Lord of the Apocalypse

by Michael Sisa

  Professor Jack seemed to have arrived at this conclusion too. He nodded, his eyes still fixated on the corpses scattered about.

  There were simply too many dead bodies here. And that means that there were definitely a great number of monsters here. Going inside this place would be suicide.

  Our group was about to leave the area when a shrieking sound echoed behind us. Upon looking, I saw two goblins, their disgusting faces broadly smiling at us. They pointed a finger at our direction, stamped on the ground using their naked feet, then shrieked once again.

  Fuck. These guys were definitely giving out location.

  Professor Jack was about to personally silence the two bastards when we heard multiple loud footsteps nearby. And to our horror, it was not just at the entrance. It was all over the place.

  Soon enough, Minotaurs and Goblins began pouring in from the entrance, effectively blocking our way out. Furthermore, we saw gigantic silhouettes inside the Mall, of which loud thud sounds quickly followed.

  Our survival instinct in overdrive, we frantically tried to find a way out. It was only a matter of time before those monsters surrounded us.

  “Over here!” said Professor Jack. “Follow me!”

  Without wasting another breath, we followed after the professor. At times like these, I wished I was not an overly bloated pig. Surely, running would be easier with a thinner body.

  Our group ran past numerous corpses, broken furniture, and shattered glasses, as we climbed a flight of stairs. Below, the monsters started chasing us. A Minotaur quickly caught up to us, its gigantic body climbing the same flight of stairs.

  For a moment, I was worried that the stairs would break from the Minotaur’s weight. Each of its steps would create cracks on the stair, making it tremble and quake.

  “What are you doing? Hurry up!” shouted Professor Jack. He had already reached the top.

  “We’re trying!” I said, huffing.

  Beside me was Anisette, her skin a bit more pallid than usual. Her chest rapidly rose then fell as numerous beads of sweat formed on her face.

  “Just a bit more,” I said to her. “You can do it. Go!”

  As I said those words, I purposely slowed down my pace. If that Minotaur eventually manages to catch up to us, at least I would be able to stall for time. If needed be, I would jump and take it down with me.

  A knife whizzed past my face and lodged itself into the eye of the Minotaur below. The gargantuan monster roared in pain and rage. It stumbled and fell down to the ground. I knew that it would not be enough to kill that immortal bastard, but at least, we were safe for now.

  I looked at the one that threw the knife, Professor Jack. This man was really reliable -- as expected of a former soldier.

  After the three of us had climbed the flight of stairs, we looked around and searched for a way out. There should be a damn fire exit in this place, right?

  We have yet to find our haven when a group of goblins began running towards us. It seemed that they had made the second floor their home, judging by their numbers.

  I gripped the metallic pipe in my hand. Professor Jack took out a large kitchen knife.

  “There’s too many of them,” I judged. “This’ll be hard.”

  Professor Jack knitted his brows. “Be sure to protect Anisette. Don’t go too far from her. I’ll take care of these guys. For now, focus on finding us a place we can escape to. We can’t fight these guys forever.”

  I grimly nodded. Quickly, my eyes scanned the second floor for a path for escape. At the same time, Professor Jack engaged the dozens of goblins before us. His movements were fluid, and his every strike of the knife would decapitate one green, ugly bastard.

  Two goblins decided to ignore him and instead went straight for us. I gnashed my teeth, gripped my metallic pipe tightly, then struck at them with all my might.

  A loud cracking sound was heard as my steel pipe hit one of them straight at the chest, sending it flying a couple of meters back. Its body rolled then skidded on the ground.

  You have killed a Goblin Worker!

  You have gained 45 Exp!

  The familiar blue window popped up, and I immediately dismissed it as I evaded a swipe from the other goblin. I roared and kicked at it, but it evaded by jumping to the side. Once again, the goblin charged at me, its long rotting nails pointed at my calf.

  My steel pipe came cruising down from above, and it hit the goblin right at the head. A loud plop sound was heard, before its innards splattered out from impact.

  You have killed a Goblin Worker!

  You have gained 47 Exp!

  I have seen my exp requirement before. At this rate, I would reach Level 3 soon. But now’s not the time to celebrate.

  I looked at Professor Jack. It seemed that he had taken care of more than a dozen goblins already. Still, the damnable creatures were persistent, and their numbers seemed to grow more as time passed. I realized that goblins were starting to come out of the second floor. At this rate, they would soon go past the hundred-mark. Damn it.

  A roar echoed. We all instinctively looked at it and saw three Minotaurs coming our way. One of them was blind in one eye. It was definitely the monster that got hit by Professor Jack’s knife.

  My heart loudly pounded. This was getting out of hand. We’re in deep shit.

  “Professor! We should run away!” I shouted amidst the sound of Goblins shrieking and Minotaurs roaring.

  Professor Jack kicked the Goblin in front of him, sending it flying away, then ran back towards us. I quickly pointed towards a room far from us. I noticed that it was the only place where Goblins did not appear.

  Damn it. It felt so far.

  We ran with all our might. Behind us, hordes of monsters kept their chase. The floor continued to tremble as hooves and feet struck the ground.

