"You are already dead!" the chilling words echoed in the air.
[ "Ice Prison" ]
The Lightning Leopard found itself trapped in the Ice Prison without any chance of escape. Despite its strength being at Rank-A, the absence of its greatest advantage, speed, rendered it helpless.
Without its lightning-fast movements, the Lightning Leopard was no different from a regular Rank-A monster.
[ "Shadow Ice Shard!" ]
Unable to resist, the Lightning Leopard succumbed to its fate. Zero swiftly ended its life and stored its valuable body parts in his Spatial Ring. As a Rank-S monster, the creature's remains were quite valuable.
Though Zero was already wealthy, he couldn't resist the opportunity to earn some extra cash.
Professor Mia remarked, "It seems even a Rank-S monster is no match for you!"
She marveled at Zero's ability to effortlessly defeat the strongest monster they had encountered so far. However, she knew he had yet to reveal his full potential.
Amelia wasn't as surprised, having witnessed Zero's prowess in battles against even the Rank-S Holy Knights.
Nevertheless, killing a Rank-S monster without sustaining any injuries was no small feat. Zero had toyed with the creature until the very end.
"We must be getting closer to the center if we've encountered a Rank-S monster," Zero stated.
Amelia scanned their surroundings, her keen eyes attuned to detecting mana. Despite her exceptional senses, she found no sign of a stronger monster or the Boss Monster they sought.
"It seems that it is not near this area. We might need to travel even further."
Amelia said.
"It appears we need to exercise more caution. If we've encountered a Rank-S monster, it's likely the Boss Monster is at least Rank-S+ or stronger. We may also encounter other Rank-S- monsters roaming the area," Professor Mia warned.
She feared that the Gate's Boss would surpass the strength of the Ice Griffin, given the presence of the Lightning Leopard. If even the Rank-S- monster wasn't the Boss, it meant their ultimate target was someone not to be underestimated.
Fortunately, Amelia had recently ranked up, providing them with an advantage in facing a Rank-S+ monster. Without her growth, combating such a creature would have been much more challenging.
And even without mentioning the Boss Monster, the area was still very dangerous if Rank-S Monster were there. Rank-A Monster has little to no chance of killing them but it was a different story with Rank-S Monsters.
The trio continued their journey toward the center of the Gate, becoming increasingly cautious with each step. Most of the monsters they encountered were of Rank-A, with rare encounters of Rank-S creatures like the Lightning Leopard.
While they would at times encounter groups of Rank-A monsters, Rank-S monsters were typically solitary and would attack them alone. Otherwise, the trio would have faced even greater difficulties in defeating them.
Zero was also able to make use of his experience and knowledge in dealing with the monsters from Tower Of Obelisk.
Zero had faced all kind of monster when he was at Tower Of Obelisk. Thanks to that, he knew most of the monster's weaknesses and also how to easily deal with them.
As they delved deeper, the temperature began to rise dramatically. The scorching heat made the environment unsuitable for human habitation. An ordinary person would succumb to the extreme temperatures within an hour.
However, the trio's resilient bodies allowed them to endure the discomfort of traversing the desert. Nevertheless, the relentless heat made walking through the barren landscape unbearable.
And the sand was also draining their energy faster than in other places.
After days of walking and not encountering their objective, Amelia couldn't help but question their progress and direction, "When will we reach the center? Are we even heading in the right direction?"
Zero chimed in, "It would have been easier if we were on an icy mountain!"
The heat didn't agree with him, and he suffered greatly. If the extreme conditions had been cold instead of hot, Zero wouldn't have felt a thing.
Mia nodded in agreement, also possessing resistance to ice. If they were in a place with temperatures as low as -200 degrees, neither she nor Zero would have been affected.
!!!
Suddenly, Amelia sensed something in the distance. Utilizing her enhanced eyesight, augmented by mana, she peered toward the source of her unease.
