[102] Bull

Bell and Liliruca finally stepped into the dungeon.

The deep blue walls and ceiling, and the bioluminescent moss glowing with a blue hue, indicated that Bell and Liliruca had reached the second floor.

In the straight corridor, Bell swung his sword with all his might, slicing through a goblin and cutting it in half.

He then dodged an attack from a kobold lunging from above, and while evading, swung his left-hand sword abruptly, severing one of its legs.

The kobold, losing its balance from the severed leg, was immediately finished off by a thrust from Bell's left-hand sword.

Bell rushed to the spot where more monsters appeared. This time, it was two kobolds.

Facing the snarling kobolds, Bell accelerated instantly. He pretended to engage both monsters simultaneously, but his true target was the one on the right.

The rapid change of direction left both monsters momentarily stunned.

Thud~

With a powerful thrust, Bell's third-class sword pierced through the kobold on the right.

The force of the dark one-handed sword tore through the hide and muscle, and the kobold didn't even have time to scream. Its eyes instantly lost their light, leaving behind only a fingernail-sized magic stone.

"Get down!" A goblin leaped at Liliruca from behind as she was collecting the magic stone.

Bell shouted and threw his left-hand sword without hesitation.

The sword turned into a black streak and struck the goblin directly.

After throwing his left-hand sword, Bell didn't pause. He swung a horizontal slash with his remaining sword, decapitating another goblin that attempted a sneak attack.

"Bell-sama, did you really just start entering the dungeon yesterday?" Liliruca asked as she lifted her head from the ground.

Looking at the single sword remaining in Bell's hand, her chestnut-colored eyes glinted with a strange light, then she lowered her head again, a hint of struggle flashing in her eyes.

"Adventurers are all the same, all the same. Only when I've saved enough money can I escape..."

Liliruca muttered to herself, trying to hypnotize herself as she lay on the ground.

"Lili, are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Bell's urgent voice suddenly came from above.

...

Meanwhile, in another part of the dungeon, Aiden faced a massive, bull-headed monsterthat charged forward as he drew his Dragon Slayer.

Thud~

A crimson streak flashed, and without invoking Tempest, the nearly transparent blade of Dragon Slayer was stained with the Minotaur's blood.

With a casual strike, Aiden nearly severed one of the Minotaur's arms.

The severely injured Minotaur roared, its blood-red eyes glaring. A massive wound was clearly visible on its muscular arm, with pink flesh and glaring white bone covered in blood.

The intense pain deeply provoked its wild nature. It roared in impotent fury, lowered its horns, and charged, determined to make the one who inflicted this pain suffer.

Slow reaction? But quite a thick hide.

With its resilient thick skin, marble-like solid muscles, sharp horns, and terrifying strength described in the bestiary, the Minotaur was a powerful monster embodying both offense and defense. Its only drawback was its lack of agility. This made it Aiden's favorite kind of opponent.

In both speed and strength, Aiden far surpassed the Minotaur.

As the Minotaur raged futilely, Aiden calmly stepped back, observing the furious, blood-drenched beast. