“Wow, what a blast!”
The pink divine power flowing from the closely fitted sanctuary and the still transparent aura that hasn’t yet been smeared with resolve intertwine, blazing like flames.
To the naked eye, it might seem as if I’m burning myself in an attempt to charge at the suddenly rampaging Minotaur. I did use a power explosion, so it’s kind of similar.
A brief silence falls over the battlefield, which has turned chaotic from just a single strong counterattack.
All eyes are focused here. The Minotaur also looks over here and slowly readies itself.
“Buh!”
Thud!
The Minotaur loudly pounds its chest, boasting its presence.
Its head is charred black; thick smoke continuously oozes from its nose and mouth, and one eye has turned cloudy like a dull glass bead.
But still, its overwhelming presence is unyielding. No, it should rightfully be called its spirit.
An unyielding fighting spirit. A corresponding toughness. And a recognition of the enemy that puts its life on the line.
Even though it has lost its rationality and can no longer distinguish between ally and foe, the Minotaur still possesses honor… and pride.
Though I had only heard about it from Lydia, researched, and known it through words, seeing it directly brings a different kind of feeling.
Thus, I squarely meet the Minotaur’s intense gaze, lightly gesture as if placing my clenched fist, holding my dagger, against my heart.
I’m not well-versed in this world’s complex etiquette. But considering the sword greetings I imagined and what the Minotaur just showed, I decided to imitate it.
But whether this has any meaning or not, I hear the murmurs around me.
“Whew!”
“The Heart’s Vow….”
“Here of all places?”
What the heck is the Heart’s Vow, you nerds…
I wanted to say that, but the mood was too good, so I couldn’t. Instead, I shouted out loudly.
“Back off! And regroup! I don’t plan on dying easily, but if you all keep hanging around like this after I’ve been attacked, that’s not good, right?”
“…”
“…”
“…”
After locking eyes with each other, the adventurers stepped back.
They helped the wounded and those trying to flee gritted their teeth and tightened their grips on their weapons, creating a determined atmosphere.
“Hey, whose fault is this anyway…”
“Shut up, you idiot! If you can crumble just because attention is diverted for a moment, we could’ve lost at any time!”
Of course, one guy did draw attention, but he was swiftly put down with a smack on the back from a comrade.
Well. Honestly, I think the same. Isn’t it too much for a simple aggro diversion to cause this much chaos?
It’s like a newbie who just followed the strategy being thrown into confusion by an unexpected event…
“Ah.”
Now that I think about it, the adventurers gathered here, aside from a few mid-level adventurers accompanying us as a safety measure, are on their first raid battle.
They may have shed their novice labels, but they’re still only at that level. They’ve never faced a truly formidable foe before.
If I’d known it would be like this, I would’ve held back a little at first, sighing as I lowered the sword I had raised to my heart.
Before I knew it, the other adventurers had formed a circle around me and the Minotaur.
It’s only natural since the basic strategy is to surround and mob from a distance, but seeing it this way makes it feel like a duel arena has been set up around me and the Minotaur.
With everyone stepping back, the Minotaur’s remaining eye glints fiercely after confirming that I’ve finished my greeting and taken my stance.
And it lowers its head, aligning its sharp horn parallel to the ground, taking a big step forward as it tenses its entire body.
Its stance is as if it could charge at any moment. Speaking of which, wasn’t I warned to be careful with its direct charge?
With a grin, I lowered my own stance, feigning readiness to face the Minotaur head-on.
I positioned my left hand with the wrist crossbow forward and subtly pulled back the right hand holding the dagger.
The Minotaur snorts in what seems to be satisfaction. And then…
“Buhhhhhhhh!”
It charges at me like an excited bull.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The ground shakes, almost as if it would be crushed under its force. The hardened earth reveals its soft insides as the Minotaur follows its path.
And that shocking visual is matched by a crazy speed.
I wonder if it’s faster than the First Floor’s Hound Rabbit. With that size and that speed, it’s practically a weapon itself.
…However, speed is my domain.
“Whew.”
I exhale deeply, gently pushing off the ground. With each step, my body, revitalized by the full tension of its movements, accelerates rapidly.
I’d already had confidence in my agility, but with the sanctuary’s effects amplifying it and the power explosion pushing it to its limits, it’s at peak.
I dare say that very few could track my movements in there. Perhaps, the Minotaur is the same.
Tap!
With a light sound, I am right in front of the Minotaur. Its eyes widen, evidently surprised.
I pulled the trigger on the wrist crossbow aimed at it.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
A muffled sound follows in quick succession.
Thanks to the two enhancements, this wrist crossbow can fire continuously, and while there’s no next arrow until I reload, three shots will be enough.
The speed of the arrows is combined with the momentum I gained from running, meaning it isn’t just an ordinary bolt.
Thanks to that, a normal arrow penetrates the Minotaur’s thick hide.
“Buhhhh!”
I aimed for its eyes, but due to its head shaking just before, I ended up hitting two shots in the trapezius and one in the cheek.
