Apocalypse Baby

The cockatrice general slumped to the ground, panting heavily.

Smoke curled off its singed feathers, and its once-proud stance was reduced to a trembling mess.

"Alright... What do you want to know?" it finally croaked, its voice weak but laced with reluctant defiance.

Alex stood tall just outside the cage, his expression cool and calm.

His hand rested casually by his side, ready to snap again at a moment's notice.

"How many cockatrices are in the area?" Alex asked, his tone sharp and commanding.

The cockatrice general hesitated, glancing at the glowing ruins of its once-impressive cell.

After a long pause, it grumbled, "About fifty."

Fifty.

Alex's mind raced.

That was fifty more cockatrices standing between him and freedom—fifty more reasons to take this grudge to its bitter end.

He couldn't help the smirk that tugged at his lips.

These birds had caused him too much trouble already.

Sparing them wasn't an option.

"And the cockatrice king," Alex continued, stepping closer to the cage. "You've been plotting to overthrow him, haven't you? Any idea what his weaknesses are?"

The cockatrice's eyes flickered with a spark of resistance.

Even beaten and battered, its pride refused to let it submit completely.

"Why should I tell you?" it spat, glaring up at Alex with all the defiance it could muster.

Alex sighed, shaking his head like a disappointed teacher.

He raised his hand, his fingers poised to snap.

"I don't think you understand who's in charge here," Alex said coolly. "Let me remind you."

Snap.

An ear-splitting explosion roared through the air, slamming into the cockatrice with brutal force.

The creature screeched as it was hurled violently to the side, crashing into the charred remains of the cell walls.

The blast ripped into its side, leaving a charred chunk of flesh missing.

It staggered, screeching in agony.

Blood dripped to the ground, sizzling against the scorched dirt.

Dust and debris rained down as the echoes of the blast faded.

Gasping for air, the cockatrice finally realized there was no escape.

If it wanted to survive, it had to play Alex's game.

"Alright!" it hissed through gritted teeth, each word laced with pain. "You win! What do you want to know?"

Alex tilted his head, arms crossed, but his fingers were still itching to snap again.

"Let's start with the cockatrice king," Alex said calmly. "You've got nothing to lose, so spill it. What's his weakness?"

The general snarled, reluctant but too broken to resist. "Weakness in combat? None that I've seen," it spat bitterly. "But…"

Alex's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing as he leaned in closer.

The cockatrice continued, its voice a rasping whisper, "He's been looking for an heir. And he's finally got one. An egg. He treasures it like a jewel, won't let anyone near his lair where he feeds it energy daily."

Alex raised an eyebrow:

"The egg, huh? So it's his soft spot."

The cockatrice nodded begrudgingly:

"Destroy the egg, and you destroy him. That's the only weakness I know."

"And where's this lair of his?"

Alex pressed, his tone steady but unrelenting.

The cockatrice glared at Alex, struggling.

"The highest cliff," it growled. "It's heavily guarded—two cockatrices of my rank patrol the entrance. You'll never make it."

Alex smirked:

"We'll see about that. Thanks for the info."

The cockatrice general ground its beak, its fury bubbling beneath the surface.

Even in its weakened state, it refused to bow completely:

"You… you won't make it out of here alive," it hissed, trembling with rage. "I'm sure of it."

Alex took a step back, his shadow falling over the broken creature.

His expression turned colder, the smirk fading into something sharper and more dangerous.

"You're right," he said, voice low and ominous. "I probably won't. But killing you will give me a better chance."

The cockatrice froze, its eyes widening in confusion and growing dread.

"W-what?" it stammered, its bravado crumbling. "What do you mean by that?"

Alex's lips curled into a smug grin as he locked eyes with the cockatrice general. "It's simple," he said coolly. "The EXP I get from killing you will level me up multiple times. Boosting my odds of survival."

The cockatrice general's eyes flared with fury. Its massive wings rustled as it let out a growl of defiance.

"You can't kill me with your puny explosions!" it roared, its voice cracking with rage. "I'll heal in seconds, you pathetic human!"

Alex didn't flinch. He raised his hands slowly, fingers curling as if preparing to snap. "Now you're asking for it."

