Apocalypse Baby-Chapter 89: Dream World

The boy stiffened under the weight of Alex’s tone, but instead of panicking, he smirked lazily.

"Look, I didn’t mean to steal your kill," he replied, his voice annoyingly nonchalant.

"I just needed to level up before I fell asleep."

Alex’s frown deepened, his confusion briefly overriding his anger. "What the hell are you talking about?"

The boy sighed, rolling his eyes as if this was all an inconvenience.

"Don’t take my word for it. Look up and see for yourself."

Alex hesitated for a moment before loosening his grip slightly.

Keeping one hand firmly on the boy, he raised his gaze and scanned the surroundings.

What he saw made his brow furrow in disbelief.

All around them, scattered across the forest floor, were bodies—dozens of them.

At first glance, they looked like corpses, pale and lifeless.

Their eyes were stark white as if drained of all vitality.

Vines twisted and coiled around their limbs and torsos, crawling over their skin like grotesque parasites.

The sight was eerie, a scene straight out of a nightmare.

Alex’s grip on the boy slackened for just a moment, and the teenager seized the opportunity.

With a swift movement, he slipped free, scrambling to his feet.

The boy spun around, pulling out his bloodied scythe.

Its crimson blade gleamed ominously as he pointed it directly at Alex.

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Alex didn’t flinch.

He calmly stood, brushing the dirt from his clothes, his eyes scanning the eerie forest around them.

Confusion clouded his expression as he asked, his voice low but sharp:

"What is this?"

His gaze swept over the lifeless bodies entwined in vines.

"What happened here?"

The boy said nothing, clutching his weapon tightly, as if bracing for an attack.

Alex’s patience snapped.

His voice boomed with authority.

"Answer me!"

The boy flinched, visibly startled by the pressure emanating from Alex.

The weight of Alex’s presence seemed to crush the defiance out of him, and his scythe wavered. Slowly, he lowered the weapon, his expression shifting to one of unease.

"It’s... a nightmare," the boy said reluctantly. "The whole forest is. It’s what did this to them."

Alex narrowed his eyes, tilting his head slightly.

The answer was vague and unsatisfying and didn’t exactly answer the question.

"That doesn’t explain anything," he said, his tone cold and unyielding.

Before the boy could respond, he suddenly yawned.

His eyes widened in panic, and he slapped himself across the face, hard.

Alex raised a brow, watching the strange display.

The boy hurriedly covered his mouth as if trying to stop another yawn.

His voice was strained as he quickly explained, "Like I said... I tried to steal your kill because I needed to level up. If I don’t... I’ll fall asleep."

Alex frowned. "Fall asleep? What does that have to do with anything?"

The boy’s hands trembled as he gripped his scythe tighter.

"Once I fall asleep, I’ll enter the nightmare. And once you’re in, you don’t wake up unless you complete the trial in the dream world set by the Beast Lord."

Alex’s mind raced as he processed the information, trying to make sense of what he was hearing.

Nightmare, Trial, Dream World.

None of it made sense.

"Wait, take it step by step," Alex demanded.

The teenager shifted uncomfortably, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

"I don’t have time! I can barely keep my eyes open."

Alex narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms.

"What do you mean by ’nightmare’? Explain."

The boy took a shaky breath, blinking rapidly to fight the overwhelming drowsiness.

"It’s a dream world," he said. "Anyone in the Beast Lord’s territory who falls asleep ends up there."

Alex’s frown deepened. "And? What happens there?"

The boy then continued, his words rushed. "Once you’re in, the system commands you to complete task set by the Beast Lord. You don’t wake up until you finish. If you fail you don’t wake up. Ever."

Alex’s jaw tightened as he processed the information.

The boy then gestured to the forest around them like he was drunk.

"It’s the air here man. Something about it acts like sleeping gas. No matter how strong you are, sleep will come for you eventually."

His head drooped slightly before he jerked it back up, slapping himself on the cheek to stay awake.

"That’s all I know."

Alex stared at the boy, trying to make sense of the bizarre explanation.

Then, out of nowhere, a yawn escaped his lips.

His eyes widened in alarm.

What the hell?

He shook his head, his body suddenly feeling heavier, his eyelids betraying him with every passing second.

Why am I feeling sleepy all of a sudden?

His gaze snapped back to the teenager, who was now watching him with a grim expression.

The boy wasn’t lying—this forest truly was something else, something dangerous.

And now, Alex could feel it creeping in on him too.

Alex’s expression hardened, his gaze narrowing.

"And how do you know all of this? You’ve obviously never been in this dream world. So how could you possibly know?"

The teenager smirked faintly, though the exhaustion in his eyes was obvious.

"You should know about my patron, right?" he said lazily, his tone almost taunting. "The Blood Monarch? Yeah, the one who hates your guts. He told me everything."

Alex’s frown deepened.

"The Blood Monarch?"

The boy nodded, swaying slightly on his feet.

"Yep. Was really pissed when I entered a Beast Lord’s territory without any prep. Said it was suicide, but hey, here we are."

Alex’s mind raced.

It made sense that a god could relay this kind of information.

They would obviously have more insight far beyond anything players could comprehend.

His eyes scanned the young man, who was barely holding himself upright now.

He was clearly running on fumes, his body trembling as though it might collapse at any moment.

The teenager continued, his voice quieter but still filled with a strange resignation.

"The Blood Monarch told me there’s no escape once you’re here. Once you step into the Beast Lord’s territory, you’re stuck. The only way out is to pass the trial with other players. Otherwise..."

He hesitated, his words trailing off as if reluctant to finish.

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Alex forced back another yawn that threatened to slip out.

He could feel the forest’s influence creeping into his body, its invisible tendrils dragging him closer to sleep.

"Otherwise what?" he asked.

The boy didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he pointed a shaky finger toward one of the unconscious players nearby.

Alex turned his head just in time to see the body convulse violently.

Suddenly, thick vines shot out of the ground, wrapping around the player.

The vines pierced his skin, burrowing deep inside, and in mere seconds, the once-living person was reduced to a shriveled husk.

Alex’s stomach churned at the gruesome sight, but the boy’s voice broke the silence, now tinged with a sense of dread.

"That’s what happens," he said, his words chilling. "You fail, you become food. Or manure. Whatever you want to call it."

Alex’s gaze snapped back to the teenager.

"Food? For what?"

The boy smirked weakly, his face pale as he forced out his next words.

"The forest itself. The Beast Lord isn’t in the forest. The Beast Lord is the forest."