Apocalypse Baby-Chapter 33: The Kings Abode
"But it’s too bad...I’m going to turn this neat little palace into a mess."
Alex moved methodically through the cave, planting small explosive charges along the walls and ceiling.
As he continued deeper, the narrow passage suddenly widened into an enormous chamber.
And the moment Alex stepped into the room, his jaw dropped in sheer disbelief.
The entire space glowed with a radiant golden light, and it wasn’t coming from lamps or magical runes.
The source of the glow was the massive piles of gold coins scattered across the floor, shimmering like liquid sunlight.
Heaps of treasure were stacked as far as his eyes could see, sparkling with an almost hypnotic allure.
Alex whispered, his voice barely audible as he stepped closer, eyes fixed on the nearest mound of coins:
"So much…"
His heart pounded as he crouched down, scooping up a handful of the glittering coins.
The cool metal clinked softly in his palm, and the system immediately displayed the value:
[212 gold coins.]
A grin stretched across Alex’s face as he reached out with his other hand, grabbing an even larger handful.
The system chimed again:
[322 gold coins.]
His hands trembled as he let the coins slip through his fingers, the weight of his newfound fortune sinking in.
His body shuddered with exhilaration.
"I’ve struck gold… literally. I’m freaking rich!"
Without wasting a second, Alex began pouring the coins in by the handful into his inventory. The treasure vanished into his storage space in a steady stream, the numbers in his system climbing rapidly.
Coins clinked and jingled as he worked, his hands moving faster with each scoop.
The thought of just how much gold he was amassing sent a thrill through him.
He couldn’t stop grinning, his mind already racing with possibilities.
"I’m going to wipe this place clean."
He crouched by another pile of gold, his hands moving swiftly as he shoveled coins into his inventory.
As he worked, he wondered what could a cockatrice possibly need all this gold for?
That thought was interrupted when something caught his eye amidst the treasure—a piece of clothing.
He pulled it out, the fabric soft yet sturdy, with faint glowing runes stitched into it.
[Dusk Overcoat: +10 Defense, +5 Speed]
Alex’s grin widened.
"A stat-boosting coat? Oh, you’re definitely coming with me."
He tossed it into his inventory without hesitation.
He kept digging, his hands brushing against another item—a long, sleek staff. Its surface shimmered with a faint glow, exuding a quiet but powerful energy.
The system chimed:
[Staff of Power: Increases Mana by 30%.]
"Oh, man," Alex gasped, holding the staff up to inspect it.
"This would come in handy."
He twirled it once before tossing it into his inventory.
At this point, Alex was on a roll.
He wasn’t just collecting—he was looting everything in sight. Coins, clothing, weapons, accessories—it all disappeared into his inventory with rapid efficiency.
He pulled out a pair of boots with agility boosts, a necklace that increased stamina regeneration, and even a ring that nullified minor curses.
It didn’t matter if the items were impressive or mundane; if it wasn’t nailed down, Alex was taking it.
"Why stop at gold?" he chuckled, picking up a golden goblet and examining its intricate design.
Into the inventory, it went.
As he continued, he realized he now had enough clothing to outfit an entire wardrobe. Coat, shirts, jackets, pants boots—some with unique buffs.
He could now change into new clothes every day and Alex imagined himself strolling into battle in a different outfit every time.
Alex scooped another handful of gold coins into his inventory, shaking his head as he considered the absurdity of it all.
"Why on Earth would a giant bird need clothes or a wand?" he muttered, holding up a pair of boots.
The mental image of a cockatrice strutting around in a coat was enough to make him chuckle.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
Not that it matters. This is all a bonus—a gift from the heavens.
But then a cold truth settled over him, wiping the grin from his face.
All this looting would mean nothing if he didn’t survive.
There was no way the cockatrice king was going to let the robbery slide.
Alex steeled his resolve and kept moving, methodically looting and planting bombs as he explored the chamber.
His eyes scanned the area, sharp and calculating, looking for anything of real significance.
That’s when he saw it.
In the corner of the room, almost hidden, was an object placed on a glowing altar.
It wasn’t the object itself that caught his attention at first, but the golden light radiating from the altar’s intricate runes.
Curious, Alex moved closer, his steps cautious but steady.
As he got nearer, the object came into focus: an egg.
Its surface was smooth and iridescent, shimmering faintly with a soft golden hue.
