Apocalypse Baby-Chapter 230: Mimicry
[Skill Options Available]
Echo Strike (B): Imbues the user's attacks with a delayed aftershock, causing the strike to deal damage twice—once upon impact and again a moment later as the shockwave reverberates.
Cost: 20 Mana per activation.
Duration: The aftershock triggers within 2 seconds of the initial impact.
Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Gigantify (B): Allows the user to enlarge small objects to gigantic sizes, increasing their mass and durability. The user can turn everyday items into massive weapons or obstacles, though the effect is limited to non-living materials.
Cost: 25 Mana per use.
Duration: Lasts for 1 minute or until dismissed.
Cooldown: 1 minute.
Iron Grip (B): Grants the user immense grip strength, allowing them to crush objects, weapons, or even armor with unbreakable force. This skill is particularly effective in grappling or disarming opponents.
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Cost: 15 Mana per activation.
Duration: 10 seconds.
Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Alex raised an eyebrow, his mind immediately starting to spin with ideas.
He glanced at the available options, weighing each one.
Echo Strike? That one was intriguing.
A hit that kept on giving—a strike followed by a delayed aftershock, doubling the damage.
It sounded effective. But Alex wasn't a fan of delays.
He preferred instant results, clean and sharp kills.
He wasn't looking to wear his enemies down with lingering effects. He wanted them down, instantly.
Then there was Iron Grip.
A skill that would make him even stronger, giving him the ability to crush bones and bend metal with ease.
But...his strength was already overwhelming.
He didn't need another tool to turn him into a human wrecking ball. The skill just didn't have that appeal.
But then, his gaze landed on Gigantify.
Now, this...This skill had potential.
A grin tugged at the corner of Alex's lips as his mind raced with the possibilities.
He imagined hurling a tiny pebble, watching it soar through the air—and then, right before it hit the target, he could make it explode into a massive boulder, smashing through everything in its path.
Or even cooler—he could toss a small throwing dagger, and at the last second, make it grow into the size of a greatsword, the blade massive and deadly, catching his enemy completely off guard.
Alex could feel his pulse quicken.
The idea of manipulating objects mid-flight, catching people by surprise, and using the environment to his advantage... was a game-changer.
He didn't hesitate.
[Gigantify] was the one.
With a firm tap, he selected the skill.
Ding!
[Skill Acquired: Gigantify (B).]
Alex's grin only grew wider.
He could already see it—rocks, weapons, whatever he wanted—growing to massive sizes, transforming into something far more lethal than it had any right to be.
"This is gonna be fun," he muttered under his breath, already picturing a thousand ways to use his new skill in battle.
Unto the next,
Alex's heart was pounding in his chest, the excitement building with every second.
This was the last skill.
He stared at the three options floating in front of him, the words flashing in his mind like a countdown.
[Skill Options Available]
Blaze Pulse (A)
Effect: Unleashes a concentrated burst of intense heat from the user's body, scorching everything in close proximity. This pulse incinerates enemies and objects in the area, dealing significant fire damage.
Cost: 50 Mana per activation.
Range: 5-meter radius.
Duration: Instantaneous burst.
Cooldown: 45 seconds.
Warp Blink (A)
Effect: Grants the user the ability to teleport a short distance instantly, allowing them to evade attacks, close gaps, or reposition strategically in combat.
Cost: 40 Mana per use.
Range: 10 meters maximum.
Cooldown: 3 seconds.
Copy (A): Grants the user the ability to permanently copy another person's innate skill upon physical touch. The copied skill is acquired in its weakest form and must be trained or evolved to reach its full potential. The absorption time varies depending on the target's strength—copying a skill from a low-ranking individual takes 10 seconds while absorbing from a high-ranking individual can take minutes to hours.
Cost: 500 Mana per activation.
Cooldown: 24 hours between uses.
Limitations: The user cannot copy skills that require a unique bloodline, divine authority, or exclusive traits. If interrupted during absorption, the process fails, and the cooldown is still triggered.
Alex's eyes darted back and forth, scanning the three skills in front of him.
But none of them really grabbed him, except for one.
Copy (A).
He locked onto the description and read it again.
His brain raced, processing the possibilities.
Then he read it once more, slower this time, just to make sure he wasn't imagining things.
His fingers tightened around the air as if he could physically feel the weight of the decision.
His breath hitched.
The full impact hit him a moment later, and a low laugh escaped him, a mix of disbelief and excitement.
This… this was insane.
Out of all the abilities he'd picked up, all the crazy powers he now wielded, this was by far the most ridiculous.
He wasn't just getting stronger; he could literally copy other people's abilities, just by touching them.
He could walk up to someone—anyone—and take what was theirs.
Any skill, any power. It would be his.
And he could make it his own.
Alex laughed again, shaking his head, still not fully believing it.
The thought alone sent a thrill down his spine.
He imagined it: touching a master swordsman and copying their techniques, or maybe finding someone with some insane elemental power and instantly gaining control over it.
He could absorb their abilities, learn them, and make them even better.
The implications were huge.
Without hesitation, he slammed his hand onto the selection screen and chose Mimicry (A).
His heart pounded with excitement as the skill locked into place.
Ding!
[Skill Acquired: Copy (A)]
The notification flashed before his eyes, and Alex grinned, a wild satisfaction filling his chest.
With this skill, he could now literally steal any ability he came into contact with.
And not just that—he could grow those abilities, make them his own, and build an arsenal of powers stronger than anyone he'd ever faced.
He cracked his knuckles, a grin forming as he imagined the endless possibilities.
With these new skills, things were going to be a lot more fun moving forward.
But Alex wasn't done yet.
He looked at the other skills he'd just acquired—half of them were B-Rank, the rest A-Rank.
They were solid, powerful, but…
He chuckled to himself, shaking his head.
"That's not good enough."
He wasn't aiming for A-Rank.
He wasn't even aiming for B-Rank.
He was aiming for S-Rank.
Every skill—every single one—would be maxed out. All of them.
He had the tools. Now it was time to break them.
