Chapter 69: Master of the Labyrinth (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 69: Master of the Labyrinth (3)
Broken bones mended, and burnt flesh regenerated.
The blow Noel had struck at a great cost, the magic I had unleashed while enduring the agony of my burning magic circuits…
It had all been for nothing.
“…Reverse Summon.”
First, I reverse-summoned the unconscious Noel. I didn't know where she'd go, but she would have returned to wherever she was before she met me.
[Noel Ronnidella has been reverse-summoned.]
[Summon Cooldown: 167:59:58]
Now, all that remained here was the bull-headed beast, looking as vigorous as if we’d never fought, and me, battered from head to toe.
Honestly, with such an absurd regenerative ability, I thought there would at least be the risk of consuming stamina.
But as if to mock my assumption, the Minotaur was now radiating an even more intense killing intent and fighting spirit than when I first encountered it.
It was like a bull, worked into a frenzy, ready to charge a bullfighter at any moment.
I, on the other hand, didn't even have the strength to move one arm properly.
My magic was depleted, and my magic circuits were in tatters. My brain felt like it was about to shut down as my vision repeatedly darkened.
Logically, there was nothing more I could do in this state. With Noel gone, I didn't even have a tank to stand on the front line. What could I possibly do?
I knew better than anyone that it was time to retreat, yet the words wouldn't leave my lips.
All I had to do was close my eyes and say ‘End Match.’ Why was I being so stubborn?
“Hoo…”
Of course, I knew the reason.
It was a reason that any mage or swordsman would nod their head to.
The conviction that I was on the verge of reaching the next realm.
The feeling that the doorknob that had teased me, always just out of reach, was now finally in my grasp—that was the one and only reason I was willing to risk my life.
Retreating now wouldn't just be taking a single step back.
I took out two health potions, two magic potions, one vitality potion, and two bottles of holy water, and downed them all in one go.
I was well aware that this could lead to potion addiction, but that was a hundred times better than dying here.
“What, never seen anyone dope before?”
The Minotaur, whose exterior was pristine but whose insides were likely still recovering, was just standing there glaring at me. For some reason, it looked almost cute.
If that thing had charged me like a mad bull, I would have been sliced in half by that massive axe without a moment to prepare.
Was it being careless, thinking its prey was already caught? Or was it wary of the enemy who had driven it to the brink of death?
I opened the shop.
[Elixir of Twilight]
[Grade: Rare]
[Restores the body to its peak condition for 10 seconds.]
[※Warning! Immediately after the elixir's effect ends, the user will lose consciousness.]
[※Warning! Immediately after the elixir's effect ends, a rebound will occur. This may result in physical dismemberment.]
[Price: 700 Coins]
[Elixir of Magic]
[Grade: Rare]
[Temporarily amplifies magic power.]
[Temporarily activates magic circuits.]
[※Warning! Immediately after the elixir's effect ends, the user will be unable to use magic for one week.]
[※Warning! Immediately after the elixir's effect ends, the user's magic circuits will be paralyzed for one week.]
[Price: 700 Coins]
Elixirs were a type of doping agent that allowed one to achieve effects equivalent to a legendary potion using cheap ingredients.
In exchange for their potent effects, their duration was short, and the side effects were almost always severe. As a result, their use was legally banned in quite a few countries.
[Would you like to purchase the Elixir of Twilight?]
[Y/N]
[Y]
[You have purchased the Elixir of Twilight.]
[Remaining Coins: 1,450]
[Would you like to purchase the Elixir of Magic?]
[Y/N]
[Y]
[You have purchased the Elixir of Magic.]
[Remaining Coins: 750]
Of course, in my current situation, laws and regulations were utterly meaningless.
—!!!!
Its recovery finally complete, the Minotaur began to move, radiating the same intense aura and Fear as when we first met.
Thud! Thud!
The ground caved in with every step of its massive hooves.
“Fucking terrifying.”
Watching the gruesome sight of a golem-sized bull-head charging to tear me to shreds, I uncapped the elixirs.
Just the smell made my stomach churn.
I’d never even drunk this much water at once. Two bottles of holy water and various potions weren't enough, and now elixirs on top of that.
“Just my luck.”
The Minotaur’s speed increased as it built momentum, becoming difficult to follow with my eyes.
Just as its terrifying roar echoed and the giant axe swung down toward my head…
Gulp—
The mixed elixirs slid down my throat.
KRA-KOOM!!!
·
·
·
The Minotaur. From the moment of its birth, it had stood at the apex of the 3rd Layer's food chain.
