I activated [Identification].
---
Creature: Minotaur — LV 22
Attributes:
? Strength: 150 (+20) (150% boost when activated)
? Agility: 70
? Physic: 180
Ability:
? Death Rage (Special — Passive): When near death, all attributes are doubled for 10 seconds, after which the creature dies.
? Strength Lv 10
---
"Hiss..." I clicked my tongue.
The stats didn’t look too overwhelming—at least not at first gnce. But Death Rage... if I didn’t finish them quickly, things could turn into a bloodbath. Still, not bad. It’d be good training—if I handled it right.
I conjured an axe in my right hand, taking a few steadying breaths as it formed. My grip tightened around the handle.
One of them let out a guttural roar—"GRUUUHHH-MOOOOO!"—then charged.
The surprising part? They moved in a clean V-formation, each spaced exactly four meters apart.
It was closing fast—the ground shook under its weight, but my heart pounded even louder. A wild excitement surged through me, lighting every nerve. I dashed straight at the lead creature, eyes locked, breath steady.
At just a meter away, I felt the searing heat radiating off its body, the full weight of its towering frame pressing into me like a wall. Its axe came down like a meteor, aiming to hammer me into the earth. I veered right—but before I could regain my bance, another axe came slicing toward my shoulder, ready to split me from colrbone to hip.
Crow took over.
My smaller axe cshed with the massive weapon mid-air—sparks fred as I twisted my wrist, just enough to redirect the weight upward and make it miss by inches.
Crow: "Why the hell did you charge straight into the formation?"
Mark: 'I dunno. Maybe you were too excited and wanted to show off.'
Before he could even respond, an axe came swinging toward my waist. I didn’t know how to properly flip, but my body felt light enough to try. Without thinking, I took over-leaned back slightly, pushed forward with control, and flipped midair. As soon as I nded, Crow took over again, dragging my feet into a quick sidestep to the right—never leaving the ground.
Crow: "Don’t freaking leave the ground! I know it’s cool—it’s your first flip—but we need to on the ground grounded."
The next second, I felt pressure behind me—an axe slicing toward the back of my head. My instincts screamed. I snapped back into control and rolled forward a full meter.
Boom!
An axe smashed into the brick floor where I’d just been. Dust burst upward. Pebbles and shards skittered across my back, a few biting into my skin.
I dashed half a meter forward.
Swish!
The air behind me hissed—razor-sharp. I felt strands of hair get clipped, fluttering down.
I dropped into a crouch.
Another minotaur came in from the front, roaring, its massive axe carving through the air—
Whoosh!
Clean over my head. I ducked under the swing, low as I could go, then pivoted right.
Mooo!!
It bellowed, red eyes fshing. The beast didn’t hesitate. Its wrists twisted with shocking agility for its size—the axe reversed mid-arc, slicing backward like a guillotine.
I started to rise, teeth grit—
“Wait.”
Crow yanked control. My body threw itself forward.
I rolled again—slid under its legs, skin scraping rough brick, the stench of fur and metal thick in my nose.
I hit the ground and sprang up, heart hammering.
I was now dead center. Surrounded.
Their formation pulsed like a heartbeat.
I inhaled sharp—sweat clinging to my arms and neck. My heart thundered against my ribs like a war drum. I gnced behind me.
They were spaced four meters apart—too exact. Like someone programmed it. Like they were bound to a pattern.
And if I stayed within one meter of a single minotaur, the others wouldn’t reach me.
It clicked.
They advanced, and the whole formation shifted—each beast keeping that perfect four-meter gap. One moved forward—two others shadowed it from a distance.
A rigid pattern.
And patterns could be broken.
I gnced at the axe in my hand—it wouldn’t even cut skin. Useless. Without hesitation, I swapped it out for the crowbar.
Taking a deep breath, I activated [Physic]. My skin tightened, bones drawing something in—something invisible but dense. It was different from [Infection], less chaotic, more grounded. The sensation ran deep, like absorbing weight into my very frame.
Then I triggered [Strength]. My muscles twitched, subtly thickening. That same energy flowed in, but now I could identify it—stamina. Not a rush, not a flood—just a steady siphon, quiet and constant. If I hadn’t been paying close attention, I would’ve missed it.
