Karma sighed and opened his status window. A purple light flickered across his face as he swiped to the skills tab.
[Skills]
Perfect Analyzation (Active) – Level 1
[Idol Abilities] Perfect Counter (Active) – Level 1
"Well… I don't really have anything useful in combat right now," Karma admitted with a grimace.
Leo clapped a hand on his shoulder. "That's alright. Maybe you'll gain something later. For now, let's just focus on working together and racking up enough points to stay in this."
The trio pressed forward through the humid, dimly lit tunnel, Leo leading the way.
Far away, in a dark room, a holographic cube displayed their every movement. A man adorned with a golden crown and bracelets leaned back, a sinister smile stretching across his face.
"So… this is the kid he chose?" he mused, his fingers tapping lazily against his throne. "This channel might turn out to be very interesting. Well then—let's see what kind of chaos I can stir up."
With a flick of his wrist, the cube's glow faded, plunging the room into darkness.
"Shoulder Smash!"
Leo charged forward, slamming into a smaller creature with pale, ash-like skin and metal ligaments. The force sent it sprawling, and Karma wasted no time—rushing in, he stomped his foot down onto its head, finishing it off.
A system notification flickered before them:
[Notification]
Soul points from low-rank creature absorbed. 10 points allocated to profile.
Three trial points have also been allocated to your group.
Total Trial Points: 21
Karma plopped down against the wall, panting heavily. Clara sat beside him, equally exhausted.
Between ragged breaths, Karma glanced at Leo. "Man… how are you not tired yet? We've already fought, like, seven of those things."
Leo scratched the back of his head, flashing a sheepish grin. "Not sure. Probably something to do with my stats. My Vitality's pretty high, so I guess it gives me more endurance and stamina."
"Do you guys need a break?"
Clara stood, pressing her hands together. "No need. I can restore our energy—but we'll have to be careful. I can only use this twice every six hours."
She closed her eyes, and her body glowed with an oceanic blue hue. "Blessing of Thetis."
A ghostly silhouette formed behind her—a regal figure with a fishtail, a trident in hand, and a tiara atop her head. As the spectral image appeared, a warm blue light enveloped the group, restoring their vitality and stamina.
Leo flexed his fingers, watching in amazement as his bruises and scrapes vanished. "Whoa, that was amazing, Clara. Your ability is really useful."
Clara's cheeks flushed as she quickly turned away. "Oh, um… thanks." She cleared her throat. "Let's keep moving. We don't want to fall behind and end up in sixth place."
Karma nodded, picking up a chipped dagger from one of the fallen creatures. "Yeah, you're right—we've wasted enough time."
As they continued down the hall, slaying monsters along the way, they reached a fork in the road.
Leo raised a hand, signaling the group to stop. He glanced down both pathways before pointing left. "This way."
They followed his lead, but as they moved forward, an overwhelming sense of danger filled the air.
A massive creature—over two and a half meters tall—stood ahead, its hulking form reforming rocks around its body as it slammed its head repeatedly into the tunnel wall.
Leo's body stiffened. "Guys… get down. Now."
A shiver ran through Karma as pure fear shot through his veins. He shuffled closer to Leo, trying to get a better look. "What the hell is that thing…?"
Leo's voice was barely above a whisper. "A Giant Minotaur. There's no way that thing is low-rank."
Karma swallowed hard. "Yeah… maybe we should just—"
Before he could finish, a fireball suddenly exploded against the wall behind them.
The Minotaur froze. Its head snapped toward them.
Every muscle in Karma's body tensed. Shit.
The trio whirled around, expecting to see the attacker—only to find nothing but darkness.
Then, the Minotaur let out an earth-shaking roar.
"RUN!"
They sprinted down the tunnel, but it was too fast.
Despite its massive size, the Minotaur moved like a predator through water, closing the distance in seconds. Before they could react, it appeared in front of Clara, its enormous club raised high.
Clara's eyes widened in horror.
The club came down.
"SHOULDER BASH!"
Leo slammed into the creature's side, his sword piercing its leg. The Minotaur howled in pain—then backhanded Leointo the wall with bone-crushing force.
"Leo!" Clara screamed.
Karma saw his chance. Without hesitation, he lunged, driving his dagger toward the creature's head—
SHATTER!
The dagger broke instantly.
The Minotaur's fist slammed into Karma's stomach, knocking the air from his lungs.
Before he could even react, a massive hand gripped him mid-air—then slammed him into the ground.
The impact sent a brutal shockwave through the tunnel.
Karma let out a gasp as the wind was knocked out of him, his vision momentarily blurring from the sheer force of the impact. His body screamed in agony, but he forced himself to remain conscious.
"Karma!" Clara's voice rang out, but she barely had time to react before the Minotaur shifted its attention to her. With a guttural roar, it lifted its massive club, ready to crush her where she stood.
Through his dazed vision, Karma's mind raced. Once again I find myself on the receiving end of a one sided beating… This is the end.
No, I can't give up on them. They saved my life, not to mention the deal I have with my parents.
Karma forced himself to his feet and ran in between the beast and Clara and then, something within him clicked .
