XXIV
I laid out what I knew about the creature we were about to face. "The Minotaur is a cryptid found only in the Forbidden Region. Picture a giant with the head of a bull and the body of a man, capable of spatial manipulation and brute strength beyond most hunters' limits. What we're dealing with here is a construct—an imitation made for this test. It'll be weaker than the real thing, but still nothing to underestimate."
Wolf nodded as I spoke, listening intently. Then he hesitated, his voice soft but steady. "Actually… I'm a Seeker and a Tracker sub-type," he admitted, almost shyly. "I can track non-human creatures, so it should work for finding this Minotaur construct." He rubbed the back of his neck, a hint of sheepishness in his demeanor, though his eyes gleamed with quiet confidence. "If you're okay with it, I can lead the way."
I exchanged a glance with Selena and Sarah. Selena shrugged, indifferent as usual, while Sarah gave a small nod, her expression satisfied.
"Alright," I agreed, stepping back to let Wolf take the lead.
He focused, and his aura shifted subtly. Thin tendrils of energy radiated outward like invisible threads, probing the area for traces of our target. Through the Soul Link, I could feel the faint hum of his ability—a steady, pulsing rhythm guiding us forward.
We moved in silence, our steps careful against the uneven stone floor. The labyrinth seemed alive, its walls occasionally rippling and shifting, subtly altering the terrain. It was disorienting, but Wolf's tracking kept us on course.
A low rumble suddenly rolled through the corridor, making the ground tremble beneath us. A heavy, rhythmic thud-thud echoed off the walls, each step accompanied by the faint metallic grind of some ancient mechanism.
The sound grew louder, closer.
The air grew thick with the acrid scent of machine oil.
"Showtime," Wolf whispered, his voice tight but steady.
The source of the footsteps emerged—a massive shadow stretching down the corridor. Then the construct stepped into view.
It was monstrous, a twisted fusion of bull and machine. Standing at least eight feet tall, its body gleamed with dark metallic plates. Its grotesque, bull-like face was half flesh, half mechanical, with glowing red eyes embedded in its skull. Steam hissed from vents on its shoulders, giving it the appearance of a relic brought to life. Its fists, massive and shaped like iron anvils, clenched tightly as it scanned the corridor.
I kept my voice low and firm. "Remember the plan. Hit fast and hard. Don't give it a second to counter."
Selena grinned, her eyes alight with anticipation. "Let's give our 'discordant little friend' a show, shall we?"
The Minotaur's head snapped in our direction, its glowing eyes locking onto us. A guttural, mechanical snarl rumbled deep within its chest, and then it charged. The ground shook with each thunderous step, the force of its movements reverberating through the walls.
I glanced back at Wolf, who lingered at the edge of the group, his nervousness evident. "Wolf, can you fight?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding my gaze. "Uh… sorry, no. I'll just hang in the rear and keep an eye out. I'll warn you guys if any other hunters get too close."
I nodded, focusing back on the charging construct. Reaching through the Soul Link, I drew in what I needed: Selena's Disguise Attribute, Sarah's Wind Attribute, and Wolf's Observe Attribute.
Selena moved first, her aura flaring as she cloaked herself in a shroud of distortion, vanishing from sight. Sarah followed, the air around her shifting and twisting as she summoned a gale to counter the construct's charge.
The Minotaur barreled forward, steam hissing from its vents as it prepared to strike.
"Now!" I barked, launching myself into action.
The Minotaur charged, its iron-plated hooves hammering into the stone with a bone-rattling force that sent vibrations through the floor. It moved faster than I'd expected, each step radiating a hostile aura intertwined with the hum of its mechanical components. My skin crawled as the intensity of its presence pressed down on me, but I shoved the discomfort aside, focusing on the Soul Link tethering me to the others.
"Stay on your toes," I murmured, pushing a surge of aura through the link to bolster my teammates. "Let it come to us."
To my right, Sarah sprang into action, her finger cymbals flashing as she gathered a swirling vortex of wind in her hands. She glanced at me, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Offense or defense?"
"Offense," I replied without hesitation. "Hit it with everything you've got."
Sarah unleashed a cyclone, the violent whirlwind roaring toward the Minotaur. Dust and debris swirled around its hulking form, obscuring its vision. The construct staggered slightly under the force, its iron head grinding against the gale, but it didn't stop. Its red eyes blazed through the storm, unyielding and locked onto us.
"Brace yourselves," I muttered, gripping the Soul Link tightly to prepare for its counter.
Selena didn't wait. With a flick of her wrist, she produced a bazooka seemingly out of nowhere and fired. The explosion burst around the Minotaur's face, smoke and flames enveloping its upper body. For a brief moment, I thought it might have worked. But when the smoke cleared, the construct's armor remained unscathed, the metallic sheen untouched by the blast.
?Did she just used a bazooka? And guns weren't allowed? Seriously?" complained Wolf.
Well, he wasn't wrong…
I acted quickly, drawing on the disguise and wind attributes through the Soul Link. Combining them, I created flickering afterimages—illusory versions of us darting around the corridor. Thanks to Wolf's observe attribute, I could refine each mirage, erasing any inconsistencies. Selena, catching on immediately, layered her own illusions over mine, adding distortions that made the images even harder to distinguish from reality.