Due to the unique nature of the underground dungeon, hunting for it was not an act of predation to fill its stomach, but a mere pastime to alleviate boredom.
Giant golems, moving statues, swarms of spiders…
They were all nothing but vermin that fell helplessly before its swinging axe.
There was no creature here that could defeat it.
It had never doubted that this would always be the case.
‘…It should have been.’
Its conviction was shattered by a pair of small prey it had never seen before.
They were tiny prey, barely reaching its knees. Judging by their scent, one was male, the other female.
At first, their small size had dampened its excitement, but it figured they would be decent enough to play with for a while.
‘Th-this is impossible…!!’
Even as the female charged and pummeled it, even as it felt the searing pain of the male’s magic burning its entire body…
It simply could not comprehend the situation.
How could it be bested by such small, pathetic prey?
Facing the threat of death for the first time in its life, the Minotaur felt a fierce rage.
As it rapidly healed its wounds, watching the female disappear and the male left in tatters, that rage did not subside.
Once all its wounds had healed, it charged toward the battered male, convinced of its victory.
It felt that only by splitting this prey in two could it wash away even a fraction of the humiliation it had suffered.
KRA-KOOM!!!
A massive explosion erupted the moment the giant axe fell upon Kang Hyun-woo’s head.
At the sight, a smile filled with ecstasy spread across the Minotaur’s face.
It was a little disappointing to have obliterated it without leaving a single piece of flesh, but what did it matter!
In the end, it had proven itself once again.
It was the king of this place, the one who stood at the pinnacle of all living things.
The swirling dust settled, revealing a massive crater where the axe had fallen, but the corpse of its intended prey was nowhere to be seen.
Of course, it had been a full-power strike, so it was plausible that not a single shred of flesh remained.
But it was strange that there wasn't even a single drop of blood.
Only shattered debris remained.
Just as an ominous thought crossed its mind…
“What are you grinning about?”
Hearing the prey’s voice from behind, the Minotaur’s head whipped around.
The prey standing there showed no signs of injury.
In fact, it looked unnervingly fine, with strange sparks even crackling around its body.
[Extreme Speed]
Extreme Speed, a support magic of the lightning element, allowed the caster to move at the speed of lightning for 10 seconds.
Of course, it didn't actually let me run at the speed of light.
My body would be torn to pieces if it did.
Moreover, it was difficult to control; the slightest mistake felt like it would send me flying forward into a wall.
But I paid it no mind. Layering every support magic I could use, I charged straight for the Minotaur.
I didn't think about the consequences.
[Elixir of Twilight]
[00:09]
The Minotaur swung its axe at the approaching prey, which had become a flash of light, but the attack never connected.
Instead, a deep gash was carved across its side by the sword Kang Hyun-woo wielded.
Blood gushed out like a fountain, but the Minotaur did not back down.
[00:08]
The axe blade, thick with killing intent, swept past my eyes.
A chill ran down my spine, but I didn't stop.
I kicked off the dungeon wall and sliced through the Minotaur’s hide.
[00:07]
As the wounds and blood loss steadily accumulated, the Minotaur’s movements changed.
[Berserk]
Its entire body turned red, and hot steam rose from its hide.
[00:06]
The Minotaur, which hadn't even been able to react to my attacks, was now starting to catch up.
CLANG!!
The massive axe blade collided with my sword.
The impact was so tremendous that Gilenium would have shattered long ago. I pushed the output of my ‘Strength Enhancement’ magic one step higher.
It felt like my magic circuits were burning away, but this was the only way.
[00:05]
As our exchange continued, a tremendous wind pressure raged around us.
My limbs, along with my magic circuits, trembled so violently they felt like they would fall off. I had to bite down until I thought my molars would break.
I felt like I couldn't endure it otherwise.
[00:04]
The Minotaur’s aura shifted, and it unleashed its Fear once more. The immense shock ruptured one of my eardrums.
On top of that, for a period as brief as a fleeting moment, my body froze solid.
The flow of battle was broken, and the Minotaur did not miss the opening.
CRACK!
Hit squarely by the axe that tore through the air, I was sent flying at incredible speed and slammed into the wall.
[00:03]
I had hastily thrown up a barrier, but it couldn't completely block the attack.
“Ugh!”
Amidst the shock that felt like my insides were being turned upside down, I barely managed to pull myself up, but my limbs, except for my left arm, wouldn't listen to me.
I had no choice but to channel magic into the tip of my left index finger and jab my mana circle.
In exchange for a pain like my heart was being ripped out, I forcibly circulated my magic to aid my body’s recovery.
