Apocalypse Baby

[Tyrant of Talons]

[Cockatrice King 'Murvok' Rank C]

The Cockatrice King, Murvok, loomed above Alex, casting a dark, suffocating shadow.

Its scales glistened with a metallic sheen, segmented like a giant, armored centipede.

Unlike the other cockatrices Alex had fought, this one looked more like a dragon—its wings spread wide, spiked with jagged edges that caught the light of the smoldering forest.

The beast's eyes, gleaming with predatory focus, locked onto Alex.

Alex's breath caught in his throat.

He could feel the heat radiating from Murvok's nostrils, each breath sounding like the rumble of a powerful engine revving up.

The Cockatrice King craned its neck, scales clinking like shifting metal plates, and let out a deep, guttural growl that vibrated in Alex's chest.

His heartbeat raced so fast it felt like it might burst out of his ribcage.

Murvok took a step forward, each massive clawed foot thudding against the charred ground, sending tiny tremors through the earth. As it advanced, it examined the devastation in the forest with a quick, dismissive glance.

The remnants of Alex's explosion were still smoldering, evidence of the fierce battle that had just taken place.

Murvok's gaze shifted to the lifeless body of the Cockatrice general, torn apart and barely recognizable amidst the scorched earth.

Alex's body tensed, fear washing over him in a cold wave. He felt if the cockatrice was angry, he'd be dead in seconds.

So he watched, half-expecting Murvok to roar in fury at the sight of its fallen kin and charge him without mercy.

But the cockatrice king lifted its head and snorted dismissively as if the general's death was beneath its concern.

The Cockatrice King's gaze remained fixed on Alex, unbothered and unwavering.

The Cockatrice King then opened his beak, and to Alex's surprise, a deep, resonant voice emerged. It sounded both ancient and menacing, vibrating the air around them:

"Human. Since you managed to defeat so many of my kin, I will grant you the respect you've earned. Your end will come in a single, merciful strike."

Alex's heart pounded, and a bitter smirk crossed his face.

'Always the arrogant talk.'

This time, the pride in Murvok's words was justified as one skill from this creature had locked Alex in place, rendering him helpless.

And he had no doubt the cockatrice King had even more devastating tricks up its sleeve.

But he was going to die that easily. His eyes darted to the fallen cockatrice general right behind the cockatrice king

One of his explosion traps was still attached there that he had denoted.

So without hesitation, Alex activated it:

Boom!

Alex didn't actually need to snap his fingers to set off his explosions—he just enjoyed the dramatic flair it added.

The explosion rocked the clearing, sending a wave of heat and force that lifted the restriction off Alex.

He felt the invisible shackles shatter and wasting no time he turned and ran.

It was like day one all over again with the first cocktrice he had defeated.

His legs launched him forward with raw, desperate energy, grass, and dirt flying up behind him as he bolted through the forest.

Trees blurred past as he sprinted, each step pounding the earth like a drum. The wind roared in his ears, his breath coming fast. Alex's mind raced.

He loved challenges that was true, but this wasn't a challenge—it was a death sentence. Murvok was way beyond anything he'd faced before.

With practiced speed, Alex reached into his inventory and activated [Glider Cloak] the cloak he had gotten from defeating the cockatrice general.

He had glance at the description earlier and had saw that the cloak added an extra 10 points to his agility.

The fabric fluttered around his shoulders, and he felt the power surge through his legs, his pace increasing in an instant.

He followed up with one of his special skills:

[Fast and Fury], doubling his speed.

The forest around him dissolved into streaks of green and brown.

The world turned into a chaotic blur, and Alex felt like he had become pure motion, the god of speed at that moment.

"Flash has nothing on me."

He darted through narrow gaps between trees, leaping over fallen logs and roots without breaking stride.

But even with his newfound speed, a sinking feeling crept up his spine.

Traveling at such high speed, he thought the cockatrice shouldn't be able to catch up.

He was wrong.

A dark shadow swept over Alex, and before he could fully react, a searing pain sliced across his back. It felt like a hot blade had been dragged down his spine.

"Aah!"

The sound strained and raw as his body crumpled to the forest floor.

His speed betrayed him, turning his fall into a brutal tumble.

He rolled over rocks and roots, dirt and ash grinding into his skin, every bump and twist amplifying the agony he felt.

When he finally came to a stop, Alex lay on the ground, gasping for air, his body screaming in pain. The sharp sting of the wound burned fiercely, and he could feel warm blood trickling down to his waist, soaking the back of his clothes.

