Su Bai returned to Eldoria Village after his tough battle in the forest. Upon reaching the entrance, he was greeted by the village chief, whose face reflected concern.
"Warrior, did you manage to complete the mission?" she asked urgently.
Su Bai shook his head. "Not yet, I had some unexpected encounters in the forest. But I'm on my way to completing it."
The village chief nodded, relieved but still tense. "Be careful, I've heard that the situation in the forest is worsening. Make sure you're well-prepared before going back."
Noticing his accumulated fatigue and the damage he had taken, Su Bai decided that it would be best to restock and repair his equipment before continuing his search for the rare Coral Snake.
First, Su Bai headed to Eldoria's smithy. There, the blacksmith, a robust man with a gray beard, greeted him with a smile.
"Well, it looks like your armor has seen better days, warrior," the blacksmith said, pointing to the dents and tears in the upper part of Su Bai's armor.
Su Bai nodded. "Yes, I had a fight with some wolves and a corrupted guardian in the forest. I need it repaired as soon as possible."
The blacksmith inspected the damage and nodded. "I can have it ready in one or two hours. The repair cost will be 8 silver coins. Is that okay?"
Without hesitation, Su Bai left the armor at the workshop and handed over the coins, calculating how much he would have left afterward.
Total coins before the repair: 12 silver coins
Repair cost: 8 silver coins
Remaining coins: 4 silver coins
While the blacksmith worked on the repair, Su Bai headed to the potion shop. He knew he couldn't venture back into the forest without properly restocking.
Su Bai bought what he needed:
Uncommon healing potions x3
Uncommon energy potions x3
The total cost of the potions was 3 silver coins, leaving Su Bai with only 1 silver coin left.
Remaining coins after purchasing potions: 1 silver coin.
Once his armor was repaired, Su Bai retrieved it and, fully equipped, decided to return to the forest to continue his search for the Coral Snake. However, after several failed attempts to find the rare snake, he decided to venture beyond the territory of the Goblins and Dark Cat Demons. The shadows of the tall trees darkened the path, and the air grew hotter and drier.
Soon, he arrived at a clearing covered with strange flowers whose stamens were ablaze, and the ground felt cracked beneath his feet. Suddenly, a powerful bellow echoed through the air.
"What is that?" Su Bai murmured as he ventured deeper into the forest.
He didn't have to wait long to find out. Across the clearing, an imposing monster emerged from between the trees: a massive creature standing over six meters tall. Its eyes glowed red as it swung its enormous axe as if it were a toy.
Su Bai quickly analyzed the creature's stats.
[Corrupted Minotaur (Corrupted Guardian of the Forest)]
Level: 8HP: 20,000Physical Attack: 576Special Abilities:Savage Axe:Damage: 420% of base attackCooldown: 30 secondsEarth Quake:Effect: Shakes the ground with its axe, causing all enemies within a 3-meter radius to take 1000 damage and become stunned for 2 seconds.Details: This ancient guardian, corrupted by Darkness, has lost its consciousness and now acts purely on hunting instinct. Although its attack is devastating, its movements are slow due to the corruption.
Su Bai swallowed hard. This wasn't a fight he could take lightly. The minotaur's brute strength was intimidating, and one mistake could result in that axe tearing him apart.
The minotaur let out a fierce roar, and its axe cut through the air as it charged at Su Bai. The young warrior barely had time to dodge the first strike, swiftly moving between the trees to avoid the devastating range of the axe.
He knew he couldn't face it head-on. His initial strategy would be to wear the beast down. He moved quickly, taking advantage of his superior speed. Su Bai ran in circles around the minotaur, striking its legs to destabilize it.
—621 HP (Minotaur)
The attack was precise, but it barely scratched the minotaur. The monster hardly felt the impact and turned its head toward Su Bai, lifting its axe once more. This time, the minotaur swung with surprising speed for its size.
Savage Axe activated
Su Bai barely managed to dodge, but the impact of the axe shook the ground, making him stumble. The shockwave hit him indirectly, throwing him several meters back.
—500 HP (Su Bai)
Pain spread through his body, and his legs trembled. Still staggering, Su Bai regained his footing, panting from the effort. He knew that the minotaur's physical strength far surpassed his own. The key would be to use the environment to his advantage.
Su Bai knew he couldn't defeat the Minotaur by facing it head-on. The beast's attacks were too powerful, and one well-placed strike could be fatal. He opted to keep moving constantly, looking for small openings in the creature's defense.
He moved toward a part of the forest where there were several large rocks and trees. Su Bai planned to use these natural obstacles to limit the minotaur's mobility. The creature was powerful but slow and clumsy. While hiding behind a tree, Su Bai watched as the minotaur raised its axe.
The axe came crashing down, splitting the tree in half. The beast roared in frustration, and Su Bai took the opportunity to dash from his hiding spot, quickly striking the minotaur's side with the Celestial Cloudblade.
—499 HP (Minotaur)
Despite the damage, the minotaur remained steadfast. Su Bai noticed that its skin and ceremonial armor absorbed much of the impact. He knew that if he wanted to deal real damage, he needed to find a weak spot.
He decided to play with the minotaur's limited intelligence. After dodging another devastating attack, Su Bai feigned a frontal strike. Predictably, the minotaur raised its axe to block. But at the last second, Su Bai shifted direction and struck at its exposed side, where the armor was more worn.
—1350 HP (Minotaur) · Weakness Crit
The impact was greater this time, and the minotaur let out a roar of pain. Su Bai had found a weak spot, but before he could capitalize on it, the creature reacted faster than expected. With surprising speed, the minotaur raised its axe and struck him squarely.
—900 HP (Su Bai)
Su Bai was slammed to the ground by the brutal blow, the air knocked from his lungs as he rolled across the terrain. His HP bar was dangerously low, and he knew he couldn't withstand another hit like that.
Su Bai: 100 HP / 1500 HP
Desperate, he pulled out an uncommon healing potion and drank it quickly. The warm liquid flowed through his body, partially closing his wounds and restoring some of his energy.
+500 HP (Su Bai)
He stood up with difficulty, keeping a safe distance from the minotaur. He knew that physical exhaustion was taking its toll on him. Su Bai wasn't in great shape either, and his breathing was becoming heavier.
"This isn't working…" he thought as he dodged another attack from the beast. His speed was his only advantage, but it was also draining him. He needed a definitive plan to get out of this fight alive.
The axe slammed into the ground, kicking up dust and debris. While the minotaur struggled to lift its heavy weapon, Su Bai saw an opening. He activated Endless Icy Cloud and launched a direct attack at the creature's neck.
—1700 HP (Minotaur) · Freezing Crit
The impact was devastating. The icy effect slowed the minotaur's movements, temporarily freezing its muscles. The creature staggered, unable to move its axe with the same speed.
Breathing heavily, Su Bai assessed the situation. The minotaur still had 15,830 HP left, and his own energy was nearing its limit. He knew he couldn't keep up the pace of the fight much longer. Although he had managed to slow the creature down, his own stamina was quickly depleting.
"This isn't enough…" he murmured, his mind evaluating all options. The monster was still too powerful, and continuing the fight would be suicide.
He knew the only option was to retreat. With one last glance at the minotaur, which was still struggling to free itself from the effects of Endless Icy Cloud, Su Bai took a step back, sneaking away.
"I'll be back for you when I'm stronger," he promised himself.
The minotaur roared furiously, but its body remained paralyzed by the cold. Su Bai used the moment to disappear into the trees, fleeing to a safer part of the forest.
The battle was over… for now.