Now that everyone had gathered, it was time to distribute rewards. Andre had the privilege of choosing first. He and Locci stood together, surveying a mound of treasures spread out before them.
Among the treasures were essences, upgrade essences, and experience pills, each capable of boosting experience points. However, the most coveted items were undoubtedly the two evolution stones.
Locci whispered, "Andre, choose the evolution stone. I desire it greatly. I know it's a big ask, but I'll owe you big time if you hand it over. I'll even be your Nix until the next dungeon run."
At that moment, Joe interjected with a proposition. "Mr. Andre, with your significant contributions, you're entitled to choose an evolution stone. Here's my proposal. I'd like to buy it from you. In return, I'll offer you two upgrade essences."
Andre appeared intrigued by the offer. He glanced apologetically at Locci and said, "Sorry, Locci. Even if I selected the evolution stone and passed it to you, there wouldn't be enough left for me."
"Please, Andre," Locci pleaded.
"How about this? We accept Mr. Joe's offer. I'll make you a promise—I'll give you an evolution stone without conditions in the next dungeon run. Right now, the upgrade essence holds more appeal to me than the evolution stone."
Though Locci ardently desired the evolution stone, he recognized that if Andre chose it, he'd receive nothing else. Even if Andre generously gave it to him, Andre wouldn't gain anything. So, with a heavy heart, Locci relented. "Fine. Just remember your promise."
"Thank you, Mr. Andre," Joe exclaimed joyfully as he accepted the evolution stone. Then, he turned to Locci. "Don't worry, Locci. My wife and I will join you on the next dungeon run. I promise to assist you in obtaining an evolution stone."
Though Locci still felt disappointed about missing out on the evolution stone, he responded respectfully, "Thank you."
Joe proceeded to select two upgrade essences and some experience pills. He handed them over to Andre, who then passed an upgrade essence and several experience pills to Locci. Next in line was Jane. She chose two essences and some experience pills. Following her, Riza selected an essence and some experience pills, while Goran opted for an essence. Lastly, only experience pills remained for Serena to choose.
Serena forced a tough smile and remarked, "Well, I can't deny that my contribution is less than the others."
"Thank you for the invitation, everyone. It was a fruitful adventure. Coming here from a distant land was a wise decision for us," Joe expressed.
"It's been an honor. I'll be in touch for the next dungeon run," Andre replied.
"I'm available on weekends. Feel free to invite us," added Joe.
"If everyone's up for it, why don't we have dinner at my cabin to celebrate our successful dungeon run?" Jane proposed.
"Oh, is Miss Jane going to cook for us? I'm curious about food from other country, but I think I need some rest. Goran and I have work tomorrow morning," Riza declined.
"That's a shame," Jane remarked.
"Speaking of work, I have something to discuss with my colleagues here," Andre added.
"Oh, everyone here works for the city mayor, right? Then I suppose our presence might disrupt your discussion. Jane and I will wait outside," Joe suggested, gently guiding his wife away.
They waited until the couple had left before beginning their discussion. Riza initiated the conversation. "Andre, you don't work for the city mayor. Is this a special request from Apollon?"
"That's correct," Andre confirmed. "This is a special directive from the leader."
Riza's eyes widened in surprise. "No way. The Apollon leader? But wait, you're just a low-ranked member. How did the leader issue an order to you?"
Locci would typically be intrigued, but he wasn't in the mood to listen. He was still saddened by not obtaining the evolution stone.
Out of frustration, Locci hastily swallowed the upgrade essence and all the experience pills in one go.
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[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have reached level 10! You can get a new ability!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You can choose an ability to upgrade!]
Locci didn't hesitate to upgrade [Traceless]. He had a strong intuition that something positive would result from upgrading it.
[You have chosen Traceless. You can select one of the following upgrades:
1. Increase speed while using the ability.
2. An attack made while using this ability will inflict critical damage.
3. Grant one second of invulnerability when activating the ability.
4. Upgrade the ability into Juxtapose.]
Locci concentrated on the fourth option and read the description of the ability.
[Name: Juxtapose
Passive: -
Active 1: Turn yourself invisible. This ability masks the user's aura, temperature, and odors, seamlessly blending them into their surroundings.
Active 2: When activating the ability, it creates an identical clone of the user with fifty percent of the user's power. However, the clone cannot use active abilities.]
