Apocalypse Baby

He jabbed a finger toward the cave. "No player is allowed inside."

"You mean I'm not allowed in," Alex corrected, his gaze sharp.

Oracle's frown deepened.

"Well," Alex continued, voice calm but firm, "you can't tell me what I can or can't do."

Oracle's fur bristled.

"I CAN!"

His voice boomed, shaking the entire area.

"I'M THE OVERSEER!"

Alex exhaled through his nose, unimpressed and unmoved.

"Seriously? You don't hear the desperation in your own voice?"

"Don't test me human."

"Oh do your worst."

Alex teased and without hesitation, he took a step forward.

Oracle flinched.

His heart clenched.

Alex was in the cave. He had totally ignored his threat.

A soft chime echoed in Alex's mind, and a notification flashed before his eyes.

Alex's breath hitched as he read it.

Then, a slow, satisfied grin spread across his face.

"Oh? If I wasn't supposed to enter…" He turned to Oracle, amusement flickering in his gaze. "Then why am I getting a notification that I'm eligible to participate in something called a Legacy Trial?"

Alex kept his gaze locked on the glowing text in front of him, scanning through the details.

"Don't read that!" Oracle's voice cracked with urgency, panic creeping into his usually composed tone. "The system hasn't flagged this as dangerous, which means it's still letting players in, right?"

Alex barely spared him a glance.

He hummed thoughtfully, eyes flicking through more of the information.

Then, his lips curled into a grin.

"Oh? A tournament against powerful players like myself? And—hold on—new realm players?" He chuckled. "No clue what that means, but they sound like fun opponents."

Oracle clenched his jaw.

He clicked his teeth in frustration.

"You have no idea what you're signing up for." His voice was low, measured, but there was an unmistakable edge of dread.

Alex turned to him, amusement flickering in his eyes. "But you do. And isn't that exactly why you're trying to stop me?"

Oracle stiffened. "I'm just doing what's best for the players."

Alex arched a brow.

"It is my duty," Oracle insisted.

Alex scoffed, his eyes narrowing as he stared down Oracle.

"Don't hide your bias, Carrot Nibbler," Alex said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's pretty obvious you don't want me around. Ever since you found out I'm an anomaly, you've been trying to get rid of me. Talking about how you'd kill me if you could—nonsense like that. So don't give me that 'duty' crap."

Oracle's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

His jaw tightened, eyes flicking to the orb he held.

He hated this. He hated Alex's audacity, his sheer defiance.

But more than that, he hated that he couldn't just get rid of him like he wanted.

He wanted to end this, to eliminate Alex before he became a threat, but now?

With one word, Alex could activate the Legacy Trial and vanish.

And everything Oracle feared would be set in motion.

Alex's words cut through the tension.

"You've been messing with me from the start," he continued, his voice steady, but carrying an edge of annoyance. "For some reason, everyone else got a class, but you didn't let me choose one. Not that I'm complaining... But then, you throw me into a dangerous zone with no weapons, no equipment. Not even the basics—like shopping, or how to read a map. And to top it all off, you get other players to attack me and brand me as a monster, saying I was about to become some freakin' Beast Lord."

Oracle's eyes flashed, but he quickly masked his irritation with a forced smile.

He tried to stay calm, offering a way out.

"Well, if it's a class you want, you can choose one now," he said, trying to be reasonable.

Alex didn't even hesitate. "Like hell I will."

Oracle's smile faltered, but he pushed forward, his voice laced with a hint of desperation. "Maybe... I could give you a unique item or weapon along with it."

Alex's gaze hardened, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Don't bother, Rodent."

The insult hit its mark.

Oracle's jaw clenched, his fists tightening as Alex's words stung.

"You bastard," he growled, "If you don't even want a class, why complain about it?"

Alex shrugged, his expression unfazed.

"I dunno, maybe it's because I'm just pissed off at how unfair everything's been. Pissed that you've been targeting me, trying to mess with my life, and going as far as shrinking my skills." He took a step forward, his gaze intense. "Like that's something I can just ignore."

Oracle's glare hardened. "Unfair? You're the one walking around with a broken title."

Alex's lips curled into a cheeky grin. "Well, it's not my fault I'm special, is it?"

The words hit Oracle like a slap in the face, but he didn't show it.

He narrowed his eyes, his voice low and dangerous. "You're right. It's not. But don't think that gives you a free pass to participate in some grand trial against powerful figures just because you're a bit of a genius."

Alex didn't flinch. His confidence only seemed to grow with Oracle's frustration.

"I doubt I'm a 'bit' of a genius if you're making such a big deal out of it. But, yeah, I'm accepting the prompt."

Oracle's expression darkened, his teeth grinding together.

He knew he was losing control of this situation, and that thought alone made his temper flare.

But there was nothing he could do to stop Alex now.

Oracle's voice boomed, filled with frustration. "You're making a mistake!"

Alex's eyes narrowed, his tone as cold as ice. "I don't think you care that much."

He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a more serious tone.

"What are you really afraid of, Oracle? That I'll actually win this trial?"

Oracle scoffed, brushing off Alex's question with a wave.

"There's no scenario where that happens. You have no idea what kind of entity you'll face in there. You're playing with forces you can't comprehend."

Alex's grin spread wider, eyes gleaming with defiance.

"The fact that you're lying means I actually have a shot, don't I?"

Oracle's jaw clenched. "No, that's not—"

But Alex cut him off, his grin never fading. "Well, thanks for the vote of confidence. I really needed that, Carrot Nibbler."

"No, don't!" Oracle shouted, stepping forward with urgency, his eyes locked on the glowing prompt before Alex.

But Alex was already making his choice.

Without hesitation, his fingers hovered over the prompt.

"Yes. I agree to participate in the Legacy Trial."

"Wait, don't!" Oracle's voice cracked, but it was too late.

In a flash, Alex vanished, the prompt's light fading in the air, and with it, the unique signature that came with the Legacy invitation.

Oracle stood frozen, his gaze fixed on the now-empty cave, his chest heaving.

The silence around him felt suffocating.

Then, Oracle crumpled to the ground, his knees hitting the stone floor with a heavy thud.

His hands trembled, fists clenched in frustration.

The reality of the situation hit him hard.

Alex was already in and there was nothing he could do about it.

But there was no way he was going to just sit back and wait.

With burning anger in his chest, Oracle gritted his teeth.

There were only two things he could do now.

One: Hope that Alex wouldn't make it out alive.

Two: Be prepared if he does.

And gods, he prayed it would be the first—because if Alex returned, Oracle wasn't sure he could deal with the version of Alex that would return. Even with the The Last Override.