Apocalypse Baby

Chapter 51 My Abilities

Alex felt a twinge of envy as he watched Jonah casually descend from the air.

Sure, he had the [Glider's Cloak], which let him fly, but there was something undeniably cool about soaring through the sky without needing any equipment.

'That ability's way too versatile,' Alex thought.

Jonah could hover out of reach of any ground-based beast and rain down attacks from above—assuming he gained the right skills for it.

Jonah landed smoothly, his boots touching the ground as if the wind itself had set him down.

The group erupted into chatter, amusement and curiosity lighting up their faces.

The sight of Jonah's ability seemed to spark a chain reaction.

One by one, others began revealing their innate abilities.

"I can shoot fireballs," Thompson said, confidently extending his hand. Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire

A flame flickered to life in his palm before forming a small orb of fire, which he quickly extinguished to avoid an accident.

"Whoa!" someone exclaimed, clearly impressed.

Another player, standing a little shyly, raised her hand.

"I can heal people," she said softly.

"Well isn't that a cliche," Alex thought shaking his head.

Then there was a stocky man who cracked his knuckles.

Alex recalled he was a security guard.

"Mine's simple. I can boost my strength—double it, actually."

He flexed his arm for emphasis, earning a mix of admiration and eye rolls.

Dre, the archer Alex had been keeping an eye on, stepped forward next.

"I can teleport short distances," he said with a smirk. To demonstrate, he vanished from where he stood and reappeared a few feet away in a blur of motion, earning gasps from the group.

Finally, all eyes turned to Nancy.

"What about you?" Jonah asked.

Nancy hesitated, looking almost annoyed at being put on the spot. With a sigh, she raised her hand and gestured toward the assassin-looking woman in the group.

Without warning, the dagger at the woman's side slipped free from its sheath and flew into Nancy's open palm.

"Hey!" the woman yelped, startled by the sudden disarming.

Nancy examined the blade briefly, then flicked her wrist. The dagger zipped back to its owner, sliding neatly into its sheath as if it had never moved.

"I can manipulate metal," Nancy said, her tone flat and unimpressed.

The group murmured in amazement.

"Oh, Magneto," Alex muttered absentmindedly.

Nancy's sharp gaze locked onto him like a predator and Alex's eyes widened.

He slapped a hand over his mouth, realizing too late that he had spoken out loud.

Nancy held his gaze for a moment, her expression unreadable, and Alex chuckled nervously.

She then rolled her eyes and turned back to the group.

And Alex let out a quiet breath of relief cursing his nerdy slip-up.

"What about you?" Jonah's voice cut through the chatter, drawing everyone's attention.

He was looking directly at Alex.

Alex hesitated, his mind racing. Should he reveal his ability? He had seen how the others, especially those without abilities, looked at the ones who had them—like they were gods. Those with powers were quickly becoming the de facto leaders of the group.

Alex knew he could join their ranks, maybe even rise above them to lead.

He had the strength, the skills, and the mindset to do it.

But deep down, he didn't want that responsibility.

'Being a leader means dealing with all of this... drama,' he thought, glancing at the group.

Before he could respond, Thompson scoffed loudly, breaking the silence.

"Why bother asking him?" Thompson said, his tone dripping with mockery. "I doubt he even has an ability. And if he does, it's probably useless."

The group chuckled nervously, unsure if they should laugh or stay silent.

Alex's expression darkened instantly, the flicker of hesitation replaced by a cold, simmering anger.

He had been holding back, swallowing his frustration, staying out of the limelight.

But now...

Alex turned his piercing gaze to Thompson, his eyes narrowing like a predator locking onto its prey.

Without a word, he activated [Petrify]

Thompson's smug grin vanished as his body stiffened unnaturally.

His arms froze mid-gesture, his legs locked in place, and his face contorted into a mix of shock and terror.

"What the... What's happening?! I-I can't move!" Thompson stammered, his voice trembling as panic set in.

"It's my ability," Alex said coolly.

His tone was calm, but there was a dangerous edge to it. "I can't exactly stab you while you're unable to move. Pretty useless, isn't it?"

Thompson's face twisted in fear, his bravado shattered.

"Let... let me go," he stammered, his voice shaky.

Alex didn't respond.

He kept his gaze locked on Thompson, the weight of his power pressing down on the man like an invisible hand.

But then Alex noticed something.

The way the others were looking at him now—some in awe, but most with fear. Their wide eyes and hesitant postures screamed louder than words.

