Chapter 435: Max-Level Lightning Cataclysm
The Frostmaw was a massive monster that stood nearly four meters tall, its body covered in jagged ice crystals that shimmered with an eerie blue light.
Its most prominent feature was its massive maw filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth that could crush stone.
Two brown antlers sprouted from its head like ancient tree branches, and its four limbs ended in blue fists and legs that seemed to radiate freezing energy with every movement, the ground beneath it cracking from the cold.
It roared loudly, shaking the entire chamber and inviting dozens of monsters to surround Leon from all sides, their forms emerging from the icy shadows.
"Good," Leon grinned as he lifted his staff and unleashed his spell, "Keep coming toward me..."
Cataclysmic Fireball was a direct elemental weakness of all these monsters, so they would pretty much all die in one shot, the flames consuming them instantly.
But instead of doing it himself, this time around, Leon summoned Alphox from his [Pet Space], wanting to give his companion some experience.
The baby dragon appeared in front of Leon, gazing at him, then back at the horde of monsters with a confident look in its eyes.
He had managed to get to level 7 after all this time, meaning he only needed three more levels for his first evolution, a significant milestone.
And more important than anything, Alphox had actually learned one more skill: [Draconic Flames], a powerful addition to his arsenal.
Alphox opened his mouth as flames began to charge, the energy building within him, and right as the monsters in the chamber all rushed forward, he unleashed them.
The sheer strength of the flames could rival those of a full-grown dragon as they were unleashed across the entire chamber, the heat melting the ice and scorching everything in their path.
And every monster was immediately killed, either scorched or melted from the power of the attack, their bodies crumbling to the ground.
"Good job," Leon smiled as he patted Alphox, proud of his companion’s growth.
And of course, the notifications began to flood in as the system registered his kills.
Ding!
[You have killed "Frostmaw (Boss)" and gained 100,000 experience points.]
[You have killed x13 Frost Golems and gained...]
[You have killed x15 Snow Wolves and gained...]
The notifications piled in as Leon received the feedback, since Alphox’ kill counted as his own as well, the system recognizing the pet’s actions.
[100% Drop Rate has triggered, items have been automatically placed in your storage space.]
Leon’s smile grew wider, extremely excited to check everything that he got, as he could feel he was going in the right direction.
After using Celestial Hand to acquire more skill stones from the fallen monsters, the items the normal monsters dropped were the same as always, so Leon simply dropped them all to the ground for later to be able to enhance them, creating a small pile of loot.
He only kept the skill stones, adding them to his growing collection that would serve him well in the coming battles.
And as for the loot dropped by the boss, Leon’s eyes widened with satisfaction at the impressive haul.
[Frostmaw Essence: Consuming will increase Spirit by 10,000 and massively enhance ice-related skills/sub-talents.]
[Frost Jaw (Material)]
[Frostmaw Antlers (Material)]
[Cloak of Anti-Cold (Legendary): +10,000 Constitution. Wearing this will negate the cold in any environment, can be worn over armor and other body-related items.]
[Frostmaw Head (Trophy)]
[Sub-Talent Scroll: Deep Ice Affinity (A-Level)]
[x40 Skill Stones]
"Pretty good," Leon nodded as he gazed at everything it dropped, taking a moment to appreciate the quality of the rewards, "And the skill stones are also incredible, exactly what I needed."
The only thing he could use at that moment as the essence, so he consumed it without hesitation, feeling the cold energy flow through him.
Nom! Ding!
[+10,000 Spirit.]
And right afterward, a notification appeared that made his eyes widen in surprise.
Ding!
[Your "Ice Spikes" skill has gained three levels.]
’Holy shit!’ Leon thought, genuinely shocked by this development.
This was the first time an essence directly affected one of his skills, usually it was only sub-talents that received such boosts!
But of course, Leon was extremely satisfied with this unexpected bonus, a wide smile spreading across his face.
[Ice Spikes (Legendary Lv.6): Focus your spirit into the ground to release several ice spikes to pierce your enemies.]
The exit portal of the realm appeared in the middle of the chamber, glowing with a soft white light, but Leon didn’t go toward it, instead turning back to explore further.
"Heh, there’s still a LOT to explore in the Frostbite Cavern," he muttered to himself, eager to find more monsters.
He enhanced every item before him once again, gaining another S-Rank ice affinity sub-talent as well as some decently enhanced equipment that he could give or sell.
But more than anything, Leon was completely focused on the Skill Stones, the true treasure of this dungeon.
He kept killing monster for several hours, finding more paths and more chambers that opened up as he delved deeper into the frozen labyrinth.
In fact, at some point his entire [Storage Space] was full because of the Skill Stones, forcing him to make a decision.
So he directly used them to evolve another one of his skills to max level.
He grabbed 150 skill stones and crushed them all, letting their power seep into him, the energy coursing through his veins.
[Which skill do you wish to upgrade?]
"Torrent of Lightning," Leon grinned, selecting his choice.
Ding!
[You have evolved your "Torrent of Lightning (Elite Lv.7)" skill into "Torrent of Lightning (Elite Lv.10)"]
The panel around the spell suddenly began changing again, the interface shifting and reforming as the skill reached its maximum potential, the text glowing brightly.
[Your "Torrent of Lightning (Elite)" skill has reached its maximum level and has grown much stronger.]
Ding!
[Your "Torrent of Lightning" skill has evolved into "Lightning Cataclysm"]
[Lightning Cataclysm (Max): Call forth a devastating storm of lightning from the heavens, unleashing bolts of pure energy that strike down everything in a wide radius, leaving nothing but scorched earth behind, capable of devastating entire armies.]