Why Was That Fun?!

As the minotaur swung the axe, the movements seemed slower than before.

I raised my longsword and angled the blade so that the axe slid right off the flat side. After training against the hardest difficulty simulation, I had long figured out how to cope with powerful blows from someone stronger than me. This was made even easier by my massively boosted abilities.

Despite the many factors that allowed me to block the minotaur's attack, the impact still stole my breath. My arms were momentarily numb, though I managed to recover quickly.

"The perfect defense provides the greatest offense," I whispered under my breath as I flicked my sword forwards in the gap between the minotaur's strikes.

My blade scraped against the beast's tough hide-- even with my enhanced physical capabilities, my power still was insufficient to pierce through the monster's thick skin.

However, that was within my expectations. Minotaurs weren't monsters that were possible to be killed at this point in the story and the simulated versions were the same, even when I had abilities that were comparable to the main character.

I would need at least E++ ranked strength or an incredibly good weapon before I could easily slice through minotaur hide.

"I have to figure out how to deal damage, otherwise I'm just going to exhaust myself," I thought out loud as I watched the next strike approach.

I danced backwards, barely avoiding the blade of the axe that sliced through my school blazer.

My eyes scanned the room, taking in every detail as a plan began to form in my mind.

Keeping my movements deliberate, I circled the towering minotaur, striking at its ankles with quick, calculated slashes. The blows weren't meant to deal any damage-- only to keep its focus locked on me. I just had to keep the monster from attacking Perseus, who was a far easier target.

The tactic worked. Despite the temptation of weaker prey, the irritated beast bellowed in frustration. My ears rang with the monster's wrath-filled roar and the minotaur's beady eyes stared straight into my soul. 

The monster was determined to crush me first.

I know this is a simulation, but this is really scary.

I stepped aside, predicting the path of the axe, though I couldn't help but gulp as the axe passed right by face again.

Just one small mistake and…

I didn't want to imagine what would happen. There probably wouldn't be enough of me left to identify my corpse.

The minotaur, realizing that I had stopped counter-attacking, began pressing the offensive and pushing me backwards. 

I couldn't take the monster's attacks head-on, since the axe strikes magnified the minotaur's natural beastly strength-- even occasionally blocking the axe caused my arms to go numb for several seconds.

Under the monster's relentless assault, I was forced to take one step back. Then another.

After dodging and blocking the minotaur's attacks for almost five minutes, the beast showed no signs of exhaustion despite swinging the giant metal axe over seventy times.

However, that was okay. I had also conserved my energy and dodged as much as possible.

I had conserved my energy for this moment.

The careful backwards steps I had taken had slowly lured the minotaur into the center of the room.

My blade flickered outwards like a bolt of lightning. The tip of my longsword slashed the minotaur's comparatively softer inner thigh, drawing blood for the first time.

The beast roared in pain as the puny bug that it had been one-sidedly beating suddenly struck back.

I leapt onto the monster's knee, concentrating all the mana from the rest of my body into my legs as I quickly stepped onto the monster's shoulders. Using the minotaur's horns as an improvised step…

I jumped into the air and snagged onto the hanging chandelier.

My sideways momentum caused me to swing all the way until I planted my feet against the ceiling for one split second.

"…I forgot to come up with a cool-sounding finishing line…"

I tightened my grip on the sword, bracing it like an improvised lance. Pouring every ounce of mana into my lower body, I launched off the dining hall ceiling with every muscle in my legs. 

The combined power of my mana-fueled leap and gravity's pull turned me into a missile aimed at the minotaur's skull.

The impact was brutal.

My blade struck true, driving into its forehead with enough force to send the beast toppling backward. The shattering of bone beneath my sword was unmistakable.

The blade plunged deep, embedding itself into the creature's brain. The hilt slammed against its skull as we hit the ground, the shock rippling through me.

The reverberation from the stone floor jarred my arms, leaving them numb, and I could feel the impact reverberating in my teeth. The minotaur twitched before becoming deathly still.

Hot, steaming blood poured from the wound and scalded my hands, which were wrapped in a death grip around the handle of my longsword.

"Hah… hah…" Ragged breaths ripped my lungs apart. I breathed like I had never breathed before.

"Aha… ahaha… ahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

"I won!"

I broke down into hysterical laughs as more burning hot monster blood poured onto my body.

After about one minute, I pulled my exhausted body off the minotaur and began gutting the creature. Despite being simulated, the body didn't disappear into pixels after I killed the beast.

"W-what are you doing?" 

Perseus had stopped chanting, mouth hanging open as I dismantled the minotaur's cooling carcass.

"Getting my prize," I chuckled in response to Perseus' question.

I reached into the hollow chest cavity where an ordinary humanoid's heart would be. My hand brushed against something squishy and slimy, and I tightened my grip around the object.

With one forceful movement, I ripped the minotaur's demonic core out.

A jelly-like layer of transparent mucus surrounded the core, protecting me from the bloodlust effect that normally occurred when touching corrupted magic energy.

"Y-you're crazy…"

***

"..."

The teachers who were watching the 98th and 121st monitor were speechless.

"...what was that student's name again?"

"...Mav Callahan."

"And the other student who was with him…?"

"Perseus Cardenas."

"Remember those names."

"Yes, ma'am."