Apocalypse Baby

Chapter 79 Damn Monkeys: Elder

Dodging vines, fireballs, and lightning strikes wasn't a walk in the park, even for someone like Alex.

But with his insane agility and stamina, it wasn't exactly hard either.

He darted through the chaos, his movements a blur. The spells and strikes barely grazed him as he weaved between branches and flipped over attacks.

From an outsider's perspective, it might have looked like a desperate fight for survival.

But for Alex?

It was a one-sided massacre.

With a sharp pivot, Alex avoided a fireball, its heat singeing the air around him. Another lightning strike came crashing down, but he leaped aside, landing smoothly on a higher branch.

Slash!

Two more monkey shamans fell, their bodies dropping lifelessly to the forest floor below. Only one shaman remained, and its fear was palpable.

The remaining shaman hesitated, its hands trembling as it clutched its staff.

Then, with a panicked cry, it turned and fled, leaping from branch to branch while flinging fireballs wildly over its shoulder in a desperate bid to keep Alex at bay.

Alex smirked and sidestepped the incoming fireballs with ease, his calm movements a stark contrast to the shaman's frantic attacks.

But just as Alex prepared to finish the chase, a warrior monkey armed with a spear lunged into his path.

The monkey's eyes gleamed with determination, its massive body blocking Alex's advance. It thrust the spear forward with incredible force.

Alex reacted instantly.

He caught the spear-wielding monkey by the neck in mid-lunge, his grip like a steel vice.

Before the warrior could fight back, Alex turned its struggling body into a meat shield, holding it firmly in front of him.

The shaman's fireballs, still streaking toward Alex, struck the unfortunate warrior instead.

The monkey screamed in agony as flames engulfed it, its thrashing futile against Alex's iron grip.

Alex didn't flinch, his expression calm as he let the shaman's own attacks destroy its ally.

The meatshield dropped its speak, but Alex caught feeling the weight in his hand, and aimed at the fleeing shaman.

With a single, fluid motion, he hurled the spear towards the shaman.

Thwack!

The spear tore through the air like a missile, striking the shaman square in the back.

The creature let out a bloodcurdling scream as it was impaled, its body arching before plummeting to the ground with a heavy thud.

Ding!

[You have leveled up]

Alex stood atop the tall tree branch, his chest rising and falling as he exhaled deeply. The faint glow of the system notification hovered in his vision.

Was that the last one? He wasn't entirely sure.

He'd lost count of how many he'd killed.

Warriors, shamans, archers—Big, small, fast, or strong, every single one of them had fallen before his blade.

Alex glanced down at the charred body of the monkey warrior he had used as a meat shield earlier.

Its fur was burned and twisted, its face frozen in a grimace of pain and disbelief.

He grabbed its lifeless form by the neck, the burnt flesh rough against his hand.

With little effort, he tossed it over the edge of the branch.

The body plummeted, crashing through smaller branches before hitting the ground below with a sickening crunch.

Alex watched for a moment, then sat down on the branch, letting his body relax for the first time in what felt like hours.

The air was still, heavy with the smell of charred fur and scorched wood.

But Alex's senses remained sharp. He could feel them.

Two presences still lingered in the distance.

These weren't ordinary monkeys.

These last two were going to be a real challenge.

Alex then felt a sharp, searing pain in his back.

He instinctively reached behind him and his fingers closed around something solid. Pulling his hand forward, he saw the shaft of an arrow stained with his blood.

"Seriously... how did I not notice that?" he muttered, shaking his head.

Without hesitation, Alex grabbed the arrow by its shaft and yanked it out in one swift motion. His expression didn't change—not even a flinch. He simply let the arrow fall from his hand, watching it tumble through the branches before disappearing below.

Minor Regen immediately kicked in, knitting the wound shut in a matter of moments. The pain dulled and then faded entirely.

Alex sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, his energy dipping ever so slightly.

He opened the [Shop] menu with a flick of his wrist and scrolled through the options. Spotting what he needed, he clicked.

In a flash, the bottle materialized in his hand and he lost 10 coins.

Alex cracked it open, tilted his head back, and drank deeply.

He downed half of it in seconds, his throat working as he swallowed.

The cool water hit the back of his dry throat, soothing the burn from hours of fighting.

"Ahh," he exhaled, pulling the bottle away from his lips.

Without missing a beat, he poured the rest over his head.

The water trickled down, mixing with the grime, sweat, and faint streaks of blood, and cooled his overheated skin.

The forest remained eerily quiet for a moment, save for the sound of water dripping off the leaves.

