Apocalypse Baby

Slice.

Slice.

Slice.

Each cut tore through the goblin boss, its pain-filled grunts echoing off the cave walls.

Alex darted around his blind opponent, slashing and striking with precision.

The goblin swung its massive arms wildly, its movements frantic, like a cornered beast that had lost all sense.

Even with the goblin boss thrashing in its berserk state, Alex kept his distance, carefully staying out of reach of its deadly, random swipes.

Every time he got close, he dodged away, making sure it couldn't grab or hit him.

He knew that getting too close while it was berserk would be a mistake.

Instead, Alex relied on his speed and agility, darting in and out with his sword in hand, landing quick, shallow cuts that weren't fatal but were enough to cause pain.

Not because he wanted to torment the creature, but because the goblin still had enough strength to react quickly to any direct attack.

If he tried going for a finishing blow, the goblin might catch him off guard.

So, he attacked unpredictably.

Sometimes he struck from the left, sometimes from the right, and sometimes he feinted, letting the goblin's swings miss wide.

The goblin couldn't see him, couldn't land a hit, and couldn't even guess when the next strike would come.

The creature's mind was breaking under the pressure.

Every missed swing and every unexpected cut made it scream and lunge blindly, more desperate each time. Its rage and confusion pushed it to the edge of madness.

With a sudden, precise strike, Alex targeted its shin, slicing deep. The goblin howled, its leg buckling as it crashed down onto one knee.

Not wasting a moment, Alex followed up with a brutal swipe to the side of its neck.

Blood poured from the wound, thick and dark, and the goblin's second knee hit the ground with a dull thud. Its roars faded to weak groans, the berserk fury dying out as its skin turned from fiery red back to its natural green.

The creature's huge frame shrank, its body now looking frail and broken.

The goblin boss slumped forward, covered in cuts and bruises, its body trembling as it clung to the last shreds of life.

With so many wounds, it looked more like a corpse than the fearsome beast it had been just moments before.

Alex stepped forward slowly, crouching before the defeated goblin boss.

The goblin's empty eyes stared blindly forward, its breaths ragged.

"Just kill me already."

"So you can resurrect and get another chance? Alright. But just so you know, even if you came back, you'd die again. Better you stay dead."

With that, Alex raised his blade, [Eclipse Edge], and, with a swift stroke, sliced through the goblin's neck.

The goblin's head fell, and its body crumpled to the ground, bursting into a flash of light that scattered into particles.

A cheerful chime sounded as Alex's inventory filled with his reward.

[You have leveled up!]

He grinned and opened his window to check out the loot:

[+5 stat points]

[Power Stone: Strength]

[Fury Gauntlet: Gauntlet that boosts strength and physical defense by 10 percent. With one chance to triple the power of a blow every ten minutes.]

Alex gasped. This meant he could unleash a blow backed by two times his normal strength, which would make his attacks significantly more powerful. The best part? He could use this ability every ten minutes.

It was quite impressive.

And—best of all—the final reward: a skill similar to the goblin's own [Bloodlust].

[Titan's Fury]: Double your strength for 30 seconds, making your attacks nearly unstoppable and allowing you to break through defenses. After the effect ends, strength and stamina are reduced by 50% for 15 minutes.

It was one of the skills he'd initially passed on when he chose [Aegis Arcane]. As powerful as [Titan's Fury] was, the drawback was intense. But now, as a backup skill, it wasn't bad at all.

He smirked, tucking the new skill into his mental arsenal.

"[Titan's Fury]... not bad for a last resort. Guess I'll save it for when things get really intense."

Ding!

[Apocalypse Baby taking effect]

[You have been rewarded with +5 stat points, a Vitality Power Stone, another Fury Gauntlet, and a new skill 'Vigor Drive.']

[Vigor Drive: Stamina passively increases during drawn-out battles, allowing the user to engage in combat for a long period without succumbing to fatigue.]

The thought of being able to fight longer filled Alex with confidence.

Even if he ran out of mana to use his skills, he could always resort to physical attacks and outlast opponents.

