Apocalypse Baby

Chapter 39 New Form

Murzok's gaze darted in every direction, his sharp eyes scanning for any sign of Alex.

Left. Right. Below. Above.

The cockatrice thought, panic rising in his chest.

"Where is he?"

His massive body trembled as the tension built, his powerful legs aching from constant movement.

The pain from his injury gnawed at him, making every step more difficult, more desperate.

He couldn't believe it.

He, the king of his species, had been reduced to this—a frantic, cornered beast.

And by what? A mere human?

Murzok snarled, leaping to the side, then dashing forward.

His instincts screamed at him to keep moving; Alex could appear from anywhere.

His wings flared out, ready to strike, but hesitation slowed him.

He was losing his composure.

Then, out of nowhere, a Blastshard whistled through the air, landing mere feet from him.

Boom!

The explosion sent a shockwave rippling through the ground.

And Murzok leaped to avoid the brunt of it, but the force still hit him, throwing him off balance.

He hit the ground hard, feathers scattering around him.

Pain shot through his body as he struggled to rise, its single leg trembling beneath his weight.

"Get up! Move! Now!" his mind screamed, but it was too late.

The ground erupted just in front of him, and Alex shot up like a predator springing from a trap.

A wicked grin spread across Alex's face as he locked eyes with the stunned cockatrice.

His hand—steady, deliberate, and merciless—reached out, aimed directly for Murzok's face.

Murzok froze.

In that split second, the so-called king of his species knew: He'd been had.

The moment Alex's palm hovered inches from Murzok's face, it felt like time slowed.

If his hand connected, it would be over.

Unless he killed Alex in time, the explosion would end him immediately.

But that seemed impossible now as one of his legs was gone.

Alex's hand hovered closer, the final strike just moments away.

Murzok's body trembled, and in his last desperate move, he squeezed his eyes shut.

"It's over..." Murzok thought.

"Not."

With a primal scream, Murzok roared:

"Like hell, I'm going to die to a measly human!"

With a piercing screech that rattled the forest, a freezing gust erupted from Murzok's body like a desperate last stand.

The icy blast hit Alex square in the chest, the sheer force hurling him backward.

Caught completely off guard, Alex tumbled through the air, spinning uncontrollably as the frost clung to his clothes and skin.

His body slammed into the ground, skidding to a stop just before hitting a tree, his back softly colliding with it.

The cold numbed his arms as he struggled to push himself upright, his breath visible in the chilled air.

"Seriously?" Alex groaned, wiping frost from his face.

His teeth chattered slightly as he glared at the towering cockatrice.

"Why can't you just die easily?"

Alex groaned, gripping his forehead as a sharp pain pulsed through his temples.

His eyes burned, the strain from using his ocular ability for too long catching up to him.

"Great," he muttered, blinking rapidly to shake off the discomfort. But he quickly reminded himself, his regeneration and near-unlimited stamina would handle it. This was far from over.

He turned his gaze to Murzok, whose body was now emitting waves of icy energy.

The air grew heavier, the chill biting into Alex's skin as frost crept across the ground.

Trees crackled and groaned as a layer of ice covered their bark.

The cockatrice's cold fumes froze everything in its wake.

But then, something unexpected happened.

Murzok began to slow, his massive frame trembling as the icy aura intensified.

His breaths were labored, his movements sluggish, and to Alex's surprise, the ice started to consume the cockatrice itself.

Ice crawled up the bird's legs, spreading across its wings and torso.

Its feathers sparkled as frost encased them, and Murzok's fierce glare never wavered despite the cold overtaking his body.

Alex narrowed his eyes realizing the avian beast was undergoing some sort of transformation.

But he wasn't going to let it happen,

Alex gripped his sword tightly, ready to strike but as he lunged forward, his instincts screamed at him, and he froze mid-step, his body stiffening.

With Foresight still activated, he had seen that as he took a couple of steps forward, the freezing aura oozing out of the cockatrice king would have swallowed him whole, turning his body into an icy statue.

"Damn it," Alex muttered, stepping back.

He pulled out a handful of Blastshards and hurled them toward the freezing bird.

But before they could land the blastshards froze mid-flight.

Alex frowned as the bombs dropped to the ground, encased in ice.

The countdown timer on the shards was frozen in place, locked in suspended animation.

"Are you kidding me?"

Alex let out an exasperated sigh, his frustration mounting as he realized there was nothing he could do but wait.

It was as time around the cockatrice king had stopped.

It was infuriating, and the worst part was that he could only stand by as the transformation continued.

"Dammit," Alex cursed in frustration.

He had no doubts that whatever form the cockatrice king was evolving into would be something dangerous. Something overwhelmingly powerful.

For a brief moment, Alex considered retreating and trying again later.

But the thought evaporated as quickly as the icy mist forming in front of his face with each exhale.

The [Rooster Curse] still clung to him like a bad omen, and as long as it did, the cockatrice king could track him wherever he went.

Besides, Alex was done running.

