Apocalypse Baby

"Oh... what the hell is going on here?"

Alex muttered, his eyes scanning the area as he turned his head left, then right.

The people standing before him were all too familiar.

Onigi—the old Ronin, standing firm as ever, his hand resting lightly on his sword's hilt.

Dorion—the scythe-wielding teen, the one with ties to the Blood Monarch, his expression unreadable.

And then there was another guy.

A warrior clad in heavy armor, gripping a massive greatsword.

Alex could feel the tension crackling between Onigi and Dorion, the way their stances were slightly angled toward each other, their fingers twitching toward their weapons.

It wasn't hard to guess what was going on.

A fight was brewing.

But it wasn't his fight.

He had zero intention of getting involved.

Whether they killed each other or not?

Not his problem.

He just wanted out of this damned maze.

Then—

Footsteps.

He turned.

Another familiar face emerged.

Freya.

"Seriously." Alex muttered under his breath.

"What the hell was happening?"

A reunion or something?

Freya stepped into the tense scene, but she wasn't alone.

A new face was with her—a mage or something similar, from the looks of it.

Alex's gaze lingered on the newcomer. Something felt… off about her. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he made a mental note to stay cautious.

Meanwhile, Ezekiel and Dorion had also noticed Freya.

Their reactions were instant.

Ezekiel's face twisted in shock—his mouth opened slightly as if the words had been stolen from him. Guilt flickered across his expression.

"Freya?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Dorion, on the other hand, had a very different reaction.

He grinned. Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire

"You're alive. I didn't think you'd survive that."

Freya clicked her teeth in irritation. Seeing either of them again was the last thing she expected. And judging by the way they stood next to each other, it was clear—they were working together.

"Well, I did," she said, crossing her arms. "Happy to see me?"

Dorion's smirk didn't waver.

"No, not really."

Then, without missing a beat, he turned to Alex.

"But I am happy to see him, though."

Alex furrowed his brow.

"What was that about?"

Dorion's words had rubbed him the wrong way, but before he could dwell on it, another voice cut in.

"Alex," Onigi spoke up, his voice carrying an edge. "I thought you said you didn't know each other?"

The old ronin had been watching their exchange carefully, his expression darkening. Something wasn't adding up.

They all seemed familiar with each other. Too familiar.

And yet… if Onigi recalled correctly, Alex had denied ever being associated with Dorion.

So what was this now?

His grip on his katana tightened.

Alex turned toward him with a deadpan expression and answered,

"We don't. He tried to kill me. Told me a tree is taking people to a dream realm. Passed out. Then I passed out. Now we meet again. That sums up our interactions."

There was a brief silence before someone else replied.

"Oh, is that so…?"@@novelbin@@

The voice came from Freya.

"Then tell me, Alex—how would you sum up our interaction?"

Alex's brain stalled.

Where the hell is that coming from?

Freya's words cut through the tension, her tone sharp with frustration.

"You just left me. Without even saying anything."

Alex exhaled through his nose, turning slightly but not fully facing her.

"Did I have to?"

His response only made Freya's eyes narrow.

From the side, Dorion let out a chuckle, clearly enjoying the exchange.

"Oh, you two know each other?" he remarked, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Alex ignored him, but before he could respond, Onigi spoke up, his voice carrying the weight of exhaustion and anger.

"Alex," the old ronin sighed, rubbing his temple. "Are you going to get in my way? I've lost too many, and the only thing I feel right now is rage. I don't want to unleash it on the wrong person."

Alex turned his head, meeting Onigi's steely gaze.

"Why do you keep dragging me into this?" he muttered. "If you wanna kill him, go right ahead."

He waved a hand dismissively.

"I'm leaving."

Alex was just about to take a step when suddenly—

A pair of arms wrapped around his.

Alex froze.

What. The. Hell.

Dorion had locked him in a tightly, his grip unnervingly strong.

"What the hell are you doing?" Alex muttered, completely baffled.

Dorion's voice came next, dramatic and pleading.

"Brother, don't do me like this."

HUH?

Alex's entire body stiffened.

"Brother?!"

"Alright, you're insane. Get off me!"

With a sharp motion, he shoved Dorion's arms off, stepping back as if trying to shake off the lingering awkwardness.

And as if things weren't already dramatic enough, a voice echoed from behind.

"Player 666."

The chilling voice cut through the air, making everyone freeze.

They all turned at once.

An undead stood before them.

Unlike the vendor or the guide they had encountered before, this one was different.

It wore no clothes.

No robes, no armor—just bare, bones.

Its hollow eyes locked onto Alex.

"Player 666. You cannot keep breaking the rules."

Alex sighed, completely unfazed.

"This again."

Ezekiel, on the other hand, was visibly confused.

"Who's Player 666?" He frowned. The number alone sent a shiver down his spine.

Freya, arms crossed, gave a casual nod toward Alex.

"It's the one and only..."

Dorion's eyes widened.

He took a sharp breath.

"Seriously? You of all people got the number 666? That is both strange and cool. One heck of a coincidence."

Is it?

Alex barely had time to question Dorion before the undead spoke again.

"Player 666, you..."

Boom!

Alex sighed and snapped his fingers.

The undead's head exploded in an instant.

Flesh and bone scattered, dissolving into dark mist before it even hit the ground.

He was so damn tired of hearing that same monotonous voice every single time.

But then...

Footsteps.

More of them.

His eyes flicked around.

Undead.

They were everywhere.

Emerging from the shadows, stepping through cracks in the walls, forming from black mist.

Left. Right. Front. Back.

The group was completely surrounded.

Then, in a voice that sent a shiver down their spines, all of the undead spoke in unison.

"Since Player 666 has refused to listen and has broken the rules, disrupting the trial, he is to be eliminated....along with the players with him."