Locci weighed his options carefully, considering his two choices. He needed to make the decision based on what he required most urgently—an ability upgrade essence.

"I'll go with the ability upgrade essence," Locci announced.

"Haha, honestly, I'm eyeing that too, but since you've contributed more, it's only fair you take it," Andre chuckled, passing the essence to Locci.

Locci wasted no time consuming the essence, and a system message promptly materialized in front of him.

[You can choose one ability to be upgraded. Which ability do you want to upgrade?]

Contemplating his decision carefully, Locci assessed his current skills. He was proficient in various areas—strength, speed, stealth, and crowd control. However, drawing from his extensive experience, he recognized the necessity for a finishing move to dispatch his adversaries swiftly.

After much deliberation, Locci made his decision. "Please upgrade my signature ability, [Frostbite Fury]!"

[Upgrading Frostbite Fury. You can choose one of the following upgrades for Frostbite Fury:

1. Increasing its damage potential would make it more formidable in combat.

2. Expanding its radius would allow for broader impact, potentially affecting multiple adversaries simultaneously.

3. Reducing cooldown time and mana consumption would enhance its usability during battles.

4. Frostbite Fury now has the ability to freeze opponents. Once the freezing period ends, the affected opponents will endure the effects of frostbite.]

Locci found himself torn between his initial inclination to boost his ability's damage and the allure of the fourth option.

In the world of Pokesol, abilities capable of freezing opponents were exceptionally scarce. While some higher-tier Ice-type Pokesol possessed this ability, it was virtually unheard of among weaker ones.

Since Locci hadn't undergone evolution and couldn't predict when it might occur, having a freezing ability would undoubtedly provide him with a strategic advantage.

"I've decided on the fourth option," Locci declared.

[You have chosen the fourth option. Frostbite Fury now freezes opponents!]

[Name: Frostbite Fury

Description: Frostbite Fury unleashes a flurry of razor-sharp claws infused with icy cold energy. Those caught in its frigid grasp find themselves immobilized for a brief period, encased in shimmering ice. Once the freezing effect subsides, a lingering frostbite ensues, causing a gradual reduction in movement speed.]

While Locci was pleased with his upgraded ability, Andre and Serena didn't share his enthusiasm for the haul.

Andre stowed the essence in his inventory with a hint of disappointment. "It's a shame none of my Nixes require an ability upgrade. I suppose I'll use this essence to craft a Nix Artifact instead."

"Essence is used to craft Nix Artifacts?" Locci inquired.

"Yes, that's correct. It's why only Nixes can utilize them. It's almost as if the artifacts have a will of their own, permitting only Nixes to wear them," Andre explained.

"Well, that's unexpected," Locci remarked.

"How much longer do you plan to stay? Let's head out. I'd rather not listen to Riza's ramblings any longer," Serena interjected.

As they arrived at the forked path intersection, they bumped into Joe and Jane.

"It seems Riza and Goran are the only ones who haven't made it back," Serena observed.

"Perhaps they've encountered an issue, or they've found a route to the next room. Either way, we should check on them," Joe proposed.

Together, they followed the path Riza had taken. Upon meeting Riza and Goran, they felt reassured, seeing that the pair hadn't encountered any difficulties.

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"See, Riza? They're not rookies anymore," Goran remarked, beaming with pride.

Riza huffed. "Hmph, I suppose they're not too bad for newcomers."

"What bosses did you all encounter?" Goran inquired.

"We faced the Giant Wanderclaw. Locci took it down singlehandedly," Andre reported.

Riza's eyes lit up at the news. "Really? That's impressive. Locci truly is an exceptional Nix," she complimented. Her admiration for Locci was evident, contrasting starkly with her attitude toward the others.

After praising Locci, Riza turned to Serena with a cold stare. "However, it takes real nerve to let someone else face a boss alone," she scolded.

Serena shrugged. "I trust in Locci's abilities."

"Even so, taking on a boss solo is no easy feat!" Riza retorted.

Before their argument could escalate further, Goran intervened by clapping his hands, silencing them. "Alright, let's not bicker. We've discovered the path to the final room. Why don't we focus on our exploration for now? We can discuss everything during our evaluation meeting later."

Though Serena and Riza continued to exchange glares, they ceased their argument. With that settled, everyone began to make their way toward the final room.

The last room differed from the others; it was an arena situated deep below, accessible via two tunnels.

As they ventured through one of the tunnels, they encountered branching paths. However, they quickly discerned that each path led to the arena, having observed numerous entrances from above.

