Apocalypse Baby

Chapter 47 Familiar Faces [Bonus]

[Attribute Converter]:

Exchanges 50 assigned attribute points for a single upgrade stone, which can be used to rank up skills.

Alex's jaw dropped.

"An upgrade stone?!"

He nearly jumped in excitement.

Upgrade stones were valuable as they were capable of amplifying a skill's power to insane levels.

It was why [Exploding Touch] was so strong.

The thought of his skills becoming stronger sent a thrill through him.

He could already imagine upgrading [Minor Telekinesis], [Foresight], or even his devastating [Aegis Arcane]. The possibilities were endless!

But then, his excitement fizzled as his eyes fell on the cost.

"50 attribute points?"

Alex groaned, slapping his forehead. "That's... a lot of points."

Fifty points weren't something you casually gave up.

Those points could go into boosting his strength, agility, or intelligence—all essential for survival and growth.

Trading them away felt like handing over treasure for a lottery ticket.

Alex furrowed his brow, crossing his arms as he stared at the converter. "Someone's definitely trying to nerf me. Probably because I've gotten too strong."

Meanwhile, elsewhere...

Oracle sat in his white room, sipping from a sleek black mug filled with something resembling coffee. As Alex's words echoed through the system, Oracle sputtered mid-sip, coughing uncontrollably. The mug slipped slightly, spilling its contents onto his immaculately pressed suit.

"Damn anomaly," Oracle growled, grabbing a napkin to clean himself.

Back to Alex...

Alex's gaze lingered on the converter.

The Upgrade stones were seriously tempting.

The thought of boosting his skills was hard to resist.

[Minor Telekinesis] could evolve into something truly dangerous, allowing him to manipulate larger objects with ease. [Foresight] could grant him longer, more precise glimpses into the future. And [Aegis Arcane]—his trusty defensive skill—could become practically impenetrable.

There were so many options, and Alex's skill list was growing rapidly.

Alex exhaled sharply and decided to open his stat window. The familiar glowing interface appeared before him, displaying his hard-earned progress.

Name: Alex Knight

Rank: D

Title: Apocalypse Baby

Class: None

Level: 28

HP: 1360

MP: 1040

[Stats]:

Strength: 85

Agility: 95 [+5] [+10]

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Intelligence: 65

Vitality: 60

[Stat Points Available]: 50

[Powerstones]: 10

[Skills]:

[Exploding Touch], [Sonic Howl], [Aegis Arcane], [SlipStream], [Stealth Walk], [Titan Fury], [Vigor Strike], [Fast and Furious], [Minor Regen], [Flame Immunity], [Foresight], [Stone Face], [Earth Swim], [Petrify], [Minor Telekinesis]

Alex studied the window with a critical eye, his mind racing with possibilities. Fifty available stat points—it was no small amount. This was the reward of tireless battles, close calls, and victories against foes like the cockatrice king.

He could assign those points to bolster his stats, pushing his strength or agility to new heights. Or... he could trade them for an upgrade stone.

The idea lingered in his mind. If he really wanted, he could even shave off some points from his existing stats—maybe from Strength or Agility—to get a second upgrade stone.

But the thought made him grimace.

"Man, this doesn't feel right," Alex muttered, clenching his fists.

He had worked for those points. Risked his life for every single one.

Trading them away so easily didn't seem fair. It was like the system was demanding a tax on his success, asking him to give up ten levels' worth of stat rewards—minus the power stones and skills—for just one upgrade stone.

"That's ridiculous," Alex groaned, his frustration bubbling up. "Someone's got to be messing with me. There's no way this exchange is balanced."

Yet the allure of an upgrade stone was undeniable. It could make his skills even more powerful, transforming them into something truly unstoppable. The idea of supercharging [Minor Telekinesis], [Aegis Arcane], or even [Foresight] was hard to ignore.

Still, the tradeoff gnawed at him. Alex sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know if it's worth it," he muttered. "But at least I've got time to decide."

For now, he would hold onto his points and weigh his options. There was no rush. If the opportunity presented itself to earn more points or a better way to gather upgrade stones, Alex would be ready.

As Alex mulled over how to allocate his stat points, a sudden *whoosh broke his concentration. The sound came from behind him, sharp and unnatural, like air being displaced.

Instinctively, Alex spun around, his body tensing.

Standing a few steps away was a man who had seemingly materialized out of thin air.

The man looked disoriented, his eyes darting around in confusion.

But then his gaze landed on Alex, and his expression shifted from bewildered to shocked recognition.

"Alex?" the man stammered, his voice shaky.

"What the hell is happening? What did you—"

Before he could finish his sentence, another whoosh interrupted, and then another. People were appearing out of nowhere, blinking into existence one after the other.

Alex's heart sank as realization hit him like a freight train.

His eyes widened as he muttered under his breath:

"No way..."

It was happening.

His time alone in the tutorial was over.

The others were arriving.

"Shit!" Alex cursed, his mind racing.

He had been so consumed by the trials, the battles, and the system itself that he hadn't even stopped to think about this moment.

The tutorial wasn't just his anymore—it was theirs too.

One of the new arrivals—a woman—let out a piercing scream as she appeared, clutching her head in panic.

Another man materialized beside her, his face pale and drenched in sweat.

He took one look at his surroundings, staggered forward, and promptly fell to his knees, vomiting onto the ground.

Alex stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest.

He knew them.

He knew all of them.

Each face that appeared was painfully familiar. Coworkers.

Former colleagues from the life he had left behind.

Alex swallowed hard, his fists clenching as he fought to keep his composure.

More and more faces emerged, and with every new arrival, his dread grew.

"Please," Alex muttered under his breath, his stomach twisting in knots. "Please don't let them show up. Anyone but them."

He wasn't ready for a reunion.

He didn't want to see them.

Another whoosh.

A man appeared, which made Alex's blood boil on sight.

"Thompson," Alex growled under his breath.

Seeing his familiar face again sent a wave of irritation coursing through him.

Thompson looked around, clearly baffled by what was happening, but his presence alone was enough to reignite old grudges.

Alex clenched his fists tighter, trying to calm the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

Those two were coming as well.