Riza said most of the Nixes in this dungeon were Wanderclaws. Her words rang true when they stumbled upon the snarling pack in the first room. The Wanderclaws growled menacingly, clearly displeased by their intrusion into the dungeon.

"Then, I'll summon my Nix to draw their attention," Goran said confidently. However, as he stepped forward, Riza reached out and placed her hand on his chest.

"Wait, don't expend your energy. My Nix can handle this effortlessly," Riza advised. A summoning circle materialized before her, and a Wanderclaw emerged from its depths.

Locci gazed intently at Riza. It was his first time witnessing a human summoning a Nix directly, and it appeared just as it did in the game.

Locci had anticipated Riza's Nix to be extraordinary, given her confident demeanor, but he couldn't help feeling disappointed when a Wanderclaw emerged from the summoning circle. However, he quickly brushed aside his disappointment, knowing that this Wanderclaw was under the tutelage of a Nix Master. He had witnessed firsthand the formidable power a Nix could wield under skilled training.

As Locci had suspected, he quickly learned not to underestimate a Nix Master's abilities when a portal materialized before Riza. This portal was her inventory, one of three unique abilities possessed by Nix Masters. With it, she could store numerous items and summon them at will.

Following Riza's command, "Equip Beast Blaster!" a beam of light emanated from the inventory and enveloped her Wanderclaw. As the light faded, a gatling gun appeared mounted on the creature's back.

"Woah, turns out your Nix isn't so special after all, relying on Nix Artifacts," Serena taunted, a smirk playing on her lips.

"That's not entirely accurate, Miss. A Nix wielding an artifact demonstrates its strength. Not every Nix can handle such artifacts; they require specialized training to adapt, especially if they're weapon types," Joe countered, his tone measured and confident.

Locci couldn't resist touching his necklace. It, too, was an artifact, but unlike the Wanderclaw's Beast Blaster, he didn't require training to wear it. He speculated that this was because his artifact wasn't a weapon type.

Riza glanced at Serena with a mischievous grin. "If you believe I'm a sham, why not settle it with a duel once we're out? That's if you manage to survive this dungeon."

"Riza, watch out!" Goran's sudden exclamation interrupted as the Wanderclaws began to advance.

Unfazed, Riza remained composed. "Go, my Nix, show them the might of your artifact."

At her command, her Wanderclaw unleashed the power of the Beast Blaster upon the approaching pack. The recoil was formidable, yet her Nix stood firm, unperturbed by the force.

Bullet-like beams rained down upon the Wanderclaws, striking each one that found itself in the line of fire. Some attempted to evade, but Riza's Nix skillfully tracked their movements, ensuring none escaped unscathed. In the end, the enemies were swiftly vanquished.

As Locci gazed upon the lifeless bodies of the fallen Wanderclaws, he couldn't help but gulp. Before him lay a tempting feast, a rare opportunity for sustenance.

Initially, Locci had planned to consume Wanderclaws to bolster his strength, but their formidable nature had made them difficult adversaries. Now, faced with their inert forms, the urge to partake in their flesh was overwhelming.

Locci nudged Andre and whispered, "Can I eat those?"

"Not now, Locci. We're still in the midst of our exploration. Plus, the rewards from this dungeon are far more enticing than those bodies, I assure you," Andre replied in a hushed tone.

"What are you spacing out for? Come on, this is your chance to be useful, Andre," Riza prodded.

"Got it, ma'am. You can count on me," Andre replied, snapping back to attention.

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This time, Andre and the Groundlayer couple took the lead in the exploration. Andre utilized his detection ability to sense the presence of enemies, while Komucha was assigned the duty of detecting traps.

Locci walked alongside Andre, a sense of unease creeping over him as he felt a piercing gaze at his back. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught Serena staring at him with suspicion.

Locci felt uneasy as he realized he had captured Serena's attention. It appeared she was also an earthling and had recognized him as a Pokesol.

He preferred to avoid unnecessary attention from Nix Masters, but he understood that as a Pokesol, he would inevitably draw notice. Most players in Nixworld were fans of Pokesol, making recognition unavoidable. He knew he would need to strengthen his resolve to face any future challenges.

"Is your name Locci?" Komucha's sudden question caught Locci off guard, drawing his attention. "I'm Komucha. Can we be friends?"