"Before we proceed, did any of you forget the details of the last boss?" Riza inquired, prompting responses from everyone.

"I haven't heard anything about it," Locci admitted.

Riza's stern expression softened into a warm smile as she looked at Locci. "Is that right? Would you like me to explain it again then?"

"I-I'd appreciate that," Locci replied, caught off guard by her sudden warmth toward him.

"Alright. Allow this kind lady to fill you in. The final boss we'll be facing is the evolved form of Wanderclaw, known as Koboclaw. It has the ability to enlarge its body, boosting its strength and endurance. It'll be a tough opponent, especially since we'll also have to contend with its minions."

"Is this boss stronger than the others we've faced?" Locci inquired.

"Absolutely. That's why it's the final boss. And here's the kicker: we can't kill it under any circumstances. Our goal is to capture it."

"Defeating it without killing it..." Locci grinned, seeing an opportunity to test his upgraded [Frostbite Fury]. "I'm up for the challenge."

Suddenly, Riza reached out and patted Locci's head. "Our Locci is truly a brave Nix. I'm confident you'll be a valuable asset, but remember to follow our lead, okay?"

"O-okay," Locci replied, slightly taken aback.

"Good boy. Good boy," Riza praised, continuing to pat his head with increasing vigor.

Locci couldn't shake the feeling of awkwardness, sensing the jealous gaze of Riza's Wanderclaw.

"Alright, let's keep moving," Riza declared once she had finished patting his head.

Following a random path, they eventually arrived at the arena, where numerous Wanderclaws were glaring at them.

Locci scanned the surroundings and noticed a Wanderclaw that stood out from the others. It sported three horns atop its head and boasted a mane cascading down its body.

"I suppose that's a Koboclaw," Locci muttered, eyeing the unique Wanderclaw.

Simultaneously, Riza let out an exclamation of disbelief. "Impossible! Th-that's not a Koboclaw! It's a Reignclaw!"

"Reignclaw?" Locci inquired, noting the shocked expressions of the others, indicating that Reignclaw was significant.

"Reignclaw is a grade above Koboclaw. It's a heroic-grade Nix," Andre explained, sharing the astonishment of the group.

"Easy, everyone. While it may be a heroic-grade Nix, its level is low. We have a chance to defeat it," Serena reassured, having checked the information on Reignclaw with her system.

Reignclaw let out a resounding howl, and in response, its minions began to emit a crimson glow from their bodies. As the glow intensified, their muscles expanded, growing larger before their eyes.

"Not good! It can use area buff ability! I'll draw the minions' attention. You all focus on taking down Reignclaw!" Goran declared. "Gigarus, [Taunt]!"

Gigarus unleashed an ear-shattering scream, provoking the Wanderclaws. However, before they could converge on him, Reignclaw let out another howl, nullifying the effect of [Taunt].

"It has another area buff ability!" Goran exclaimed, taken aback.

"It possesses additional area abilities!" Serena added, her tone filled with alarm.

"This isn't good. They're closing in! Komucha, [Earth Wall]!" Joe shouted.

Komucha placed his hands on the ground, summoning four earthen walls that encircled them, shielding them from the advancing Wanderclaws.

"I apologize for obstructing our view," Joe immediately said.

"No need to worry. We can capitalize on the element of surprise once the walls are breached. I'll take the west side, Serena the south, Locci the east, and Joe the north. Jane, get your Nix ready to charge at Reignclaw. Goran, be prepared to taunt the enemies again," Riza commanded.

They waited as the walls cracked and crumbled. As the Wanderclaws surged toward them, Gigarus employed [Taunt] to divert their attention.

With the Wanderclaws distracted, Riza's Nix unleashed a barrage of attacks with Beast Blaster. Meanwhile, Lurkezard transformed into spikes and impaled them, Locci utilized [Cold Wave] to push them back, and Slamhog fired a volley of bristles at the assailants.

Jane spotted an opportunity to advance toward Reignclaw. With a smirk, she commanded, "Egderos, [Horn Rush]!"

Egderos concentrated light on its horn and plowed through the ranks of Wanderclaws. As it continued its charge toward Reignclaw, its speed increased exponentially. It even generated a protective sphere around itself, acting as a shield against any obstacles in its path.

Reignclaw assumed a stance to move, vanishing from its position and reappearing behind Egderos in an instant. Simultaneously, icicles began to materialize from where Reignclaw had originally stood, expanding rapidly behind it. Egderos, caught off guard, was impaled by the growing icicles.