Only 1.6 seconds remained.
Furthermore, the effect of Extreme Speed had vanished from that last blow.
No matter how I looked at it, there was nothing more I could do.
Anyone would have thought so.
And yet, I moved.
Because I hadn't been thoughtlessly trading blows with the Minotaur head-on this whole time.
“Kugh…?!”
As a massive amount of lightning and magic once again surged through my magic circuits, my entire body felt like it was being incinerated.
The deployment, construction, and activation of the magic.
Until now, I had been allocating a certain amount of my brain's resources to calculating a single spell.
This was different from ‘Ball Lightning,’ which wiped out enemies over a wide area.
A bolt of lightning descended from a thundercloud and took the form of a single spear.
[Lightning Spear]
Sensing the ominous magic and lightning energy, the Minotaur tried to dodge, but the flash of the single bolt was faster.
──The tip of the Lightning Spear, too fast for the eye to follow, finally managed to strike its target.
However.
“KRAAAAAAH!!!!!”
The Minotaur, having judged it couldn't evade the Lightning Spear, sacrificed its own left arm to block the attack.
Of course, it suffered a grievous wound, its arm blown off at the shoulder, but with the regenerative ability I'd seen earlier, it was clear it wouldn't take long to heal.
It was over.
There was nothing more I could do.
My magic was gone, and my magic circuits were a mess.
Even lifting a single finger was a struggle, and soon I would lose consciousness as payment for the elixirs, with the rebound to follow.
In the end, I had failed to reach the 3rd Circle and failed to defeat the Minotaur.
Without achieving a single thing, my eyelids grew heavy.
All that was left was to make a pathetic escape.
“…End Mat—”
“By the way, World Tree.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Well, I’m a hero, in name at least. Isn’t there something like a god’s blessing, or a holy sword?”
The World Tree answered with her usual expressionless face.
“That is impossible.”
I wasn't expecting much, but I was still disappointed.
“Instead.”
The World Tree embraced my dejected self.
As her soft chest pressed against me, I felt a little better.
“I shall soon grant you something else.”
Unlike a blessing bestowed directly by a god, the effect of a blessing given by a priest of arch-bishop rank or higher varies depending on the depth of their faith and the sincerity of their feelings toward the target.
Even if the target is far away, if one believes from the bottom of their heart, nothing is impossible.
Ting—
[World Tree's Blessing]
[Grade: ???]
[Buff]
[Duration: ???]
[The Saintess's prayer has reached the heavens and now resides in you.]
[Your body is restored.]
[Your magic is restored.]
[Curses are lifted.]
[Divinity is bestowed upon you.]
Since ancient times, the Queen of Peledeia has also served as the Saintess chosen by the World Tree.
When such a Saintess prayed for days without sleep, without a moment's rest, for one single person, the World Tree, who had lost most of her power to interfere with the mortal world, gained a small measure of leeway.
My body, which had been breaking down from the elixir's rebound, was restored to its original state, and life flowed back into my half-burnt magic circuits.
A change occurred in my body, which had recovered to a condition even better than normal, as if I had never fought at all.
The sensation of the magic circuits spread throughout my body and the circle in my heart becoming one.
With the sound of the doorknob in my hand finally turning, I dove into the embrace of the Minotaur as it raised its axe to finish me off.
The magic dwelling within my entire body surged, and I swung my sword without a single support spell.
The Minotaur's tough hide, which normally I couldn't even scratch, was sliced apart like tofu.
The tip of my sword, shimmering with a faint aura, cut across the beast's stomach and reached the other side.
Schlick—
*
The Minotaur stared at the ceiling.
The oppressive ceiling, which had always felt too narrow and low, seemed unusually distant today.
Perhaps its goal had never been to reign as the king of this place, but to escape this prison.
Born in a prison, to die in a prison.
It was the most terrifying end it could imagine, but to die at the hands of a predator stronger than itself… that was not such a bad death.
“Ma…le…”
It looked up at the predator looking down on it.
“…You could talk?”
It was still so small.
To think I would die to something like this.
“A… hunter… does not speak… to his prey…”
But its eyes were something to behold.
I liked those eyes, which had not given up even when its body was in tatters and covered in blood.
Only then, as if satisfied, could the Minotaur close its eyes.
Ting—
[You have defeated the Minotaur.]
[First Kill Reward: 1,000 Coins]
[??? has been detected.]
[Abnormal enhancement of the magical beast has been confirmed.]
[Additional rewards will be provided.]
*
“…So that's the World Tree's hero.”