "Nightmare Points."

"And what's the easiest way to get Nightmare Points?"

Freya's fists tightened as she stared daggers at the undead guide.

"By killing another player."

"Exactly."

Alex crossed his arms, nodding in satisfaction.

As expected.

This place was twisted.

It wasn't just the monsters that were the problem.

The real danger was how the game forced players to turn on each other.

The maze wasn't just a trap—it was a meat grinder, designed to keep players desperate, paranoid, and fighting for scraps.

Alex had no doubt that things would get even worse from here.

And the worst possible mistake you could make was going in with someone you cared about.

He glanced at Freya.

Somewhat.

The undead guide's hollow voice interrupted his thoughts.

"So, are you two ready to begin?" It raised a bony finger, its grin stretching unnaturally wide. "Just step forward, and I'll send you to a random starting point in the maze."

Then, in a tone that was almost… helpful, it added:

"By the way, you don't have to go in alone. You can enter as a group."

It gestured behind them. "There are still players who haven't started yet. You could wait, form a party, and increase your chances of survival. It's… advisable, really. The more, the better." Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire

Freya and Alex exchanged a glance.

The more, the better?

Yeah. Like hell.

Alex crossed his arms, watching Freya bite her nails, lost in thought.

She was nervous—and with good reason. The game was rigged. There was no good option here, only different flavors of bad.

Taking a sharp breath, she exhaled.

"What are the advantages and disadvantages of going in groups?"

The undead guide tilted its head, as if amused by the question. "If you enter as a group, you'll encounter fewer traps and weaker monsters. However, the correct path will be much harder to find."

It paused, then added:

"If you go alone, the paths will be clearer—but the number of traps will increase, and the monsters will be much stronger."

Freya frowned. "…So basically, it's bad or bad."

The undead shrugged, its bony grin unwavering.

Thinking about it both options were both terrible.

If you got fooled by the false safety of a group, it was only a matter of time before desperation set in.

Frustration would build. No progress. No escape. And when people got desperate?

They turned on each other.

Killing for Nightmare Points.

Going solo, on the other hand, meant tougher monsters and deadlier traps. Only those confident in their strength would take that risk.

People like Alex. Or the old Ronin.

Maybe Ezekiel. Dorion?

Then the undead spoke again. "You can also go in pairs."

Freya's eyes widened.

She exhaled in relief, like an invisible weight had been lifted.

Now that wasn't a bad option.

She could go with Alex.

He wouldn't kill her for Nightmare Points as she was sure he wasn't lacking any.

But then—before she could even ask—Alex stepped forward.

"There's no need. I'm going solo."

Freya's breath caught in her throat.

Wait—what?

She tried to stop him.

"Wait... we haven't—!"

The undead guide didn't wait for her to finish.

"If that's your choice, then good luck, Player 666."

Freya's stomach dropped.

He was just going to leave? Just like that?

Her hand shot forward.

"Wait... don't—!"

But it was too late.

Alex was already gone.