Apocalypse Baby

The three cockatrices stood in tense silence, their eyes darting around as they searched for any trace of Alex.

Then, out of nowhere, a tree erupted in a thunderous explosion, sending shards of wood and dust flying.

The force of it shook the ground and caught the cockatrices completely off guard.

In the split-second of confusion, Alex emerged from the smoke, his eyes locked on the cockatrice general.

He lunged forward, his hand outstretched to make contact with the general's leathery skin and use his skill, [Exploding Touch].

His plan was clear: take down the biggest threat first.

But just as his fingers brushed its feathers, the cockatrice general whipped its head around like it had eyes in the back of its head, and darted out of range with lightning speed.

The general's eyes narrowed, and with a powerful swipe of its wings, it launched a flurry of shimmering, razor-sharp feather blades directly at him.

Alex barely had a second to react, diving to the side as the deadly projectiles tore through the air where he had just been standing, slicing through branches and embedding themselves in the ground like knives.

Alex raised his hand, summoning [Aegis Arcane] just in time as the feather blades hurtled toward him.

The shimmering shield of energy materialized in front of him, absorbing the impact and deflecting the projectiles harmlessly into the ground, and before the cockatrice could react, he vanished into the shadows again.

The cockatrice general, now tense and frustrated, scanned the area.

"Be on guard," it warned in a grating voice:

"This human can vanish whenever he likes."

The general's narrowed eyes reflected its irritation; Alex was more resourceful than it had imagined.

But as it remembered that he'd managed to take down Dreadfeather, the general's resolve hardened.

Suddenly, a series of explosions tore through the ground and the trees, echoing across the battlefield.

Each blast separated the cockatrices further from one another.

The force of the detonations sent dirt and splinters flying, creating a dense fog of smoke that obscured everything around them.

Alex had set up these traps while he was fleeing earlier and he was using them to scatter the three bosses as they were more dangerous together,

He scanned the chaotic battlefield, he noticed the flame cockatrice lingering a bit farther from the others, and a smirk appeared on his face.

Using [Stealth Walk], he moved in, picking up speed and keeping his footsteps light. In one swift movement, he closed the distance, ready to take down his first target.

Alex appeared right behind the Flame Cockatrice, his blade flashing as he slashed down, landing a cut across its back.

The creature reacted quickly, darting forward, but Alex pressed on relentlessly, swinging his sword in quick, precise arcs, pushing it on the defensive.

Each strike forced the bird to dodge, its movements growing more frantic as Alex gave it no space to counter.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw the Speed Cockatrice charging in to protect its ally.

Anticipating the ambush, Alex roared, activating [Sonic Howl]. And the powerful sound wave erupted from him, striking the Flame Cockatrice and sending it stumbling back.

Then he detonated another trap—and an explosion burst right in front of the charging Speed Cockatrice, stopping it in its tracks as it skidded back.

The Flame Cockatrice tried to shake off the effects of the howl, but before it could recover, it caught sight of Alex charging straight at it with his sword glistening dangerously and his eyes blazing crimson.

The Flame Cockatrice knew it was seconds from losing its head.

But then—a faint whistle.

Alex's instincts screamed danger as feather blades, deadly and precise, sliced through the air toward him from behind.

He spotted them in time, sidestepping, but the projectiles homed in like heat-seeking missiles.

He then used [Aegis Shield] to receive the attack which absorbed the impact in a burst of sparks and feathers.

The Cockatrice General then suddenly appeared beside Alex, its feathered blades flashing in a powerful swing.

Alex raised [Eclipse Edge] to block, but the force of the strike sent him skidding back, his palm scraping painfully against the ground.

He quickly steadied himself, feeling a jolt of surprise—this creature was not only fast but exceptionally strong.

Without warning, the Cockatrice General unleashed a barrage of feathered blades.

Each one whizzed through the air, sharp and deadly, homing in on him with eerie precision.

Alex immediately activated [Stealth Walk], disappearing from view. The feather blades slammed into the ground where he had been, scattering dirt and debris in their wake.

Hidden and watching, Alex noticed something crucial: while in stealth, the blades couldn't track him. This discovery made a smirk creep onto his face.

The Cockatrice General, visibly frustrated, clicked its beak in irritation.

Turning to the other two cockatrices, it growled:

"We need to stay close. When he appears, we strike together."

The Flame Cockatrice and Speed Cockatrice nodded, each of their eyes gleaming with lethal intent.

Then the Speed Cockatrice asked, its voice sharp with suspicion:

"What if he tries to run?"

Alex's voice cut through the air, steady and menacing:

"Don't worry. I won't. You're all going down."

With that, he detonated an explosion right in the middle of the three cockatrices, the blast rippling outward with a roar.

He'd planted it earlier while sliding across the ground, and now it paid off perfectly.

The force of the explosion flung all three birds backward, their screeches cutting through the smoke.

The Flame Cockatrice staggered, feathers singed from the blast, its eyes blazing with fury.

But before it could recover, Alex descended from above with [Eclipse Edge] gleaming.

