Apocalypse Baby-Chapter 98: Ridiculous Demand

Alex blinked. "You’re kidding."

Jenkin chuckled a dry sound that echoed like hollow wind through its ribcage.

"Do I look like I’m kiddin’, partner?"

Still clutching his sword, Alex allowed his eyes to wander around the store.

It wasn’t exactly what he’d imagined for a mystical shop.

The place was shabby, dimly lit, and cluttered with... organs.

A quick scan revealed bones, a jaw with a tooth hanging loose, a suspiciously human-looking kidney in a jar, a brain floating in green liquid, an eyeball staring back at him, and two round balls...he decided he didn’t want to think too much about.

He looked back at Jenkin, unsure whether to feel disgusted or impressed.

"So...what do you sell?"

The skeleton’s sockets seemed to brighten as if it had been waiting for that question.

Jenkin leaned on the counter, spreading its bony arms theatrically.

"Well, partner, I sell potions, weapons, gear, accessories, and other fine items that’ll aid your survival. As long as you’ve got the points, I can get you what you want!"

Alex crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at the strange skeleton vendor.

"So basically, this is like [Shop]," he muttered to himself. "Except it’s physical, and you trade with points instead of coins."

His gaze drifted back to the macabre setup—the shelves lined with human organs in jars, the bony cowboy grinning like this was all perfectly normal.

Yeah, no.

"I’ll pass," Alex said flatly, shaking his head.

The system had already explained that Nightmare Points could be used for more than just purchases.

They could unlock hidden locations and other useful perks.

He’d rather save them for something crucial later than blow them on whatever creepy trinkets this skeleton was hawking.

Besides, he wasn’t about to buy gear from someone who thought floating kidneys counted as décor.

But as he walked, a nagging thought struck him.

He then decided to open the [Shop] interface, the familiar menu flickering to life in his vision.

But the moment it appeared, Alex’s heart sank.

Right at the top of the screen, there was an icon he hadn’t seen before: a padlock.

"No way," Alex muttered, narrowing his eyes.

He tapped the icon, half-hoping it was some kind of glitch.

Instead, a notification popped up in front of him, confirming his worst suspicion.

[You cannot access [Shop] in Nightmare.]

"Seriously?" Alex muttered, his voice dripping with frustration.

His hand instinctively clenched into a fist, and he let out a slow, aggravated breath.

This is fucked up.

The Nightmare was rigged, deliberately making survival nearly impossible for players.

Alex’s mind raced as he pieced it together.

Players couldn’t level up properly. They couldn’t use the upgrade stones they fought so hard to earn. And now, even the [Shop]—a vital resource for things like potions and food—was locked.

Sure, the Nightmare Points offered an alternative, but they came with a massive catch.

According to the system, these points were crucial for unlocking an important location that led to the Grim Lord. Stay updated with novelbuddy

But if you splurged on the creepy vendor’s goods, it was possible you’d never save enough to access the location.

And that was the real trap.

The system hadn’t told him the exact amount of points needed, but Alex could guess it would be something massive, an amount no player could ever accumulate if they wasted their points on temporary fixes.

He frowned deeply, his mind replaying the implications.

This whole setup...was a death sentence.

"Oii, player!" the undead called out, its raspy voice cutting through Alex’s thoughts. "I’ve got health potions, intelligence potions, stamina potions, any food you can think of, weapons, gear. As long as you have the points, I can give you what you want."

Alex’s frown deepened.

The last line it repeated like an NPC was starting to seriously creep him out.

"Anything I want?" Alex asked.

The undead nodded eagerly, though the motion was so jerky his skull nearly toppled off his neck.

"As long as you have the points, I can give you what you want," it echoed again.

Alex frowned in annoyance.

"Hey... stop repeating that!"

The undead tilted its head unnaturally, as though confused by Alex’s tone.

Alex then decided to ask for something to test the limits.

"Then how about direct access to the Grim Lord’s location?"

The skeleton froze, its eerie green eyes flickering as if processing his words.

Then, it tilted its head and muttered:

"Oh, let’s see…" Its bony fingers tapped on the counter like it was searching for something.

And then, after a few seconds. the undead straightened up, its glowing eyes locking onto Alex.

"Oh... direct access to the Grim Lord. Yes, I can give you that. As long as you have the points, I can give you what you want."

Son of a bitch!

Alex was tempted to just blow the entire store into smithereens with the undead in it.

Still, the fact that the undead had an answer for an outrageous demand caught his attention.

He’d expected this kind of request to be impossible, as it was practically cheating.

Yet the vendor had stated he could grant it.

That said, Alex could already sense that the cost was going to be ridiculous.

"Alright... what’s the cost?"

The undead’s eerie grin grew wider, its teeth clacking together.

"Yes, player... that would cost one million nightmare points."

Alex nodded.

A million points huh?

He wasn’t even surprised.

He’d expected something outrageous, and a million nightmare points? Yeah, that was impossible to earn in the seven days the Nightmare allowed.

It wasn’t even worth stressing about.

Time, effort, and energy would be better spent going the regular route.

But then, the vendor wasn’t done.

The skeleton shifted slightly, its glowing green eyes locking onto Alex as it spoke again.

"A million nightmare points... or there is another option of purchase."

That made Alex curious.

His eyes narrowed as a wave of suspicion crept over him.

What would that be?

The undead vendor’s grin twisted into an unsettling smile, and its jaw clicked as it leaned forward, and its eyes flared brightly, almost as if they were possessed by something far darker.

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"Your title...fifty percent of all your stats, along with ten abilities you currently possess, of my choosing."