Apocalypse Baby

Alex opened his system window, the glowing holographic display floating before him as he scanned his current stats :

[Stats]

Strength: 60

Agility: 50 [+5] [+10]

Intelligence: 40

Vitality: 45

[Stat Points Available: 60]

[Powerstones: 9]

He smirked, his finger hovering over the agility stat:

"If I'm going to outmaneuver that oversized turkey king, I'll need to be faster than ever."

With a decisive tap, he allocated 40 stat points into agility, effectively doubling it.

Instantly, a surge of energy rippled through his body. His muscles tightened and refined, their density shifting.

They didn't grow bulkier—if anything, his frame seemed leaner, more streamlined, like a runner honed for speed.

He flexed his fingers, feeling the new power coursing through him.

It wasn't just strength—his entire body felt lighter, almost weightless.

Even mid-air, as the wind rushed past him, he noticed the difference.

Subtle adjustments to his glider's wings became smoother and sharper.

He tilted his body slightly, testing his maneuverability.

To his delight, he turned effortlessly, slicing through the air with precision.

"Not bad," Alex murmured, a grin tugging at his lips.

He dipped low, then ascended sharply, executing a barrel roll just to test his newfound speed and control.

The shift wasn't dramatic enough to disrupt his glide, but it gave him an edge that felt almost unfair.

He thought back to the cockatrice king—it had been unnervingly fast, way too fast to keep up with, and that was a problem which was why he had put so many points into his Agility stat.

As he felt the decision settle in, Alex couldn't help but smirk, remembering something he'd told himself when he first started experimenting with the system:

"You can harm what you can't touch."

He still believed that.@@novelbin@@

If he could just stay out of reach, he could pick apart his enemies without ever giving them the chance to strike back.

But there was more to do. Alex had to prepare for the intense battle ahead.

So, he quickly allocated 20 points to Intelligence, making sure his mana reserves would be more than enough for the fight.

The remaining points went to Strength—he needed more power to deal with any heavy hitters-- and he felt his body grow even sturdier and more powerful.

Satisfied with his upgrades, Alex was about to close the stats window when a glowing notification blinked at the corner of his vision.

He hadn't had time to read it earlier because of the chaos with the cockatrice arriving.

Ding!

[You have reached Level 20]

[You are now a D rank]

[+5 to all stats]

"Oh nice"

[You have reached Level 20]

[You have earned the chance to choose an ability from three options]

Alex raised an eyebrow.

It seemed the system gave him an ability every time he hit a new milestone level.

The system rewarded him with a special ability every ten levels, meaning when he hit Level 30 or 40, he'd get another shot at choosing out of three abilities.

He read through the options, his curiosity piqued:

[Ability Options]:

[Foresight] [Shockwave Slash] [Ethereal Dodge]

[Foresight: You can see 3 seconds into the future. Cost 1 Mana point per minute.]

...

Alex's eyes widened as he read the first skill, a rush of excitement flooding through him.

He didn't even need to look at the other options.

The geeky side of Aex had kicked in full force after reading the description.

"A Sharingan? No way I'm passing that up," he thought, grinning like a kid who just got his hands on a rare treasure.

Without a second thought, he tapped the first one [Foresight] without bothering to read the description of the rest, and the choice was made.

No hesitation.

No need to check the others.

It may be reckless, maybe even foolish, but Alex wasn't worried.

With this ability coupled with the insane speed he'd just gained, he could be a deadly force.

With this boost in strength and his new ability, Alex felt more confident in the rematch with the cockatrice king.

This fight was no longer going to be one-sided like the last one.

He wasn't the underdog anymore—he was the hunter, and the cockatrice king was his prey.

Alex soared into the sky with newfound vigor and muttered to himself:

"I'm coming for you, bird king."

As he approached the cockatrice king's lair, he spotted about a dozen of the feathered monsters diving down toward him.

But Alex wasn't fazed.

He tightened his grip around [Eclipse Edge] the blade humming with power.

At his level, these cockatrice were nothing more than mobs, just obstacles in his path.

Meanwhile, the two generals, stationed outside the cockatrice king's lair, heard the commotion below.

The air was filled with strange sounds—explosions, the screeching of their kin, the chaotic flurry of battle.

They exchanged wary glances as they wondered what was going on below and if the cockatrices were being attacked.

But as much as they were curious, they couldn't leave their post.

They had been ordered to guard the lair, and nothing else, not even the most tempting chaos, could distract them from that duty.

Behind them, the cockatrice king's heir—a tiny, precious egg—lay nestled in the protection of the lair.

The king had made it clear with his instruction:

Guard the egg with your lives. Nothing else mattered.

The cockatrice king didn't even seem to mind the massive losses they'd sustained—three generals and nearly a hundred of their kin had fallen in battle.

But the king had captured the one responsible, the human who'd done all this damage.

And instead of executing him on the spot, he'd done something... unexpected.

He had thrown the human into a prison, all to appease their god, hoping that some treasure or boon would be granted to make the king's heir stronger.

It was selfish, it was cowardly, and frankly, it wasn't kingly at all—but who were they to question the decisions of the king?

Strength ruled, and they were weak compared to their untouchable king.

Suddenly, a gust of wind tore through the air, sharp and furious, yanking the generals from their thoughts.

Their heads snapped up instinctively, searching the sky.

But there was nothing.

Then, without warning, a heavy thud echoed from behind them.

They turned around, hearts racing, as they readied their feather blades.

Then they saw his figure slowly solidified.

His clothes were drenched in cockatrice blood, painting him in gruesome shades of red that made him look more beast than man.

With a feral grin on his face that radiated a menace that rivaled the devil himself.