Locci was immediately drawn to the ability. The cooldown duration of [Juxtapose] was short, allowing him to activate the ability multiple times and send out several clones while being invisible. Additionally, while the clones couldn't use active abilities, they were still capable of using passive abilities.
Locci promptly selected the fourth option, upgrading his [Traceless] into [Juxtapose]. With that settled, he then proceeded to choose a new ability.
[1. Name: Frostbite Whip
Description: The user's tail becomes imbued with cold energy, allowing them to whip it with incredible speed and force. This ability not only inflicts damage but also slows down opponents due to the cold energy.
2. Name: Camouflage
Description: This ability enables the user to blend seamlessly into environments, rendering them virtually invisible to the naked eye.
3. Name: Blood Surge
Description: When activated, this ability causes the user's blood to run wild, granting them heightened resilience and agility.
4. Name: Skin of Winter Vengeance
Description: The user's skin becomes infused with an icy essence, transforming them into formidable defensive structures. This ability grants the user enhanced durability. When struck by a physical attack, the icy essence retaliates with a surge of frigid energy, slowing the attacker's movements and reducing their attack speed. The frostbite-infused energy not only impedes the assailant's abilities but also inflicts minor damage. This chilling effect can be compounded with additional instances of frostbite, further crippling opponents.]
Locci quickly dismissed [Camouflage] since he now possessed [Juxtapose]. With that settled, he considered the remaining options.
[Blood Surge] seemed decent enough, while [Frostbite Whip] was also appealing, although it couldn't rival his signature move, [Frostbite Fury].
However, what intrigued him the most was [Skin of Winter Vengeance]. Given his newfound ability to create clones, he leaned towards passive abilities, and this one boasted some impressive effects.
"I'll go with [Skin of Winter Vengeance]," Locci declared.
[Congratulations! You have acquired Skin of Winter Vengeance!]
Eager to test his new ability while the others were engrossed in their work discussions, Locci decided to go unnoticed. With a swift activation of [Juxtapose], his body turned invisible, while simultaneously, a clone materialized next to him.
Locci quickly grew fond of his new ability. With the clone by his side, he could slip away unnoticed. Leading the way, Locci headed out of the dungeon, eager to breathe in the fresh air outside.
As he strolled, nothing impeded his path, allowing him to reach the entrance without incident. However, upon crossing the threshold, he spotted Joe, Jane, and Komucha. Before he could greet them, Jane suddenly collapsed.
Immediately on alert, Locci sensed danger. Though he wanted to rush to their aid, he held back, opting to observe first. His invisibility provided him with an advantage over any potential foes.
"No! Mom! Dad! Mom isn't breathing!" Komucha cried out as he checked Jane's condition.
"No! No! This can't be! My wife... No!" Joe exclaimed in anguish.
Locci was equally stunned by the news. They had just completed the dungeon run safely, so the idea of someone being dead was difficult to grasp.
After a moment of shock, Locci regained his composure. While the others were distracted, it was his responsibility to remain composed so he could silently strike against any potential enemies.
Locci scanned his surroundings, searching for the source of danger. Though he saw no one nearby, he sensed a presence above. Glancing upward, his eyes widened in disbelief as he spotted Andre's Vizernix hurtling toward Joe at high speed.
Unable to comprehend why Andre would order such an attack, Locci was momentarily stunned, and his hesitation had dire consequences. The Vizernix unleashed a barrage of flying energy blades from its wings, catching the unguarded Joe off guard and inflicting severe injuries.
As Joe collapsed in front of Komucha, the Nix let out an anguished cry that pierced the air.
The sound of Komucha's cry snapped Locci back to his senses. Reacting swiftly, he lunged forward as Vizernix closed in on Komucha.
Realizing he wouldn't reach Komucha before Vizernix did, Locci unleashed [Frostbite Fury] at the vulture, sending it hurtling back.
"Komucha, I know you are not okay, but are you alright with staying silent while the murderer of your parents is also going to kill you?"
Komucha's accusing glare caught Locci off guard. "Stay back! You're after my life too!" he accused.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Locci swiftly clarified, "Komucha, trust me for now. I'm not working for Andre. I want to help you. Let's deal with Vizernix first."
Komucha hesitated, but seeing Vizernix starting to rise again, he nodded reluctantly.
With a sigh of relief, Locci stood by Komucha, seeing him as the victim. He also harbored suspicions about Andre, feeling the need to neutralize the threat posed by his Vizernix.
As he readied himself to confront Vizernix, his gaze fell upon two evolution stones lying near Joe and Jane.