20 – After a Lot of Punches

Finn was almost asleep when Ritor finally finished destroying the giant bone monster.

"Holy shit…" Finn grimaced and saw the Minotaur's condition. "Are you okay?"

Ritor's sweat was already dripping from his fur, his eyes bulging crazy wide, and his fists were covered in blood.

"I-I'm o-okay." The Minotaur was having trouble breathing.

Finn looked up at the tall pile of bones. Perhaps the only one capable of performing a feat like this, destroying the legendary giant monster by continuously punching it, was this creature.

In folklore, that giant monster of bones should be indestructible. The people who came to this place should avoid it, not fight it.

"Don't you want to rest first?" Finn suggested. "Maybe you're tired?"

Ritor is more than tired. He felt like he had almost lost his life. Even his vision was now clouded because he had fought for hours on end.

But, even though the pain in his hands was unbearable and he just punched something like crazy, the Minotaur was satisfied that he had crushed the giant monster.

"L-let's go." Ritor staggered past Finn.

"Errr…. But that's not the way. That's the direction we're coming from." Finn pointed the other way.

Ritor was silent for a moment, then turned around. Due to his exhausted state, he couldn't really focus.

"Follow me." Despite his doubts, Finn kept walking. "Fortunately, we don't have to find our way to the keeper. I still know the way."

They walk again, and Finn is grimaced many times because of Ritor's move. The Minotaur walked like a drunken man and looked like he could fall at any moment.

Seeing one bone monster with a spear walking towards them, Ritor prepared to fight again. However, this time Finn took the initiative to step forward and slashed his sword at the monster several times until it shattered.

"The monsters we will encounter will no longer be significant." Finn sheathed his sword again at his waist. "Let me fight them."

Even Ritor was starting to find it difficult to speak. The answer that came out of his mouth was incoherent gibberish.

"I hope you can endure to the end." Finn sighed, about to turn to another intersection. "It would be a pity if you didn't meet the keeper of that Ragmonuk weapon. Well, we still have a long way to go…."

Finn froze as he had just made a turn. The path was a dead end, and he found a figure in black armor, complete with a helmet.

"Welcome to the greatest warrior candidate on earth." The figure spoke in a deep voice, then turned around, revealing sharp patterns that glowed purple on his armor. However, the glow was brighter than the one on the cave stones. "I have a question for you. Do you need an unrivaled weapon?"

Finn was still confused, so he couldn't answer. As he recalled, the journey to the keeper with this skull-patterned helmet was still far off.

Maybe this miracle happened because this cave has a unique magic system.

"Hello, is anyone still there?" The keeper waved his hand.

Finn cleared his throat, then answered. "Yes, I want that weapon."

"It's not you." The keeper looked at Ritor. "But this horned creature. This cave accepts whoever conquers it."

"B-but I also fight." Finn took a step forward, unable to believe his ears. "I am also entitled to the Ragmonuk weapon."

"How many did you fight?" The keeper asked in a cold tone. "You can't lie to me."

Finn gulped. "Only one…. But, two months ago, I killed a lot."

The keeper tilted his head. "Aah, I remember you. You were able to pass the challenges here back then, but you failed at the first question. Yes, you were great, but sorry, your past achievements are useless now."

"But…" Finn was about to argue again but felt an intense killing aura emanating from the keeper. The man could tell he would be in big trouble if he persisted.

"So." The keeper looked at Ritor again. "Do you need a weapon or not?"

Finn sighed, trying to be willing that he couldn't get the legendary weapon. At least he could pay his respects to Amber, his late fiancé.

Finding Ritor lost in thought, Finn elbowed the Minotaur and whispered. "Just say yes!"

"Yes for what?" Ritor still can't focus.

"I take your word as a yes. This may never end if I wait for you to get an adequate answer." The keeper continued, starting to sound impatient.

An object appeared behind the keeper, hovering in the air. At first, it was shaped like a purple blob of light, then it became solid.

Ritor woke up when he saw that it formed a giant axe, similar to the one he had before. However, this time it was a purplish gray. The sharp part and the handle are also a single unit, not two separate pieces tied together.

"This is the most special weapon in the world. Its shape will match the preferences of the wielder. Not everyone can have it."

While the keeper spoke, Ritor came forward. This made Finn stagger in panic.

"In order to get this weapon, you have to answer three questions from me. All of those questions relate to you. You don't have to ask why I know about you, Ritor..." The keeper paused as Ritor stopped inches from him, then looked up at the Minotaur's face.

And Ritor kicked the keeper right in the head, forcing the armored figure to bounce and hit the cave wall.

"Nooo!!!" Finn screamed in terror. "Why the fuck did you do that!?"

"Both my hands hurt, so I used my feet." Ritor took the ax out of the air. In just a split second, he felt his body refreshed, a sign of his stamina returning. "Hmm… This weapon is okay."

The Minotaur felt that thing fit perfectly in his hand, in terms of size, weight, and even texture.

"That is not what I mean." Finn squeezed his head. Right now, he was convinced he was in danger and began to think that meeting Ritor was not a piece of luck.