A Long-Forgotten Sense of Danger
When was the last time I'd felt a real sense of crisis?
Kuoooong—! The sound of the stone door slamming shut. The massive stone gate—our only escape route—locked seamlessly, cutting us off completely from the outside world. And with that, the faint metallic tang of blood grew thick and overpowering.
Chalpak. Blood soaked into the soles of my shoes. Following my gaze led to a field of grotesquely twisted and crushed corpses.
"……"
I wasn't scared or terrified. I'd always been pretty detached from stuff like this. But the sheer number of bodies strewn around like grotesque decorations. The occasional glint of adventurer guild badges amid the carnage. They all screamed that this situation was anything but ordinary, so we tensed up, bodies rigid.
I eyed the neck of a corpse with a snapped spine. Even in the dim light, a small silver badge gleamed faintly, asserting its presence. Silver rank. Veterans who should have breezed through the 2nd floor and been active on the 3rd. And yet, entire parties of them had been massacred.
Srrrring. Then, from beyond the sea of blood where my flame magic's light didn't reach—the deepest shadows of the temple—a sound emerged.
The heavy drag of a metal mass slicing through the blood. Thud, kuoooong. Sand and dust trickled from the ceiling. Each footstep sent faint vibrations through the entire structure.
Snap. I flicked my fingers lightly, hurling the flame I'd been keeping afloat over my shoulder forward.
The instant the spark arced through the darkness, banishing it—
"Mi-Minotaur…!"
In the revealed light stood a colossal bulk nearly scraping the ceiling. Human body, monstrous bull's head. Red eyes gleamed through the crusted blood smeared across its form. In its thick grip, a massive iron mace. It was obvious who'd turned those bodies into meat paste.
"On the 2nd floor… why is something like that here…?!"
"Is that a monster that shouldn't be on the 2nd floor?"
"Ah…"
"Olsen, answer me."
"Th-that…"
Olsen collapsed to his knees, legs giving out. Pale-faced, Kal muttered in a trembling voice.
"Th-that's at minimum a monster from the tail end of the 3rd floor…! And a gatekeeper-level one that dominates its zone—what the hell is it doing here…?!"
-Purrrrrng! Hot breath snorted from the beast's broad nostrils. The predator's killing intent filled the sealed rat-trap like it'd found a new toy.
Okay. Situation assessed.
"We really stepped in it this time."
What, you thought the party ahead cleared all the traps, so nothing's left? What if the trap was so damn strong it wiped them out?
-Kuaaaaaah!!
No time for self-mockery. The Minotaur bellowed as if to collapse the ceiling, hoisting its bloodied mace high.
With each thud! of its foot, dark red blood splashed everywhere.
"Dusty! Chains!"
Chrrrrrk—! The shadows swelled. Dozens of thick black chains shot out.
Kaaaaang—! The chains wrapped around the Minotaur's arms and mace like serpents in an instant.
Its massive charging bulk halted, caught by the chains' tension as it roared.
"Tighten."
Kikikikik—! Dusty's chains constricted with bone-crushing force—the same grip that had shredded sand scorpion shells.
But.
-Kraaaaaah!!
A roar exploded from the Minotaur's maw. Veins bulging, its forearm muscles swelled grotesquely.
Woodruk! Crackle! Instead, sounds of the chains straining to snap leaked out.
"Evel!"
"Got it!"
No time for chit-chat. Just names called, short replies exchanged. But that was enough to sync our thoughts.
Soooooo—. Frigid air poured from Evel's fingertips.
Frost Ice. The blood sea turned to solid ice in seconds. The temple's blood stench was suppressed by the frozen chill.
Crackle—! The cold didn't stop. Its blood-slicked legs froze to the ice sheet, spreading rapidly.
-Krah…! The Minotaur exhaled steamy breath as it tried to rip free.
Wooduk, crack! The biting cold paralyzed its muscles and bones whole.
In that split-second posture collapse—
"Tighten."
Kikikikik—! As its legs locked, Dusty's chains constricted anew.
However.
This time, its legs began to swell.
-Kuaaaaaah!!!
The Minotaur's bloodshot eyes bulged as it unleashed a guttural screech. Crunch, cruuunch! Its leg muscles ballooned grotesquely, veins ready to burst. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ice binding its legs.
Kwa-chang—!! Sharp ice shards flew everywhere.
It glared at us, snorting roughly.
"What the…"
Sheer, brutish power. It shattered the ice, and now Dusty's chains were being dragged along instead. It was so absurd I almost laughed.
I got why the guild master had replied "So?" when I said, "This is our Heart Image magic." Growing up seeing crap like this would make anyone scoff at mages. Without a tank to hold it upfront, this combo looked dicey.
I turned to the mercenaries cowering behind me.
"Kal, sorry, but really."
"Y-yes?"
"Mind forming the front line? Let me focus on firepower."
"Wha—yes?! Y-you want us to tank that monster?!"
Sis! Even for you, that's suicide!"
Kal jumped back in horror, while Olsen and Yan were already teary-eyed messes.
"I'll back you up solid, so just do it!"