"Alex, that's enough," Jonah's voice broke the tension.

He stepped forward, his tone firm but calm. "You've made your point. No need to take it further."

Alex sighed, letting out a slow breath.

With a flick of his fingers, he deactivated [Petrify].

Thompson collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, gasping for air.

Sweat dripped from his face as he panted like he had just run a marathon.

It had only been a few seconds, but the pressure he felt under Alex's ability had drained him completely.

"You..." Thompson began, his voice weak but laced with anger.

He glared at Alex, trembling as he tried to get to his feet.

Before Thompson could say more, Jonah intervened, raising a hand to diffuse the situation.

"That's a great ability, Alex," he said, his tone light but purposeful. "It'll definitely come in handy when we're up against monsters."

He looked away, his thoughts elsewhere.

'Yeah, about that. I'm leaving as soon as these guys figure out how to get off this tower.'

He didn't say it out loud, though.

Alex sighed as he noticed the shift in the group's demeanor.

He could feel their eyes on him, no longer dismissive or indifferent.

Now, they looked at him like he was an asset—a valuable tool for their survival.

Even Nancy, who usually kept her distance, was paying closer attention to him.

"Crap," he muttered under his breath, scratching the back of his head in frustration.

He scolded himself silently.

'I shouldn't have shown off such a powerful skill. What was I thinking?'

Thompson had pushed his buttons, sure, but Alex knew better than to let his anger get the best of him.

'I could've just used [Slip Stream],' he thought, mentally kicking himself.

It was a skill far less flashy and attention-grabbing.

But no—he had to let his temper flare and pull out [Petrify]. Now, he'd drawn more eyes to himself than he wanted.

As Alex fumed inwardly, a sudden chime echoed in his mind. Everyone around him stiffened, their faces shifting to expressions of confusion and alarm.

A notification appeared in front of each of them, glowing faintly with an otherworldly hue:

[Tutorial Commencing Now]

The words hung in the air for a moment before being replaced by more messages:

[Quest: Survive for 1 Month in Tutorial]

[You can earn tutorial points by killing tutorial monsters.]

[And if you're feeling ambitious, you can hunt down a Territorial King.]

[Their general location will be revealed on the map. Proceed with caution.]

[The number of tutorial points you earn will determine your rewards at the end, which will enable you to thrive in the new world after leaving the tutorial.]

Alex felt a shiver run down his spine, but it wasn't from fear—it was pure excitement.

His eyes gleamed as he focused on the words floating before him:

[Earn tutorial points by killing monsters.]

His mind immediately jumped to the possibilities.

More than anything else, his focus locked onto the mention of Territorial Kings.

'I wonder... could Murzok, the Cockatrice King, have been one of these Territorial Kings?' Alex thought, his excitement growing.

It made sense. Murzok had been a terrifying foe, but he hadn't received any tutorial points for defeating him earlier.

The reason was obvious now: the tutorial hadn't officially started yet.

'What a shame,' Alex mused, but his disappointment didn't linger.

The notification had given him something far more important—a clear goal.

He clenched his fists, his resolve strengthening.

'I'll just start over. This time, I'll hunt every Territorial King and rack up as many tutorial points as possible.'

Alex's ability and head start put him in a prime position to succeed.

While others might focus solely on surviving this new, dangerous world, Alex saw an opportunity to thrive, and he didn't plan on holding back.

While Alex's mind raced with strategies and ambitions, the rest of the group seemed far more cautious.

Most were still coming to terms with the gravity of the situation, their faces pale and uncertain.

But just as everyone began adjusting to the idea of surviving for a month, another notification appeared in their vision.

[You can also earn tutorial points for killing a fellow player.]

[Good luck.]

Alex's eyes widened, his excitement evaporating in an instant.

'What the hell is this?!'

He scanned the faces around him. Where there had been uncertainty, now there was dread, suspicion, and—on a few faces—a glint of something darker.

The air grew heavy with tension.

The people beside him—those who had, just moments ago, seemed like comrades—now felt like potential enemies.

'The tutorial is encouraging us to kill each other,' Alex thought grimly.

His mind raced as he processed the implications.

Every person here could be a threat, and the reward for eliminating them was enough to make anyone consider the possibility.

His earlier words came back to haunt him.

He'd scoffed at the idea of there being nothing to gain from killing others.

Now, he wasn't so sure.

Alex narrowed his eyes.

'Did I say there was nothing to gain from killing others? I might need to reconsider that.'