Apocalypse Baby-Chapter 88: Pursuit

Alex shot through the dense forest, trees, and undergrowth blurring past him as he closed in on the figure who had dared to steal his kill.

His eyes glowed faintly as he activated [Farsight], zeroing in on his target—a figure cloaked in black, darting through the shadows with quite the agility.

The cloaked figure moved swiftly, but Alex was faster.

Leaves whipped through the air, disturbed by the sheer force of his movement.

Back in the clearing, the Monkey King cautiously rose to his feet, his limbs shaky and his breathing labored.

He glanced around, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

The human was gone.

Why? Why wasn’t he dead?

The Monkey King’s mind raced.

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Did Alex simply forget about him? That seemed impossible.

Despite the momentary reprieve, the Monkey King’s instincts screamed danger.

He could still feel it—the ominous presence lingering around him, wrapping around his very soul like a noose.

Then there was the unmistakable sensation at the top of his head, where Alex had touched him. It was like a shadow of death itself clung to him, cold and inescapable.

"What… what is this?" he muttered, touching the spot. He shivered, realizing the grim reality: the bomb was still there.

He weighed his options, but none of them were good.

Run? Stay? Hide?

The Monkey King’s gaze darted toward the surrounding forest.

He’d heard stories about this place—dark tales of a cursed forest that consumed the life force of anything foolish enough to linger.

If the human didn’t kill him, the forest might.

The Monkey King’s thoughts raced as he pieced together the grim reality.

From what he had observed, Alex’s explosive ability relied on touch.

And Alex had touched his forehead.

That could only mean one thing: his head was essentially a ticking time bomb, primed to detonate whenever Alex willed it.

The Monkey King exhaled shakily, his chest heaving as fear clawed at his mind.

If anything, putting as much distance as possible between himself and that terrifying human seemed like the only option.

Maybe the ability has a range. If I get far enough, maybe I’ll survive.

But even that hope felt like clinging to a thread over a bottomless pit.

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There was no guarantee that running would change the fact that an invisible bomb was planted on his head. Yet doing nothing was worse.

His eyes darted nervously, scanning the forest in the direction Alex had disappeared. The human had left, but the weight of death still lingered around him, suffocating and unrelenting.

The Monkey King clenched his fists, forcing his trembling legs to move.

It turned, bolting into the forest as fast as its legs could carry him.

Leaves crunched beneath his feet as the wind whipped past its ears.

Each step felt heavier than the last, the dread weighing on his heart making his breath shallow and uneven.

But just as he took another step forward—

BOOM.

His head imploded with a deafening crack, pulling inward before violently exploding outward in a shower of blood and gore.

Chunks of flesh and bone splattered across the forest floor, staining the leaves in crimson.

The Monkey King’s lifeless body crumpled to the ground, the light in his eyes fading instantly.

Meanwhile, Alex, who was still in pursuit of the mysterious cloaked figure, saw multiple notifications flashed before his eyes.

Ding!

You have defeated the Monkey King.

Level Up!

Level Up!

Level Up!

[You have received 15 stat points]

[You have received 3 power stones]

[You have received skill: [Multiplicity]

[Multiplicity]:

- Create up to 5 clones of yourself, each possessing 20% of your strength.

- Original can give remote commands and switch places with a copy.

Alex couldn’t help but mutter while still running:

"Okay...that’s an amazing skill."

[Apocalypse Baby Kicking In!]

[You have received an additional 15 stat points]

[You have received an additional 5 power stones]

[You have received Skill: [Danger Sense]

[Danger Sense]: A passive skill that heightens your sensitivity to danger. Your body instinctively reacts to threats, giving you a crucial edge in critical moments.

Alex glanced at the glowing notifications as he raced through the forest, chasing the shadowy figure who had dared to interfere with his hunt.

The [Multiplicity] skill immediately intrigued him.

He could use the clones for offense, distractions, or even bait to mislead his enemies.

