Chapter 105
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: The Minotaur Awakens
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[Hidden Quest Cleared.]
[Lizardman Champion Defeated.]
[Acquired Skill: Heterorace Hunter.]
[Heterorace Hunter Lv. 1 Acquired.]
I gazed at the newly acquired skill and checked its details.
It was a pretty straightforward skill.
The description said that combat against heteroraces would slightly boost physical abilities.
This one's something I'll have to feel out in actual battle later.
"Hey, at this rate, are we really gonna clear the dungeon?"
"Damn it, don't jinx it!"
The knight who blurted that out to Knight Captain Dana got thwacked by the others around him.
Pretty hard, too.
The reason? Saying it out loud might tempt fate and screw things up.
Don't raise any flags, basically.
Everyone was probably thinking the same thing—they just weren't saying it. Their voices carried hints of laughter and anticipation.
Even Dana cracked a small smile.
But I couldn't laugh.
'It hasn't shown up yet.'
The being from the original story that injured Dana and was ultimately taken down by the awakened Ethan.
I was starting to feel certain it lurked at the deepest part of this dungeon.
Can we really beat it?
I glanced around at everyone.
Ethan was growing right before my eyes.
Watching my exploits seemed to fire him up; he charged at every mob that appeared, and now he even outshone most of the knights.
I had a rough sense of Dana's combat prowess, too.
Overwhelming among the knights, but a step below me.
Cecil was right at the knight order's average.
What I was most curious about was the types of magic Lexi could cast.
"Your strongest spell out of what you can use?"
"Yeah."
Lexi pondered my question for a moment, then spoke as if recalling it.
"Flame Spear...?"
Why's it a question?
Noticing my expression, Lexi gave an awkward smile.
"It's a bit tricky to use in real combat..."
The incantation took too long, and it had a high miss rate, so she rarely used it.
"Hm..."
Still, it had to be way stronger than that fireball she'd shown before, right?
If she could land it, we might have a shot.
"Huh? What's that...?"
As we ventured deeper into the dungeon, something came into view smack in the middle of the path.
Drawing closer, I recognized the familiar shape.
Yeah, it's a dungeon—gotta have one of these.
"I-Is that a treasure chest?!"
Someone shouted excitedly.
Sure enough, a golden treasure chest sat brazenly in the center of the path.
Even in the dim dungeon light, it gleamed with a subtle, luxurious sheen—not fake gold, that much was clear.
I could vouch for it, having seen more than my fill of gold lately.
"Is this... the real deal?"
"...No idea."
In response to the knight's question, Dana shook her head, admitting it was a first for her too.
Everyone gathered around the chest in a circle but hesitated to touch it or walk away, just staring.
"A treasure chest just sitting out in the open like this..."
"Isn't it a trap?"
"But we can't just leave it, right?"
"Who knows what'll pop out if we open it..."
Various opinions flew around, but no clear answer emerged.
I shared their suspicions about the chest so blatantly advertising itself.
That's when Ethan raised his hand.
"I-I'll open it."
"Ooh..."
Everyone let out small gasps of admiration at Ethan's bold declaration.
His performances in this dungeon had already earned him some respect from the knights.
Stepping up again in this moment? Totally worthy of awe.
Feeling a strange swell of pride, I looked at Ethan and nodded.
He nodded back.
"Let's leave it to Ethan."
At my suggestion, the other knights stepped back, leaving Ethan alone.
Dana looked a bit worried but retreated a step too.
Ethan steadied his trembling hand and placed it on the treasure chest.
Then slowly opened it.
"..."
Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on Ethan and the chest.
We half-expected a trap, but nothing happened.
Ethan looked at me.
"What... is this?"
"..."
I approached slowly and peered inside.
There was a ring.
A ring that never appeared in the original story.
Of course not—they never made it this far in the dungeon back then.
I picked up the ring and showed it to Dana and the other knights.
No one recognized it.
The mage Lexi chimed in.
"I sense a bit of mana, but it's not malicious."
"...Really?"
I slipped the ring on experimentally.