All three strikes pierced the skin and shredded flesh, yet the Minotaur, apparently unfazed, thrusts its horn towards me, bleeding profusely.
If that massive horn hits this fragile body while charging, I’d surely become a Jonah donut.
But, this is also one of the plans I expected. Isn’t the Minotaur notorious for being tough?
“Haah!”
I unleash the aura pulsating wildly through my body. Exploding a part of it near my feet, I thrust myself upward with a great leap.
Boom!
The ground cracks under the impact. At the same time, I feel the sensation in one of my feet vanish, leaving only a dull ache.
Glancing down, I see blood gushing out. But my foot isn’t completely torn off, so this much is bearable.
Trusting the sanctuary’s recovery, I twist my body mid-air. Simultaneously, I pull a long rope from my subspace ring.
The blood from where my foot was wounds spreads out like a beautiful arc, and the Minotaur, like a bull riled up by a red flag, charge right through it in vain.
“Buh…!”
Realizing only belatedly that I have leaped over its massive body, the Minotaur turns to look back.
But it’s already too late. My rope has long since been launched.
The rope, mainly used in the first floor, is looped around. While it can’t catch the thick Minotaur’s neck due to its size, it can definitely catch that bulky horn.
Swoosh.
With a target this large, the rope easily snares its intended mark. I give it a strong yank, turning my direction in mid-air.
Now hurtling towards the Minotaur, it only turns its head, influenced by the momentum it built up, remaining in motion.
It’ll lose its balance and topple over just by trying to twist its body.
In other words, for the next few seconds, it will be exposed and defenseless.
While airborne, I curl my body and twist my waist as if pushing it to its limits, like a spring wound till it reaches a breaking point.
Then, as I arrive at the horn that’s been ensnared, I unleash the tension in my muscles and spin my body.
Bang!
With the sound of slicing air, I swing the Unicorn Dagger. But this alone won’t suffice. There’s a weight class difference after all.
So I channel more of the swirling aura from inside me into the dagger.
This isn’t some grand act like an aura sword; it’s merely an ignorant act of shoving aura into it.
While inefficiently investing 10 units of force for a 3-unit boost, it’s what I desperately need right now.
“Haaa!”
As the divine power mixes with the flow of aura, pink flames blossom around the dagger. Adding rotational force into the mix.
Boom!
The intense flames radiate from the Unicorn Dagger, illuminating the surroundings brightly. At least that’s how it seems.
My full strength is driven into the strike.
Crash!
In an instant, a circular shockwave erupts, creating a gust around us.
The clash between the Unicorn’s horn and the Minotaur’s horn pretty much has a winner predetermined.
“Heroic Philanderer… Indifferent!”
The Minotaur… no, Asterios was a once-great warrior long revered as a hero.
And the tunnels they were digging at that time served as a refuge for various tribes weary from war.
What would the sole entertainment be in a world where they could neither leave nor do anything but dig all day?
Of course, it would be womanizing.
Asterios had over seven wives, with each of their races being different, making him quite the philanderer.
In other words, he far exceeded the Unicorn’s basic outline.
With the divine power and aura swirling, a pure white light begins to manifest between them.
The Unicorn Dagger, under extreme stress, starts to draw out every last bit of power it holds.
And as pure white light fills my vision…
Crack!
With a sound of something breaking, one of the Minotaur’s horns shatters.
“Buhhhhh!”
With a groan of pain, the Minotaur forces its arm backward, trying to reach for me.
I let go of the rope, evading the fallen horn and shoulder. As I do, a large wound comes into view.
A cut I had landed on it earlier, with a handful of flesh stripped away, revealing thick muscles and shining white bone underneath.
I raise the still shining Unicorn Dagger once more.
I can feel the time limit of the power explosion closing in. This will likely be my last strike.
Clenching my teeth, I gather all the power that remains within me.
The divine power and aura blaze even brighter, the white light blinding, now with magic added to the mix.
“Burn bright with my blood. Ferocious flames.”
I’m going to collapse soon anyway. I’ll use all my remaining mana as fuel for the maximum magic I can unleash.
Quietly the divine power and aura flame intertwine, as the red magic flame combines with it.
I steady the fully heated pure white dagger.
And I plunge down with it.
Thud!
The sound of it penetrating between the neck bones. Then…
Boom!
The concentrated power within the Unicorn Dagger is unleashed, causing a massive explosion.
Magical power, aura, and divine power.
The three types of energies, taking on the form of flames, convert into physical impacts.
“Buhhhhh!”
The Minotaur, writhing from the aftershock, twists its arm as if its shoulder has dislocated.
But that’s not the end. The horn of the Unicorn acts as poison against that foe.
Having already been cut, losing a horn, and now penetrating its bones, infection is inevitable.
No matter how tough it is, it must succumb to the poison.
“…!”
Suddenly, its rigid arm can’t bring itself to crush my head and merely hangs limply.
And then…
Crunch!
The thick bone of the Minotaur finally gives way.
The torrents of power trapped within it explode upward like a giant pillar into the sky. And then.
Thud!
The Minotaur’s head falls to the ground.
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