Locci was truly amazed by his new ability. However, he soon realized that it had a long cooldown and consumed a considerable amount of mana. He figured he'd save this ability for when he really needed it, treating it as his ultimate move.
The Fireboxers frozen by his ability had crumbled into pieces. He had to break through the layer of ice surrounding them before he could consume them. Finding this troublesome, he simply walked to the next room.
Locci had no problem continuing the exploration. Despite being alone, he found it easy to defeat enemies along the way. Through his exploration, he leveled up twice.
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[Name: Locci Snowstar
Species: Winterwoo
Level: 15 | Grade: Extra
Innate Ability: 6 | Essence: 3/4
Strength: 49 | Endurance: 44 | Resistance: 47
Speed: 48 | Stamina: 50 | Polish: 42
Mana: 40 | Force: 43 | Wisdom: 27
Soul: 19 | Sense: 35 | Willpower: 36]
Locci felt that venturing into the dungeon alone had been worthwhile. He had obtained rare resources, such as materials for crafting Nix artifacts. However, since they weren't useful to him and he couldn't carry them, he left them behind. The most valuable items he found were Nix meats.
Now, he pondered whether consuming the last boss would boost his stats. He eagerly anticipated finding out.
As Locci stepped into the boss room, he encountered a towering creature resembling a dinosaur, specifically a brachiosaurus. Its long neck sported a horn atop its head, while a pair of fins adorned the sides. With hooves for feet, it was unmistakably a land creature. Its skin displayed a striking contrast, with one half blue and the other white.
Locci grinned. "This is the first time I've encountered this Nix. It's just as I expected from a dungeon. Always something new to discover," he remarked.
The dinosaur, or Bracyrosaur as it was known, let out a piercing screech before summoning three ice spikes around its head, launching them towards Locci.
Thinking quickly, Locci activated [Juxtapose], allowing the ice spikes to strike his clone while he stealthily approached the Bracyrosaur.
However, the Bracyrosaur sensed something amiss when Locci's clone perished too easily. Trusting its instincts, it stomped the ground, unleashing a powerful cold wave that slammed Locci against the wall.
Locci was about to activate his healing ability when Bracyrosaur opened its mouth and fired an ice beam at him. Forced to evade, Locci leaped out of harm's way, but Bracyrosaur persisted in targeting him.
Thinking quickly, Locci employed [Juxtapose] to swap himself with a clone while simultaneously turning invisible. As the clone dashed away from the beam, Locci sought refuge in a safe spot. Then, he unleashed a resounding howl, summoning a colossal icy beam that descended upon Bracyrosaur. The beam not only froze the creature but also created blocks of ice around it.
While Bracyrosaur was frozen, Locci seized the opportunity to heal himself. Suddenly, the layer of ice encasing Bracyrosaur shattered into pieces.
"This boss must have high ice resistance," Locci muttered, noting the creature's resilience.
As Bracyrosaur broke free from the icy prison, it initiated a new attack pattern. Dozens of snow-patterned magic circles materialized behind it, unleashing a barrage of ice missiles. Not only were there many missiles, but they also relentlessly pursued Locci.
In response, Locci swiftly employed [Juxtapose] to swap himself with a clone while becoming invisible. The clone attempted to evade the missiles, taking to the air to escape. Despite dodging some, it couldn't avoid them all, succumbing to the relentless assault. As the clone vanished, the remaining missiles scattered in all directions.
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Locci continued to dodge the stray missiles while closing in on Bracyrosaur. However, the creature lifted its hoof once more. Realizing the impending danger, Locci activated [Cold Wave] simultaneously with Bracyrosaur's attack. The blue wave emanating from him clashed with Bracyrosaur's, but his efforts were overpowered, and he was forcefully pushed back by the enemy's wave.
Locci grinned, tasting the blood in his mouth as he relished the challenge of facing such a formidable opponent. He admired Bracyrosaur's intelligence in thwarting his ability usage.
As Locci rose to his feet, Bracyrosaur unleashed an ice ball from its mouth. Swiftly, Locci leaped forward, narrowly dodging the projectile. Simultaneously, he activated [Juxtapose] once more, conjuring a clone while he stealthily moved in the opposite direction.
With a quick maneuver, Locci conjured another clone, creating the illusion that his true self was advancing towards the boss while he ascended into the air.
As anticipated, Bracyrosaur stomped its hoof, generating a powerful wave that sent his clones hurtling through the air. Fortunately, Locci remained unaffected, safely out of reach in the sky.