The cockatrice's beak snapped open, continuing its angry rant:

"Cut with the arrogant attitude, human! Once I get out of here, I'll rip your throat out! I'll—"

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The third explosion hit, and the cockatrice general's head shattered into a bloody mess, chunks of flesh and bone flying in every direction.

Blood splattered across the charred wall, the force of the explosion violently knocking the body to the ground.

It was dead before it even hit the floor.

Alex stood motionless, his hand still held up in the air, the remnants of the cockatrice general scattered in front of him.

His smirk remained, unfazed by the destruction.

It didn't matter that the cockatrice general was ranked higher than Grey.

No matter how fast it healed, an explosion to the head was always a fatal blow.

Alex casually dropped his hand to his side, his gaze lingering on the smoldering remains of the creature:

"Guess you won't be ripping anyone's throat out now."

Ding!

You have killed Cockatrice General

[You have leveled up]

[You have leveled up]

[You have leveled up]

[You have leveled up]

[You have leveled up]

Five times. Wonderful.

Alex's lips curled into a wide grin as the notifications filled his vision, one after another.

He could almost hear the sweet sound of power flooding into his body with each level-up.

The adrenaline from the battle mixed with the thrill of advancement.

[You have received 25 stat points]

[You have received 5 power stones]

[You have received skill: [Flame Immunity]

Ding!

Apocalypse Baby kicking in

[You have received 25 stat points]

[You have received 5 power stones]

[You have received Accessories: [Amulet of Resistance]

"Alright." Alex's voice was low and satisfied, the taste of victory on his tongue.

His fist tightened as he reveled in the feeling of newfound strength.

But he didn't have time to bask in it.

Not yet.

His ears twitched at the sound—flapping wings.

Loud and fast.

Backup was on the way.

The cockatrice that landed on the cliff scanned the area, its eyes sharp and alert.

It saw only a shadowy figure in the distance—too far to make out details.

It flapped its wings and dove toward the silhouette, ready to strike.

But the figure vanished before it could land.

The cockatrice screeched in confusion, its talons barely missing the spot where the figure had stood.

It flapped wildly, spinning around, its eyes darting in every direction, but the figure was nowhere to be found.

The bird's heart raced.

There was no sign of the human... but there was something off about this place.

More cockatrices arrived, their wings cutting through the air with thunderous beats.

They saw the disturbance, the strange noise, and circled the area, chattering amongst themselves.

One cockatrice, seeing the dark figure of Talvok, lying lifeless in the prison cell, squawked in alarm.

"It's Talvok! He's dead!"

Another cockatrice, scanning the area, narrowed its eyes:

"Where's the human prisoner? He must have done this…"

The first cockatrice to arrive was about to respond when it suddenly felt a tap on its back.

It spun around warily but found nothing and frowned in confusion.

Eyeing the cockatrice behind him in suspicion before saying in an irritated tone:

"Watch where you're..."

Before it could finish its sentence, something brushed across its face.

Its body stiffened in shock, and with a loud squawk, it jumped back, wings flapping in alarm.

"What was that?" the cockatrice muttered, its voice a mix of confusion and fear.

It looked around, eyes wide, but still... there was nothing to see.

Something had touched its face.

But whatever it was, it wasn't visible.

"Ohh!"

Another cockatrice leaped into the air, flapping wildly, its sharp talons slashing the air as it recoiled in fright.

Then another cockatrice joined in, its eyes wide with panic, its wings snapping open as it searched for the source of the unseen threat.

"There's someone else here!" one of them squawked, its voice full of wariness.

The cockatrices huddled together, glancing around, trying to pinpoint the source of the unease.

"It's the prisoner," the first cockatrice said, its voice trembling with realization.

"I saw him briefly. He must have an ability that makes him invisible."

The other cockatrices stiffened, unease settling deep into their bones.

"Bingo."

Alex's voice suddenly rang out, calm and confident.

And he appeared at the edge of the cliff, his silhouette outlined by the bright sky.

The cockatrice immediately moved to attack on seeing him, but before they could take a step.

He leaped off the edge of the cliff.