Chapter 64

Chapter 64 I Next

Hmm, it looks even better up close.

The depth of the night had set in.

A wealthy tycoon in Anbouaz, Gunes, wore a look of admiration. It was inevitable. Just moments ago, a gigantic cage had been brought into the hotel basement. Anyone would marvel at the sight of the behemoth caged inside.

Groooowl

A low, hefty sound came from within, like a wounded beasts suppressed groan. A beast numbed with tranquilizers. It was a Minotaur.

Thump Thump!

The Minotaur in the cage sensed his gaze. It lifted its drugged eyes and heaved a rough breath. A ruthless smile crept onto Guness face.

Indeed, its worth every penny spent. If only you could see the look on Prince Magentanos face when this creature was taken from him.

Shall we begin the work immediately then?

Absolutely.

The tycoon nodded, turning to look at the man whod asked the question.

Thats why I called you here in the first place. Youre the best taxidermist in Cremo.

Im flattered. As long as you pay me well, Im just grateful. May I ask what style of taxidermy youd prefer?

Hmm, make it as majestic as possible.

Majestic?

Yes. This isnt for my personal collection. Its to be unveiled at the Kings birthday party.

Ah, so you want it to make a strong impression when revealed. Is that correct?

Hehehe, exactly. The gasps of surprise and awe from the party guests will surely multiply His Majestys pleasure. It will elevate my prestige as well.

I understand. I will do my best to meet your purpose. However

Hmm? What else is on your mind?

Its about the wizard I asked you to prepare in advance.

Oh, of course. Ive arranged for one.

Gunes grinned.

Naturally. All preparations were in place. The Kings birthday wasnt far off. Considering the time it would take to create the taxidermy and transport it to the capital, there was little time to spare.

But Ive been curious since you first asked why do we need a wizard to create a taxidermy?

Gunes asked.

The taxidermist replied, To cleanly kill the Minotaur.

Cleanly?

Yes.

The taxidermist continued.

As you may know, Minotaurs are notorious for their tenacity. Like other monsters, they often struggle for a long time before dying even when mortally wounded. So, if we clumsily try to kill it

Try to kill it?

The Minotaur may go berserk, causing serious damage.

I see, so it might damage the skin?

Yes. For a creature this size, we only keep the skin, horns, and teeth, discarding the rest because filling it with sawdust or similar materials wouldnt maintain the shape.

I see.

We create a replica of the same size and shape and cover it with the skin. Therefore, the condition of the skin is more important than ever. If the skin is damaged, the value of the taxidermy decreases significantly.

What if we use poison?

Its not much different. As theyre dying, they may scratch themselves all over, damaging their skin.

So, thats why you said we needed a wizard?

Yes, exactly. We need to cast strong sleep and paralysis spells multiple times to handle it properly.

How do we proceed then?

From my experience, a vacuum spell is the cleanest.

Vacuum spell?

Yes. Its a spell that thins the air within a certain range. They lose consciousness and slowly die as if falling asleep. This leaves no external injuries, which is ideal for creating taxidermy.

Hmm, that makes sense.

Gunes nodded in satisfaction. He was glad he had called an expert. A little later, the summoned wizard arrived and received instructions from the taxidermist.

The taxidermy process soon began. Meanwhile, Gunes sat at a safe distance, observing the process.

Hmm, hahaha.

A tune naturally slipped from his lips.

The Minotaur was much larger than usual. The resulting taxidermy would be impressive. He grinned thinking about the delighted King receiving the taxidermy. The thought of flourishing business with the Kings support filled him with pride. The slaughter for taxidermy was underway.

Hmm!

The wizard began to weave complex signs. The placement of fingers and palms, the sequence and array, disruption and manipulation, with mana cunningly twisted within.

The artificially twisted balance of mana had created a contrived flow. The stem of mana moved along a calculated path, performing its purpose with precision. Sleep magic poured out toward the head of the Minotaur.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

Whoooooosh

.Moo.

Half-asleep, Raciel grumbled. Indeed, this body was the problem. The slightest exertion always led to a physical breakdown.

His poor stamina was at a critical level. Not only that, but every part of his body was constantly screaming in real-time.

Ding dong!

[Your organs are condemning your overworking schedule.]

[Heart: Hey, why are you pushing yourself so hard? Arent you resting? Do you have infinite stamina? Are you Superman? Cant you see your lung is taking a hit because of you?]

[Lung: SighI cant]

[Large intestine: If you keep this up, we wont stand for it either.]

[Liver: Big bro intestine, lets just collapse on the bed. Fully.]

[Stomach: Im tired! Give me a late-night snack!]

.

This is real.

Who would socially bury themselves like this? Without realizing it, Raciel clenched his abdominal muscles. But even amidst all this, a smile found its way to his lips.

Im tired. A little movement throws everything out of whack. But stillits better than not knowing when I could die before.

Little by little, he will improve.

If he continue to gain bonus lifespan, extending his life bit by bit, gradually, slowly, one step at a time, he will surely get better. Just like when he was earnestly living in Korea and dreaming of the future.

I wish I had Tylenol or something.

Should he get up for a moment and apply a hot pack? As he was thinking about this

Knock Knock Knock Knock!

Suddenly, someone was knocking on the bedroom door.

.

Whats going on?

Before he could even ask, someone outside shouted.

Your Highness, the Crown Prince! Wake up immediately! Theres a crisis!

Whoosh!

The two mayor residence guards hurriedly opened the door and ran in. Raciel grimaced as he sat up. Demian placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and asked.

Whats all the fuss about?

Its not a fuss, Your Highness! You need to find a safe place to hide!

A safe place?

Demian frowned. The guard spoke urgently, but his outcry was drowned out by a sudden loud noise that pounded against the bedroom wall.

Boom!

!

Would it sound like this if a siege weapon hit the wall? Or if a dump truck rammed into a building?

One side of the bedroom wall was shattered. The bricks flew out like shards. Simultaneously, Demian moved like the wind, blocking the view. He drew his sword. What followed was a flurry of flashes, no, sword lights.

Swoosh!

The incoming fragments and bricks were swept away and crushed by the sword light. Then, a storm-like dust came swirling in. Demian turned his gaze toward Raciel through the dust.

Your Highness! Retreat to the back

Thump!

The huge fist that suddenly flew in was the one that struck Demian, and it all happened in an instant.

Crash!

Demian was sent flying and crashed into the wall a few meters away. He collapsed. But there was no time to watch him. The space where the ferocious fist swung through, the storm-like momentum dispersing the dust, a giant head emerged from it.

.

A head resembling a buffalo. Explosive exhales. Bloodshot eyes. Raciel locked eyes with the colossal creature.

A Minotaur?

For certain. It was the same Minotaur that had slipped through his hands at the auction house earlier that day.

Gulp.

Without realizing it, Raciels throat clenched.

Was it because his body froze in fear when their eyes met? Or was it because he was tense due to the unexpectedly alarming situation?

None of these.

The Minotaur, who had suddenly invaded his bedroom and was rampaging in a fit of rage. The moment he locked eyes with the beast, he subconsciously felt something. The eyes looked familiar. As if he had seen them many times before.

But where?

In Korea.

At the clinic.

So that look in its eyes

Is it the same as the patients who walk into my clinic in pain, not knowing what to do?

(To be Continued)

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