Apocalypse Baby

Back to Alex.

He stood deep in the dense forest, far from the battlefield where he had crushed the two factions that tried to kill him.

The sun dipped below the horizon, shadows stretching long and jagged across the undergrowth.

The once vibrant greenery faded into a sea of darkness, swallowed by the creeping night.

Alex exhaled, his breath slow and steady.

He sniffled, glancing down at his hand.

It twitched as bone snapped back into place, flesh knitting itself together in a slow, sizzling recovery.

A sharp sting ran through his fingers before fading, leaving only a faint warmth behind.

The air around him was thick—tainted with the metallic scent of blood and the crushed foliage beneath his boots. He flexed his fingers once, then again, making sure they worked.

A few feet ahead, moonlight barely cut through the towering canopy, casting an eerie silver glow over the scene. Shadows twisted across the ground, warping around the lifeless body sprawled before him.

A Rank B Giant Elephant.

The beast's massive frame dwarfed the surrounding trees, its thick hide still steaming from fresh wounds.

Its legs lay bent at unnatural angles, trunk slack against the dirt.

Deep gashes marred its body, dark blood pooling into the earth.

Its hide—thicker than steel—was torn open, deep wounds slicing across its massive frame. Blood seeped from the gashes, pooling beneath its heavy body.

Its skull? Crushed.

The bone had caved in under the sheer force of Alex's fist, leaving a jagged crater where its head had once been whole.

The impact had been instant—one strike, absolute destruction.

And yet, Alex was only Rank D. The beast had been Rank B.

The fallen giant wasn't alone.

More than a dozen massive elephants lay scattered across the battlefield.

Some had been torn apart, their limbs twisted at unnatural angles.

Others still oozed fresh blood, staining the ground in thick, steaming puddles.

A few had been burned to a crisp, their flesh charred black, smoke still curling from their ruined bodies.

This had been a herd—nearly a hundred strong.

Now? All dead.

Crushed beneath his might.

But Alex hadn't been the aggressor. He hadn't come looking for a fight.

He had simply been passing through, moving on his way when—out of nowhere—one of the elephants attacked.

But Alex had sensed the attack long before it happened.

From a distance, he had already marked the beast—slipping an explosion disk onto its thick hide.

So when it charged? He didn't flinch. He didn't move.

He simply snapped his fingers.

BOOM!

The elephant detonated, its massive body bursting into a fiery explosion.

Flesh, bone, and scorched hide scattered through the air, torn apart by the force.

The shockwave rippled through the trees, shaking the earth beneath him.

But then—he sensed it.

More.

A wave of elephants, moving with unnatural precision, their massive bodies thundering through the forest. They weren't just rushing toward him randomly.

They were tracking him.

Alex's eyes narrowed.

He already knew why.

A curse.

The same type as the Rooster Curse that had marked him during the cockatrice incident.

But this time, it attracted the elephants.

This time, he had no doubt—this was the Oracle's doing.

It was just like before. The same setup. The same sick game.

But Alex didn't let it drag out.

He ended it instantly.

The elephants were all Rank C beasts—dangerous, tough, and relentless.

But they weren't enough. Not against him.

With his innate skill [Exploding Touch] and his newly upgraded abilities, the fight wasn't a struggle.

It was a massacre.

Even the Rank B elephant—the strongest of them all—stood no chance.

Its massive, battered body swayed, struggling to hold itself upright. But Alex was already moving.

He stepped in. Fast. Precise.

With a sharp inhale, he raised his fist high above his head. Muscles tensed. Power coiled through his arm like a loaded spring.

Then—he brought it down.

A crushing overhead blow.

His fist slammed into the elephant's skull with a sickening crack, the force splitting bone and shattering the beast's last resistance.

Its massive frame collapsed, crashing into the earth with a final, heavy thud.

But the impact came at a cost.

Pain flared in Alex's wrist—fractured, twisted unnaturally.

He barely registered it before his supreme regeneration kicked in.

His bones realigned, flesh repaired, and within seconds, his hand was good as new.

The battlefield fell silent.

The elephants' rageful hooting, their deafening battle cries—gone.

All that remained was an unnerving stillness.

Alex took a step forward, his boots sinking into the damp earth, his breath steady despite the carnage surrounding him.

He wasn't shaken.

He wasn't exhausted.

Instead, a flicker of satisfaction crossed his sharp features.

Then—a notification flashed before his eyes.

Ding!

A familiar chime echoed in his mind.

[You have killed Giant Elephant]

[You have leveled up!]

That made the fourth level-up notification.

But it didn't stop there.

[You have received +20 stat points]

[You have received +4 power stones]

Then, another alert.

[Apocalypse Baby Kicking In]

[You have received an additional +20 stat points]

[You have received an additional +4 power stones]

Alex's smirk deepened.

"Not bad."

His title continued to prove its worth, doubling his rewards, accelerating his growth, and pushing him ever closer to the next threshold of strength.

Alex rolled his shoulders, stretching his arms.

His muscles, though relaxed, still buzzed with energy.

He had been on the move all day—hunting, leveling, dominating.

Now, he needed a moment to rest.

His sharp eyes scanned the terrain, searching. Within seconds, he found what he was looking for—a massive tree, its thick branches strong and sturdy.

Without hesitation, he moved.

He climbed with ease, his movements fluid and effortless—as if gravity itself didn't apply to him.

Hand over hand, foot over foot, he ascended the massive tree in seconds. The thick bark barely creaked beneath his weight as he perched himself high above the battlefield.

From up here, he had a perfect view of the destruction below.

The fallen herd stretched across the land, bodies twisted and broken. From this vantage point, the sheer scale of the carnage was undeniable.

Alex exhaled, then flicked his wrist.

His stat window materialized before him, glowing faintly in the dark. With a few quick selections, he navigated to the shop section.

His fingers hovered over the screen for a moment—then, with a tap, he confirmed his purchase.

A soft ding echoed in his mind.

A full-sized pizza and a bottle of orange juice appeared in his hands.

The scent hit instantly—melted cheese, rich tomato sauce, crispy golden crust.

Warm. Fresh. Perfect.

Without hesitation, Alex took a bite.

"Delicious."

Alex smirked as he took another bite, the cheese stretching slightly before snapping back onto the slice.

There was something absurd about this moment—sitting in the middle of a monster-infested forest, casually eating pizza like he was just on a lunch break.

But that was just who he was now.

A force of nature.

A swift-growing monster.

Still chewing, Alex then lifted a hand and swiped the air.

Fwoosh!

And his stat window blinked into existence, glowing softly before him.

His sharp eyes scanned the interface, flicking through the options.

It was time to choose a new skill and resume upgrading the rest.