Once more, Locci stood face to face with Reignclaw, but this time, he had backup. Slamhog, Komucha, and Egderos rallied to his side.
Komucha swiftly erected an earth wall, providing cover for Locci to employ [Traceless] without alerting Reignclaw.
In a coordinated assault, Slamhog descended from above, aiming for Reignclaw's head, but the boss dodged the attack. Egderos charged forward, but Reignclaw sidestepped once again. Reignclaw deftly evaded the barrage of bullets from Beast Blasters as well. It was only when Locci mounted atop Reignclaw and unleashed a surge of electricity through his bite that Reignclaw finally ceased its movements.
Locci swiftly dismounted from Reignclaw's back, allowing Vizernix to seize the opportunity and charge towards Reignclaw. With a powerful strike from its talons, Vizernix stunned the boss monster. Seizing the moment, Riza's Wanderclaw unleashed a barrage of Beast Blasters at Reignclaw, intensifying the assault.
Upon detecting any movement from Reignclaw, Locci responded swiftly, unleashing a relentless flurry of icy energy that encased the boss monster in a solid layer of ice. With Reignclaw immobilized, Wanderclaw resumed its assault with a relentless barrage of shots.
As the icy layer began to thaw, Vizernix swooped in once more, delivering a punishing strike with its talons, stunning Reignclaw once more. Seizing the opportunity, Wanderclaw resumed its attack.
Just as Reignclaw showed signs of regaining mobility, Locci closed in, sinking his teeth into its flesh and sending a surge of electricity coursing through its body.
This coordinated onslaught continued unabated, each member of the team seamlessly executing their role. Their combo was flawless, leaving no room for Reignclaw to retaliate. However, their success was short-lived as Reignclaw's [Overlord Intent] automatically activated, halting everyone's movements in an instant.
Reignclaw's body froze solid, while the others struggled under the weight of heavy pressure. It became a battle of resilience, each side determined to break free first.
Slowly, the layer of ice encasing Reignclaw began to melt, granting it mobility once more, albeit still affected by frostbite. Despite its slowed state, Reignclaw remained a formidable threat, ready to unleash its power upon them once again.
At that critical moment, the Beast Blasters, previously aimed at Reignclaw, unleashed a relentless barrage of bullets. Riza's Wanderclaw tapped into the power of the Nix Artifact, channeling its energy to enhance the attack.
"Take that. I've been assuming you could still pull off [Overlord Intent]!" Riza declared triumphantly, a grin spreading across her face.
With Reignclaw's chance to attack thwarted, the pressure lifted, allowing everyone to move freely once more.
Despite the distance between them and Reignclaw, they felt confident in their ability to regain control of the situation. Reignclaw, affected by frostbite and bearing the scars of previous attacks, appeared vulnerable.
The close combat Nixes charged at Reignclaw, while Locci activated [Traceless] before joining the fray.
While Reignclaw was preoccupied with the close combat Nixes, Riza's Wanderclaw unleashed a barrage of shots at Reignclaw.
Hindered by frostbite, Reignclaw's movements were sluggish, leaving it vulnerable to the energy bullets.
Frustrated, Reignclaw resorted to its defensive ability, conjuring an ice igloo. This formidable defense had previously withstood Serena's [Fire Blossom], making it more than capable of withstanding the onslaught of Beast Blaster.
"Don't fret. My Nix specializes in breaking defenses," Joe declared. "Slamhog, [Earth Slam]!"
With a mighty leap, Slamhog soared through the air and crashed into the ice igloo from above. Its attack, specifically tailored to break defenses, left deep cracks all over the structure, but the igloo remained standing.
"Leave it to my Nix," Jane announced confidently. "Egderos, [Horn Rush]!"
Egderos charged forward with incredible speed, its horn radiating with light. With a powerful thrust, it rammed into the igloo, shattering it to pieces.
As Reignclaw emerged from the rubble, poised to launch a sneak attack against Egderos, Locci intervened, mounting onto the boss monster and sinking his teeth into its neck, sending a surge of electricity coursing through its body.
Stolen novel; please report.
Consumed by rage at Reignclaw's relentless resistance, Locci entered a berserk state, tearing into the boss monster's flesh with savage ferocity. Despite the exhaustion evident in Reignclaw's movements, Locci's relentless onslaught proved effective. In his frenzied state, he even paused to devour a piece of flesh before resuming his relentless assault, tearing and biting with unrestrained fury.
Reignclaw unleashed a piercing shriek of agony as Locci devoured its flesh live. Despite its initial anger as it locked eyes with Locci, a sudden surge of fear gripped Reignclaw when it saw the sheer rage burning in Locci's gaze. It was a moment of startling realization for the boss monster, experiencing fear from another Nix for the first time, especially from one of its own kind.
"Locci, that's enough. We need to capture it!" Riza's urgent voice broke through the frenzy.
