Apocalypse Baby

A soft, golden glow radiated from Alex's palm as he activated [Resurgence]

Eve's body lit up, bathed in the warm energy.

Her bloodied lips stopped bleeding.

The gashes across her skin closed.

Cracked bones shifted and snapped back into place with a subtle hum.

Strength returned to her limbs, and her breathing steadied.

Her eyes shot open.

She gasped and sat up, blinking like someone waking from a nightmare.

Then she looked at him.

Speechless.

Alex raised an eyebrow and muttered casually, "You're welcome."

That snapped her out of it.

Her eyes narrowed, and she said slowly.

"I didn't exactly ask you to help."

"Fair enough," Alex said, his tone calm, unreadable.

He hadn't done it for thanks.He just wanted to test his new skill—Resurgence. Simple as that.

He stood up, brushed his hand off on his pants, and turned to walk away.

But then he heard her voice behind him. Soft. Almost embarrassed.

"…Thank you."

Alex paused mid-step but didn't look back."No need. I just wanted to experiment with my new skill. That's all."

"Well… I'm glad I got to be your test subject," Eve said.

Despite her sarcasm, her voice held genuine relief. Without his help, she wouldn't have stood a chance in the next round.

Her injuries would've slowed her down—and with New Realm players as competition?She would've been wiped out in seconds.

She had seriously considered quitting if she was allowed.

As moving on while half-dead would've made surviving the next round pointless.

Now… at least she had a shot.And that was all thanks to him—who healed her without asking for anything in return.

As Alex walked away from Eve, he came face-to-face with Adam.

Adam stood there, arms crossed, rubbing his chin with a smirk playing on his lips.

"Wow," he said. "You can heal too?"

"Yeah."

Alex nodded in response.

Then he paused—remembering how he had brushed Adam off earlier.

"My bad," he added. "I ignored you before."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "You saw me wave?"

"I did."

"And you walked past me anyway."

Alex shrugged. "Had something to do."

"Ha ha… ha ha ha ha…"Adam laughed—though it came out strained, almost cracking halfway through.

"I thought you didn't see me, but you did, huh? Hah…"

Adam had never been ignored before.As a Dragon Emperor candidate, he was used to commanding attention—whether he wanted it or not. When he spoke, people listened. When he moved, they watched. Getting snubbed? That wasn't something that ever happened.

Until now.

Adam let out a sharp breath and shook his head, swallowing the sting to his pride.

Why? Because Alex had more raw potential than himself.

That fact alone made it easier to let the humiliation slide.

Besides, Alex was still a fresh tutorial player. Naive. Green.

He didn't know the weight of what he'd done.

Adam straightened, cleared his throat, and forced a smile back on his face.

"I couldn't help but notice you awakened," Adam said, his voice light but his eyes sharp.

Alex's eyes snapped toward him, caught off guard.

He noticed that?

So this guy really was paying attention.

Adam wasn't just talk—he was sharp. Observant. Maybe even dangerous.

Still, Alex figured if Adam knew something about this strange energy pulsing inside him, it couldn't hurt to listen.

"Yeah… I awakened something called Emi," Alex admitted. "But I'm not exactly sure what that means."

Adam's face lit up with a grin, clearly pleased to have a reason to explain.

"Well then," he said, brushing imaginary dust from his coat. "You're in luck. Because I do."

He raised a finger like a professor about to lecture.

"Emi is a fundamental force. Think of it like nature's hidden current—an invisible energy that flows through every living thing. Trees. Animals. Even air. It's everywhere."

Alex nodded slowly, following along.

"In some places, Emi is thicker—richer. Those are hotspots, where power can bloom faster. Certain zones in this world are more dangerous... and more rewarding."

He leaned in slightly.

"Without Emi, you couldn't even be a player. When the System descended, it created a core inside each humankind of like a filter or engine. That core regulates Emi, and keeps it from overwhelming us. It is also the reason you were brought to the tutorial world because the torrent of energy that entered your world would have been too much for an unprepared body to bear."

Alex raised a brow, intrigued.

Adam continued.

"At first, a Player's Core is small, fragile. But as they fight, survive, and defeat beasts, their Core grows stronger. Bit by bit, it adapts—able to hold more Emi, and store more power. This gradual growth is what most is called "leveling up."

But here's where things get serious.

Once a Player reaches a certain threshold—usually much higher than average—the System steps in again. It partially unlocks their Core, upgrading it. From that point on, they're no longer just passively absorbing energy fed to them through the System. Now, they can actively draw in Emi straight from the environment.

Sounds like a major power-up, right?"

Alex responded, "It does."

"But there's a risk. Raw Emi isn't ready to use. It's wild. Unstable. Dangerous. Before it can be turned into something usable—mana—it needs to be refined. That refining happens inside the Core, like a forge purifying metal. If the process fails… if the Core can't keep up… that raw Emi doesn't just sit there. It corrupts. It twists the Player's body. Warps their mind. And sometimes, what comes out the other side isn't human anymore. That's why the System exists—to prevent that from happening. It acts as a safety net, purifying the energy when the Core can't. And that's why awakening too early, before the body and Core are ready, is normally impossible.

This is exactly why the System is so important—it acts like a built-in safety filter. It quietly, constantly purifies the Emi you absorb, making sure it's safe before your body can use it."

See, for the average Player, their Core isn't strong enough to handle purification on its own. It relies on the System to do the heavy lifting. And awakening? That's something the System carefully controls. It won't let you take that step unless you're fully ready.

But you…