Apocalypse Baby-Chapter 81: Damn Monkey: Sacrifice

[Attribute Converter: Exchanges fifty assigned attribute points for a single upgrade stone, which can be used to rank up skills.]

Alex’s grip tightened around the converter as he made his decision. He’d thought it through. [Exploding Touch] wasn’t just his strongest skill—it was the one that could turn the tide of this fight.

If it had been any other moment, maybe he would’ve picked something else. But now? Against this smug, overpowered shaman? He needed something stupidly strong. Something that screamed overkill.

Exploding Touch was already devastating, but with an upgrade? It’d be game-changing.

Alex’s eyes flicked toward the shaman, who stood watching him with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. Then, almost as if the elder was tired of waiting, the shaman raised its staff, dark energy crackling ominously.

Alex didn’t hesitate.

He ran.

The elder shaman’s eyes widened in surprise, its dark aura momentarily faltering.

"Running away, human?" the shaman muttered, its lips curling into a sneer. "Pathetic."

The shaman floated into the air, its body unnervingly weightless, gliding after Alex like a ghostly predator.

Alex darted through the forest, weaving between trees and ducking under low branches, his mind racing almost as fast as his feet.

The elder shaman floated after him, its glowing eyes fixated, its staff crackling with ominous energy. The tension in the air was thick, each moment feeling like the countdown to an inevitable clash.

What kind of skill is that? Alex wondered, glancing over his shoulder.

The shaman’s eerie flight was unsettling, its movements smooth and ghost-like. It was a stark reminder that he had no idea what other abilities this ancient creature possessed.

How many more tricks does this old monkey have?

But Alex wasn’t running to escape.

He was running for time.

Time to execute his plan.

As he sprinted, Alex flicked his fingers, pulling up his [Stats] interface. The glowing panel hovered before him, displaying his current levels:

[Stats]

Strength: 85

Agility: 95

Intelligence: 65

Vitality: 60

[Stats Points Available]: 100

Alex grimaced. According to the [Attribute Converter], he couldn’t just use his unspent stat points directly, he had to assign them to his attributes first before converting them.

It was a frustrating going through that stress. Its like whoever was behind the mechanics wanted the player to first taste the rise in his attribute points before he sacrifice it.

What a sadist.

But Alex didn’t have time to complain.

His eyes scanned his stats, his mind working furiously. He needed to figure out which attribute he could afford to weaken without ruining his chances in this fight.

Strength? No. I need that for attacks.

Agility? Definitely not. It’s the only reason I’m not fried right now.

Intelligence? Can’t risk it—too many of my skills depend on it.

His gaze landed on Vitality.

At 60, it wasn’t stellar, but it wasn’t terrible either. If he had to make a sacrifice, this was the stat to cut.

"Vitality it is," Alex muttered, wincing at his decision.

With his agility so high, Alex knew it was hard for anyone to land a hit on him.

He also had [Minor regeneration] which was enough to patch him up whenever he got nicked, letting him bounce back from injuries quickly.

Unless, of course, the enemy managed to land a surprise attack.

But that wasn’t likely.

Not with [Foresight] keeping him one step ahead.

Even so, the tension in his body was undeniable.

Alex exhaled deeply, his focus divided between the glowing [Stats Screen] hovering in front of him and the elder shaman relentlessly pursuing him.

The pressure was mounting, but he knew what had to be done.

"I’ll lose so much HP," he thought grimly.

But risks had to be taken.

And this? This was worth it.

With his decision made, Alex called out firmly:

"System, assign 100 points to my Vitality."

The moment he gave the command, his Vitality stat climbed from 60 to 160.

The effect was instantaneous.

A warm, soothing sensation surged through his body, spreading from his core to his limbs like liquid sunlight.

His breaths came easier, his muscles loosened, and for a fleeting moment, he felt like he was invincible—like he could take on the world.

The numbers on his HP bar soared, rising steadily to reflect his increased durability.

It felt incredible like a massive weight had been lifted from his chest.

But Alex didn’t allow himself to bask in the rush for too long.

He shook it off, his expression hardening.

Don’t get attached to the effect.

This wasn’t the reward.

Alex then gripped the [Attribute Converter] tightly, sweat trickling down his temple as he muttered the command.

"Consume 100 points from my stamina to create two upgrade stones," he said, his voice firm despite the knot tightening in his chest.

The response was instant.

Two shimmering [Upgrade Stones] materialized in his storage, glowing faintly.

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But just as quickly, the invigorating effect of his boosted stamina vanished, leaving Alex slightly winded.

He grimaced, shaking his head to clear the fog creeping into his focus.

No time to regret it.

His gaze flicked back to the [Attribute Converter] in his hand, and he issued the next command, louder this time.

"Remove 10 points from strength, 20 points from agility, and 30 from vitality to create another upgrade stone."

The [Attribute Converter] didn’t hesitate.

No confirmation. No "Are you sure?"

It just took what it was told to take.

Alex flinched as he watched the numbers drop from his [Stats Screen], the changes striking like a physical blow.

His strength loss was negligible—he could live with that.

But the hit to his agility stung, and the drop in vitality was like a punch to the gut.

He felt the effects immediately. His body felt heavier, and his breathing grew slightly more labored.

Cruel, indeed.

Still, when the third [Upgrade Stone] appeared in his storage, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of grim satisfaction.

Three stones. Enough to turn the tide.

Alex barely had time to process his victory when a wave of searing heat surged toward him.

His instincts kicked in, and he leaped sideways just as a blazing attack crashed into a nearby tree, shattering it into a rain of embers.

The elder shaman wasn’t giving him any breathing room.

Alex gritted his teeth, pulling one of the [Upgrade Stones] from his storage.

The stone gleamed in his hand, radiating power that made the air around it buzz faintly.

No more running. No more stalling.

It was time to send that smug elder shaman straight to hell.