  Two Minotaurs were starting to catch up to us. Anisette skidded to a halt then activated her magic. Her hazel eyes turned white, and the Two Minotaurs froze—or so I thought.

  For some reason, the two Minotaurs were still able to move, although slower than before. Maybe the skill, Hunter’s Eyes, was not capable of stopping such gargantuan creatures entirely. Why have I not thought of it before?

  I clicked my tongue once then grabbed the arm of my sister.

  “It’s no use. Let’s just run!”

  She deactivated her magic, and we once again resumed our escape. Professor Jack grabbed two small knives in his pocket then threw them at the Minotaurs. One them got hit on the nose, and the monster screamed in utter rage. The other one got hit on the chest, and the knife did nothing but create a small cut on its thick skin.

  This is hopeless. We could not possibly win against so many monsters.

  As I was drowning in despair, Professor Jack said, “I’ll use Demigod’s Strength to stop them. The two of you should use the chance to escape.” He was huffing, definitely tired, but his eyes were filled with determination regardless.

  “Don’t worry about me. I won’t die.”

  We all knew that was a lie.

  Demigod’s Strength was a skill that gives the user a temporary boost in raw power, more than enough to rival those of a Minotaur’s. The problem was that after a full minute, the user would not be able to move his body. That was why if Professor Jack were to use it right now, he would surely die afterwards. He would be an easy prey for the rest of the surviving monsters.

  My mind went into full throttle. Should we let him use the skill? Let him sacrifice his life so we could escape?

  These seconds of trying to find the right answer felt like eternity.

  And I finally arrived to a conclusion.

  “We’ll definitely die if we get separated from you,” I said to the professor. “Don’t use the skill for now.” I pointed to the place we were heading to. “Look over there. I don’t think the Minotaurs are large enough to get inside. If it’s just Goblins, we could surely deal with them even without using that skill.”

  The Professor took my words in
to account. The three of us run towards that place. An alleyway that probably leads to some stockroom. I could read out the placard on the door located at the end of the alley: “Unauthorized Persons Not Allowed.”

  Pushing our bodies to the limit, we ran through the Alley. As expected, the Minotaurs could not get inside. They merely stood outside, not even trying to enter the cramped entrance. I opened the door then ushered the two to get inside. After one last look at the monsters outside, I closed it with a loud thud.

  You have entered the nest of the Babyface Arachnid.

  The moment we entered the room, a notification popped out in front of us. My eyes widened when I saw the innumerable eggs inside the room. There were dozens of them, all pulsating with life. Thick webs filled the walls and the ceilings, and further beyond, a grotesque monster straight out of a nightmare silently stood.

  “What the hell is that?” I whispered.

  My two companions were stiff, probably petrified of what they saw.

  At the corner of the room, which was probably a storehouse, was a gigantic creature with eight legs. It reminded me of a giant spider, but its face was something different entirely. Instead of the usual insect head, three heads of a newborn child were seen. Tentacles wriggled out the mouths of those heads, creating intermittent sloshing sound. Its black belly was thick, definitely those of a spider’s.

  This place was dark, but we were able to clearly see everything thanks to the light seeping through the cracks on the wall on our left.

  I came to a realization.

  The reason why the Minotaurs and Goblins did not chase us further after coming to this room was not because they were totally unable to fit through the cramped alley. It was because they knew that this place was the nest of that thing. I was unfamiliar with the hierarchy of monsters, but this one in front of us smelled way more dangerous than the Minotaurs and Goblins outside.

  “W-We should go back!” I finally managed to choke the words out.

  My instinct was screaming at me that this one was way more dangerous than any monsters we have encountered before. That if we stayed here, only death awaits.

  “Look out!” shouted Professor Jack.

  I was still trembling, and my body refused to move as a ball of thread came flying towards me. Professor Jack shoved me to the side, and he was hit straight at the chest by the attack. His body came flying towards the wall, and upon impact, he vomited blood. His body got stuck to the wall from that attack.

  “Professor!” I shouted.

  He was not moving. He was not dead, right?

  At the corner of my eyes, I saw that Anisette was crying. Unlike us, she was unable to speak. All she could do was silently cry the tears that incessantly flowed down her cheeks.

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  At this rate, we’ll be killed.

  Another ball of thread came flying at us, and I dived towards the left to evade it. My body came rolling on the ground. I was about to stand up and grab my sister’s arms when another attack came flying at us. This time, towards Anisette.

  My instinct kicking in, I ran towards her, intending to become her meat shield. But it was too late. She, too, was hit by the attack. Her body also collided against the wall. She coughed out blood, then lost consciousness. Just like the Professor, her body was stuck on the wall by the monster’s thread.

  I lost myself for a moment. This could not be happening. This could not be real. Were we really going to die here? Just like this?

  I felt a warm sensation at my back. The feeling of something breathing at the nape of your neck.

  My body still trembling from fear, I slowly turned around. And what greeted me was the grotesque face of the monster: Three heads of an infant, with tentacles coming out of their mouths. It was disgusting. Truly the definition of a monster.

  Without me noticing it, the monster had closed the distance between us.

  This was it. I was going to get eaten.