He tried to move, but the pain made every shift unbearable.

He had activated [Aegis Arcane] the moment he sensed Murvok above him—a shield spell that had always protected him before. But this time, the Cockatrice King's attack had shattered it like glass, its talon slicing clean through and leaving him vulnerable.

Alex clenched his jaw, as he rose to his feet.

And a mocking voice resonated:

"Oh, you're quite fast..."

Murvok stood a few yards away, its eyes gleaming with satisfaction as if savoring its prey's struggle.

Alex gritted his teeth, took out a [Blast shard] and without a second's hesitation, he hurled it at the Cockatrice King.

Boom!

The explosion engulfed Murvok in a cloud of fire and smoke. The shockwave pushed Alex back, and he winced as it jolted his wounded back.

But when the smoke cleared, Murvok emerged, scales gleaming, completely unharmed. A thin, translucent barrier shimmered around it before fading away.

*It has a defense skill,* Alex realized, dread sinking in his gut.

He took a step back, reaching behind him.

He was out of [Blastshards] and his options were limited.

But his mind still raced for a plan.

His fingers closed around a bottle of water he had bought from the system shop. I

Channeling his skill, he infused [Exploding Touch] on it, and used [Amp] which tripled the explosive force within, turning an ordinary item into a dangerous weapon.

Now he just had to stall for 20 seconds.

Alex tried to buy time:

"Tell me… what prompted a whole king to come down from his throne just to defeat an insignificant human?".

Murvok chuckled darkly, the sound echoing like thunder in the clearing:

"Believe it or not, I would have preferred to blow this entire place to pieces and end you right here. But I received a direct message from the gods. They say you are… special."

"What?" Alex's eyes widened in shock. The mention of gods sent a jolt of confusion through him. He recalled the overseer's cryptic warnings about the existence of highed beings.

And wondered if his actions caught their attention.

The thought sent shivers down his spine and he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.

'It's too soon for this.'

He tried to keep his voice steady despite the rising dread within him and said:

"I thought you were supposed to be a king, but here you are, taking orders instead. Why is that?"

Murvok's gaze narrowed, sharp and calculating as he spoke:

"I see what you're doing, human. Stalling to buy time while you prepare whatever you're hiding behind you. It won't work."

In an instant, Alex was struck by the movement restriction skill once more. He tried to fight against it, but his muscles felt heavy and unresponsive.

Murvok's throat began to gurgle ominously, and Alex's instincts screamed at him. He had seen this before, and he knew what was coming.

"Shit…" Alex whispered, panic rising.

He activated [Aegis Arcane] focusing all his energy on forming a protective barrier around himself, even knowing it wouldn't be enough.

The Cockatrice King unleashed a terrifying roar, the sound erupting from its beak like a shockwave:

"RRRAAAAHHHHH!"

The powerful sonic attack blasted toward Alex, a wall of destructive sound that shattered trees and rocks in its path.

The barrier Alex conjured was no match for Murvok's ferocity as it exploded on impact, sending a violent wave crashing into him.

"Ugh!"

He gasped as the force slammed into him, shaking his body violently.

The sheer power of the sound was deafening; his ears rang painfully, and he felt a sharp pain pierce through his skull.

Blood seeped from his ears and nose as the wave battered him, his vision blurring from the impact.

His body crumpled to the ground, the world spinning around him as he gasped for breath.

Everything felt fuzzy like he was swimming in a haze.

But even through the fog, he could sense the massive figure of the Cockatrice King stalking toward him, each step heavy and deliberate.

'So this is how I die'

Alex thought, a sense of bitter disappointment washing over him.

He hadn't even achieved anything.

Heck, the real tutorial hadn't even begun.

But he was going to die due to his shitty luck.

Alex coughed out blood as he cursed:

'Dammit! This was all because of that stupid curse.'

But thinking about it, Alex knew that if he could go back in time and choose whether he should spare or kill Dreadfeather.

He would have chosen the latter without hesitation.

He had killed close to a hundred cockatrices and three bosses.

That was no easy feat.

And Alex consoled himself finding solace in the belief that it was enough achievement to die proudly.

He had done all he could.

He was just unfortunate.

Alex recalled the bottle he had prepped to explode, its countdown ticking away

The explosion he had set on the bottle only had five seconds left, and Alex decided not to dismiss it.

If he was going to die then he was going to go out with a bang.

Hopefully taking the cockatrice king along with him

The cockatrice king stood before Alex eyeing him intently, then he noticed Alex grin with his bloodied lips.

And there was a rocking explosion.