[Player Will Respawn]
[Eye of the Creator Has Leveled Up (+2)]
As Ivan respawned, he quickly distanced himself from the unfamiliar boss before him. He had no recollection of adding such a boss to the game, nor did he understand the visions he had witnessed. Confusion swirled within Ivan's mind, amplified by a persistent notification that plagued his vision.
[Inhabitants of the Unnumbered Floors Are Watching You]
"What the hell are the Unnumbered Floors?" Ivan exclaimed in frustration, his voice echoing through the room. Malachi observed him with a hint of curiosity, his presence enigmatic.
"You don't seem like a player from the tutorial," Malachi's voice reverberated, drawing Ivan's focus towards him.
"And you don't seem like a boss from the tutorial either or even the game," Ivan retorted, narrowing his gaze as he scrutinized Malachi.
"Game? Are you delusional? How many lives do you have left? Two, or perhaps just one? Once I exhaust them all, you will understand just how real this is," Malachi taunted, his words laced with menace.
"You seem remarkably offended that you're an NPC," Ivan said, a smug smile tugging at his lips, even though he knew victory would not be easy in this battle.
"And you seem far too eager to meet your demise," Malachi countered, raising his staff.
"Come then, I implore you to try," Ivan challenged, his tone filled with bravado, fully aware of the odds stacked against him.
With remarkable speed, Ivan swiftly darted to the left, narrowly evading the icy shards that shot forth from the floating blue magic circle beside Malachi.
[AGI +1]
"You managed to dodge that? You're certainly not a player from the tutorial," Malachi remarked once again, acknowledging Ivan's skill.
"And you certainly talk a lot for a boss," Ivan retorted, his confidence unwavering.
"You're far too arrogant for a mere bug," Malachi countered, summoning a magic circle beneath Ivan that erupted in flames, engulfing him entirely.
[Player Has Died]
[Player Will Respawn]
[Armor Health: 76% (-12)]
"Ugh, this armor isn't providing much help. I'm still being taken out in one hit," Ivan muttered as he respawned in a brilliant blue flash.
"You must be on your last life now. I imagine your arrogance will fade," Malachi taunted.
In the heat of battle, Ivan's attention was drawn to a detail he had missed before—the level displayed above Malachi's head after the eye of creator skill had leveled up.
[Malachi, The Arcane Archmage (Lvl 40)]
"For an Archmage, your level seems rather low," Ivan observed, a hint of mockery in his voice.
"What do you know about my level, you insignificant bug?" Malachi snapped, retaliating by launching fireballs towards Ivan. With precision and agility, Ivan adeptly evaded each fiery projectile, narrowly avoiding their destructive impact.
[Would you like to see (Malachi, The Arcane Archmage) Stats?]
Ivan eagerly responded to the prompt, his curiosity piqued. "Yes, definitely," he exclaimed with enthusiasm.
[Eye of the Creator Skill in Effect]
Following the prompt, an entire status screen belonging to Malachi appeared before Ivan, revealing the Archmage's detailed information.
[Name: Malachi
Title: The Arcane Archmage
Boss Level: 40 {Restricted}
Class: Archmage
Archmage Level: 65 {Restricted}
HP: 120
Stats:
- STR: 29
- AGI: 27
- INT: 19
- DEF: 30
- MAN: 1600 {Restricted}]
"Hmm, your stats are quite underwhelming. Is your level 40 solely due to your high mana level?" Ivan remarked, studying Malachi's displayed stats while pondering the restrictions mentioned.
"How do you know my level?" Malachi exclaimed, taken aback by Ivan's knowledge.
"Magic," Ivan replied with a playful tone, leaving the explanation vague.
"It doesn't matter, as I will put an end to your life now," Malachi declared, summoning a burst of fire from below Ivan.
Anticipating the attack, Ivan swiftly evaded, deftly moving out of harm's way before the flames could engulf him.
"You thought I'd fall for that again?" Ivan retorted, pulling out Rustless from his inventory and wielding the weighty sword with ease.
"Alright then, it's time I give you a proper beating," Ivan declared, preparing himself for the fight ahead. In reality, he knew that if he could avoid Malachi's magic attacks and get close enough, victory would be within his grasp.
However, taking down Malachi in such a manner would deny Ivan the opportunity to grow his own stats. He needed to defend and evade Malachi's spells to maximize his own potential.
"Don't get too cocky," Malachi warned as a menacing magic circle materialized above Ivan, striking him down swiftly.
[Player Has Died]
[Player Will Respawn]
Ivan returned, swiftly grabbing his fallen sword from the ground as he readied himself once again to face Malachi, who stood in stunned disbelief, unable to comprehend the situation.
"How? How?" Malachi exclaimed repeatedly, struggling to make sense of Ivan's respawn.
"I've killed you three times now," Malachi stated, his voice dripping with confusion.
Suddenly, a barrage of notifications flooded Ivan's vision, further adding to the confusion and mystery surrounding the unnumbered floors.
[Inhabitants of the Unnumbered Floors Are Watching You]
[Inhabitants of the Unnumbered Floors Are Confused]
[Inhabitants of the Unnumbered Floors Do Not Understand You]
[Inhabitants of the Unnumbered Floors Question Your Existence]
"What the hell are these notifications?" Ivan questioned, his frustration evident as he struggled to comprehend their meaning.
"How are you still alive? What sorcery is this?" Malachi exclaimed, bewildered by Ivan's resilience.
"You're the mage, you tell me," Ivan retorted, his voice laced with sarcasm.
"Go on shoot your fireballs, let's see how many times you can kill me before your sanity unravels," Ivan taunted, challenging Malachi to unleash his spells upon him.
"Die!" Malachi shouted, summoning multiple magic circles that unleashed a barrage of water, fire, and ice towards Ivan.
With nimble movements, Ivan evaded and used his sword to block as many incoming spells as possible. However, some managed to break through his defenses, chipping away at his HP.
[DEF +0.5]
[AGI +1]
[Armor Health: 65%]
Despite his best efforts, Ivan soon succumbed to the overwhelming onslaught as the relentless barrage of spells claimed his life.
It didn't take long for Ivan to respawn, his determination undeterred. He swiftly retrieved his sword, preparing to deflect Malachi's attacks once again.
Death after death, Ivan respawned repeatedly, each time returning with increased stats. The continuous progression only fueled his resolve.
However, this time, something was different. Malachi's onslaught ceased, his gaze fixated on Ivan with a mix of resignation and confusion.
Ivan understood the situation. Even though Malachi possessed a vast reserve of mana, he would eventually exhaust himself against an opponent who seemed unkillable.
"Why? Why won't you die?" Malachi exclaimed, his frustration evident.
"Don't be too frustrated just yet. We're only just getting started," Ivan taunted, a grin playing on his lips. "I plan to use you to my heart's content."