Though still consumed by rage, Locci remained cognizant of their mission. However, the opportunity to consume pieces of a Heroic Grade Nix was too tempting to pass up. He was determined to seize the chance to feast, resolving to release Reignclaw only when it was on the brink of death.
With relentless determination, Locci sunk his teeth into Reignclaw's neck, dragging the weakened boss monster into the nearby tunnel. Delving deeper, Locci altered their path, veering down random corridors to ensure uninterrupted consumption.
Despite Reignclaw's feeble struggles, its injuries left it weak and unable to mount a significant resistance.
Remaining vigilant, Locci refused to let his guard down. Activating [Cold Wave], he unleashed a chilling blast, further incapacitating Reignclaw. Then, without hesitation, Locci resumed tearing and devouring the boss monster's flesh.
As Reignclaw finally ceased its movements, Locci also came to a halt. Despite its dire condition, the heroic-grade Nix stubbornly clung to life, showcasing its resilience.
Just then, Riza and her Wanderclaw stumbled upon Locci's presence. Riza remained vigilant, issuing a stern warning, "Stay away from the boss. Don't make me attack."
Respecting Riza's authority, Locci took a few steps back, a gesture of submission, indicating he wouldn't resist.
Though unable to fully consume Reignclaw, Locci found satisfaction in the knowledge that his stats had increased and he had leveled up, a testament to the battle's rewards.
[Your polish has increased!]
[Your willpower has increased!]
[You have leveled up!]
[Name: Locci Snowstar
Species: Snowoo
Level: 8 | Grade: Extra
Innate Ability: 3 | Essence: 3/4
Strength: 28 | Endurance: 23 | Resistance: 26
Speed: 27 | Stamina: 29 | Polish: 21
Mana: 19 | Force: 22 | Wisdom: 13
Soul: 7 | Sense: 21 | Willpower: 15]
[Congratulations! You have reached the qualification to evolve. Please consume an evolution stone to evolve!]
Locci felt a surge of elation at the prospect of evolution, a long-awaited opportunity finally within reach. With an evolution stone being the key to his advancement, he resolved to secure one from the reward room. After all, his significant contributions during the exploration made him the most deserving of such a prize.
As Riza secured Reignclaw, Andre emerged suddenly, observing her actions. "Our exploration has concluded. So, who managed to defeat Reignclaw?" he inquired.
"It was Locci," Riza confirmed.
"In that case, as the one who contributed the most, I should have priority in receiving the rewards," Andre declared confidently.
Riza sighed in resignation. "Fine, although Locci nearly killed the boss, he did indeed contribute the most."
"At least he didn't," Andre retorted.
"Fair point. Let's just head to the reward room. I'm eager to leave this place so bad," Riza agreed wearily.
As Andre and Riza walked side by side, Locci paused to glance back, sensing a presence nearby. His eyes caught sight of Vizernix, discreetly observing them from a distance before veering off in the opposite direction of its master.
Curious about why Andre didn't call his Nix back, Locci pondered briefly, though he didn't dwell on it too much.
A staircase materialized in the center of the arena following Reignclaw's defeat. Without hesitation, they descended the stairs and found themselves in the reward room.
The reward room greeted them with its spacious interior. Locci immediately sensed a denser concentration of mana compared to the other areas they had traversed. He observed with fascination as mana coalesced into droplets of water, swirling around a floating red crystal positioned at the room's center.
"That's the dungeon core. It's responsible for regenerating and maintaining the dungeon," Andre explained.
"Can I eat it?" Locci asked eagerly, unconsciously drooling as he stared at the dungeon core. The primal desire to consume it surged within him, a sentiment echoed by other Nixes.
"You can't. We won't take the dungeon core because it will destroy the dungeon forever," Andre explained firmly.
Disappointed but composed, Locci licked his lips. Even though he couldn't devour the core, he could still anticipate other rewards. His gaze drifted to the treasures scattered below the dungeon core, noting the presence of two evolution stones among the pile.
"So, how will we divide the rewards?" Goran inquired.
"I contributed the most, so I will take priority," Andre asserted, earning nods of agreement from everyone.
"You can pick your rewards after the lass wakes up," Riza added, casting a pointed glare at Serena, who lay unconscious on the ground.
Unable to wait any longer, Locci approached Serena and administered healing once more. After a few moments, the red-haired girl stirred awake, her gaze scanning the surroundings.
"I'm alive?" Serena exclaimed in disbelief.
"You have Locci to thank for that. He saved you. Honestly, you were quite a burden," Riza remarked bluntly.
Though taken aback, Serena accepted the criticism gracefully. "You're right. I apologize for that," she said, bowing respectfully to Riza.
Riza appeared slightly flustered by Serena's response. "Well... as long as you've learned something from this exploration," she muttered awkwardly.
Serena turned to Locci with a warm smile, reaching out to pat his head. "Thank you. I swear I'll repay this favor," she vowed earnestly.