  Resigning myself to fate, I closed my eyes.

  I entered dreamland.

  ***

  I woke up to the sound of a rope being cut. For a moment, I groaned, opened my eyes then looked around.

  This was the same place as before. The nest of that monster.

  But more importantly – I was alive?

  As I was pondering this, I looked at the source of the sound that woke me up. My eyes widened for a moment when I saw a goblin cutting the threads that bound my body. Unlike the Goblins I’ve seen before, this one was wearing clothes. Furthermore, he had a bag, a very small one, on his back.

  I wanted to rub my eyes and confirm this was reality, but I could not move a muscle due to the threads binding me.

  The Goblin noticed that I was awake. It took out a notebook, which was very much familiar, then wrote something down.

  I’m here to help you. I’m not your enemy. The Babyface is current out searching for more food. Don’t make a sound or it might come back.

  Chapter 10: The Deviant Goblin

  Nicholas Dread’s POV (Goblin Nick)

  Beads of sweat had been flowing down my green skin as my large bulging eyes stared at the structure in front of me. It was a five-story building, a structure that was a popular destination before the apocalypse took place. Inside were cinemas, clinics, a large supermarket, boutiques, and many others. A place that was very familiar. A place filled with nightmarish memories.

  Currently, I was looking at the Mall where I first witnessed the apocalypse.

  Out of the innumerable structures in this place, this one remained intact, spared from the fire that engulfed more than half the city. This fact gave relief to me. After all, this was the last place I’ve seen my family.

  After becoming a goblin, I had confirmed one thing. The monsters that roamed the streets were not hostile to me. The Minotaurs, the Goblins, Golems, and even the rare snake-monster I’ve met on the way. None of them attacked me.

  Having this ugly face and body actually have its advantages, huh? At the very least, I did not have to worry about being suddenly assaulted by monsters.

  I scrutinized my current body. Green, rough skin. Long nails. Bulbous nose. Large gawking eyes. The same monster that lurked everywhere. But what differentiated me from the other goblins was definitely my clothes. Currently, I was wearing a tattered leather jacket I looted from the corpse of a kid. On my feet was a pair of worn out sneakers, a small one at that, definitely meant to be used by a toddler. On my back was a bag, filled with some dangerous things I’ve found while on my way to this place. The things inside this bag would be my trump card. My weapon-of-escape in dire situations.

  At first, I was hesitant of taking the clothes of a dead person, but I later on came to the conclusion that now was not the time to be soft. Now was not the time for useless morals which could hinder my goals.

  The clothes I was wearing were dirty, definitely uncomfortable, but they gave me a sense of relief at the very least. Having something covering and protecting me gave me some degree of peace of mind. Especially the sneakers. It was now a lot easier to run around. Thankfully, the nails on my feet were not that long. Otherwise, I would have no choice but to run around with my feet naked.

  It had been a couple of hours since I’ve arrived to the Human Realm. I stretched my body.

  I entered the Mall.

  Just like before, this place was filled with corpses. Decapitated bodies were scattered about, lifeless, rotting. If I was still human, I would have probably vomited from the stench of decay in the air. But for some reason, this scent was actually aromatic, almost enticing. Without knowing it, I have started sniffing the scent of death that continued to waft in the air.

  I gnashed my teeth. This was not good. I shouldn’t lose my humanity.

  Nick. You are human. You are not a monster.

  I repeated those words inside my head, like some sort of mantra. I noticed the drools that started coming out of my mouth. I wiped it using the back of my hand. This would always happen whenever I was near
human corpses. This have to stop.

  This place was a bit dark, even though it was morning outside. Through the shattered windows, small amounts of light seeped through.

  My eyes scanned my surroundings. As I walked through the mall, I would look at each corpse I encountered along the way. I was really hoping that my family was safe, that they have survived. But I had to look at the dead bodies just to be sure.

  I also went towards the second floor. This place was infested by goblins.

  I saw the hardware store nearby. Just perfect. The pickaxe from before was just too inconvenient to bring along. After realizing that it was fairly safe to travel the streets with my current body, I decided to leave it behind. Searching for my family would be faster without having to carry that large thing around.

  “I can probably find a good weapon in there,” I said.

  What I wanted was a weapon that would fit this body of mine. Preferably something that was not too big and heavy, not too small either, and durable enough to block numerous blows. Something sharp enough to cut through flesh and bones.

  I searched through the Hardware. Indeed, there were weapons here. Kitchen knives. Machetes. There was even a long sword. What was it doing in this place? I wondered.

  After scrutinizing the weapons available, I’ve decided to take Chef’s Knives with me. Two of them. They seemed more durable than most, and more importantly, they were the right size for this body. The other weapons were simply too large or too long. Others were too heavy.

  After picking out my weapons, I began searching the other floors. The third floor was almost empty, with nothing but a few dozen corpses. The fourth floor was just like the other floors, but with lesser goblins. It was impossible to enter the fifth floor. The stairs have crumbled down, probably due to the earthquake, or maybe some monster, I was not sure.

  I heaved a sigh of relief. At the very least, they were not here. They were not among the corpses scattered about. My family must have escaped to a safer place.