Apocalypse Baby-Chapter 112: Giant Fall

A Couple of Minutes Earlier

Alex yanked his sword free from the massive corpse of a fallen Blight Bear.

Its dark, corrupted blood stained the blade, steaming in the cold air.

He exhaled, his breath forming icy plumes that quickly dissipated into the biting chill around him.

Straightening up, Alex glanced at his system panel, curious about how many Nightmare Points and Tutorial Points he’d racked up. The numbers flashed before him, and his eyes widened in satisfaction.

{Total Nightmare Points: 10,000}

{Stats Points: 500}

A slow grin spread across his face.

This... this is insane.

The 500 Stat Points alone were enough to mimic leveling up fifty times—a staggering reward for his efforts.

The bodies of countless Blight Monsters littered the frozen ground around him.

They had rushed at him relentlessly, like moths to a flame.

He had fought and slain every one of them without hesitation, turning the nightmare’s endless onslaught into his personal treasure trove.

But as satisfying as the bloodshed was, Alex noticed the eerie silence that now surrounded him. It was clear—the nightmare had run out of monsters to send.

"Tch," Alex muttered, sheathing his sword. "Guess that’s all the fun I’m getting here."

With no more creatures to hunt, he set his sights on the looming mountain ahead—the next step in his journey. It towered ominously in the distance, its peak hidden in swirling clouds. If the nightmare wasn’t done with him yet, it would be waiting for him up there.

The snow fell heavier as he approached the base of the mountain. Each step brought a sharper chill, the wind biting at his exposed skin like a pack of wolves. The frost would have been unbearable for most, but for Alex, it was as comfortable as a beachside stroll.

His Cold Resistance skill enveloped him like an invisible shield, dulling the harsh bite of the weather and leaving him unbothered by the freezing conditions.

As he trudged through the deepening snow, Alex’s mind sharpened.

The mountain was just the beginning, and whatever challenges awaited him at its peak, he’d face them head-on.

As Alex approached the mountain’s entrance, his eyes locked onto the first thing that stood out—a towering statue, easily over thirty feet tall, clutching an enormous axe.

Its stone frame was weathered and cracked, but its presence radiated an unmistakable sense of menace.

He stepped closer, his boots crunching against the snow, and tilted his head back to take in the massive figure.

His gaze settled on its eyes—carved from some strange material that shimmered faintly like they were waiting for something.

Alex’s instincts flared, sharp and clear.

This thing’s alive.

As if on cue, the statue’s eyes snapped open, glowing with an eerie light. Its head tilted downward, locking its gaze onto Alex with an unsettling intensity.

The air seemed to grow heavier, pressing down on Alex’s shoulders, but he stood his ground, meeting the statue’s gaze with one of his own—fiery, unflinching, and unyielding.

Then, in a voice that rumbled like an avalanche, the statue spoke.

"You... you possess a cursed sigil," it said, the awe in its tone dripping like molten lead.

Alex raised an eyebrow.

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"Is that going to be a problem?"

He suspected it would be.

The statue creaked ominously, its joints grinding like ancient gears.

It lifted its colossal axe, the blade gleaming even in the dim light.

"It is a problem," the statue intoned, its voice heavy with judgment. "Anyone who causes havoc in the nightmare... must be eliminated."

Alex’s voice was calm, almost bored, as he muttered, "Oh... so you’re going to kill me now."

He slid one hand casually into his pocket, his fingers brushing against the small, enhanced Blastshard he had kept there.

"Affirmative," the statue replied, its voice booming like thunder, echoing off the walls of the mountain’s entrance.

Alex’s lips curled into a faint smirk.

Without missing a beat, he activated [Dismiss], transferring the energy of the shard directly to the statue’s head.

The invisible charge was set, primed for destruction.

"It’s too bad," Alex said, his tone shifting to something sharper, more determined. "I’ve started moving, and I don’t plan to stop until I make it out of this nightmare."

The statue seemed unfazed by his words. Its massive stone joints groaned as it lifted its enormous axe high into the air. The blade glinted menacingly as it caught the faint light.

"I see..." The statue’s voice boomed louder, filled with finality. "Then die!"

The axe came crashing down with a force that could split the earth.

But...

SNAP

Alex triggered the [Blastshard]

BOOM!

The explosion erupted directly in the statue’s head, the force so immense it shattered the glowing eyes and sent chunks of stone flying in every direction.

For a split second, the head seemed to implode inward before the entire upper section of the statue exploded outward, a deafening roar accompanying the destruction.

When the dust settled, the headless giant’s body stood still for a heartbeat before collapsing with a thunderous thud.

The ground beneath Alex’s feet trembled as the massive figure fell, shaking the snow-covered landscape.

Alex stepped forward, now standing over the rubble of the fallen guardian.

He dusted some debris off his shoulder, his expression as calm as ever as he muttered with a faint chuckle:

"Well...that was easy."

Without another glance at the remains of the statue, Alex turned and made his way toward the mountain’s entrance.

Alex stepped through the entrance, his boots crunching against the frost-coated floor.

The dim light illuminated a strange sight ahead.

A monstrous, grotesque creature with three glowing eyes fixed unnervingly on a woman who tilted her head slightly to look at him.

Shock and terror etched on her face.

Alex tilted his head slightly, curious.

Something was certainly going on here.

He began to move, and as he got closer, he caught sight of something scrawled on the wall to his left. The faint, jagged lettering caught his attention.

{Rules}

He paused mid-step, his gaze narrowing as he began to read the scratched-out message.

Once you step onto the platform, follow the rules:

When the monster’s gaze is on you, do not move, or you’ll end up a dead fool. You cannot do this alone—do not try.

Lest you fall under Baranga’s hand and end up fried.

Alex raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a faint smirk.

"What kind of rule is this?" he muttered under his breath.

The rhyming lines felt oddly out of place in the tense atmosphere.

He squinted, rereading it carefully, but it didn’t stop him from critiquing the effort behind it.

Seriously, it sounded like a lazy, half-baked poem that someone just gave up halfway through writing it.

Despite how terrible the rule was, Alex knew better than to dismiss the warning outright.

He glanced back toward the woman.

She hadn’t moved an inch, standing as if her life depended on staying perfectly still.

Alex’s sharp eyes picked up the slight tremble in her arms, her muscles taut from holding her position for so long.

Alex didn’t need to guess why she couldn’t move—the beast’s gaze was fixed on her.

The rules were clear: if she moved, she’d be fried, just as the cheesy poem on the wall had warned.

His eyes flicked to the ground near the starting line of this trial.

Blackened streaks crisscrossed the floor like the remnants of a brutal warning.

He didn’t need to stretch his imagination to know what caused them.

"Burnt corpses," Alex muttered, his lips twisting in a grim line.

Most likely of players who didn’t follow the rules.

Since Freya was the only one left in the trial, Alex could piece the story together easily enough.

If anyone had made it out then they must’ve used her as bait to slip past.

She’d been abandoned, left to keep the beast distracted so the rest could make their escape.

In other words: A sacrificial pawn.