At the last second, the Flame Cockatrice darted forward, narrowly avoiding his strike.

It whirled around, beak open in a furious screech—only to find that Alex had vanished, a cocky grin on his face as he disappeared into the shadows once more.

It shrieked, rage building with every missed attack, and then it spotted something on the ground: a small, splintered piece of wood that hadn't been there before.

Its instincts flared in warning, but just as it leaped away, the piece of wood exploded into splinters, right where it had been standing.

Alex was keeping them on edge, forcing them into his rhythm. Now it was time to start taking them down.

The Flame Cockatrice, sensing the General was in trouble, rushed to its side. But just as it got close, Alex appeared right next to it, casually reaching out to tap its feathers as if petting it.

The Flame Cockatrice recoiled in shock, screeching as it swiped its feather-blade at him, aiming to slice him in two.

But Alex's [Aegis Shield] flared to life, blocking the attack and only slightly nudging him back. He had to admit the skill was really useful.

Unfazed, he met the Flame Cockatrice's strikes head-on, his [Eclipse Edge] deflecting blow after blow with practiced precision.

Each swing from the cockatrice was powerful, but Alex parried each one, his blade a blur as he held his ground.

Frustrated, the Flame Cockatrice reared back and unleashed a blast of fire but Alex raised [Aegis Shield] just in time, the shield absorbing the flames as they wrapped around him in a fiery whirlwind.

When the flames died down, Alex stood unscathed, his gaze unyielding.

Suddenly, the Speed Cockatrice darted toward him from behind, feathers ready to strike. But in a flash, Alex vanished, leaving behind a small piece of wood in his place.

The cockatrices barely registered the trick before the wood exploded, blasting both backward with a shockwave.

The General was panting, its breaths labored as it watched.

It had started to piece together how Alex's abilities worked, realizing he could vanish at will, plant traps, and reappear out of nowhere.

But understanding the trick wouldn't make Alex any less dangerous.

The General scanned the battlefield, wary of any hidden explosives.

Alex's unpredictability and his knack for slipping out of reach made him a deadly opponent.

Alex leaped into a nearby tree, perching himself on a thick branch as he watched the three cockatrices below with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

A grin spread across his face as he called out:

"I promised you three would die. It's time to fulfill that promise."

He pointed a finger at the Flame Cockatrice, his gaze locked on it:

"Starting with you."

The Flame Cockatrice, enraged, opened its beak and prepared to unleash a searing torrent of flames.

But Alex just smirked, twisting his fingers slightly and in an instant, the Flame Cockatrice ignited with a hidden explosive he had set earlier.

Its body was blown apart, feathers and embers scattering in every direction as the remnants fell to the ground in a smoking heap.

The Cockatrice General's eyes widened as it spotted the faint, glowing mark on what remained of the Flame Cockatrice—now just scorched fragments.

Alex appeared behind the General in a flash, his palm aimed directly at the creature's chest.

But the General's reflexes were fast; it screeched, lunging backward and releasing a furious spray of feather blades in Alex's direction.

Alex activated [Aegis Shield], the transparent barrier shimmering as the razor-sharp feathers collided with it.

But instead of stopping the feathers deflected in all directions, one of them skimming past the General's chin, leaving a thin, bloody scratch.

[Aegis Arcane] had a 30% chance of deflecting an attack and for the first time, it showed that effect.

The General's eyes narrowed, its anger boiling over.

But Alex just grinned wider, clearly enjoying the thrill of the hunt.

"Don't let the human touch you, no matter what," the Cockatrice General warned, eyeing Alex with caution.

Alex only grinned, cracking his knuckles:

"I don't need to."

The Speed Cockatrice lunged toward him with incredible speed, but Alex twisted his fingers, triggering another hidden bomb.

The ground erupted in a fiery explosion that sent shockwaves through the battlefield, catching the Speed Cockatrice off guard.

The blast tore into its leg, throwing it off balance.

The Cockatrice's momentum sent it hurtling toward Alex, and he equipped [Fury gauntlet] the weapon he had gotten from defeating the goblin boss.

On wearing it he felt his strength surge and he threw a powerful punch straight at the oncoming creature.

His fist connected with a thunderous impact, knocking the cockatrice backward.

The Speed Cockatrice, now injured and struggling, hopped on one leg, trying to shake off the shock of Alex's blow.

But Alex didn't give it a moment to breathe.

He charged forward, unleashing a relentless barrage of quick punches and strikes, each one harder than the last.

The sheer intensity of his attacks showed he was channeling every ounce of his strength and frustration into each blow.

Yelling: "Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora!"

As he pummeled the poor cockatrice.

Then...he activated the gauntlet special skill, which tripled the power of a blow

And with a final heavy swing, Alex landed a brutal strike that sent a sickening crunch through the air.

The cockatrice's neck twisted, and it collapsed to the ground with an eerie, final thud.

[You have leveled up]

Alex exhaled and then stepped back, catching his breath as he looked at the fallen creature.

Then he turned towards the general who trembled on seeing Alex's gaze.

"Two down... one more to go."