Apocalypse Baby

One of his clones was dead.

The realization hit Alex like a punch to the gut.

He hadn't expected one to die this soon.

"How did it happen?"

The question burned in his mind, but there was no time to dwell on it.

He wasn't worried. Didn't have to be.

Just curious.

As he dove forward, vines lashed out at him—thick, twisting tendrils aiming to wrap around his limbs and drag him down.

Alex twisted midair, narrowly dodging as the vines cracked against the ground where he had just been. Too close.

His suspicions were right.

Varkos—the summoned beast—was insanely strong.

Maybe too strong for his clones to handle.

But they had to.

He needed them to hold Varkos back, or he'd have no chance of dealing with the real threat standing in front of him—

The Grim Lord.

Alex gritted his teeth.

If he wanted to win this fight, he couldn't just rely on brute force.

He needed to use everything in his arsenal.

All of it.

He surged forward, closing the distance between him and the Grim Lord. The towering creature responded instantly, its massive blade humming with dark energy—

Then—

SLASH!

A Rendering Strike tore through the air.

Alex ducked, rolling beneath the deadly arc.

The wind from the swing whipped at his skin as he popped back onto his feet, inches from the monster.

This was his chance.

He reached out with his mind, activating Minor Telekinesis.

His target?

The skull-shaped pendant hanging around the Grim Lord's neck.

Alex yanked.

For a moment, the pendant shook violently—

It hummed—a strange, eerie vibration filling the air.

Then the Grim Lord barrier flared to life.

Enabling the pendant to resist.

"Guess that won't work."

Alex muttered to himself, eyes narrowing.

The Grim Lord's defensive aura didn't just protect its body—it covered the pendant too.

A deep, rumbling voice echoed from the monstrous figure.

"You foolish thief."

Then they clashed.

Alex lunged in, blades flashing, but the Grim Lord was fast despite its massive frame.

CLANG!

Their weapons met in a shower of sparks. The force of the impact sent vibrations up Alex's arms, but he pushed forward, twisting his body to deflect the next blow.

The heat from the Grim Lord's body was intense, searing his skin on contact. Flesh sizzled.

But Alex barely flinched.

His wounds healed instantly—just like the Grim Lord's.

The difference?

His healing was nowhere near as powerful.

He had to be careful.

He saw an opening when the Grim Lord had overextended its swing.

And Alex shifted his stance, ready to counter.

But...

SHHHLK!

Vines shot out from the Grim Lord's body, whipping toward him like spears.

Alex cursed and abandoned his attack, leaping backward just in time.

The vines slammed into the ground where he had just stood, leaving deep cracks in the stone.

He clicked his teeth in frustration.

Ever since he broke the first skull-shaped pendant, the Grim Lord had changed its strategy.

Now, it was on high alert.

Its focus had shifted to defense, making it much harder for Alex to land a decisive blow.

The beast lurched forward, closing the distance.

Then...

BOOM!

They clashed again.

Blades rang. Sparks flew.

Vines sprouted wildly from the Grim Lord's body, lashing out in every direction.

Alex gritted his teeth.

He wasn't just dodging attacks anymore—he was fighting against a storm of blades and vines coming at him from every direction.

His eyes darted rapidly, scanning every movement, predicting every attack.

Then...

SWOOSH!

A massive arm made entirely of vines burst out from the Grim Lord's back.

Alex barely had time to register it before...

THWACK!

The vine-arm slammed into his side, hitting him like a wrecking ball.

He went flying.

CRASH!

Alex skidded across the ground, wincing as he came to a stop.

His ribs ached, but he pushed himself up.

Only to see vines creeping toward him like snakes, spreading across the ground, trying to trap him.

Alex's muscles tensed.

He flipped backward, then again—and again—just barely avoiding the vines that lashed at his feet.

But before he could regain his stance, a shadow loomed over him.

Alex's instincts screamed.

He looked up.

The Grim Lord was descending from the sky.

It had leaped high above him and was now coming down with a cleaving strike, aiming to split him in half.

"Tch—!"

Alex kicked off the ground, throwing himself to the side.

WHOOSH!

The Grim Lord's blade slammed down just inches from where he had been.

Even though he dodged, the edge grazed his cheek, leaving a thin red line on his skin.

Alex landed, breathing hard.

"Dammit." He muttered under his breath.

But the Grim Lord wasn't done.

It spun its massive chain blade, the weapon whirling so fast it blurred.

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FWIP!

The blade shot toward Alex, the chain elongating unnaturally, stretching across the battlefield.

Alex's eyes widened.

Too fast!

The chain wrapped around his body, the metal links coiling tight before he could react.

And the blade at the end of the chain was rushing toward him, ready to cleave him in half.

Alex had only a second to react.

He dove straight into the ground.

WHOOSH!

The blade slashed through empty air, missing its target.

The chains, now slack, fell to the ground with a metallic clank.

And then...

BOOM!

An explosion erupted behind the Grim Lord.

Flames and smoke burst into the air.

The monster whipped around, searching for the source.

But there was nothing there.

It was a feint.

Because in front of it, Alex was already moving.

SLASH!

He swung his blade, aiming straight for the Grim Lord's neck.

But...

SHHHRK!

The monster reacted instantly.

Vines shot out of its body, twisting together at lightning speed, forming a thick shield in front of it.

Alex's attack slammed into the barrier, cutting deep—

But not deep enough.

More vines surged out, forcing Alex backward.

He landed a few feet away, exhaling sharply.

This wasn't working.

Without tricks like the one he had just used, he wasn't getting anywhere.

Alex narrowed his eyes.

The Grim Lord was too alert now.

There was no way he'd catch it off guard again.

Not when the monster was this defensive.

He sighed.

There was only one way out of this.

One that came with serious drawbacks.

Alex sighed again, his hands clenching into tight fists.

If he used this, then he had to end the fight fast—within 30 seconds.

No hesitation.

No second chances.

He took a deep breath.

Inhale. Exhale.

Then, he muttered:

"Titan's Fury."