Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Downfall of the Minotaur
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Minotaur.
The beast with a bull's head matched a real bull in both power and ferocity.
"Don't block it—dodge!"
Knight Captain Dana shouted, but some of the knights were already frozen stiff, barely managing to raise their weapons.
The knights who tried to block its attack were sent flying into the sky, each one taking massive damage.
I never imagined people soaring through the air would become such an easy sight to behold.
I borrowed the power of my ring to cast Heal on the airborne knights.
And that's when I realized Heals weren't infinite.
'My internal energy is down.'
Normally, it might have drained mana.
But since I don't have mana, the ring must have siphoned my internal energy to activate the ability.
Better than not being able to use it at all—
"Knight Captain Dana, have the knights fall back completely."
"...Right. All knights except Ethan and Seonghan—secure the retreat route now!"
Knight Captain Dana, well aware the knights weren't helping much, readily took my advice.
This way, I could conserve my Heals.
Cecil was among the knights retreating.
"...Don't get hurt."
She whispered those words in my ear as she brushed past me.
That single phrase gave me a surprising surge of strength.
Kuung!
As the knights scrambled backward en masse, the Minotaur began stomping its hooves.
The prelude to a charge.
Its gaze was fixed on the knights.
It planned to mow down the fleeing knights in one fell swoop.
"Cecil! Toss me your sword!"
"H-Huh? H-Here!"
I yelled urgently, and Cecil hurled her sword my way.
Cecil's weapon was a two-handed sword, just like Ethan's. I caught the massive blade and flung it straight at the beast.
Shiiik—!
Aided by Martial Skill, the enormous sword sliced through the air with a whistling sound as it hurtled toward the Minotaur.
The beast ducked low to dodge the flying sword.
Its stomping charge halted for a moment, and Ethan and the captain didn't miss the opening.
Sreuk!
Both their swords slashed into the Minotaur's ankle.
"Gruaaah!"
They couldn't sever it or inflict a deep wound, but it seemed they'd successfully drawn its aggro.
The Minotaur's red eyes locked onto the two of them.
Even these two, who could slice through an orc's thick neck, managed only about a 5cm gash.
It wasn't shallow by any means, but the beast could still move quickly.
"What kind of hide is this... Guh!"
Teng! Ethan was smacked by the back of the Minotaur's hand and sent bouncing away.
He must have blocked with the flat of his blade—no serious injury.
'Still, he reacted.'
Ethan was adapting to the Minotaur's speed.
I didn't need to worry much about Knight Captain Dana and Ethan; they could handle themselves just fine.
In the original story, even Captain Dana had faced life-or-death peril from just one or two of those attacks.
Proof that Captain Dana had grown beyond the original.
"Flame Spear ready?"
Lexi nodded at my question.
Seemed like preparations were complete.
She'd said it was hard to land a hit, for sure.
"Hold on—I'll make it hittable soon."
I shouted to the two of them as I charged forward.
"Both of you, get behind me!"
At my call, Dana and Ethan swiftly fell back behind me.
Then I began whirling my dao, packed full of internal energy.
Spinning the red-hot blade created a glowing red circle.
Like a bullseye.
Ideally, the red would rile it up like a bull, but even if not, it didn't matter.
The beast would have to focus on me anyway.
The sword, brimming with internal energy, hummed faintly.
It couldn't ignore this blade.
"Kraaaar!"
Its roar seemed to shake the entire dungeon.
The beast advanced quickly with its axe, eyes flashing, then hoisted the weapon high.
"Dodge!"
Knight Captain Dana cried out, but I didn't budge.
Instead, I raised my hand.
The one not gripping my sword.
'Will it work?'
No, it won't.
I've tested it plenty of times.
Whether by weight or size, it should be fine.
No doubts.
"Seonghan!"
"Knight!"
Ignoring Dana and Ethan's frantic voices, I calmly reached out toward the beast's axe and thought.
'Get in there!'
The Minotaur swung the axe with full force, the blade tip slamming into my hand in an instant.
Pain flared at my fingertips where it connected.
A single drop of blood trickled from the tip.
Then the beast's axe vanished.
Into my Inventory.
Hwoong!
It swiped at empty air, lost its balance, and toppled over.
Seizing the gap, I thrust into the hollow of its shoulder.
Flames erupted from the stabbed spot.
"Gruaaah!"
The beast writhed and screamed in agony, but it wasn't finished yet.
