Chapter: 23
I disposed of the annoying wizard and immediately took care of the archer next to him.
Only then did the other goblins start chasing me, but I had already achieved my goal.
If there are no long-range attackers, I wasn’t going to lose out in the brawl.
Alright. Let’s keep it going!
When one goblin went down, the rest still poured their hatred toward me.
When two goblins fell, their movements hesitated.
And when three goblins collapsed, fear was etched into their eyes.
It was chaos.
Some tried to attack.
Some pushed their comrades forward.
Some attempted to flee.
Some gave up and randomly charged at me.
The goblins, engulfed in confusion, were already in a state that couldn’t be called a group.
Goblins are the weakest race when they’re individuals.
Taking them down as they became individuals was incredibly easy.
After taking care of the last goblin, I swung my mace wildly and shook off the debris stuck to it.
Phew. I initially planned only to endure, but I ended up taking them all out because of that sense of accomplishment.
Thanks to that, my level rose to 4, and I passed the trial, so the outcome isn’t too bad.
However, recalling the things I blurted out during the battle made me lower my head involuntarily.
What a crazy guy.
No matter how much I needed the effect of the “mesugaki” skill, that was pushing it.
What? Trash? Goblin fodder? Experience fodder?
Even though I’ve become a mesugaki, I found myself disgusted by the way those words naturally came to mind.
Am I going to turn into a real mesugaki someday?
Imagining myself laughing and tossing around words like “trash” on a regular basis made my hands tremble involuntarily.
That can’t happen.
A man in his thirties shouldn’t be acting like that.
I can accept that the translation is unavoidable because of the “mesugaki” skill, but let’s not scream that out with my true feelings.
I hate that I used to be a nerd who knew what a mesugaki was.
If only I hadn’t known anything, I wouldn’t have been able to spout such nonsense from my mouth.
Huu. I took a deep breath once more to calm my mind.
Anyway, as long as the outcome is good, that’s what matters.
The training I did with Possell was meaningful.
That guy really threw all kinds of situations at me, which made it possible for me to cope with any situation during combat.
For the first time, I felt grateful to Possell.
Even though I couldn’t express my thanks because of the “mesugaki” skill.
Hmm. But hey.
The trial is over, so why still can’t I hear Grandpa’s voice?
Hey! Grandpa! No matter how sulky you are, you should let me go if I pass the exam!
I’ve got no wounds from the frostbite, and there are no goblins to attack me, so what’s the hold-up?
While I was thinking this, suddenly, I heard footsteps in the darkness.
A heavy sound that was different from the light steps of goblins.
If I were to compare it, it was closer to the footsteps of Possell or Benedict.
The moment I heard that, a chill ran down my spine, and I anxiously lifted my head.
From the darkness, a massive figure slowly started to reveal itself.
Its size was as enormous as the sound of its footsteps.
Although Possell was already huge for a human, this was on another level entirely.
That was only natural.
It wasn’t a living creature of human origin in the first place.
Brown skin wrapped in leather, with muscles so massive they seemed ready to burst through the skin at any moment.
Fists that were bigger than my face and sufficient to be a threat on their own.
A protruding snout and red eyes.
And two horns atop its head—Minotaur.
…Why is this thing showing up here?
You’re not supposed to come out until later.
Why is a late-game monster popping out during the mid-second-year trials?
Oh, that’s right, there are cases where you show up during Ruel’s trial.
But that’s when someone has reached level 32 and enters here, right?
Right now, my level is 4. Four.
When entering a properly leveled dungeon, you come across goblins or orcs at level 4!
I’ve just hit level 4 less than 30 minutes into the game!
That damn old man.
Is this how you retaliate after I called you out once?!
You’re supposed to be Ruel’s voice, the hero in the setting.
What are you trying to do acting so petty when you’re a hero who saved the world and serves the divine knights?
Huh?!
You piece of crap!
– KuoOOOOO!
My body stiffened at the Minotaur’s roar.
I felt the fear crawling up my back.
I couldn’t focus my gaze on just one point.
A tremor that began in my teeth spread throughout my whole body.
My instincts screamed in my head.
Run.
I need to run.
If I don’t, I’ll die.
Look at that monster.
Look at its hot breath coming out.
Look at those filthy teeth!
The monster will put you in its mouth, chew you up, and swallow you.
You’ll scream in pain before even making it to its belly.
So run. Run!
Quick!…
“Gah. Huh.”
Suddenly, the feeling of fear disappeared.
Only then did I realize I had been holding my breath.
Shit.
If my Fear Overcoming hadn’t triggered, I would’ve suffocated and died.
I mean, just making eye contact freaked me out this much.
Is this what it really means for the existence level to be different?
Calm down.
I can’t win against that thing.
No matter how much I struggle, it’s impossible.
With the strength I have now, I won’t be able to inflict even a scratch on the Minotaur.
It would’ve been different if this were a game, but…
This is reality.
Not some game controlled by a mouse and keyboard.
I hurriedly regulated my breathing and steadied my posture.
I may not be able to win, but I can hold on, right?
I just had a good fight against those goblins and bought myself some time.
The time limit for the Guardian trial is probably close to being up.
