Chapter 32 - The first real challenge

The frost layer around the monster began to fall, and the creature soon began to float and leave a massive hole in the ground. 

Zack kept attacking the creature's top head with his No Range Limit, but he felt like he was trying to pierce a sill plate.

Before long, the ice around began to fall when the monster left the hole, and soon Zack found that the monster's skin was covered in a thick layer that was transparent and blue at the same time… it was probably some sort of crystal. Zack targeted the eye of the monster, but soon, he heard the sound of metal colliding in the air.

"Even that thing's eyes are covered with that crystal…" Zack furrowed his eyebrows.

The monster suddenly pointed its finger at Zack, and then he suddenly felt the cold taking over his body. He immediately used Instantaneous Movement and then appeared fifty meters away, shaking from top to bottom. The monster froze his skin in the blink of an eye while ignoring his clothes. On the spot he had been before, Zack found a block of ice that looked like crystal.

"It froze the air instantly…" Zack thought.

Zack assumed that the ability of the monster he encountered was obviously connected to ice, given its frosty appearance and its frozen environment. However, as he observed its attacks more closely, he realized that it wasn't as simple as it seemed.

The monster's ability went beyond mere control over ice—it could freeze anything it pointed at, regardless of its composition or properties. This went far beyond the typical abilities of ice-based creatures and hinted at something more extraordinary.

In a way, Zack recognized that this ability was akin to a cheat skill. Like his own trait, it defied the conventional laws of nature. It allowed the monster to exert control over its environment in an almost unfair way. It was as if the beast had been given a special advantage, a cheat code of sorts that allowed it to freeze anything in its path with ease.

"This will be interesting…" Zack thought. "My first real challenge…"

The monster turned around to attack Zack like it was a robot. Maybe it was thanks to its ice Powers, but the creature couldn't show a single emotion on its face since it couldn't move its muscles either.

Soon enough, everything on its path began to freeze. The creature moved its hands and made them point at him, but soon, he used Speed Hack and then Instantaneous Movement. In the next minute, he appeared at the top of the monster's, and he found that he hadn't made a single scratch on it.

Still, Zack began to attack, and his body moved so fast that he looked like a blur distorting at the top of the monster's head. Eventually, the beast tried to hit him, but Zack jumped away and easily avoided the hits. He still used all of his mana and used his Fire Lance many times.

The impact made the cold air turn hotter, but soon the temperature returned to normal. Even before he could fall, Zack used No Range Limit before the skill could enter it's cool down time and then attacked the same spot dozens of times, to no avail.

"I guess I will have to increase my strength," Zack thought.

The monster turned around and tried to point its hands at Zack once more, but soon, its massive arm stopped. A powerful noise echoed in the area, and then the monster saw Zack with his sword against its arm. 

The monster insisted and then pushed Zack once more, but then he disappeared. Once again, he reappeared at the top of the monster's head, only to jump upward and then use Instantaneous Movement in the air. In the next moment, Zack appeared upside down, targeting the top of the monster's head, and the impact this time made the beast shake for a moment. The crystal layer covering its head also cracked for the first time.

"This will do," Zack said.

Zack didn't think that he could do that before. Still, he could actually use instantaneous movement in any direction that didn't have an obstacle, even upwards. With that knowledge, he used the combination of Instantaneous Movement and Speed Hack to come up and down insanely fast, to the point that he had several after images in the air. His attack increased so much to the point that the beast had a hole in its head and then fell after just ten seconds.

(You received 50.000 XP.)

(You have obtained enough XP to level up.)

(You received fifteen status points and three skill points.)

Zack sighed in relief when he landed after the monster made the area shake with its fall. He didn't suffer any wounds, but he was able to tell why the hunters in his city never conquered that creature. Powerful long-range attacks, incredible endurance… it wasn't an opponent that one could defeat with numbers alone. A single strong hunter was the best option.

"I guess none of the guild masters wanted to take the risks… well, what is this?" Zack thought when he found a skill book on the side of the boss's body. "I guess my luck is turning around when it comes to skill books."