Apocalypse Baby-Chapter 245: Awaken

Alex felt it—that flicker.That spark deep inside. It was the same energy that the new realm players used without a second thought. It was clawing its way toward the surface, fighting to break free.

But if he caved now? If he gave in and relied on his skills to make it easier?

He would never awaken that power.Never reach that next level.

So he didn't. He dug in his heels.

The next wave hit.

Not as violently as the first, but still unforgiving. Like a tidal wave crashing against his bones. The pressure built, forcing his body to fight harder.

His muscles screamed.His bones creaked.His skin tingled under the weight, as though something inside him was trying to tear free.

Groans echoed across the coliseum as the other players—the new realm elites—started to shift, their faces twisting in discomfort.

Alex heard them cursing and grumbling.

They hadn't expected this.

Hadn't expected two tutorial players to still be standing.

They were supposed to have this in the bag.This was supposed to be beyond the tutorial players.But two of them were still enduring.

And that pissed them off.

In their minds, a new realm player couldn't possibly lose to a tutorial player, as they were far more advanced and stronger. So the two tutorial players still in the game were making this selection way harder than it had to be.

"Your struggles were futile. Give up," a new realm player uttered to him.

Alex scoffed inwardly.

Futile? I don't think so.

He didn't know about the second tutorial player, but he had no intention of dropping out here.

The second tutorial player was a female, standing a few meters away, and Alex glanced to his right to check on her.

She was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling rapidly.Her shoulders were hunched, straining against the pressure.

But her eyes were wild, burning with ferocity.

Then, without a second thought, she activated a skill.

A green rune materialized behind her, glowing brightly.It spun around her like a wheel of ancient power.And then—

She merged with a glowing, floating creature.A beast.It was something between a falcon and a lion, made entirely of glowing feathers and razor-sharp claws.

The creature's form wrapped around her, binding to her body like living armor.A fierce, ethereal avatar, shimmering with energy, swirling around her as if it were part of her.

She had chosen to use her trump card.

A last-resort move—a gamble to survive.

A move that could propel her to the next round.

Some of the new realm players didn't take that well.

Hissing and cursing.

Especially the ones still struggling to stay on their feet.

This was going to be drawn out for longer.

Alex, however, respected her resolve.Her willingness to risk it all just to stay in the game.

He wanted both of them to make it to the next selection, just for the flex.To show that the tutorial players weren't just survivors—they were contenders.

But even with that, he didn't change his approach.

He just kept doing what he was already doing—enduring.

Grinding through the pain.

The proctor increased the pressure once again.

A low hum echoed as the aura ramped up. The weight of it crushing everyone.

Then, a sharp cry pierced the air.

Someone had collapsed.

And it wasn't just anyone.

It was a new realm player.

The one who had told Alex to give up.

The others around him stumbled, their faces twisted in disbelief, as they watched the new realm players burst into light. Eliminated.

Seeing this made the other new realm players start to panic.

Meanwhile, Alex was elated that one of the new realm players had finally fallen.

But he couldn't bring himself to smirk.

The urge was there, but he couldn't risk it.

One slip, one moment of arrogance, and he might lose focus.

He didn't want to be the next to get eliminated.

It was taking him every ounce of willpower he had to hold on.

The pressure around him was suffocating.

Unbearable.

It felt like his bones were made of glass, every inch of his body on the verge of splintering.

His heart thundered in his chest like it was trying to break free.

Each breath was a struggle. It felt like he was breathing underwater, a cinderblock crushing his chest with every inhale.

But amidst the chaos, the thing inside him—that flicker of power—was still there.

Clawing. Pushing. Fighting to get out.

Alex's eyes narrowed.

He knew—he just had to hold on a little longer, and something would snap.

Something would surge from deep inside him.

It was almost there.

He could feel it.

And then—

WHOOM!

Another wave rippled through the air.

The ground beneath Alex's feet shuddered, vibrating with raw power as the pressure surged again, pushing down with an intensity that made the air feel thick.

His vision started to blur at the edges like a fog was closing in on him.

His knees buckled.

And he muttered inwardly,

I'm going to fall. I'm going to get eliminated.

His body screamed at him—every cell, every muscle, begging him to use a skill. Just one.

A small boost, a fraction of power—anything to give him relief.

But Alex didn't budge. He refused.

He wasn't going to take the easy way out.

And then... he dropped.

.

.

.

But not down to the ground—inside himself.

It was like falling into a deep, endless pool, sinking into something vast and unknown.

Physically, he was still standing—unmoved, rooted to the spot—but inside, he was spiraling, tumbling through the darkness of his own mind.

He was spiraling into something ancient, powerful—a force beyond comprehension.

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And then—he saw light.

A swirling storm of green and gold, dancing through the air like fireflies, wild and untamable.

It was beautiful, mesmerizing—and then it clicked.

CLICK.

A sudden, sharp snap. Like a door unlocking.

Alex's eyes shot open, wide with shock.

Reality snapped back.

He was still standing, still locked in place, but something inside him had shifted.

Ding!

[You have awakened Nature's Energy: Emi]

[System Update In Progress…]