Ivan's eyes narrowed as he realized the gravity of the situation. He comprehended the true nature of his continuous respawns was as a result of the privileges and understood that another death would mean permanent consequences.
Gripping his large sword tightly, Ivan swiftly distanced himself from Vorgath, his focus sharpening with every passing moment. Observing Vorgath's every move, Ivan recognized that this was no longer a fight he could afford to lose.
As Vorgath charged at Ivan, swinging his sword wide, Ivan skillfully deflected the attack with his own blade before retaliating with a powerful strike aimed at Vorgath's exposed torso.
The clash of Ivan's sword against Vorgath's armor reverberated throughout the boss room, producing a deafening sound. Although Ivan's attack possessed considerable strength, it inflicted only minimal damage upon the iron tyrant.
Vorgath proved to be a formidable boss, but Ivan had managed to close the gap in terms of strength and speed. However, what truly set Vorgath apart and made him a level 35 boss was his unrivaled defense.
Vorgath's almost impenetrable armor greatly mitigated the damage from most attacks, requiring Ivan to exert tenfold effort to inflict substantial harm.
With utmost caution, Ivan skillfully evaded Vorgath's relentless attacks, aiming to maximize his own offensive opportunities and inflict whatever damage he could on the boss.
While Vorgath possessed considerable strength and formidable defense, his lack of intelligence made his attacks predictable and straightforward. After each strike, he made no effort to defend himself, relying solely on his armor.
This vulnerability was precisely what Ivan intended to exploit. Evading Vorgath's predictable onslaught, Ivan strategically targeted the boss's unprotected areas, methodically draining his HP with each precise strike.
Admittedly, this method proved to be slow and uncertain. Without knowledge of Vorgath's remaining HP, Ivan had no way to gauge the effectiveness of his strategy or how close he was to victory. Nonetheless, he persisted, relying on his skill and determination to chip away at the boss's defenses.
As Ivan distanced himself further from Vorgath, suddenly an ingenious plan formed in his mind. If he wanted to breach the boss's impenetrable armor, he needed a way to deliver a significant blow. Eline's bow came to mind, but he lacked the necessary mana to unleash its full potential.
Thinking quickly, Ivan adjusted his strategy. Instead of engaging Vorgath directly, he focused on maintaining distance, matching the boss's speed to prevent him from closing in.
Unable to devise another approach, Vorgath activated his unchanging secondary plan of attack.
[ Vorgath, the Iron Tyrant skill (Iron Rain) is active ]
This notification signaled the start of Ivan's perilous plan. The iron rods unleashed by Vorgath were sharp, fast projectiles capable of inflicting severe harm. Yet, these very qualities formed the foundation of Ivan's strategy.
The boss's skill deployed the iron rods from thin air above his head, with the projectiles locking onto one or multiple targets and initiating an unrelenting assault.
Ivan deftly evaded each iron rod as it pursued him throughout the entire boss room, skillfully maneuvering and running circles around the area.
"Great, they're still following me," Ivan remarked with a calculated grin. Gradually, he closed the distance between himself and Vorgath, planning to use the relentless pursuit of the iron rods to his advantage.
With lightning speed, Ivan launched himself towards the boss, positioning himself between Vorgath's legs while wielding the massive Head Splitter. He used the enormous sword as a shield, protecting his entire form from the barrage of raining rods.
Unbeknownst to Vorgath, who had planted his own sword into the ground, he now stood defenseless against his own devastating skill, which targeted Ivan positioned below him.
As a consequence, Vorgath found himself caught beneath the onslaught of his own iron rods. The projectiles rained down upon him relentlessly, with a multitude of rods impaling his armor at point-blank range. His once impenetrable defense gradually crumbled under the overwhelming assault.
Vorgath, on the brink of death with his HP dwindling to near nothingness, collapsed to his knees. The silent boss, whose voice had never escaped his lips, emitted a low groan as crimson blood trickled down his damaged armor.
Exhausted but determined, Ivan pushed the heavy sword off him and rose to his feet, his chest heaving with each labored breath. Retrieving his sword from the floor, he took deliberate steps toward the front of the defeated boss.
"You put up a great fight," Ivan spoke, his voice tinged with weariness. With tired hands, he raised his sword high before thrusting it into the now exposed neck of the fallen tyrant, sealing his victory.
Following his actions, a flood of notifications filled Ivan's view.
[Vorgath the Iron Tyrant has been slain]
[Boss battle has ended]
[First time achievement]
[+2000 XP]
[+3 STR]
[+2 AGI]
[+3 INT]
[Player has leveled up]
[Rewards: +3 HP, +1 D rank mana potion, +2 stat points]
[Game developer level increased (+1)]
[Game developer skill: Skill Developer unlocked]
Leaning on his giant sword, Ivan heaved a sigh of relief and opened his status screen.
[Name: Ivan Golborne
Title: The Creator
Player Level: 19
Class: Game Developer
Game Developer Level: 3
Lives used: 115/3
XP: 3470 (tutorial rank: ?)
HP: 72
SP: 3
Stats:
- STR: 44
- AGI: 34
- INT: 15
- DEF: 30
- MAN: 0/5
Skills:
- Sword Mastery: D
- Eye of the Creator: F
- Master Craftsman: D
- Skill Developer: D
Inventory:
- Mana potion: [Rank: D]
Quest Log:
- Complete the tutorial: In Progress]
Curiosity piqued, Ivan quickly clicked on the Skill Developer to learn more about the skill.
[
Using this skill, the game developer can analyze and copy observed skills, merge possessed skills, and create entirely new skills if all the requirements are met.
Current rank: D]
[There is currently one (1) skill that can be analyzed - Iron Rain
There is currently one (1) skill that can be copied - Iron Rain]
"Oh wow, isn't this interesting. This has to be one of the most useful skills in the game," Ivan mumbled, closely examining the screen before him.
"Analyze Iron Rain," Ivan commanded, his surroundings instantly transforming into a sea of blue, as if he had been transported to a different location.
Suddenly, Vorgath materialized out of thin air, causing Ivan to tighten his grip on his sword.
"What in the world is this?" Ivan muttered in panic as Vorgath plunged his sword into the ground, sending a barrage of rods flying towards him.
Too weak to dodge, Ivan raised his sword to brace for the attack. To his surprise, however, the rods passed through him as if they were mere holograms.
Lowering his sword, Ivan examined himself closely, finding no injuries from the rods that had seemingly passed through him.
As he was still trying to comprehend the situation, a soothing female voice echoed in his mind, "Analysis complete."
"Vorgath, the Iron Tyrant, possesses an exclusive skill known as Iron Rain. This skill allows him to conjure iron rods from thin air using conjuring magic. It consumes one mana point for every ten rods shot. Due to Vorgath's large mana reserve that refills every twenty minutes, he can use this skill continuously," the voice explained.
"Would you like to copy this skill?" The voice inquired, echoing a notification that appeared before Ivan with the same question.
Ivan lips curved into a smile, letting out a soft chuckle. "Damn, I've truly hit the jackpot."