The endless pursuit by these monstrous birds had worn him thin mentally.

He was sick of the constant ambushes, and the gnawing sense of being prey.

This ends here.

His decision made, Alex surveyed the area. The once lush forest had transformed into a frozen wasteland.

The ground crunched under his boots, now blanketed in a thick layer of frost.

Trees stood like skeletal statues, their branches encased in ice and glistening under the dim light.

Grainy particles of snow and ice swirled around him, carried by an otherworldly wind that bit into his skin.

He exhaled sharply, watching his breath turn to white vapor in the frigid air.

A shiver ran down his spine despite his resolve.

The temperature was dropping fast, and if he didn't prepare, the cold would sap his strength before the real fight began.

Reaching into his inventory, Alex pulled out another coat--this one thicker to withstand the biting chill--and slipped it on, the weight and warmth of the coat grounding him.

He then took out thick gloves and sturdy boots putting them on, then finished the ensemble with a fur-lined cap that snugly covered his head.

He then purchased a cup of warm coffee from the shop that cost 100 coins.

As with the number of coins he possessed he could now buy anything he wanted.

As he drank the coffee he then decided to browse through the shop to see if there was anything that might give him an edge in his fight against Murzok.

He scrolled through item after item, but nothing stood out.

All the weapons, potions, and gear seemed either too similar to what he already had or not quite powerful enough for the battle ahead.

Then, he spotted it.

A glowing icon at the top of the list caught his attention, standing out like a beacon.

[Spectral Warden Armor.]

The price alone made Alex pause.

[Cost: 100,000 Coins.]

It was the most expensive item in the shop, and for a good reason. Intrigued, he clicked on it.

[Name: Spectral Warden Armor]

[Type: Legendary Armor]

[Cost: 100,000 Coins]

[Defense: 350]

[Durability: 500]

[Resilience: +15% against elemental and magical damage]

[Weight: 0 (No movement penalty, retains full agility)]

[Special Effects:]

Wraith's Ward: Reduces damage taken from high-ranked creatures by 25%. Increases evasive capabilities by 10%.

Silent Step: Increases the wearer's stealth by 50%, making it difficult for enemies to hear or detect movements unless in close range.

Alex nearly choked on his coffee as he read the stats.

His eyes widened in shock.

This was exactly what he needed—a legendary piece of equipment that could turn the tide in his favor.

The armor's special effects alone were enough to boost his chances against the cockatrice king, especially with Murzok being such a formidable opponent.

Without a second thought, Alex clicked BUY.

A soft glow enveloped him, and before he knew it, the armor materialized on his body. It was sleek and smooth, fitting perfectly like a second skin.

He felt the immediate difference—the armor was light, and yet he could feel its power radiating from it.

This was the edge he needed.

Alex took a final sip of his coffee, his eyes now focused, locked on the frozen form of the cockatrice king.

His mind raced as he pieced together the situation.

If his theory was correct, then time itself had been distorted by the transformation.

Once it ended, not only would the cockatrice regain its mobility, but so would his bombs.

Determined not to waste the opportunity, Alex turned the surrounding area into a death trap. Every object he could remotely charge had been transformed into an explosive.

Rocks, broken tree limbs, even chunks of ice—all were primed and ready.

The air was eerily still, the only sound the occasional groan of shifting ice.

Then came the first crack.

Alex's heart skipped a beat.

Another crack followed, louder this time, like thunder rolling across a frozen plain.

The ice around the cockatrice king's body began to splinter, fissures spreading like veins across its surface.

Crack!

Large chunks of ice tumbled to the ground, shattering into glittering shards.

Alex's breath hitched as the creature's new form was revealed, the cockatrice king's new form emerging from the crumbling ice.

The cockatrice king rose to its full height, its frame radiating an otherworldly majesty.

Its feathers, now a brilliant bluish-white, shimmered with an iridescent glow, each plume refracting light like shards of frosted glass.

As it moved, the feathers seemed to ripple, catching the faintest light and scattering it into dazzling patterns, like sunlight glinting off a frozen lake.

A swirling storm of snow particles encased its body, moving in rhythmic, ghostly spirals as though the air itself had been enchanted to follow its will.

Its icy breath flowed out in visible plumes, chilling the surrounding air even further.

Where its leg had once been severed, there now stood a gleaming appendage of sculpted ice—sleek, jagged, and razor-sharp.

The new limb caught the light with a crystalline brilliance, but its jagged edges hinted at its lethal purpose.

Its movements were deliberate, almost methodical, as though it was reacquainting itself with its transformed body.

With every step, the earth beneath its talons surrendered to frost, freezing solid in an instant.

The crunch of ice breaking underfoot echoed in the unnerving silence, each sound a reminder of the cold, merciless power it now commanded.

For a moment, Alex was awestruck.

The creature's new form was breathtaking, a perfect blend of elegance and danger.

It was beautiful.

But his admiration was quickly replaced by a cold, sinking realization.

In the wild, the most beautiful creatures were often the deadliest.