Finally, I activated [Agility]. A sudden lightness spread through my limbs. My joints loosened, bones thinned, muscles shifted—stretched like taut bands ready to snap. Every movement felt on edge, coiled and waiting.
I clenched the crowbar, heart hammering. The world around me sharpened—every roar, every shifting step from the minotaurs echoed like thunder against the brick floor.
Standing dead center—"MOOOO!"—a Minotaur roared as it charged, its axe aimed right for my head. But as I stared it down, everything seemed to slow. I scanned my surroundings—the nearest pilr was 10 meters to the left, but I spotted another Minotaur already lurking behind it. My real target was 4 meters in front of that pilr.
The charging Minotaur was mid-swing when I dashed—covering 6 meters in just one second. Reaching my mark, I rammed the crowbar straight into its leg.
"GRNK—SKREEE—KRRKKKKCH!"
It tore through muscle and ground into the bone. The creature let out a furious, pained howl.
"MOOOOAAHHHH—RRRHHHH!"
Its eyes locked onto me with pure hatred as it dropped to a half-kneel. I didn’t wait. I sprinted to its back—using the pilr to block the view of the Minotaur behind it. The space between them was tight, just under 6 meters, but enough.
I conjured another crowbar in my grip and plunged it into the back of its calf—"SPLNK—KTHUNK—BRKKKK!"—driving it down through the leg, pinning it into the ground. It roared and thrashed, trying to turn around.
No chance.
I leapt onto its back, created a third crowbar midair, and drove it straight into the back of its skull.
"SHLNK—KRACKK!"
The body fell forward with a heavy thud.
> Ding!
+20 EXP
I took a shallow breath—it had only been three seconds since I killed the first one. With my abilities are Level 15, I still had 30 minutes of use for today.
No time to waste.
I grabbed the weapon from the ground and used [Identification].
---
Weapon: Axe;
Type: Heavy weapon;
Attributes:
? Weight: 50 kg
? Damage: 150 (weight x3)
? Durability: 500 (weight x10)
? Element Compatibility: -50%
---
With the strength of six average people, I could easily lift 90 kg with both hands. This thing... it could deal real damage if swung with force.
Gripping it tightly, I took another breath—steadying myself—then turned toward the next target closing in.
When it got within 3 meters, I ran forward, using the corpse’s head as a ramp. It jolted the charging Minotaur slightly, just enough. Holding the axe with my left hand at the end of the handle and my right gripping the middle of the shaft, I brought it over my head.
As it reached the peak, I slid my right hand down to meet the left—extending the full length and force of the swing—bringing the bde down with all my weight.
"THRAKK—SPLITCH!"
The axe sliced straight through its skull, splitting the body from right to left. The bde buried itself five inches deep into the brick floor.
"THNK—KRRSSSHH!"
The creature colpsed.
"BAM—SPLAAATT!"
Blood sprayed as the body hit the ground.
> Ding!
+20 EXP
Without stopping, I shifted the axe to my left side. My left hand gripped the middle of the shaft, while my right held the end of the handle. I dashed to the right, dragging the axe into a clean vertical arc—sshing upward from 8 o'clock to 2 o'clock in one fluid motion.
"SWIIISH—SLLCHK!"
The bde sliced through half its body cleanly. Before the corpse could even fall, I moved—striking two more targets with swift, practiced swings. That left five remaining. I picked two of them, the 'lucky' ones, to use as practice dummies.
It all happened in less than two minutes.
I gnced around. The pce was a mess—blood spttered everywhere, pooling across the floor. If this had been tiled, it would’ve been a slip hazard by now. The air was thick with the iron scent of fresh blood, clinging to my sweat-drenched skin. Minotaur blood mixed with mine, the stench sharp and suffocating.
‘How about you let me take over? Let me have some fun.’
Crow didn’t wait for a reply—he took control of the body. I shifted to the backseat, using the moment to test out the [Infection] ability. Crow didn’t even bother warming up or messing around; he just went straight for the kill. Two opponents down in seconds.
Then the next wave came. He cleared it. And the
one after that. Wave after wave, each one finished in about fifteen minutes.
Meanwhile, I was still fiddling with [Infection]—and getting absolutely nothing out of it.