Alex’s heart skipped a beat as realization struck:
"No way."
This wasn’t just any egg—it was the egg.
The cockatrice king’s most prized treasure. Its heir.
Alex crouched down, his eyes darting over the glowing runes etched into the altar.
The magic was intricate, the patterns swirling as if alive, pulling energy from the very air around it.
Alex’s gaze shifted from the glowing runes on the altar to the egg resting atop it, and the pieces began to fall into place.
"This explains it," he murmured, glancing around at the scattered loot he’d collected earlier.
Some of the clothing had been of embarrassingly low quality, barely worth the space in his inventory, and a few weapons felt so fragile they might shatter with a single swing.
The altar wasn’t just a showpiece—it was active, siphoning magic from everything within its reach.
Anything that contained even the faintest traces of magical energy was slowly being drained to feed the egg.
Alex turned back to the egg. H could feel the raw power radiating from it, faint but undeniable.
The cockatrice king wasn’t just hoarding wealth for no reason—it had poured everything it had into ensuring its offspring’s strength.
For a brief moment, Alex almost admired the effort:
"I’ll give it to you, King. You’re a good parent," he muttered, his hand hovering over the egg.
But admiration didn’t change the facts.
This wasn’t just the king’s treasure—it was Alex’s greatest enemy in the making.
With a deep breath, Alex placed his hand on the egg, feeling its cool, smooth surface beneath his fingertips.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.
The moment he picked it up, a notification blazed across his vision.
[Egg - Rank C (G)]
Alex blinked in disbelief:
"What the hell?" he muttered.
An egg—a seemingly ordinary egg—had the same rank as Talvok, the powerful general he’d taken down earlier.
He shook his head in astonishment.
He couldn’t help but think about Talvok.
If that general had known about this egg, he would have lost his mind.
The thought of something as unhatched and defenseless as an egg being on par with his own strength would have been an insult to his pride.
He also had only just broken into Rank D himself. Yet here he was, holding an egg that was already considered stronger than him—an egg that hadn’t even hatched yet.
Seriously, how the hell is that even fair?
He couldn’t deny it—the egg’s situation wasn’t ordinary.
The cockatrice king had gone to extreme lengths, sacrificing resources and energy to boost its strength.
The altar alone was proof of that.
But still...
Alex glanced back at the altar, its runes still faintly glowing:
"Might as well take this too," he muttered, storing it in his inventory.
"Who knows? It might come in handy someday. "
His eyes shifted back to the egg, and a thought crept into his mind.
What would happen if he broke it right now?
Would he level up? Would he gain power like he did after defeating Talvok?
The temptation gnawed at him, but so did something else—a faint flicker of doubt.
Destroying an unborn being just to grow stronger...
It felt wrong.
Horribly wrong.
But this wasn’t a world where morality held much weight. It was a world of predators and prey, where the weak didn’t survive, and hesitation could get you killed.
His grip tightened around the egg, conflicting thoughts battling for dominance.
Meanwhile, the cockatrice king was a blur of motion, diving through the sky at breakneck speed.
He had been hunting for treasure when he sensed Talvok’s presence had vanished.
And just moments later, the auras of the two generals guarding the cave also disappeared.
Someone—or something—had invaded its domain, killed its generals, and now threatened its most prized treasure.
The cockatrice king screeched in fury, wings beating furiously as it hurtled back home, its golden feathers catching the light like a blazing comet of vengeance.
Murzok had initially thought the commotion was caused by one of his rivals daring to encroach on his territory.
But when he felt Talvok’s presence vanish, he knew it had to be the human.
Fury surged through him as he dove up the cliff.
The wind howled around him, his golden feathers gleaming like molten fire under the faint light.
He passed the corpses of one of his generals without a second glance as failures didn’t deserve his attention.
In an instant, he swooped into the cavern’s grand opening, his talons ready to tear apart the intruder.
But then he froze.
The sight before him sent a jolt of rage and fear through his massive frame.
Alex stood there, his figure illuminated by the golden glow of the egg.
His expression was cold and unyielding, but it was what he held that froze Murzok in place.
The egg.
Alex’s dagger hovered mere inches from the delicate shell, its sharp tip poised to strike.
And Murzok tensed, his wings flaring wide as if preparing to lunge, but Alex’s voice cut through the air like a blade:
"Move, and I’ll turn your heir into scrambled yolk!"
