Noah knew this was only a reprieve. The Minotaur was wounded but far from vanquished. He needed to strike again, and this time, he needed to make it count. He cast his eyes around the room, searching for his next advantage. His gaze fell on the throne, its obsidian surface reflecting the blinding white like a dark mirror.
Perhaps, the key to defeating the beast lay not just in brute force, but in exploiting its environment.
A dangerous glint flickered in Noah's eyes. The throne, crafted from the same obsidian as the Minotaur's discarded axe, was more than just a seat. It was a potential weapon and a powerful one at that.
Focusing his waning mana, he reached out telekinetically, not for the Minotaur itself, but for the massive chain disappearing down the back of the throne. With a groan of straining metal, the chain slowly began to rise, links grinding against one another as they emerged from the depths. It was a slow process, a tug-of-war against the Minotaur's unseen restraint.
The beast, sensing the shift, whipped its head around, nostrils flaring.
Roar!
A brutal roar erupted from its throat, a sound filled with a primal mix of fury and confusion. It pawed at the ground, snorting defiance as it realized its confinement.
Finally, with a clang that echoed through the room, the entire chain materialized in Noah's mental grasp. It was thick and heavy, a dark serpent coiling in the air. A smirk touched Noah's lips. This wouldn't be a quick and elegant takedown, but it might just be enough.
With a flick of his will, he sent the chain whipping through the air. It arced across the white expanse, aiming for the Minotaur's massive horns. The beast, caught off guard by the unexpected attack, bellowed and tried to pull its head back. But the chain was too fast. It slammed into one of the horns with a sickening thud, the force sending a jolt through the entire room.
The Minotaur staggered, its eyes wide with pain and outrage.
Seizing his opportunity, Noah didn't waste a moment. He slammed the mental brakes on the chain, halting its momentum and sending the Minotaur crashing forward.
Bam!
The beast, unbalanced and further enraged by the pain, slammed headfirst into the obsidian throne.
The impact was deafening. The throne groaned under the weight, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface. The Minotaur, momentarily stunned, slumped against the damaged throne, its labored breaths echoing in the white void.
Noah's vision blurred at the edges, his body screaming in protest at the exertion. But a sliver of determination burned bright within him. He wouldn't let his limitations stop him now. He focused all his remaining mana, channeling it towards the chain. It pulsed with a faint black light, responding to his desperate plea.
With a final, earth-shaking roar, Noah yanked with all his might. The chain strained, groaning in protest, before finally giving way. With a deafening crash, the obsidian throne shattered, sending a shower of black shrapnel flying through the air. Buried beneath the wreckage, the Minotaur lay still, its massive chest no longer rising and falling.
Silence descended upon the white room, broken only by Noah's ragged gasps. He stood there, swaying slightly on his feet, his body drained but his eyes filled with a steely glint. He had conquered the third floor, but the victory tasted like ash in his mouth. The battle had pushed him to his limits, and he knew the next challenge wouldn't be any easier.
[You have earned 100% Exp!]
[You have leveled up!]
{Ding! Missions completed (Main mission plus additional mission)
Rewards: All stats plus 2 and 10000 Gold}
{Basic Strength},{Basic Speed} {Angel of Death}
■
°°°
The sterile white of the third floor seemed to stretch on forever for Lilith. Unlike Noah's blinding chamber, hers was a vast, open arena where the wind howled, whipping her white hair into a frenzy. In the center, a Minotaur, a different one from Noah's perhaps, mirrored its monstrous kin. This one, however, lacked the obsidian throne and chain restraint.
Lilith, a blur of white and silver, danced a deadly ballet around the beast. Her movements were a testament to her "spacial movement skill," each step a calculated warp in space that brought her just out of reach of the Minotaur's sweeping attacks. Her hands, though, were a storm of lethal elegance.
With a flick of her wrist, she'd conjure razor-sharp wind arrows that materialized from thin air, singing through the arena before finding their mark on the Minotaur's hide.
The beast roared in frustration, its dark fur bristling with each deflected blow. It lumbered after Lilith, its bellow shaking the very air. But she was a phantom, a wisp of wind just beyond its grasp. The wind arrows, though numerous, seemed to have little effect. They stung, leaving superficial wounds, but failed to pierce the Minotaur's thick hide.
Lilith gritted her teeth. This wasn't working. She needed a different strategy, something more decisive. As she dodged another swipe of the Minotaur's massive axe, her eyes darted across the arena, searching for an opening. A glint of sunlight, perhaps? A sudden shift in the wind currents?
Her gaze landed on a cluster of jagged rocks jutting out from the otherwise smooth floor – remnants of some forgotten battle, perhaps. An idea sparked in her mind, a gamble that might turn the tide.
A feral grin split Lilith's face. The wind howled even louder around her as she focused her power. This wasn't just about dodging anymore. She needed to manipulate the very fabric of space to her advantage. With a deep breath, she unleashed a torrent of concentrated wind, not at the Minotaur itself, but at the base of the rocky outcropping.
The wind tore at the rock with a screech, carving away at its base like an invisible chisel. In a matter of seconds, the entire cluster shuddered and with a deafening roar, toppled towards the Minotaur. The beast, momentarily distracted by the sudden shift in the wind's fury, bellowed in surprise as the avalanche of rock hurtled toward it.
Lilith didn't wait to see the impact. She launched herself forward in a series of rapid blinks, utilizing her spatial movement to weave through the falling debris. The Minotaur, however, wasn't so lucky. The rocks slammed into it with a sickening crunch, pinning its massive legs beneath the weight. A furious roar erupted from the creature, a sound laced with pain and frustration.
Seizing her opportunity, Lilith materialized right behind the Minotaur, her hand outstretched. Concentrating the last vestiges of her mana, she wove a final, intricate spell. With a sharp cry, she slammed her palm into the Minotaur's back.
A blinding flash erupted, momentarily filling the white arena with an azure light. When the light faded, Lilith stumbled back, panting.
In her place, where the Minotaur once stood, was a swirling vortex of shimmering blue energy. A final, defiant bellow echoed from within the vortex before it contracted with a snap, leaving behind nothing but a faint wisp of smoke.
Lilith collapsed onto her knees, drained but exhilarated. She had conquered the Guardian of her floor, not with brute force, but with cunning and manipulation of space itself. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she allowed herself a moment of respite.
[You have leveled up!]
[Level 44!]
''I wonder what Noah's level is? Surely higher than this, I must continue, I must become powerful enough to support him and never anyone else take my place.'' she clenched her knuckles tightly and vowed to become like her mature self as soon as possible. She seemed to be the one to recall what happened, Noah did not seem to happen a complete recollection of what happened.
Lilith rose to her feet, she drank a stamina potion before deciding to continue, her goal today was to reach at least level 45. Only this way she would feel at ease. With level 45 she might be at the same level as Noah or at least not too far apart. She was certain he hadn't reached level 50 yet, even for Noah it would be quite challenging.
She spent quite some credits to be able to quickly level up, she even begged her grandfather to have few items to help her to level up faster.