"I sense something!" she exclaimed.
Zero asked eagerly, "Is it the Boss Monster?"
She looked at the mana aura and then quickly responded, "Yes!".
Though she couldn't be certain, the mana aura she detected far surpassed any other monster they had encountered. She was sure that such a kind of mana aura would only come from the Boss Monster.
"Really? Where?" Mia inquired. She was also eager to return as the heat was unbearable.
Amelia pointed in the direction and the three of them set off excitedly. If this had happened months ago, encountering a Boss Monster wouldn't have thrilled them as it did now.
But the harsh desert conditions made them eager to return home as soon as possible. They had no desire to traverse the sand or endure the scorching heat any longer than necessary.
However, they weren't foolish enough to charge blindly toward the enemy. They maintained a safe distance, carefully observing their opponent.
"It's Ifrit!" Zero identified the fearsome creature.
Ifrit's eyes blazed with an intense glow, reflecting the inferno within. Flames danced along its jagged horns, protruding from its head, and its sharp, elongated teeth glowed with fiery hues. Smoke encircled its body, crackling with sparks, while flickering tongues of fire licked at its fingertips.
Each step it took caused the ground to tremble, and its mere presence emanated a scorching aura, causing the air to shimmer with heat.
Ifrit's mastery over fire was evident as it conjured flames effortlessly, enveloping its body in scorching heat.
It possessed the ability to manipulate fire, shaping it into deadly projectiles or unleashing devastating waves of inferno upon its enemies.
Zero speculated that Ifrit might be the reason for the intense heat in the area, or perhaps the environment had naturally been this way, which is why Ifrit resided there.
Either way, it was almost certain that Ifrit was the Boss Monster of the Gate.
Ifrit is a Rank-S+ monster and extraordinarily powerful. Its fire abilities made it particularly effective against large groups. Thus, having numerical superiority meant little in the face of Ifrit's might, as anyone without strength would merely be reduced to ashes.
Furthermore, Ifrit was the bane of ice-based magicians like Zero and Mia. Fire held the elemental advantage over ice, making it challenging to freeze or defend against Ifrit's attacks. Ice armor or walls would easily melt before its onslaught.
Essentially, everything ice abilities were known for became useless in the face of fire abilities.
Previously, Mia had managed to defeat Frey, despite her fire-based Art. However, Mia's superior rank and higher Art level had tipped the scales in her favor.
Now, they were about to confront Ifrit, the strongest fire monster below Rank-SS. Even Professor Mia's abilities were practically useless against it, let alone Zero's Cryomancy.
The trio was acutely aware of this fact.
Zero inquired, "What now?"
They had several options, not limited to engaging Ifrit in combat. They could retreat to a previous area and train further, challenging Ifrit again when they were stronger.
Alternatively, they could wait for reinforcements from the outside. However, they had no way of knowing how long they would have to wait, as the time inside the Gate differed from that outside.
Moreover, the chances of receiving reinforcements were low, given that they were trapped alongside other Rank-S and Rank-A individuals. Sending reinforcements would likely require the gathering of at least 10 Rank-S individuals or the participation of a Rank-SS.
The most likely choice, and the one they ultimately decided upon, was to face Ifrit head-on. Although their opponent was formidable and their disadvantage apparent, they still held hope of emerging victorious.
"Unexpectedly, our opponent is Ifrit! But there's no problem. With our combined strength, we should be able to handle him," Professor Mia reassured.
She mentioned that although her primary Art was disadvantageous against Ifrit, she possessed a secondary Art that she had been practicing. While not as potent as her Ice Art, it was still a usable skill.
"And as for Zero, I don't need to say much," Mia continued.
Zero was skilled in Cryomancy, but he also possessed the Shadow Sword Style and the Demonic Emperor Sword Art.
With these additional techniques at their disposal, Professor Mia believed that their disadvantage against Ifrit was not insurmountable.
"We will win!"
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