I yelled urgently, extending my right hand toward them.
Woooong—! Purification magic formula. Soft light rained down, forcibly washing away the fear gnawing their minds.
"Wh-what?"
Before they could recover, I slammed in the next formula. Life magic. Pale green mana flowed through their bodies, enhancing them. Finally, barrier magic. Geometric mana armor layered thickly around them—far sturdier than against the wild dog pack.
"Just 10 seconds."
I stared them down with steady eyes. Then cast the ultimate spell.
"Survive, and your hazard pay triples."
"……!!"
Light sparked in Kal's eyes.
"Olsen! Yan! Shields up!! Just 10 seconds and we're golden!!"
"Wooooah!!!"
The mercenaries roared, charging the Minotaur. Frontline: Yan and Olsen with shields raised. Kal gripped his axe, sprinting across the ice.
-Kuaaaaaah!!
The Minotaur raised its mace at the puny bugs rushing it. But its movements weren't fast or fluid. Dusty's chains still clung to its arms, and Evel's ice sheet destabilized its weight.
Plus my triple buffs.
Kwaaaaaang—!!
"Grahhh!"
The temple shook on impact. Buffs or not, size difference was real. Their stacked steel shields crumpled, bodies sliding back like sleds.
Crackle! Hairline cracks appeared on my barriers—but they held.
"We—we held! We held!!"
"Evel! Freeze it again!"
"Got it!"
Crackle—! Fresh ice swallowed its legs where it'd just shattered before.
It tried swelling its muscles again, but things were different now.
"Where you think you're going, you bull-headed bastard!!"
Kal swung his axe; Yan and Olsen slammed into its knees, shoving with all their weight. Dusty's chains bore down from above. Evel's ice bound below. Mercenaries tanked head-on.
My flame spears rained down.
Kwagwagwang! Explosions battered its face mercilessly. Acrid smoke and searing flesh filled the temple.
-Kroaaaaah!!
But its roar from the smoke didn't break. Charred and flayed, it endured with monstrous vitality. Enraged, eyes rolled back, it strained against the chains.
"Not yet! Hold longer!"
"Yesss!"
Pashit—! Post-flame burst. Evel's condensed magic arced from both hands, pouring onto its scorched face like rain.
Pupupupuk—!!
-Krahhh?!
Blazing-hot flesh met biting frost. The rampaging beast staggered visibly for the first time.
"S-sis! Pretty sure 10 seconds are up!"
"Sorry. It was a bluff. Figured you'd bail without a hard limit."
"Whaaat!?"
"Not yet! Keep holding! You can do it!"
"The ice makes it slippery as hell!"
"Hold anyway! I'll give you all the loot from those corpses!"
"Ooooh!!"
Dead men's gear dangled like bait; venom returned to their eyes. They dug heels in, crushing its knees desperately.
-Krooooooh!!
The Minotaur thrashed, blood tears streaming. Twisting its torso wrenched Dusty's chains, cracks forming.
"Damn, its durability is no joke."
Woooong—! My left arm vibrated faintly. Dusty's signal: getting hungry, power waning.
At this rate, chains snap before its arms.
Time for drastic measures.
"Kal! Toss all your mana stones here!"
"Huh!? Aye!"
No questions, he hurled the leather pouch. It spun toward me; I thrust my left hand without hesitation.
"Dusty, eat!"
Soooo—! Shadow from my arm gaped like a maw, swallowing the pouch whole.
Grunch! Dozens of mana stones pulverized crisply. The near-broken chains restored instantly.
Kikikikikikik—!! Fissures sealed; they constricted harder, grinding into arms and shoulders.
-Kr, kroaaaa…?!
Unable to resist the taut pull, its massive frame bent backward.
"Yes, it's going down!"
"Push!!"
Mercs' furious shove plus chain tension. Overwhelmed from above and below, it toppled.
Kuung—!Kwaaaang! Frozen floor shattered; the ground quaked like an earthquake.
Flat on its back, chest exposed vulnerably upward.
"Scatter!"
Kal and the mercs rolled away in panic at my shout. Had to end it before it recovered.
"Evel!"
"Got it!"
Crackle—! Evel squeezed every last drop of mana. Dozens of ice spears erupted from beneath, piercing its torso.
-Kroaaaaah!!
The fallen beast's death cry echoed. Beneath it, I poured my remaining mana.
And.
Woooong—!Flash! A massive flame spear formed at my fingertips, blazing like a mini-sun.
Ultra-hot flame meets ultra-cold ice. Thermal shock from clashing extremes.
"If you tank this, I'll respect you."
With a gesture, the spear flew.
Kwaaaaaang—!!!
A massive fire pillar struck its heart dead-on.
"……"
The temple-shaking roars ceased. The flash faded, light dimmed. Smoke cleared slowly to reveal—
-Krooo…
Incredibly, it still lived. Glowing red eyes glared at me.
"…No way, you actually tanked it."
Looking down at its twitching form, I quietly commanded the chains binding its limbs.
"Rip."
Kikikikik—!Splurch! Amid crumbling ash like sand.
A head-sized mana stone thunk, dropped free.