Soon after Draco finished treating all of Clair's injuries, he instructed Dimitra to dress her up while he went to check on the unconscious Vasiliki.
Upon confirming that Vasiliki was recovering at a steady pace, Draco instructed Michalis and Nikolaos to protect the unconscious Vasiliki and Clair as they made their way to their final destination.
Draco could sense the curiosity in Eleni, Dimitra, Michalis, Nikolaos, and Vasileios about the incident with Clair, but he didn't have a clear answer to provide them.
'Sigh, what do people do at times like this?' Draco wondered, his mind constantly drifting towards his argument with Clair.
'Is it because I let things go on for too long, or did she think I was stringing her along? Well, in a way I was, I should have long since addressed the situation, but I kept procrastinating and now here I am' he thought.
By piecing together his actions, her replies and body language, Draco managed to formulate a theoretical reason for her turmoil, though it was still mere speculation.
'I wonder how she will react when I firmly reject her, will she accept it peacefully, burst out with emotion, or even worse, decide to leave?' he couldn't help but wonder.
'I was definitely scared of things changing too fast, I even used her young age as excuse, but I guess that things need to end, and here I thought everything was going well until now.' he mused, a light chuckle escaping his lips.
'Ugh, for some reason I am getting annoyed, I mean who does she think she is?. Wasn't it enough that I provided food, clothing, shelter, protection?….. what right did she have to say those words?' Draco raged internally, subconsciously clenching his fists.
The others noticed his fluctuating emotions, but kept quiet, not saying a word.
'No calm down, this is still my fault, I did treat her a bit different and so did the others too. Like almost every adult, I assumed it wasn't a big deal but I guess I was wrong.' he thought.
'Sigh, emotions are really complicated, It seems that I have fallen too deep into this pit called family, but I guess this experience is a form of growth,' Draco reasoned.
Soon, the Bahamut familia arrived at the location Draco had set up for Vasileios' trial.
As usual, Draco scanned the area for approaching adventurers and monsters, taking care of any unwanted threats besides Vasileios' opponent while the others set themselves up in front of the room.
"Alright, I have prepared everything. Are you ready, Vasileios?" Draco asked as he finished the final preparations.
"Hmm," Vasileios, who had been meditating, nodded his head before getting up and grabbing his gear.
"Good luck, Vasileios. Don't get injured like us," Michalis encouraged, his voice a bit downcast.
He felt somewhat responsible for the conflict between Draco and Clair and had spent most of the time thinking about it.
"Thanks, and cheer up. I'm sure things will go back to normal like they always do. It's not the first time any of us have argued with Draco nii," Vasileios said.
"I understand what you're saying, but this time felt different. I have a feeling that something will change in our family, and I'm a bit scared," Michalis replied.
"Ugh, since when did you become such a worrier? I'm sure things will work out somehow," Nikolaos said.
"True, besides, isn't this like your chance to snag Clair?" Eleni asked, causing Michalis' face to brighten up a bit.
"Tsk, how cowardly, gunning for a girl when she's emotionally weak," Dimitra muttered, making Michalis frown again.
"Aaaaah, ah, look what you did! Just when we managed to cheer him up a bit," Eleni said, frowning at Dimitra.
"I didn't say anything wrong. That is indeed a cowardly tactic," Dimitra replied, unfazed.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you don't seem to know much about love," Eleni shook her head.
"Huh, what nonsense are you saying? We've been together for most of our lives. When did you learn about love?" Dimitra asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"I....." Eleni wanted to reply by got interrupted.
"Ahem, Vasileios...the fight," Draco interrupted their discussion.
He had let it go on for a while, but he didn't want to waste any more time in the dungeon.
"Oh, sorry, I got caught up in the discussion" Vasileios apologized.
"Anyway, cheer up. We will work things out when we get back home" Vasileios said to Michalis before walking towards the entrance.
Closing his eyes, Vasileios took a deep breath before confidently walking into the room.
He wasn't nervous, as he had some time to prepare himself for the fight.
The opponent Draco had chosen for him was a Minotaur, a cow-headed monster with immense strength on the middle floors of the dungeon.
It possessed strength rivaling that of a level 2 adventurer, something a level 1 like Vasileios should have a tough time against.
Vasileios was a shield and short sword user, his specialty being defense.
This meant that his weaknesses were fast-moving, high-damage opponents.
Draco had initially considered choosing a liger fang, which would have met those requirements, but he thought the Minotaur would make a more interesting match.
The Minotaur had slow and simple movements, but its hits were quite heavy, and its howl could paralyze most level 1 adventurers, a skill that Draco thought would be an interesting match against Vasileios' taunting ability.
Vasileios had several defensive skills in his arsenal, so he could potentially tank the Minotaur's blows.
Taking all this into account, Draco envisioned a frontal battle would ensue between Vasileios and the Minotaur, with the deciding factor being how well Vasileios would utilize his stats and skills.
His biggest challenge being finding a way to pierce the Minotaur's tough hide with his short sword.
................
Vasileios stood at the edge of a vast chamber, his heart steady, muscles coiled like a spring ready to unleash its tension.
Clad in medium armor that glinted softly in the low light, he adjusted his grip on his shield and sheathed short sword, the weight of them familiar and reassuring.
His eyes narrowed, scanning the room for the beast he knew lurked within.
The sound of heavy, slow and deliberate footsteps reverberated through the chamber, accompanied by a menacing snort.
Emerging from the darkness was the Minotaur, a hulking creature with a bull's head, its muscles rippling beneath tough, bristly fur.
The creature's hide was thick and leathery, mottled with scars from battles it had survived or won.
It stood nearly thrice Vasileios's height, its thick rough horns, inclined at a threatening angle.
With a low growl, the Minotaur fixed its gaze on Vasileios, its nostrils flaring as it caught the scent of the would-be challenger.
Vasileios tightened his grip on his sword, the sound of metal scraping against the sheath echoing through the chamber.
The Minotaur snorted, its nostrils flaring, and it pawed the ground, its hooves leaving deep impressions in the stone floor.
The Minotaur then stepped forward, it's movement deliberately slow and daunting.
It's hooves echoed on the floor like a drumbeat of impending doom.
Vasileios smirked, his voice steady and confident.
"You're nothing but a glorified cow, aren't you? Come get me!" he taunted, bashing against his shield with the hilt of his sword.
The Minotaur responded with a snort, pawing the ground, its body tensed to attack.
It let out a roar that shook the stones of the chamber, a clear indication of its intent.
Vasileios felt his body stiffen for a moment but having known about the effect of a Minotaur's roar, he had covered his ears not willing to take any unnecessary risks.
He only had to deal with one opponent so losing his hearing wasn't a big deal, he just needed to use his other senses better.
With a grunt, the creature charged forward, its body lunging at Vasileios with lethal intent.
The ground trembled beneath its weight as it closed the distance, horns aimed at Vasileios like a spear.
Vasileios sidestepped the attack just in time, the beast's massive horns missing him.
The impact sent a tremor through the ground as the Minotaur skidded to a halt, its body briefly off balance.
Seizing the opportunity, Vasileios struck with his sword, aiming for the exposed scars on its flank.
SWOOSH!
The blade met the Minotaur's tough hide with a dull thud, barely penetrating.
Vasileios grimaced but did not relent.
He quickly followed up with a powerful thrust, his spiked shield slightly raised in defence, in the case of a sudden counter.
"Is this all you've got? I am expecting a lot more from a monster like you!" he taunted again.
The Minotaur, unfazed by the insult, retaliated with a sweeping side swipe of its arm.
Vasileios ducked, feeling the rush of air as the creature's fist missed him.
He rolled to the side, quickly regaining his footing.
The Minotaur's movements, though slow and deliberate, were powerful, and Vasileios knew he had to stay agile.
"Come on, you lumbering beast! I'm right here!" be yelled.
With that mocking remark, he activated his taunting skill 'Thymoeidís Kraugí'.
A primal bellow erupted from his lips, reverberating through the chamber.
The sound was raw and filled with rage, taunting the Minotaur, drawing its focus toward him.
The beast's eyes widened, its body momentarily frozen in confusion due to the sudden influx of confusing emotions.
THWUMP!
Vasileios used that to his advantage and followed up with a quick jab of his sword, this time aiming for the Minotaur's knee joint.
The blade barely bit into the creature's hide, causing it to stagger.
The Minotaur roared in anger, the effects of his taunt skill now in full effect.
Vasileios wanted to gauge how much damage he could tank from it at full power, so he feigned a retreat, luring the Minotaur to charge again.
As the beast rushed forward, horns lowered, Vasileios braced himself, his shield raised, and as the Minotaur drew near, he activated his skill 'Durability Augmentation'.
CLANG!
The shield and his body absorbed the brunt of the impact, the force rattling him but not enough to break his stance.
"Nice try! You'll have to do better than that!" he grinned.
'Not too bad, I can endure this but the spikes on my shield feel totally useless here' he noted, keeping in mind what he could and couldn't do.
The Minotaur, infuriated, twisted its massive body and attempted to transition its attack into a shoulder bash.
Vasileios immediately noticed this and sidestepped the attack, narrowly avoiding the deadly maneuver.
He countered with a strike to the Minotaur's side, but the creature's thick hide and muscles rendered it ineffective.
Just them the effect of his taunt skill ended and the two fighters circled each other, each trying to gauge the other's strengths and weaknesses.
Vasileios glanced at his surroundings, calculating his next move, he had to be careful to not back himself into any tight corners.
The Minotaur was strong, but its slow and simple movements offered openings if he played his cards right.
With a sudden burst of aggression, Vasileios lunged forward, aiming directly for the creature's face.
The Minotaur, anticipating the attack, ducked and swung its powerful arm toward him.
Vasileios dropped low, rolling beneath the Minotaur's swing.
He sprang up, delivering a sharp upward thrust with his sword, but the beast twisted away just in time.
SCKT!
The blade grazed the Minotaur's shoulder, drawing a line of red across its tough skin.
The Minotaur let out a furious bellow, retaliating with a grab, attempting to seize Vasileios.
With agile movement, Vasileios raised his shield, swatting away the Minotaur's hand, but his awkward posture and the strength behind the attack sent him stumbling back.
He quickly regained his balance, his heart racing, as jolts of adrenaline surged through him.
The Minotaur didn't waste any time and charged once more, but Vasileios having recovered his stance was ready.
He ducked low, rolling to the side as the beast barreled past him.
THUD!
The Minotaur crashed into the wall, the impact shaking the room.
Dust and debris fell around them, and Vasileios seized the opportunity to strike again.
He rushed forward, aiming for the creature's exposed back.
With a powerful thrust, he drove his sword deep into the Minotaur's exposed back, the blade finding purchase along a scar near its spine.
GRAAH!
The Minotaur roared in pain, twisting around to face him.
Vasileios quickly withdrew his weapon, ready to evade the inevitable counterattack.
The Minotaur, now further enraged, swung wildly, forcing Vasileios to dance around the blows.
He ducked under a wild swipe, then blocked a second with his shield, the force rattling his bones.
'Not bad' Vasileios thought.
With every beat of his heart, he felt the thrill of the fight surge through him.
The creature lowered its horns for another attack, Vasileios sidestepped and thrust his sword forward, aiming for the Minotaur's throat.
SLASH!
The blade met flesh, and the Minotaur stumbled back, a pained expression crossing its features.
In a moment of desperation, it lunged for Vasileios, attempting to grab him again.
Wielding his spiked shield, Vasileios turned, using the shield's spikes to catch the Minotaur's grasping hand, pushing it away with a swift maneuver.
Then, he spun around, delivering a brutal kick to the beast's knee that he injured earlier, causing it to buckle.
THUD!
The Minotaur fell to one knee, snarling in frustration.
Vasileios, sensing victory being close and his stamina lowering, decided to tank the next few hits to activate the effects of his third skill called 'Sacrifice'.
Sacrifice was a skill that absorbed a certain amount of damage for members of his familia, weirdly the skill counted him as a member too, a fact he found out by chance.
The skill restored 10% stamina and healed by 2% for every 10% percent damage absorbed.
He had the luxury of using it as he hadn't taken any damage so far in the battle.
With renewed vigor, he surged forward, launching himself at the Minotaur.
He struck with a flurry of blows, each hit fueled by the energy he had regained.
The Minotaur, now weakened and desperate, tried to rise, but Vasileios was relentless.
THWACK!
His sword struck at the creature's neck again, piercing the tough hide, while his shield slammed into its face, stunning it.
The Minotaur staggered, its body swaying as it struggled to remain upright.
Vasileios seized the moment.
With one final, powerful thrust, he drove his sword deep into the Minotaur's chest, feeling the life force drain from the creature beneath him.
The Minotaur let out a final, agonizing roar before crashing to the ground, defeated.
Silence fell over the dungeon room.
Vasileios stood over the fallen beast, panting but unscathed.
The adrenaline coursed through him, invigorating every fiber of his being.
"Guess you weren't so tough after all," he breathed, wiping the sweat from his brow.
With a victorious grin, he stepped back, allowing himself a moment to revel in the triumph of his hard-fought battle.
A/N: Let me know what you all think of the battle scenes, are they good, bad or meh....thanks for the support.