Splitting up, I bolted to the left, keeping the Minotaur in my peripheral vision. Through the Soul Link, I tracked everyone's movements as if I could see them directly. Wolf remained at the rear, well out of harm's way. Selena moved to the construct's right, her steps so light and precise it was as if she'd vanished. Sarah hovered just above the ground, her aura flickering as she deftly maneuvered around the labyrinth's restrictions on flight.
The Minotaur tore through the afterimages, its red eyes flaring with irritation as it recalibrated. Its movements were relentless, every step calculated to close the distance between us.
"It's impact resistant," Selena's voice echoed in my head through the Soul Link. "We need a different strategy."
Before I could respond, the Minotaur's gaze locked onto me. With a guttural mechanical snarl, it lunged, its massive frame descending like a falling boulder. I barely had time to react, flooding my aura with the wind attribute for a burst of speed. Just as its fist slammed into the ground, I slid beneath its legs, debris scattering around me.
It sensed me instantly, its glowing eyes piercing through Sarah's illusions the moment my aura spiked. As I rolled to my feet, its backhand swung toward me, a blur of iron and force. I twisted, narrowly avoiding the blow, the air from its strike cutting against my skin like blades.
Behind the Minotaur, Sarah reappeared, her finger cymbals clinking as she unleashed a barrage of wind spears. The sharp projectiles sliced through the air, targeting the construct's joints and back. But just as the attack connected, the Minotaur shimmered and vanished, reappearing directly behind me.
Its massive arm swung in a deadly arc, and I dropped instinctively, the wind from its strike grazing past my head. The sheer power behind the swing sent a shockwave through the corridor, rattling the stone walls.
This thing was relentless. It didn't hesitate, didn't falter. Every movement was precise, designed to crush anything in its path.
I felt Sarah's frustration through the Soul Link as she gathered her aura again, preparing for another assault. The Minotaur's focus shifted, its red eyes flickering between me and the others as it recalibrated.
This wasn't going to be a simple fight. We needed to outthink it—and fast.
Was it just me, or was this Minotaur tougher than anything this test should've thrown at us? Its movements were too sharp, its durability far beyond what we'd prepared for. Whatever this was, it wasn't standard.
"Now, go for its legs!" I commanded, my voice cutting through the tension.
Selena didn't need to be told twice. She darted forward, her movements a blur as she slipped beneath the creature's swinging arm. With precision honed through years of experience, she drove her dagger into one of its exposed joints. Sparks erupted as the blade twisted, severing something vital. The Minotaur staggered, its balance momentarily compromised.
Even with its impressive armor, there were weak points left exposed. That was our chance.
I felt the Soul Link pulse with the collective energy of my team, a constant flow of power bolstering me. I reached deeper into the labyrinth's aura, drawing it into myself and merging it with my own reserves. My aura surged, shifting into its Fighter State. Energy condensed around my fist, swirling with raw force.
"Now!" I roared, throwing my entire weight into an uppercut.
The impact reverberated through my arm, and the Minotaur shot upward, propelled several meters into the air. It twisted and flailed, its massive form thrashing as it was caught in Sarah's trap.
High above, the air around it shimmered unnaturally. Sarah's finger cymbals clinked rhythmically, each sound resonating as a series of sonic blasts hammered the Minotaur from within her airless bubble. The echoes were deafening, and the construct's metal frame buckled under the assault.
For a moment, it seemed like victory was in sight. But just as Sarah's attack reached its crescendo, the Minotaur vanished in a flicker of light.
"Behind!" Selena's warning came a split second before I felt the shift in the air.
I spun, already bracing myself. The Minotaur reappeared, lunging with its massive fist aimed straight for me. But it wasn't as fast as before. Its left arm was gone, and its left leg sputtered with erratic sparks, thanks to Sarah's earlier strikes.
Anticipating its move, I stepped into its path, my palm glowing faintly with the wind attribute I'd drawn from the Soul Link. I'd touched the Minotaur once already, and that was enough to connect to its aura. Now, I turned its own energy against it.
As its fist swept past me, missing by mere inches, I unleashed a palm strike directly into its chest. The burst of wind attribute surged through its body, disrupting its internal mechanisms. The Minotaur's frame jerked violently as the force carved through its circuits like invisible blades.
Its hulking form stumbled back, the energy within it destabilizing. I pushed harder, driving the wind attribute deeper until—
BAM!
The Minotaur erupted in a scatter of shrapnel. Pieces of metal and wires rained down, clattering against the stone floor as the construct crumbled into a smoldering heap of mangled parts.
Silence hung in the air for a heartbeat, broken only by the faint hiss of steam escaping the remains.
Then, the gratingly triumphant voice of the announcer echoed from the Minotaur's shattered remains.
"Congratulations! You've passed the fourth stage!"
The words were mocking, the tone far too cheerful for what we'd just endured.
"Now, don't get too excited yet~ but surely, this deserves a reward!"
I exchanged a glance with Sarah and Selena, both of them catching their breath. Wolf peeked out from his hiding spot, his face pale but relieved.
"Reward, huh?" Selena muttered, a wry grin tugging at her lips. "Better be worth it after all that."
I wasn't so sure. Something about this entire stage felt off. This test wasn't just about skill or teamwork—it was pushing us to our limits, and the Minotaur had been far more advanced than it should've been.
"Stay sharp," I said, my voice low. "This might not be over yet."
~024