Then he heard it—soft, measured footsteps approaching.

Alex tilted his head, his senses sharpening.

The steps were deliberate, calm, and unhurried, almost mocking in their casualness.

Alex raised his head, a grin spreading across his face. His eyes glinted with amusement and challenge.

"Showing up after your underlings are all dead," Alex called out.

"What a bad leader you are."

The figure stepped into view.

It was an elderly monkey shaman, its fur streaked with silver and its posture straight and commanding. Unlike the others, this one radiated power.

Its dark aura seemed to pulse with malice, and the weight of its presence made the air feel heavier.

The staff it carried was carved intricately, symbols etched along its length glowing faintly.

Its colorful cloak flowed behind it, decorated with elaborate patterns and shimmering threads.

[Grand Goblin Shaman – Rank B]

Alex let out a low whistle, his lips curling into a grin that masked his slight nervousness.

His heart raced with an undeniable thrill of excitement.

"A Rank-B shaman?" he muttered under his breath. "Definitely not an easy foe."

He adjusted his grip on his sword, feeling the weight of it steady him.

The idea of facing a monster of this caliber was daunting, but Alex's grin widened.

But hey, to think I'll end up killing two Rank-B monsters in one day... Luck must be on my side.

Still, he wasn't reckless.

Alex knew this fight wouldn't be easy, and he wasn't foolish enough to underestimate his opponent.

The Grand Goblin Shaman stood tall, its glowing staff planted firmly in the ground. Its expression was unreadable, its dark aura crackling with latent power.

Alex watched as it tilted its head, as though sizing him up.

The shaman's lips began to part, preparing to speak—

But Alex didn't wait.

With a surge of energy, he activated [Fast and Furious] his body becoming a blur as he shot forward like a missile. The wind roared in his ears as he closed the distance in an instant, his sword poised to deliver a lethal strike.

His intent was clear: end the fight in a single swing.

The shaman's eyes glimmered with something close to amusement.

"How brash," it said, its voice low and grating.

The Grand Shaman reacted with lightning speed, raising its staff in one fluid motion, and shimmering barrier simiar to Alex's [Aegis Arcane] erupted between them just before Alex's blade connected.

The impact reverberated through the air as Alex's sword struck the barrier with a deafening clang.

Alex skidded to a stop, standing on the glowing barrier, his eyes narrowing.

"Fast reflexes for an old monkey," he muttered, genuinely impressed.

Before he could think further, a sharp alarm blared in his mind—his danger sense.

The shaman moved swiftly, its staff glowing as it conjured a blazing beam of dark flame.

The attack surged toward Alex like a tidal wave, its heat and malevolence palpable.

Alex reacted instantly, leaping to the side with all his speed. The beam missed him by inches, scorching the air as it passed.

The fiery blast struck a massive tree behind him, reducing it to ash in a single, thunderous explosion.

Alex landed with a sharp thud, barely catching his breath before the elder shaman unleashed a barrage of attacks.

Flaming orbs shot toward him with pinpoint accuracy.

He dodged left, then right, his body twisting and turning like a leaf in the wind.

Yet every time he avoided one, another flame descended in his path, as though the shaman could predict his every move.

It's reading my movement

Alex realized, gritting his teeth.

He darted around, constantly in motion, weaving through the forest floor and branches above, but the attacks never let up.

The elder shaman's relentless assault forced Alex to think on his feet.

He shifted his strategy, running in wide circles around the elder shaman, hoping to find an opening in its onslaught.

His keen eyes scanned the shaman's movements, looking for any gap he could exploit.

But the shaman had other plans.

With a guttural chant, it raised its staff high, the air growing heavy with dark energy.

A swirling mass of black flames materialized above it, twisting and forming into the shape of a dragon.

The dragon's fiery eyes locked onto Alex, and it let out a deafening roar that shook the treetops.

It lunged.

The dragon of dark flames surged after Alex, its heat scorching the ground in its wake. Trees in its path were reduced to ash, disintegrating with each sweep of its fiery body.

Alex darted away, his speed unmatched, zigzagging through the dense forest as the dragon pursued him with unrelenting ferocity.

But no matter how fast Alex ran, the dragon stayed close behind, its fiery maw snapping inches from his back.

"That thing's trouble," Alex muttered, glancing over his shoulder. His expression darkened as he saw the trail of destruction the dragon left behind.

The sheer power of its flames sent a chill down his spine, despite their intense heat.

"Note to self," he thought grimly. "Don't let that thing touch me. Ever."

Just as the dragon surged closer, Alex activated... Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire