Apocalypse Baby

The tigers roared, their deafening cries slicing through the tense atmosphere as they launched their attack. Chaos erupted as the group scrambled into action, those able to fight rushing to meet the beasts head-on.

Two of the tigers singled out Alex, their golden eyes locked onto him as they lunged simultaneously.

Alex didn't flinch.

His hand shot out, and he muttered, "Petrify."

A faint ripple of energy spread from his fingertips, washing over the two beasts. Their bodies froze mid-air, muscles locking up like stone statues. With a swift motion, Alex swung his sword in a precise arc. The blade sliced through the frozen tigers effortlessly, cutting them down as if their bodies were made of paper.

A chime echoed in his mind as glowing text appeared in front of him:

[You have killed Swift Tiger.]

[You have received 50 tutorial points.]

[You have received 50 tutorial points.]

Alex stepped back, scanning the battlefield. He could've ended the fight with far less effort—his abilities far surpassed these creatures—but he held back deliberately. No need to draw unnecessary attention. For now, he would work within the limits he'd set for himself.

His eyes darted to the rest of the group. Some were struggling, others barely holding on. But one person immediately caught his attention—Nancy.

She was a blur of movement, dismantling her armor mid-fight. Her ability to manipulate metal was in full display as the armor pieces floated around her, reshaping into deadly, jagged blades.

With a sharp thrust of her hand, she sent one of the blades flying. It pierced the chest of a tiger charging at her, dropping it instantly.

More tigers surged toward her, their growls echoing across the battlefield, but Nancy didn't falter. She wielded the floating blades with precision and confidence, twirling them in a deadly dance that tore through the oncoming beasts.

Jonah was holding his own impressively, darting through the battlefield with agility that made his movements look almost effortless. His strikes were sharp and precise, carving through the tigers that dared to approach him.

Ash, stationed on higher ground, was supporting the group with precision. He loosed arrow after arrow, each one finding its mark and bringing down tigers before they could overwhelm the others.

Even Thompson and his group, despite their earlier hostility, were holding their ground. Their attacks were rough and unrefined—expected for a group facing their first battle—but they managed to work together, taking down the tigers one by one.

So far, the group had suffered no casualties aside from the first victim. It wasn't perfect, but they were surviving.

Alex, meanwhile, continued dispatching tigers with ease, his every movement efficient and calculated. As he cut down another beast, a ripple of unease washed over him. His instincts screamed a warning—something stronger was coming.

He glanced in the direction of the trees, narrowing his eyes as he sensed the presence of a more powerful foe.

[Swift Tiger – Rank E (H)]

This tiger wasn't like the others. It was the leader of the pack, a high-ranking beast within its class.

One of the fighters—a brash swordsman—stepped forward.

He gripped his blade tightly, overconfident from their success against the lower-ranked tigers, and charged at the high-rank tiger without hesitation.

The beast's eyes glinted, and in a flash, it moved. Its massive paw lashed out with blinding speed, slicing clean through the man's arm. Blood sprayed as the severed limb hit the ground.

The swordsman staggered back, clutching his shoulder, but he didn't have time to scream. The tiger lunged, its powerful jaws snapping shut around his head. With a sickening crunch, it ended his life in an instant.

The group froze in horror, the sight of their comrade's brutal death sending shockwaves through their morale.

The tiger boss let out an ear-splitting roar that echoed through the battlefield, drawing everyone's attention. Its eyes gleamed with predatory intent as it locked onto the rest of the group and charged, its powerful legs kicking up dirt with every stride.

Thompson and his group, positioned on the tiger's path, froze in fear.

The sheer presence of the beast was enough to shake their confidence.

Thompson snapped out of it and quickly summoned a fireball, his hand trembling as he launched it toward the tiger. But the beast was too fast. With a quick leap to the side, it easily dodged the attack.

Seeing his attack fail, Thompson's face went pale.

"This isn't normal... This thing's too strong!" he stammered, panic overtaking him.

Instead of preparing for another strike, he turned and ran, abandoning the fight entirely.

"Wait! Thompson!" one of his close allies within the group yelled, but their cries fell on deaf ears.

Seeing their leader flee, the rest of Thompson's group scattered in fear, each person running in a different direction.

This left the noncombatants vulnerable. The tiger's eyes locked onto the unprotected group, its lips curling back into a feral snarl. It wasted no time, charging toward the defenseless cluster.

Evelyn, who stood among the noncombatants, stepped forward with her staff in hand. Her legs trembled, and her knuckles turned white as she gripped the staff tightly.

The tiger lunged, claws outstretched, aiming for the group. Evelyn raised her staff instinctively, bracing for impact.

But before the beast could reach them, a massive figure barreled into it from the side. The sound of the collision reverberated through the air as the tiger was knocked off its trajectory, rolling across the ground with a growl.