Locci swiftly descended onto Bracyrosaur's neck, sinking his teeth into it and sending electric currents coursing through its body. As Bracyrosaur writhed from the shock, Locci plunged his claws into its flesh, dragging them down its massive body and leaving behind deep, gory wounds.
As Bracyrosaur let out a pained scream, Locci wasted no time and unleashed [Frostbite Fury]. A barrage of arcing beams surged forward, forcefully pushing Bracyrosaur backward before encasing it in ice.
With a grin of determination, Locci surged forward, his confidence unwavering. He unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes upon Bracyrosaur, intent on overpowering the formidable creature.
Despite Bracyrosaur's high resistance to the cold, Locci pressed on without hesitation. He stomped his feet, conjuring a wave of icy energy that slammed Bracyrosaur against the wall. Seizing the momentary advantage, Locci continued his assault with unwavering focus and determination.
Locci's assault was cut short as Bracyrosaur broke free from its icy prison. In retaliation, the creature conjured three ice spikes to counter Locci's advance.
Thinking quickly, Locci utilized [Juxtapose], allowing his clone to dodge the incoming ice projectiles while he ascended into the air. Despite Bracyrosaur weakening, it cleverly maneuvered its long neck to bring the clone within range. Opening its mouth, Bracyrosaur unleashed an ice beam, obliterating the clone in an instant.
Seizing the opportunity, Locci revealed himself in the sky with a resounding howl. A beam pillar descended from above, striking Bracyrosaur with intense force. The beam enveloped the surroundings in ice for a moment before dissipating into nothingness.
Locci landed gracefully before the frozen Bracyrosaur. As anticipated, the layer of ice quickly began to crack, a testament to Bracyrosaur's formidable cold resistance.
Assuming a fighting stance, Locci prepared for a final confrontation. However, as the ice shattered, Bracyrosaur collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Locci gazed upon Bracyrosaur's lifeless form and erupted into laughter. "I did it. I defeated a boss Nix alone," he exclaimed, unable to contain his joy.
While it wasn't his first solo victory against a boss Nix, this final boss held special significance. The final boss's elevated level and expanded array of abilities presented a greater challenge compared to others of its kind.
Reflecting on his journey, Locci felt a profound satisfaction with his progression. From relying on others to overcome final bosses to mastering the abilities needed to face them alone, he recognized the growth he had achieved.
With victory secured, Locci's thoughts turned to indulging in the spoils of his triumph. However, as he approached Bracyrosaur's fallen form, it suddenly transformed into a cascade of light, dispersing into several items.
Desperation flooded Locci as he reached out, calling in despair, "No! Just let me savor your flesh! I don't need items!" Yet, despite his plea, he could only watch helplessly as the items scattered onto the floor, beyond his grasp.
Locci's body trembled with rage. He had faced the boss for two reasons: to test his power and to satisfy his hunger by consuming it. Items like these typically only benefited humans, not him.
Locci sighed, releasing his anger with each breath. Despite his frustration, he knew he needed to assess what he had obtained from defeating the final boss. With that in mind, he began to gather the scattered items.
After collecting the items, Locci's mood lifted. He realized he couldn't underestimate the loot from final bosses, as he had acquired numerous valuable items.
Among the items, Locci found an essence and an ability upgrade essence, both promising significant enhancements. Additionally, there were two slices of meat capable of boosting a stat of his choice, along with two pieces of meat that could facilitate Nix leveling up. Although there were more items, they held no value for him.
Locci licked his lips eagerly and proceeded to consume the two pieces of meat that promised to enhance his stats. As he finished eating, two system messages promptly appeared before him.
[What stat do you want to increase?]
[What stat do you want to increase?]
Locci's grin widened as he read the messages. "Increase my soul stat twice," he declared confidently.
[Your soul stat has increased!]
[Your soul stat has increased!]
Locci felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him as he observed his soul stat increase twice. Knowing that the soul stat was notoriously difficult to boost, he considered himself fortunate to have acquired those particular pieces of meat that could enhance stats.
Next, Locci examined the essence obtained from Bracyrosaur. Inside, he discovered the ability data for [Ice Missiles], a long-range ability. Locci already knew this information thanks to his necklace. Although its functionality wasn't as advanced as those of otherworlders' systems, it still allowed him to scan items and search for information on the internet, providing valuable insights like this.