Apocalypse Baby

Chapter 80 Damn Monkey: Upgrade

[Stealth Walk]

His body shimmered and vanished, disappearing into the shadows as if he'd never been there.

The dark flame dragon slowed, momentarily confused, its fiery body twisting as it searched for its target.

The elder shaman, standing tall amidst the destruction, narrowed its glowing eyes.

For a moment, it scanned the area, its expression unreadable. Then its eyes flickered, the staff glowing faintly.

Alex crouched behind a large branch, completely invisible, his breathing controlled and silent.

But then the shaman turned its head, looking directly at him.

"Damn," Alex muttered under his breath.

The shaman had spotted him, despite his invisibility. Its staff pulsed with dark energy, a wicked smile curling on its face.

"You cannot hide."

The elder shaman's voice was deep, echoing with malice as it raised its staff. A dark flame dragon roared out in response and surged toward Alex, its fiery body tearing through the air.

The dragon lunged, its searing heat almost unbearable as it closed in.

Alex darted sideways, keeping just ahead of the fiery beast, his movements calculated and precise.

He wasn't running aimlessly—he was closing the distance to the elder shaman.

As he neared his target, Alex's voice dropped to a chilling murmur: Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire

"[Petrify.]"

A wave of energy shot out from Alex, aiming to lock the elder shaman in place.

For a split second, it seemed to work—the shaman's movements slowed.

But then, with a dismissive flick of its hand, the elder dispelled the skill as though swatting away an insect.

"Pathetic tricks," it sneered.

Before Alex could react, the shaman's staff crackled with energy, and a bolt of lightning erupted from its tip. The attack was impossibly fast, striking Alex square in the chest.

The force of the impact sent Alex flying backward. He hit the ground hard, rolling several feet before coming to a stop, pain radiating through his body.

But the elder wasn't done.

Raising its staff, it unleashed a barrage of dark flame beams.

One after another, they slammed into the ground where Alex lay.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Alex leaped back, narrowly avoiding the dragon's fiery jaws. Its roar reverberated through the battlefield as it turned, relentless in its pursuit.

Gritting his teeth, Alex raised his hand, activating [Aegis Arcane]. A shimmering, translucent shield formed around him, humming with energy as it braced against the dragon's assault.

The dark flames crashed into the barrier with terrifying force, sparks flying as the shield began to disintegrate.

Alex winced, the heat searing through even his enhanced defenses. The flames ate away at the shield, but it held just long enough.

With a final burst of effort, Alex propelled himself backward, narrowly escaping the dragon's fiery wrath.

The moment he landed, he crouched low, his breaths heavy, one hand pressing against the wound on his chest.

"I can't brute-force this..." he muttered under his breath, his mind racing.

His earlier attempt to use [Petrify] had failed miserably, but not everything had been futile.

As he darted around the battlefield earlier, he'd managed to drop several blastshards close to the shaman.

Alex raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

BOOM!

The shards detonated in a brilliant explosion, flames erupting and engulfing the shaman in a fiery inferno.

The blast was powerful enough to shake the trees nearby, embers scattering through the air like a storm of fireflies.

Alex stood hunched over, his chest rising and falling heavily as he tried to catch his breath. His hand instinctively pressed against the wound in his chest, blood seeping between his fingers. He winced but didn't stop moving—there was no time to rest.

Through the smoke and flames, Alex squinted, trying to gauge the damage. The shaman's silhouette was obscured, but he didn't trust the explosion to have finished it off.

"Assume the worst," he whispered to himself.

As Alex calculated his next move, frustration began to mount. He'd been laying traps throughout the fight, but the elder shaman had barely moved from its position. His mines, which could've been devastating, were rendered almost useless.

Setting traps closer to the shaman wasn't an option either.

Every time Alex tried to approach, the elder's relentless attacks kept him at bay. He knew he wouldn't survive long enough to place them without being hit.

Setting up a bomb took time—a luxury Alex didn't have.

He gritted his teeth, his mind racing for a solution.

He needed to close the distance, somehow get close enough to deal meaningful damage.

But the elder shaman's relentless attacks and that dragon of dark flame made it nearly impossible.

And then there was the Monkey King.

Alex could feel its gaze. Somewhere out there, hidden among the trees, it was watching him, observing his every move like a predator waiting for the right moment to pounce.

The smoke and fumes from the earlier explosion began to clear, and Alex's eyes locked onto the elder shaman.

It was still standing.

Not a scratch, not a single sign of damage. The shaman looked completely unfazed, as though the fiery blast had been little more than a breeze.

"Seriously?" Alex muttered under his breath.

The elder shaman glanced at its shoulder and casually brushed off some imaginary dust, exuding an air of unshakable arrogance.

Alex's jaw tightened, his irritation bubbling over.

No one gets to flex but me.

"You call that an explosion?" the shaman sneered, its voice laced with mockery. "It's laughable. Truly amusing that you've killed so many with such a pathetic display."

Alex's grip on his sword tightened, his knuckles white as he glared at the elder shaman.

"Oh, really?" he shot back, his voice dripping with defiance.

"Why don't you drop that fancy little barrier of yours and have a taste for yourself? I'm sure you wouldn't be laughing after you lose an arm. Or two."

The elder shaman sneered, its voice dripping with menace as it tightened its grip on the staff.

"I don't know if you're dumb or just ambitious, human," it said, its tone laced with mockery. "But if you think you're leaving this place alive, then you're sorely mistaken."

Alex stared at the shaman, his expression calm, almost detached.

He didn't bother responding to the taunt.

His mind was elsewhere.

Think.

He had been doing a lot of that during this fight.

The shaman wasn't just strong; it was cunning, and if Alex was going to win, he needed to use every advantage he had.

Having multiple skills was a blessing, no doubt. It made him versatile, adaptable, able to respond to any situation. But there was a downside.

Too many options.

When you've got an arsenal of powerful abilities, picking the right one in the heat of the moment becomes a challenge. And with skills as flashy and cool as his, the temptation to try them all was hard to resist.

But now wasn't the time for experiments. He needed certainty. He needed power.

And if he had to bet on just one skill—one ability that had carried him through thick and thin, saving him in clutch moments—it had to be [Exploding Touch].

This skill wasn't just strong; it was the reason Alex had gotten this far. It had turned desperate situations into victories, giving him the edge he needed to survive and grow stronger.

Sure, he'd already upgraded it twice with his precious upgrade stones, but now he wondered...

What if I take it even further?

Two more upgrades? Maybe three? What kind of destructive force would it unleash then?

It wouldn't just be a bomb anymore. It'd be a nuke—a skill that could obliterate anything in its path.

The thought made him grin.

Decision made, Alex reached into his inventory and pulled out the Attributes Converter.

The device shimmered in his hand, its surface glowing faintly as if sensing the importance of the moment.

It's time for an upgrade.

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Author Note:

Alright, my awesome readers, I've got a serious confession to make—I'm starving! Not for food (okay, maybe a little), but for some sweet, sweet gifts!

Here's the deal:

- If you drop a Massage Chair, a Luxury Car, or, better yet, a Dragon (yes, I'll take a Dragon), I'll reward your generosity with an extra chapter for two days—served fresh and hot, just for you.

- But if you go above and beyond with an even bigger gift? I'll drop three chapters daily for an entire week! Yep, you heard that right—three chapters daily for a week!

So, feed this poor author's hunger, and let's make some magic happen.