Apocalypse Baby

Across the arena, the Proctor approached—silent, staff lowered, expression unreadable.

No words were exchanged.

But in his eyes, Alex saw it.

Recognition. Respect.

Alex didn't bask in it.

He just turned his head, breathing slowly, heart pounding.

And then—

A torrent of system notifications erupted before Alex's vision in blinding succession

DING!

[You have received a 7th Tier Essence Root]

[You have slain a Doom-Class Entity: Malik – Corrupted Vessel]

[You have received a Unique Title: Doom Breaker]

[Doom Breaker]

Effects:

• +30% Damage against Abyssal, Corruption, and Doom-type enemies

• -50% Corruption Accumulation

• Immune to Fear-type debuffs from lower-tier Doom creatures

Alex blinked once.

Then again.

"Doom Breaker?" he muttered under his breath, almost disbelieving.

The name carried weight, and the effect was quite fitting.

+30 damage? That was quite a lot.

And it would be especially useful when he fought a doom beast with a high HP pool.

Accumulation of corruption was also reduced by 50%, meaning that when he finds himself in corrupted areas, the rate at which he gets corrupted is reduced by half.

This would grant him a massive edge.

Then, another notification flashed.

DING!

[Apocalypse Baby Activating]

[You have received another 7th Tier Essence Root]

[You have received another Unique Title: Beast-Ender]

[Beast-Ender]

Effects:

• +15% Weapon Proficiency

• +5% Armor Penetration against Beasts / Titans / Corrupt

• +10% Loot Drop Rate (Monster Bosses)

Alex's mind reeled.

Another title.

Now he had two Essence Roots and two unique titles.

Then the final notification.

One that made Alex look forward to the future.

DING!

[Doom Slayer Evolution Path: Unlocked]

[Condition: Kill 10 Doom-Class Entities]

[Progress: 01 / 10]

Alex's mouth fell slightly ajar.

Slowly, almost reverently, he lowered Doom Slayer.

The runes etched along the blade's length still pulsed with ghostly silver light, drinking in the ambient corruption left behind by Malik's destruction.

A soft hum coursed through the hilt into his bones, as if the weapon itself were alive, awakening with hunger.

A path to evolve the weapon?

Doom Slayer… could become stronger?

He'd thought the weapon was already monstrous.

However, it could now become even more powerful.

He couldn't even begin to imagine what lay at the end of that evolutionary path.

Power surged through him like wildfire.

It felt as though someone had rewired his insides—like new muscles, new instincts, new strength had been layered over the old ones.

Alex couldn't help it.

His grin widened with the thrum of energy crawling through his veins, coiling like serpents beneath his skin.

It was intoxicating—like the universe had just handed him the keys to a forbidden vault.

He sighed.

Slaying that Doom Beast… was definitely worth it.

Thanks to the risk he took, he now had an insanely powerful sword, two special titles with unique effects, a weapon evolution quest, and two 7th-tier essence roots.

Now he didn't know exactly what a "7th Tier Essence Root" did yet, but the name alone screamed ultra-rare.

It was definitely not the kind of reward you stumble upon in the tutorial, much less two of them.

He would dig deeper into the details later, once things had settled.

But for now—

His ears perked as footsteps approached him.

Heavy. Deliberate. Measured.

But each one pressed against the air with authority.

Alex didn't need to turn.

He already knew who it was.

The Proctor.

The being who had hovered above this entire ordeal like a divine overseer.

His radiant aura—once nearly blinding—had dimmed somewhat, no longer scorching to behold.

The crescent tip of his helm still gleamed with celestial light, but his presence now carried curiosity… and a strange undercurrent of calculation.

He approached slowly, stopping just a few feet away from the crater's edge.

His gaze wasn't on Alex.

It was on the sword he held.

The sword was the only reason Alex was able to defeat the doom beast.

Doom Slayer still gleamed faintly in Alex's grip, and the proctor finally said, curiosity lacing his tone:

"…That blade...Where did you get it?"

His voice was deep, steady, and controlled.

Alex tilted his head slightly, raising the weapon with a casual shrug.

"This?" he asked innocently. "Grugrim gave it to me. It's soul-bound."

The Proctor's shoulders stiffened.

His eyes, hidden behind that helm, narrowed beneath the visor.

"Grugrim?" he echoed slowly. "The dwarf that lost to Malik?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah."

A long silence passed between them.

The wind stirred the dust at their feet.

Then the Proctor exhaled.

"That weapon… is not something meant for this stage of your journey," he said. "There are others like it—relics forged by the dwarves long ago. Blades intended for elite guardians, ones trained to battle Doom Incursions on the front lines of reality. But that sword chose you. It bound itself willingly. During a tutorial."

He glanced over his shoulder, toward the scorched battlefield behind them.

The ground still sizzled where Malik's body had disintegrated into smoke and cinders.

"And yet, that weapon responded. As if it sensed something in you."

Alex gave a half-smile, eyes gleaming.

"Is that so?" he said coolly. "Then I must be special."

The Proctor didn't answer right away.

Instead, he studied Alex again.

But not just his appearance.

He studied his posture, his stance, and the way he held the blade.

He studied the confidence in his tone, the way he looked someone divine in the eye without flinching.

It wasn't arrogance.

It was belief.

And recklessness

After a moment, the Proctor sighed, lowering his gaze.

"There's no doubt that you are indeed unique," he said quietly. "But even though I am grateful you succeeded—truthfully, you probably shouldn't have been the one to defeat that Doom Beast."

Alex's brow furrowed. "Why not?"

The Proctor opened his mouth to explain—

But the air shattered before he could speak with a voice that was deep and laced with fury

"Human…" it said.

Alex turned towards the source of the voice and found it came from a horned demon wearing armor, up in the floating standing above behind the barrier that protected the audience.

The voice continued:

"You shouldn't have done that."