"Uh, okay?" Locci replied awkwardly.

"Yay! You're my first Nix friend ever," Komucha exclaimed happily.

"You don't have Nix friends?" Locci asked curiously.

Komucha shook his head. "Only humans. Never Nixes. Not every Nix can talk."

"That makes sense."

"How long have you been able to talk?" Komucha inquired.

"Oh, you misunderstand. I can talk thanks to this necklace," Locci explained.

"Then if you take it off, you can't talk anymore?" Komucha asked with a hint of sadness.

"It's not like I'll ever take it off," Locci affirmed, his resolve firm. There were far too many Nix Masters eager to pry into his system window.

"That's a relief. But why can't you talk without the necklace?" Komucha inquired innocently.

Locci was certain that Komucha meant no harm. The Nix seemed more like a curious child, and he couldn't fault him for that.

Jane gently patted Komucha and spoke on his behalf, "Most Nixes' physiology doesn't allow them to speak like humans, Komucha. Even now, Locci is communicating in his own language. The necklace helps transmit brainwaves directly into our minds, allowing us to understand him. You're the only Nix here speaking like a human."

"Don't you find it strange that Andre's 'Wanderclaw' speaks so fluently? It's like an adult human," Serena interjected suddenly.

Locci's heart raced at her words. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was accusing him of being human. However, he couldn't comprehend why she was suspicious of him.

Andre cleared his throat and explained, "My Locci is a special variant of Wanderclaw with high intelligence. That's why he's able to wear the necklace. The prerequisite for wearing it is that the Nix must possess high intelligence."

"Yeah, sure. Let's say he's highly intelligent. But then, where did he learn to talk like a human?" Serena questioned skeptically.

Riza suddenly burst into laughter. "What are you getting at, little girl? Are you perhaps feeling envious of his intelligence because I mentioned he's smarter than you?"

Serena was about to retort, but Komucha interjected, "Mom, Dad, I found a trap."

Everyone fell silent, allowing Komucha to focus on his task. With his iron gloves, a Nix Artifact with two functions, one of which was disarming traps, Komucha began his work.

As the gloves vibrated, Komucha withdrew his hand and delivered a punch to the ground. The earth trembled, followed by the sound of an implosion emanating from below. Moments later, numerous holes appeared in the walls, revealing the traps that had been concealed.

"Alright, Komucha has finished. We can resume our exploration," Joe announced.

After successfully disarming one trap, they proceeded without encountering another until they reached the entrance of the next room. However, this time, they were met with numerous traps lying in wait.

Before them stretched a long, deep fissure, through which swung guillotines like pendulums. Small platforms offered precarious footholds along the way. However, with the swinging guillotines, the path ahead became perilous. To compound the danger, a pack of growling Wanderclaws awaited them in the next room.

"I'm sorry, but Komucha can't disarm the trap because the trap system is in the next room," Joe explained. "There's a lever in there. If someone pulls it, it will disarm the traps."

Before Riza could command her Wanderclaw, Locci spoke up, "Wait, could you entrust this task to me?"

"You? Uh... Intelligent Nix," Riza hesitated. "It's not that I doubt your ability, but there's a pack of Wanderclaws on the opposite side. I'd rather not risk losing a rare variant like you."

"No, Miss Riza. Please let Locci handle it," Andre intervened. "I'm not saying this to seek attention, but I trust Locci's abilities."

Riza appeared troubled, but upon witnessing the determination in Locci and Andre, she sighed. "Don't come crying to me if you lose your Nix."

Taking this as his cue, Locci began to assess the situation. First, he inspected the fissure. The gap to the next room was approximately ten meters wide, and the guillotines swung rapidly. He would need to navigate past them all while traversing the small platforms. It would be a challenging task, but Locci felt confident in his sense and speed stats.

After measuring the distance, Locci took several steps back and activated [Traceless]. With a burst of speed, he sprinted forward and executed a mighty leap.

Locci landed successfully on a small platform, but a guillotine was swiftly descending towards him. His adrenaline surged as he quickly assessed the situation, leaping to the next platform just as the next guillotine swung by.

Locci moved with agility, deftly evading the swinging guillotines and landing safely on the platforms. However, as he was in invisible mode thanks to [Traceless], nobody could see him, not even the Wanderclaws in the next room, who remained unaware of his presence.