Alex felt like he was a walking cheat with the skills he had obtained. Literally, all his skills would be useful going forward.

He truly was privileged.

But he was still greedy for more.

Alex began to search the boss's room, scanning every corner for hidden loot.

Then his eyes landed on something tucked beneath the massive goblin throne—a small, shimmering orb.

It was the same one he'd seen the goblin holding when he first entered the cavern.

Curious, he picked it up, and a system notification appeared.

Ding!

[Evolution Orb: Creature]

[Use to raise the rank of any lower creature to the next tier.]

Alex's brow shot up.

"Creature… does that include humans?"

With a spark of excitement, he pressed the orb against his chest, hoping he could use it to evolve himself.

Ding!

[Would you like to use the orb on a creature?]

Alex replied, barely able to contain his eagerness.

"Yes!"

[No creature found. Orb can only be used on monsters.]

'Worth a shot,'

Alex sighed, a little deflated.

He figured the goblin must have been using it to try to rank up, but he had interrupted, halting the process.

With nothing left for him here, he stuffed the orb in his bag and decided to leave the damned cave.

But before he could turn away, a flicker of light filled the room.

His gaze snapped back to the center of the cavern.

Out of nowhere, Baran, the goblin boss, was reassembling, pieces of its body forming together like a horrifying jigsaw puzzle.

Muscles stretched over bone, skin knitted over muscles, and soon the goblin was whole again.

Alex grinned.

He didn't give Baran a chance to blink. As soon as the goblin was fully formed, he drove his blade straight through its chest.

The goblin gurgled in shock, and its eyes went wide as it slumped back, collapsing to the ground once more.

Minutes later, the goblin reappeared—only to fall yet again as Alex stabbed him in the chest without hesitation.

This became a rhythm:

Baran would reappear, only for Alex to end him in one swift, practiced motion, over and over.

The goblin's spirit was breaking. The next time he resurrected, Baran's hand was raised as if to beg for mercy. Alex didn't even flinch, driving his blade into the creature's heart.

Eventually, Baran appeared again, looking exhausted and defeated.

He croaked, eyes pleading.

"Wait! If a human kills me… I really die this time."

Alex tilted his head, a playful smile on his face.

"Not my problem."

Kill.

Baran resurrected once more, his form weaker, more desperate.

"Baran… Baran can't keep coming back. Essence runs out."

"Still not my problem."

Kill.

The goblin appeared, frantic. "Human, Goblin… let's deal!"

"No, thanks."

Kill.

Baran's voice cracked as he reappeared.

"You bastard, I'll fucking—"

Kill.

Finally, Baran dropped to his knees.

"Please! Wait, please hear me out… just one second. No more resurrection after this."

Alex paused, intrigued.

The goblin's strength had noticeably weakened with each death, barely resembling the boss that had once been a challenge. Now, he felt like dealing with a regular goblin.

Figuring it couldn't hurt to hear him out, Alex crossed his arms.

"Alright, one chance. But make it good."

The goblin raised his head, a glint of hope flickering in his eyes. "Deal. Baran will not hunt humans after this. Let the human go. Truce."

He shook his head, unimpressed. "You don't get it, do you?"

The goblin flinched as Alex lifted [Eclipse Edge], eyes wide with fear.

"Wait! This time, I won't come back. Baran wants to come back… please."

Alex chuckled darkly.

"If you'd challenged me to one last fight, despite knowing this would be your last life, I might've prolonged your death. But instead, you cower and beg. You're a terrible leader. Rusuk was more of a threat than you."

The goblin whimpered, its body trembling.

It tried to speak, but Alex shushed it with a finger to his lips.

And with one clean strike, he ended it.

This time, he was sure it was over.

A burst of light filled the room, swirling around him and settling on his skin. A faint glow wrapped around him, pulsing with energy.

As the radiant light circled him, Alex's heart skipped a beat.

"This glow... it looks familiar."

His mind flashed back to the fight with Dreadfeather, that cockatrice boss, and how it had left him with a lingering curse that gave him a tiny panic attack whenever he thought about it.

"Seriously…not another curse!"