So now, if I can hold out a bit longer against that monster, I might get to pass the trial.
Yeah. Just a little more.
Besides, now that I’m here, I can’t run away.
You want to see me fail right before your eyes, old man?
Absolutely not.
I’d rather die than see that monster smirk.
The Minotaur doesn’t look at me.
Its red eyes are fixed upon the goddess’s statue.
If I leave it alone, it’ll crush the statue into pieces with those massive hands without hesitation.
And then it’ll be my turn.
Ha. Damn it.
I just decided I wouldn’t act like a mesugaki, and now I have to flip that around immediately.
I might get schooled by that monster for even slightly straying off course, but let’s not think about that future.
Isn’t a mesugaki just about that?
One who acts without a care for what consequences their actions might bring, that damn brat.
If I’ve become a mesugaki, I should act like one.
Even if it’s terrible, I have to do it now.
“Hey!”
As I shouted, the Minotaur turned its gaze toward me.
The very moment I met its red eyes, my body stiffened, but I quickly regained my composure.
Fear Overcoming is doing well.
“What are you looking at, you filthy beast?! You smell terrible♡ Disgusting♡ You repulsive beast child♡”
I felt strength returning to my body.
My provocation had hit its mark.
Though the fact that there’s only one target means the buff isn’t that large, let’s focus on the fact that I provoked it.
The Minotaur turned its body and began moving toward me.
Alright. Now it’s time to face the consequences of my actions.
I raised my shield high.
I’ve done enough of just blocking and holding out.
I spent about half a day doing similar things with Possell.
It’s just a repetitive process.
I can do this.
Look ahead.
Don’t tense up.
Tensing up will only slow my reactions.
After all, that thing is a dimwit.
It has no thought.
It’s just going to swing its fists around mindlessly.
That should make it easier compared to facing Possell, right?
So I’m good. Nothing to worry about.
While I was repeating this to myself, the Minotaur had already reached right in front of me.
Isn’t he a bit too fast for that massive size?
Slow down, buddy. You’ll kill me in one blow!
As I was making such jokes in my mind, the Minotaur threw its fist.
I couldn’t dodge.
It wasn’t something I could dodge.
My wall wasn’t intact either.
In that moment of panic, I quickly lifted my shield to block the Minotaur’s punch.
BAM!
As the Minotaur’s fist hit my shield, I realized something was wrong.
Huh?
My hand gripping the shield was pushed back, and my body folded in two.
My foot, which should have been planted on the ground, was lifted into the air, and an unwelcomed shock echoed from my arm and side throughout my entire body.
There was no time to scream.
The instant I felt my body flying away, the only thing I could think of was one thing.
I’m screwed.
…
Once I regained my senses and lifted my head.
Surprisingly, the pain wasn’t as intense as I expected.
Oh wait.
All the sensations in my body were dulled.
Wow, damn. Getting hit by a fist can also feel like anesthesia?
I could hear a ringing in my ears.
Continuously. Like crazy.
As if I had just been hit by a flashbang.
As the ringing subsided a bit, I could finally start feeling the pain creeping in.
There wasn’t a single place that didn’t hurt.
My insides felt like they were churning.
I wasn’t even sure if I had ruptured an organ as breathing became a struggle.
I forced my head up while trying to stifle whatever was rising from my stomach.
Through my hazy vision, I could see a massive brown entity walking toward me.
What the hell.
You want me to hold out against that thing?
That damn old man.
If you’re gonna kill me, at least do it comfortably.
I staggered, trying to rise, but my legs went weak, and I crumpled back down.
For some unknown reason, the sense of invincibility from the mesugaki skill had vanished.
Why is that?
That Minotaur should be furious and hunting me down.
Just as I reached down to try to get back up, something touched my side.
In that moment, my vision went dark.
…
Huu. Kugh. Urgh.
It hurts.
Fuck. FUUUUCK. It hurts!
Even lifting my head feels like a burden.
I couldn’t even imagine moving my legs since I had no sensation in them.
My hands, which should have been gripping my mace and shield, felt empty.
Even while all this was happening, I could hear the clear sound of footsteps approaching me in the distance.
Am I about to die?
The thought of death crossed my mind, but it didn’t resonate deeply.
Is it because it came so suddenly that I couldn’t process it?
But the more I thought about it, the more I felt something in my heart crumbling down.
I’m going to die.
How?
By being stomped by that Minotaur.
By being torn apart by that damn monstrous hand.
By being chewed to bits by that grotesque mouth.
And then. And then. And then again.
There were countless ways for me to die.
Death was right before me.
My head went cold.
The sense of impending doom crawling up my back was blocked by Fear Overcoming, but it was impossible.
Fear Overcoming couldn’t hold back fear, as the rate at which the fear swelled was far too fast.
What could one frog do standing in front of a dam that has collapsed?
The footsteps stopped.
I forced my eyes open, which felt like they were glued shut.
I could see the Minotaur swinging its fist up.
I looked at it and closed my eyes again.
– KuoOOOOO!
So, this is how I’m going to die.
BAM!
In that moment of surrender, I heard the sound of the Minotaur’s fist colliding with something.
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