"Fire!"
"...Here goes!"
Hesitating at my command, Lexi finally unleashed the Flame Spear she'd been charging for so long.
Its accuracy was poor, but hitting the beast sprawled right in front of her was plenty doable.
A massive spiraling lance of flame shot toward the fallen beast's face like a streak of light.
Kwaaaang!
A colossal explosion bloomed, blackening the Minotaur's face.
I got caught in the blast too, but a quick Heal pulled me through.
Even so, as the beast tried to move, Ethan and Captain Dana leaped in and drove their swords into its arms.
The charred hide no longer had its former toughness.
Their blades sank deep, pinning both arms firmly to the ground.
The Minotaur twitched faintly, as if in a final struggle.
"Groar..."
I severed the neck of the resisting beast with my sword.
You have cleared the hidden quest.
Minotaur Subjugation
Dungeon Conquest
Internal Energy level has risen.
Quest Board level has risen.
I pushed aside the flurry of message windows for the moment, let out a hot breath, and collapsed onto the floor.
Seeing black smoke rising from my mouth made me chuckle wryly.
"Seonghan!"
Everyone rushed toward me slumped on the ground.
They all looked unscathed.
At this point, they'd handle the cleanup themselves.
Having inhaled a bit too much black smoke, drowsiness hit me hard.
Just in case, I cast one final Heal on myself before drifting off to sleep.
"Mm..."
I opened my eyes to a familiar light.
A soft orange glow enveloped my body.
It was a light that always put my mind at ease, no matter how many times I saw it.
'Good purchase.'
It was the lighting I'd bought.
Someone must have carried me to my bed.
How long had I slept?
You can't check the passage of time inside a dungeon, so maybe it hadn't been long at all.
I sat up slowly and checked my condition.
If anything, my body felt lighter than usual.
My depleted internal energy had refilled with the skill level-up, and my stamina was perfect after that deep, knockout slumber.
"...Wahaha!"
"...Cheers!..."
"Hm?"
Come to think of it, the light outside the window was a bit bright.
Muffled sounds drifted in too.
I got up, opened the window, and poked my head out.
Rowdy voices erupted around me.
At the same time, the tantalizing aroma of grilling meat made my stomach growl.
Looking toward the noise, everyone seemed to be in the midst of barbecuing meat to celebrate conquering the dungeon.
Kkiiik.
As I watched the scene, the door creaked open, and Knight Captain Dana stepped in.
She smirked seeing me on my feet.
"You're awake?"
"Yes."
"Come on down. Everyone's waiting for the hero of the hour."
I nodded and followed behind Knight Captain Dana as we headed downstairs.
The many knights waved enthusiastically at Dana and me descending the stairs.
Some even waved with chunks of meat in hand.
"You're up!"
"Good work out there!"
"Grab some meat!"
"This is awkward..."
The big welcome from so many people felt strange, and seeing the knights—who always wore black armor—now in casual clothes, tearing into meat, was even stranger.
"Here."
Cecil approached slowly and held out a plate to me.
The plate was neatly arranged with various cuts of meat.
"Thanks."
"I should be thanking you."
The vibe was somehow awkward.
And then one more person joined the awkward atmosphere.
"You're up? Here, some meat—"
Lexi came over with a bright smile, offering her plate.
But I already had a plate of meat in my hands.
Cecil and Lexi's eyes met.
"Uh...?"
"Eh?"
Strange, half-formed exclamations slipped from their mouths.
I gauged the mood and quietly slipped away.
Knight Captain Dana watched the scene with an amused laugh.
"You're popular."
"Not really."
I chuckled in response.
Noticing her empty hands, I offered her a plate, but Captain Dana shook her head.
"Beef's a bit much for me today."
"Ah..."
Hearing that soured my appetite a little too.
Of all things to grill, beef.
I knew it was pricey and delicious, but those words brought back the scene right before I passed out, dulling my taste for it.
"Ah... Sorry, I killed your appetite too."
"It's fine..."
Then it suddenly hit me.
"How about a massage right now instead?"
"Huh?"
Captain Dana's face flushed with surprise.
"N-No... that's okay. You worked way harder than me—what kind of..."
"It's fine. I want to. You saw my room, right?"
"...Yeah, I did."
Recalling my room, Dana gave a faint smile.
After some hesitation, she finally spoke.
"Then... mind giving me a little one?"
Dana said, tucking her short hair behind her ear.