Apocalypse Baby-Chapter 114: Too Fast

The confidence in Alex’s words sent a chill down Freya’s spine, and she couldn’t hide her confusion.

She didn’t know whether to call him brave or outright insane.

He didn’t seem suicidal—he had been sharp enough to figure things out quickly, after all—but challenging Baranga directly?

That was as good as asking to be incinerated.

Yet, there was something about him that convinced her otherwise.

That made her believe him.

The sheer confidence he exuded wasn’t just bold; it was overwhelming.

It filled the space around him, seeming to bend the atmosphere itself to his will.

Freya bit her lip.

She had no doubt he was strong—probably stupidly strong—but this wasn’t a trial you could bulldoze through with muscle alone.

This trial had rules, and from everything she’d seen, brute strength didn’t matter much against them.

Or... was there something else?

Had he found a loophole?

Freya’s eyes narrowed, scanning his every move for some hidden strategy she might have missed. But no, from where she stood, it didn’t seem like it.

Alex, meanwhile, stared down Baranga like a predator sizing up its prey.

His fiery gaze was locked on the beast, unflinching, unyielding.

To Freya, it looked like he intended to face the creature head-on, relying solely on brute strength.

He can’t possibly think that’ll work... can he?

She hesitated for a moment longer but then turned away.

Like he said, I shouldn’t worry about it.

The stranger had made his choice, and whatever happened next was on him.

Though she’d been foolish enough to be honest before, she wasn’t foolish enough to ignore an opportunity when it was handed to her.

Freya gritted her teeth, her mind sharpening with resolve.

I’ll take it.

She lunged forward.

Baranga’s head snapped toward her as usual, but something felt... off.

Freya’s sharp instincts picked up on it immediately.

The beast’s reaction was slower than she’d expected.

Its movements were still dangerous but it lacked the lightning speed she’d seen before.

Her frown deepened in confusion.

From what she had seen the closer someone got to the finish line, the faster and more aggressive Baranga became.

She’d witnessed it herself when Dorion and Ezekiel pushed ahead.

But now?

Baranga wasn’t moving nearly as fast.

Not as fast as it had been when Dorion and Ezekiel had tried to rush through.

Why?

The inconsistency gnawed at her as she glanced back, unable to shake the suspicion that the stranger was altering the way the beast behaved.

Alex shifted his weight and took another deliberate step forward.

The beast’s gaze snapped toward him instantly, its movements sharp and precise.

Now that was fast, Freya thought.

She was right. Baranga was certainly more focused on the stranger.

It was almost like Baranga had a personal grudge against him, its every reaction charged with relentless intent, as though it was determined to catch him off-guard.

But Alex didn’t flinch.

Instead, a confident grin spread across his face. He stood tall, like a predator toying with its prey. Each step he took seemed to mock the beast’s efforts, taunting it to try harder.

Freya watched in disbelief, her heart pounding.

What kind of lunatic smiles in a situation like this?

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This was no game to her.

She’d seen too many players fall here.

Too many scorched into oblivion, their lives extinguished in the blink of an eye.

And yet, Alex moved as if the threat didn’t exist, like he was enjoying the tension.

Freya shook her head, forcing herself to focus.

She shifted her position carefully, testing the beast’s reaction.

When it stayed fixated on Alex, she took her chance.

One step.

Another.

Just one more leap, and she’d cross the finish line.

Meanwhile, Alex continued his deadly dance. He moved forward again, his steps calculated yet casual, drawing Baranga’s attention like a moth to a flame.

The beast roared in frustration, its claws scraping against the ground in sheer annoyance as it tried and failed to catch Alex.

Freya’s breath hitched. Almost there.

With Alex holding the beast’s full attention, she was now free to make her final move. The finish line was within reach.

Freya slowly turned toward Alex, her expression a storm of emotions.

Her eyes were filled with a complicated mix: of confusion, guilt, and gratitude.

Alex, standing tall amidst the chaos, simply waved at her with a carefree grin plastered on his face.

"Go ahead," he muttered, his voice calm and steady, as though the situation was nothing more than a casual stroll.

Freya hesitated for a brief moment, the weight of the decision pressing on her chest.

She didn’t know what to feel—sadness for leaving him behind, guilt for taking the opportunity he had given her, or assurance in his confidence.

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But she nodded.

She couldn’t let his sacrifice be in vain.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped past the finish line, landing on solid ground with an audible exhale of relief.

The moment her foot crossed, a familiar sound broke the tension:

Ding!

A series of notifications appeared before her:

[You have cleared Trial 1 of Nightmare.]

[You have received 2000 Nightmare Points.]

[You have received 20 Upgrade Stones.]

Freya glanced at the words, barely processing them as her thoughts raced back to Alex.

Her relief was short-lived.

What’s his plan now? How does he intend to escape?

Turning around, she scanned the platform, her heart pounding as her eyes sought him out.

But as her gaze locked on where he had stood moments before—

Alex was gone.

He had vanished into thin air, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"No!" Freya exclaimed, her voice trembling as she stumbled a step backward.

Her wide eyes scanned the trial zone.

Only one figure remained standing within the fiery chaos—Baranga, the monstrous beast.

But where was the stranger?

Her heart thudded painfully in her chest.

Did he get scorched? Vaporized in an instant?

Something didn’t add up. It didn’t feel like he’d been defeated, but...

"Why do you mean ’No’?"

The cheeky voice came from her side, startling her.

Freya whipped her head around, and there he was—the stranger, casually adjusting his hat and flashing a toothy grin as though they were sharing a harmless joke.

"I told you not to worry about me," he said, his tone playful and full of swagger.

Freya’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

"H-how?!"

One second, she had seen him standing right in front of Baranga, and in the next, he had completely disappeared.

Now he was here, calm as ever, like nothing had happened.

"It’s simple." He shrugged nonchalantly as if explaining the easiest thing in the world. "The moment that ugly orangutan turned to look at you, I ran."

Freya froze for a second.

And then responded, incredulous.

"You ran?"