The only remaining nano-creature was the nano-dog. And surprisingly, the latter was still full of energy despite being on the verge of dying.
*Wouafff*
The nano-dog barked loudly, and the hobgoblin's massive fist stopped in mid-air. It then turned toward the nano-dog that was ready for the confrontation and rushed toward it.
And with a single punch, my nano-dog died.
[Your nanobots have sustained too much damage. They can't be used anymore.]
I was surprised. I never expected the dog to be able to save us.
And right before it could turn toward us, I put the bullet into the nano-gun and aimed for the hobgoblin's head.
*Bang*
The bullet was fired with such force that the gun was destroyed right after firing.
[Your nanobots have sustained too much damage. They can't be used anymore.]
*Phewww*
The bullet flew toward the hobgoblin. Seeing that, emotions filled my body.
Relief and happiness mixed together as I watched the hobgoblin fall to the ground. It was over. We had survived this hellish laboratory and accomplished the quest.
[You have killed the boss 'Ice hobgoblin'. The door of the company is now open.]
[+3,000 EXP]
[+20 coins]
[Congratulation, you are the sixth human to have killed a boss monster.]
[+1 equipment ticket]
[You are now level 5]
[1 free stat point has been given]
[Magic power is restored]
[Please choose a reward for your level up:
- Random Stats Points
- Random exclusive skill
- Random equipment]
I watched the reward in awe. The system's messages kept pouring down in front of me, making me even happier.
Perhaps, Julius and Roselle were feeling the same way as I am as they both hugged me from behind.
I was flustered and surprised for a moment, but after hearing them crying, I stood like this. They both saw their lives about to come abruptly to an end a few seconds ago, so it was a totally normal reaction to cry after such a big ordeal.
While they were busy crying, I didn't say anything and decided to choose my reward.
[One random exclusive skill acquired.]
[Self-replication: Your nanobots can create copies of themselves, allowing for rapid reproduction and multiplication.]
The skill that I unlocked didn't look that nice. I could already create whatever I wanted as long as I had a detailed blueprint. Not to mention that every single nanobot needs magic power to be created, so if they were to reproduce rapidly, I will be at a big disadvantage.
[You are thinking too narrowly again, August.]
'Is that so?'
[Yes. In the first place, nanobots have the natural ability to adapt to any type of environment. Moreover, nanobots are extra volatile. It's only thanks to your post that you can control them.]
'It still doesn't explain to me how I'm supposed to use this skill though.' I tried to ask more questions to the system, but there weren't any answers.
Though I could finally hear the two behind me having stopped crying.
"Are y-you guys alright?" I asked in a gentle voice as they both looked at me.
"August you're so strong. You killed the boss with a single bullet." Unlike what I expected, Julius still had big stars in his eyes. Did I impress him again? But how? We almost all died because of me.
"Thank you, August," Roselle added as she wiped her eyes. "I'm so grateful that you are with us.
"Of c-course, I'll always be here to p-protect you both," I replied with a smile. I couldn't help but feel proud of myself for keeping them safe. But deep down, I knew that it wasn't just me. It was our teamwork and our determination to survive that led us to victory. And I of course praised them as well as I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for them.
After some heart-warming talk, we finally decided to head toward the exit door.
We passed by the hobgoblin's dead body, and to my surprise, there were no items on the ground. It was quite strange as usually, boss monsters should drop a few items, yet there were none.
But in the end, I shook my head to dismiss those though.
As we walked towards the door of the company, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something else was waiting for us. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I couldn't let my guard down.
And in the end, we opened the door.
[Congratulation, you have accomplished the quest.
[+100 coins]
We were first greeted by the system's window, making the three of us happy, but once the cold breeze hit our cheeks, we quickly saw the reality of things.
The city was... in ruin.
Paris was a big city with a lot of people and amazing scenery, yet the only thing we could see was ice everywhere. There were even people locked into ice cubes as if someone froze them on purpose.
The scenery was bleak and desolate, with snow and ice covering everything in sight. The once vibrant city was now a frozen wasteland, with buildings and roads buried under layers of snow and ice. The sky was gray and cloudy, with a constant chill in the air.
The ice age had taken its toll on the city, and there were signs of chaos and destruction everywhere. Frozen vehicles littered the streets, and the frozen bodies of people and animals were scattered throughout the city. The only signs of life were the occasional monsters scurrying across the ice or a faint cry from a trapped survivor who was soon destined to die.
The buildings that were still standing were coated in thick ice, with icicles hanging from the roofs and windows. It was clear that the city had been abandoned for a long time, and the only thing left was the ice age that had consumed it.
"W-what's that?" Roselled asked me, her voice trembling with fear. We just came out from hell, yet we were greeted by another one.
It was so cold that even with my hands in my pockets, they were still freezing. And we were supposed to be in summer.
"The i-ice age," I answered reluctantly as I could feel that my companions were scared and freezing. "Let's w-wal or we'll f-freeze on place." I told them as they reluctantly agreed. Even without looking at them, I could feel that they were losing all hope as the cold was enveloping us.
As we walked through the frozen city, the cold wind whipped against our faces, and we could feel the icy chill seeping into our bones. It was clear that surviving in this new world would be a challenge, and we would need to adapt quickly to the harsh conditions.
Despite the devastation and despair that surrounded us, there was still a glimmer of hope. We had managed to survive the lab and complete our quest, and with the rewards, we had earned, we could potentially find a way to survive in this frozen wasteland.
But for now, we needed to focus on finding shelter and resources to keep us alive. The ice age had taken everything from us, but we would not let it take our lives as well.