I trusted Lexi's judgment.
And then a window popped up before my eyes.
[Acquired Heal Lv. 1.]
I hadn't cleared a quest or claimed a reward.
Yet the message for acquiring the Heal skill appeared anyway.
So this ring must be the source of its power?
Way better than expected.
"...If you want that ring, take it. You outperformed everyone today. What do you all think?"
"Agreed."
"A ring's no big deal..."
"Can I have the chest then?"
Dana seemed ready to let me have it, seeing how I liked the ring.
The other knights agreed with her.
They might be so casual because they didn't know its power.
Suits me just fine.
After claiming the ring, we walked quite a ways before encountering our first door.
A massive one, four times a person's height—nothing like the entrance.
Everyone sensed it instinctively.
Something ominous lay beyond this door.
"What do we do, Captain?"
I asked as we stood before it, and Dana fell deep into thought.
Opinions split among the knights.
Gradually, all eyes turned to the captain, arms crossed, staring at the door.
In the end, she had to decide.
Push all the way, or retreat once for resupply?
Even I couldn't decide easily.
Dana uncrossed her arms as if she'd made up her mind and stepped up to the door.
"We challenge it. Even if we lose, we need to see what's beyond this door to crush it for sure next time."
"Yes, ma'am!"
No knights opposed her words.
Everyone moved to their positions, ready to face whatever came.
Before opening the door, Lexi began chanting her spell ahead of time.
Planning to blast a fireball the moment it swung open.
A few knights positioned themselves at the door.
To heave it open.
"Ready?"
Lexi nodded at Dana's cue, and the waiting knights shoved against the massive door.
"Nngh..."
"Pushhh!!!"
Its size matched its weight; the knights discarded their weapons on the ground and threw their whole bodies into it, but it inched open agonizingly slow.
Good thing they'd been doing strength training lately, or they might not have budged it.
I wondered if Ethan and I should help when gray fur appeared through the narrow gap.
"Everyone, back from the door!"
"Grroooar!"
Dana barked the order, and the knights scattered left and right.
The creature visible through the gap then burst the door wide with its enormous body.
Bam!
The sudden swing sent several knights flying into the door.
Thankfully, no major injuries, but they were out of the fight.
Incredible strength.
Not content with flinging open that thick, heavy door, it hurled the knights behind it away too.
Lexi unleashed a massive fireball at the emerging beast, as if she'd been waiting.
Bigger and faster than the ones she'd flung at the lizardmen.
Boom!
A deafening roar echoed as dust and embers billowed up.
In the heavy silence that followed the blast, everyone held their breath.
"..."
All eyes pierced the smoke.
Weapons raised in unison.
Those who'd glimpsed it through the door gap understood.
This wouldn't cut it.
"Groooargh!"
The enraged beast charged out of the flames.
Its target: Lexi.
I surged forward with internal energy, closing the gap in an instant, scooping Lexi into my arms and rolling aside.
"Kyaa!"
Lexi's sharp scream rang out as the beast's axe whistled through the air where she'd stood, by a hair's breadth.
Glancing back, I saw the massive axe embedded in the floor.
I looked up at the monster.
Minotaur.
The boss of this dungeon—and the final boss from the original story.
"Protect Lexi, everyone! Seonghan, Ethan! With me—we target its legs!"
Dana calmly took command, raising her weapon.
Lexi scrambled to her feet and began chanting.
Different from before.
Because as I rolled with her, I'd whispered in her ear.
Prepare Flame Spear this time.
Her eyes had wavered at my words, but she trusted me and started the incantation for Flame Spear.
Dana, Ethan, and I.
We three rushed its legs.
Whoosh!
All three of us dodged the swung axe, but its sheer force halted our momentum.
Just the wind from the swing felt like sand in our eyes.
'A monster.'
More than any foe we'd faced so far, this one fit the word perfectly.
A hulking 5-meter frame, and that speed.
It glared down at us, slowly raising its axe.
I channeled internal energy into my sword.
This fight wouldn't be easy.