Apocalypse Baby

Chapter 99 Cursed Bargain

Alex froze, his thoughts coming to a screeching halt.

My title?

That title was the foundation of everything he'd achieved.

It was why he'd risen to this level of strength, why he could confidently stand against forces that would crush others.

Yet this skeleton had the audacity to ask for it so casually as if it were just another item on a shelf.

And that wasn't all.

It wanted half his stats and ten abilities—ones it would choose.

Alex clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening.

A grin spread across his face, but it wasn't one of amusement. It was the kind of grin that barely concealed his anger.

"This piece of shit…" he muttered under his breath.

"You must have lost your mind," Alex said aloud, his voice sharp. "Which player in their right mind would sacrifice all of that?"

The undead vendor's glowing eyes burned brighter as it tilted its skull slightly, as if mocking Alex.

"A desperate one," it replied in an eerie tone.

Alex's scowl deepened, his brows furrowing.

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"You know what? I would've expected you to ask for something insane, but this? Even asking for my organs would make more sense!"

The skeleton let out a rasping laugh that sounded like nails scraping against metal.

"Oh, player," it said with unsettling enthusiasm, "I do collect organs. But none of yours are worth the price you demand."

Alex blinked, caught off guard.

"You... collect organs?" he repeated, his voice laced with disbelief.

The undead vendor nodded, the motion causing its head to wobble slightly on its neck. "Yes!" it replied, sounding disturbingly cheerful. "I've gathered quite the collection. Eyeballs, limbs, kidneys... You name it!"

Alex stared at the skeleton in disbelief, trying to process what he'd just heard.

This thing wasn't just creepy—it was downright deranged.

Alex glanced around the store again, his eyes narrowing as he took in the eerie décor.

The truth hit him like a punch to the gut—those jars and containers, holding various organs, weren't just bizarre decorations.

They were trophies, harvested from players just like him.

His fists clenched tighter, the veins on his hands becoming more pronounced.

The vendor's voice droned on, casual and almost amused.

"You see, it's much easier to collect these things when humans are in pain or dying. They tend to lose all sense of rationality in those moments."

The skeleton leaned forward slightly, its glowing eyes locking onto Alex.

"Especially when they're injured or bitten by corrupted beasts. That's when I step in—with a health potion in hand—and add a few... extra conditions. It's fascinating how eager they get in such situations."

Alex's face twisted with disgust and fury.

The words sank in, each one stoking the flames of his anger.

"So, my advice to you, player," the vendor continued, its tone oozing with smugness, "is to buy now. Don't wait until the price becomes... expensive when you're desperate."

Alex's jaw tightened as the undead vendor cackled.

Exploiting pain for profit.

This vendor was indeed a nightmare creature.

The undead vendor then leaned towards him, speaking into his ear:

"So what is your decision player? Are you willing to make the sacrifice now or would you prefer I come with an even more pricier offer when you..."

BOOM!

Alex's fist connected with the vendor's face in a blur of motion, and a loud crack echoed through the store as fractures spread across the skeleton's jaw.

The force sent the undead vendor sprawling backward, but instead of anger or fear, it let out a chilling, rattling laugh as it crumpled to the ground.

Alex's voice boomed with fury.

"I've heard enough of your nonsense!"

Without giving the vendor a chance to recover, Alex vaulted over the stall in a single, fluid motion.

He grabbed the skeleton by the collar of its dusty, tattered shirt and yanked it upright.

"You piece of shit!" Alex growled, his voice thick with rage. "Feeding on desperation? Exploiting people at their lowest? You think our lives are some kind of joke?"

The undead vendor tilted its cracked skull to the side, glowing green eyes flickering like an amused flame.

"Player, I'm only doing my job. If Player doesn't wish to make a purchase, Player can simply leave."

Alex's eyes burned with pure anger.

"Oh, I'll leave, alright. But not until I smash your skull into dust!"

He pulled back his fist, muscles taut with the promise of destruction.

The skeleton let out another eerie laugh, its teeth clattering like wind chimes.

"If you'd like my skull crushed, I can handle that for you myself."

Alex froze mid-punch, glaring at the vendor with confusion.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

The skeleton's glowing eyes gleamed brighter, and it leaned in closer.

"Crushing my skull? That would cost you... let's see... two kidneys and a testicle."

Alex blinked, his anger momentarily replaced with bewilderment.

"What?"

The vendor straightened itself with a grotesque creak.

"As long as you have the price, I can give you what you want," it repeated, its voice taking on that same eerie, sing-song tone.

"Motherfucker," Alex growled, his voice low and seething with rage.

Before the vendor could cackle again, Alex's fist shot forward like a cannonball, landing another devastating blow square on its face.

The crack reverberated through the eerie silence of the shop as fragments of bone scattered to the floor.

He didn't hold back this time.

He was done with the games, done with the mockery.

The vendor staggered, but its glowing green eyes flickered brighter, almost as if it thrived on Alex's fury.

Half its face was now a jagged ruin, but somehow, it still managed to grin.

"Ah, what's wrong, Player?" it taunted, its voice rasping like metal scraping stone. "You can't afford it, can you? Perhaps you could get someone else to pay? A friend? A loved one? Oh wait..."

The undead paused, its grin stretching unnaturally wide.

"Your parents, perhaps? But... oh, I see... that's a problem. They're already dead."

Boom!

Alex's fist crashed into the vendor's skull with a force that could have shattered a boulder.

The sound was deafening, like the crack of thunder in a storm.

The vendor's entire face disintegrated under the impact, shards of bone flying in every direction.

When the dust settled, Alex's fist remained planted where the vendor's face had been, surrounded by eerie green mist escaping from the shattered remains of the skull.

Steam hissed from his knuckles, his rage so intense it felt like it radiated heat.

{Ding}

[You have killed the store vendor.]

[You have been branded with a cursed sigil for a day.]

[Nightmare monsters will hunt you relentlessly.]