Evelyn blinked in surprise as a man stepped into view—a towering figure clad in heavy armor, his massive frame resembling that of a tank.

"Thanks, Gustaff," she said, relief flooding her voice.

Gustaff glanced back at her briefly. "Stay back. I've got this," he said with calm determination.

The tiger boss struggled to rise, its massive body trembling as it pushed against the ground. Gustaff didn't give it a chance to recover. With a fierce roar, he slammed into it again, shoving it onto its side with a deafening crash.

The beast hit the ground hard, dust flying into the air.

But this wasn't enough to stop it.

Thompson and his scattered group noticed Gustaff's efforts.

"He's holding it off by himself?" one of them muttered, disbelief in their voice. Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire

Gustaff wasn't done yet. Summoning all his strength, he activated his ability to amplify his power, muscles bulging beneath his armor.

He planted himself firmly on the tiger's back, wrapping his thick arms around its neck in an attempt to choke the beast into submission.

For a moment, it seemed like he might succeed.

But the tiger's strength was overwhelming.

The beast snarled and thrashed wildly, its powerful claws digging deep into Gustaff's thighs. Blood seeped through his armor as pain shot through his body.

"Argh!" Gustaff gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain his grip.

Panic began to flood his mind as the tiger continued to overpower him.

"Help... I need help!" Gustaff bellowed, his voice echoing across the battlefield.

Utha, one of the nearby fighters, turned to him, sword in hand.

He took a hesitant step forward, raising his weapon, but froze mid-stride.

The tiger roared again, its claws tearing deeper into Gustaff. Utha's courage wavered as he saw the beast breaking free from the tank man's hold.

"Nah... I'm not dying here," Utha muttered, taking a shaky step back.

Thompson, who was still lingering nearby, saw the chaos unfolding.

Without hesitation, he turned and bolted, shouting.

"Fall back! We're no match for that thing!"

Seeing Thompson flee, the others followed suit, fear taking over.

"Wait! Don't leave me!" Gustaff shouted, his voice desperate.

But the cowards kept running, abandoning him.

The tiger, sensing its opportunity, surged upward with a burst of strength. Gustaff's grip broke, and the beast swung a massive paw, sending him sprawling to the ground with a thunderous slam.

Before Gustaff could recover, the tiger pounced. Its jaws clamped down on his arm, fangs piercing through the armor as if it were paper.

Gustaff screamed in pain, struggling to free himself. Blood dripped onto the ground, and the tiger growled menacingly, its teeth sinking deeper into his flesh.

Gustaff screamed in agony as the tiger clamped its teeth tighter around his arm.

With a savage snarl, the beast swung its massive head left and right, thrashing Gustaff like a rag doll. His cries of pain echoed, but there was no one near enough to save him.

In one final, brutal motion, the tiger flung Gustaff away. He hit the ground with a sickening thud, his severed arm landing a few feet away. Blood sprayed across the dirt as Gustaff writhed in pain, Evelyn rushing to his side with trembling hands, already chanting healing spells.

The tiger boss didn't waste any time. Its glowing eyes locked onto Thompson and his allies, who were still running for their lives. With a guttural roar, the beast charged after them, closing the distance in seconds.

Ash, perched on a branch above, quickly notched an arrow. His sharp eyes followed a tiger's movement, and with precision, he let the arrow fly.

The projectile pierced the side of a smaller tiger, bringing it down instantly.

Nearby, Nancy slashed through another tiger, her floating metal blades dancing like extensions of her will. Jonah wasn't far off, his sword flashing as he struck the final tiger in a single, calculated blow.

As the immediate threats were dealt with, Jonah took a moment to assess the group's condition. His eyes darted to Gustaff, who lay on the ground, pale and bleeding, with Evelyn frantically healing him.

Then his gaze shifted to the tiger boss. The beast had already caught up to Thompson's group, and the aftermath was horrifying.

Two of Thompson's allies lay lifeless on the ground, their bodies torn apart by the tiger's ferocious claws. Thompson and a few others scrambled to escape, panic etched on their faces.

Clicking his teeth in frustration, Jonah barked out a command.

"Everyone! Move and back them up now! We can't lose more people!"

The group obeyed without hesitation, rushing to assist.

But as they hurried forward, Nancy noticed Alex wasn't moving.

"Alex, what are you—" she started to yell, but her voice caught in her throat as she turned to look at him.

His gaze was icy, a coldness so intense it made her shiver despite the chaos around them. He stood there, calm and unflinching, but the aura he gave off was... different.

Nancy hesitated, her instincts screaming at her to leave him be, and without another word, she ran to help the others, sparing Alex one last glance over her shoulder as she wondered what had happened to him?

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Author's Note:

An ice-cold cola or a slice of pizza would totally make my day. Show some love to this struggling author, huh? No homo, just a hungry writer out here. 😎🍕