A system notification flashed in front of him.
[Perfect Counter Activated]
Reversing incoming force…
Suddenly, his body moved on its own. His arm shot up, catching the Minotaur's club mid-swing. A shockwave rippled through the tunnel as the sheer momentum of the attack reversed itself—slamming the force of the Minotaur's own attack back into its arm.
CRACK!
The Minotaur howled in pain as its wrist twisted at an unnatural angle. The club slipped from its grasp and crashed to the ground.
Karma's mind reeled. That… that power. That was my skill, it worked!
Leo groaned from where he had been flung, shaking off the dust as he pulled himself up. His eyes widened at the sight of Karma standing, his hand still glowing with residual energy.
"Karma—what the hell was that?!" Leo exclaimed.
Clara, regaining her composure, quickly chanted, "Aqua Bind!" Ribbons of water surged forward, wrapping around the Minotaur's legs. "Leo, now's your chance!"
Leo didn't hesitate. He surged forward, his sword gleaming as he slashed at the Minotaur's exposed chest. Blood gushed from the wound as the creature let out a pained bellow.
But it wasn't over yet.
With a burst of raw strength, the Minotaur broke free from Clara's bindings, its eyes now glowing with pure rage. It swung its good arm wildly, forcing the trio to scatter.
Karma coughed, his entire body aching. We're not strong enough… this thing is too much for us right now.
Then, an idea struck him.
His skill—Perfect Counter—was activated when he had no chance of avoiding the attack. That meant…
It only works if I'm willing to take the hit.
His stomach turned at the thought, but there was no other option.
"Leo! Clara!" he shouted. "I need you guys to trust me. I have a plan."
Leo wiped blood from his mouth and gave a sharp nod. "Whatever it is, make it count."
Clara hesitated but then tightened her grip on her staff. "Alright, we trust you."
The Minotaur snarled, preparing for another charge.
Karma exhaled sharply, then spread his arms wide.
"Come on, you bastard—HIT ME!"
The Minotaur took the bait. It roared and lunged, swinging its massive, injured arm with full force—aimed directly at Karma's chest.
Here it comes…!
[Perfect Counter Activated]
Reversing incoming force…
KRA-KOOM!
The instant the blow connected, a powerful shockwave erupted. The Minotaur's own force was turned against it, sending its arm snapping backward with a deafening crunch.
The creature let out an earth-shattering scream as bones shattered and flesh tore. It stumbled, its legs buckling.
Leo saw his opportunity. "This is it! SHOULDER BASH!"
His body launched forward like a missile, his blade aimed true—straight through the Minotaur's chest.
The beast shuddered. Its monstrous form trembled—then collapsed with a final, ragged breath.
The tunnel fell silent.
A [System Notification] appeared.
Middle Rank Creature Defeated!
Total Trial Points Earned: +50 Soul Points Absorbed: +30 Ranking Updated…
Karma fell to his knees, his entire body shaking from exhaustion.
Clara ran to him, immediately casting her healing spell. "That was extremely risky!" she scolded, though her voice trembled with relief. "You could have died!"
Karma let out a weak chuckle. "Yeah, well… it worked, didn't it?"
Leo sat down beside them, panting. "That was insane… but damn, that skill of yours is a game-changer."
Karma stared at his trembling hands.
Perfect Counter, eh?
A skill that only activated when he was about to be hit when he had no choice but to take the blow.
It wasn't a skill for someone who wanted to avoid pain. It was a skill for someone who had no fear of dying.
He clenched his fists.
That was really me.
But there was no time to dwell on it. The tunnel stretched ahead, and the trial was far from over.
Leo was the first to rise. He extended a hand to Karma, determination burning in his eyes. "Come on," he said firmly. "We're not dying here today."
Karma took his hand and pulled himself up, still catching his breath.
"Whoa, this is great!" Leo suddenly exclaimed. With a swift motion, he summoned a massive white axe from his inventory.
Karma's eyes widened in curiosity. "Whoa, where did you get that thing?"
Leo grinned, hoisting the weapon over his shoulder. "It's a drop from the Minotaur. It's called 'Minotaur General's Horn Axe.'" His grip tightened around the handle. "I can't wait to put this thing to use on some enemies."
Clara dusted off her legs as she stood up. "Well, that takes care of everything. That thing gave us a lot of points. But there's no telling how many enemies the other groups have defeated. We should keep moving."
Leo nodded. "Alright, let's go."
With that, the group pressed forward, deeper into the tunnel.
After ten minutes of walking, the path suddenly opened up to reveal a massive set of doors, towering over them with an intricate, almost prestigious design. The craftsmanship was unlike anything they had seen before—elegant carvings laced with gold and silver, depicting warriors locked in battle against monstrous creatures.
Just as they stepped closer, a giant status window materialized before them, its glowing text ominous and foreboding.
[System Warning]
You have encountered the Boss Room for the Tier 2 Boss.
This fight will be extremely dangerous.
Karma swallowed hard.
Leo smirked, gripping his new axe. "Well… looks like things are about to get interesting."