And then there was [Danger Sense].

This passive ability was why the Monkey King had managed to avoid instant death so many times.

It explained how the creature had kept evading his explosive traps just long enough to prolong the fight.

But now, that power belonged to Alex.

But then his grin faded as the eerie sensation crept up his spine.

[Danger Sense] had begun to work

Alex’s brow furrowed.

The further he ran, the heavier the air seemed to grow, pressing down on him like an unseen force.

He had felt something unsettling the moment he entered this forest, but now, the eerie feeling was everywhere and amplified.

It didn’t feel like danger from a single entity but rather as if the whole forest were pointing blades at him.

Alex slowed for a moment, his sharp eyes scanning the surrounding trees.

"What the hell is this?"

He muttered, his voice low.

He knew this was a Beast Lord’s territory, but this felt different—wrong.

It was as if the entire forest itself were alive, watching him, warning him to turn back.

The aura it emitted wasn’t just powerful; it was suffocating as a predator’s eyes fixed on its prey.

For a brief moment, a flicker of doubt crept into Alex’s mind. Should he leave?

Then he shook his head.

"Focus," he told himself, narrowing his eyes.

The oppressive atmosphere was unsettling, but it wasn’t his main concern.

His target was still ahead—the cloaked figure who had fired the blood arrow.

Alex’s thoughts shifted as he recalled the arrow itself. Its crimson glow and aura were unmistakable.

The blood arrows reminded him of the Blood monarch and Alex wondered if it was possible the god had sent one of his candidates to mess with him.

The possibility made him grin.

If the Blood Monarch had indeed sent someone, then Alex already knew how this would end.

He had dealt with the god’s candidates before—and none of them had survived.

This one will be no different.

Up ahead, the cloaked figure came into view, darting through the forest like a shadow.

Alex’s grin widened.

Without hesitation, he activated [Fast and Furious].

And Alex moved like a thunderclap.

One moment, the cloaked figure was running, the next, Alex was right there, slamming into him with the force of a battering ram.

"Ughhh!"

The stranger groaned as Alex’s shoulder drove him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him.

Before the stranger could recover, Alex pinned him down, his knee digging into the figure’s back while his hands gripped the cloak tightly.

With one swift motion, Alex yanked back the hood, revealing the face beneath.

Alex froze for a moment, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"What the hell?!" he muttered.

The face staring back at him wasn’t what he expected.

It was the face of a young man—a teenager.

His features were sharp but still youthful, his eyes wide with defiance.

The boy wasted no time.

His hand darted toward his storage, pulling out a gleaming dagger, and with a swift motion, he aimed it at Alex’s chest.

But Alex was faster.

He swatted the weapon away effortlessly, the dagger spinning off into the underbrush.

Then, with the same fluidity, he slammed the boy’s face into the dirt, holding him down with one hand using [Exploding Touch] just in case.

"Who are you?"

Alex demanded, his voice calm but laced with menace.

The boy clenched his jaw, refusing to answer.

Instead, he struggled against Alex’s grip, writhing and twisting in a futile attempt to break free.

Alex sighed.

The kid was strong for his age, but compared to Alex, it was like a twig trying to snap a steel bar.

As the boy continued to squirm, Alex studied his face more closely.

There was something oddly familiar about him.

Alex narrowed his eyes, his grip on the boy’s neck tightening slightly as a flood of recognition hit him.

He had seen this person before.

It was during the beginning of the tutorial when they were on the tower.

Back then, amidst the carnage, Alex remembered the scene vividly: a kid, sitting casually on the edge of a towering structure, a bloodied scythe resting on his shoulder.

The same scythe that had mercilessly cut down every person unfortunate enough to appear alongside him.

Alex’s jaw clenched.

The coldness in his gaze was enough to make the boy tense up.

"You’ve got one minute to explain why you tried to steal my kill or be ready to lose your life."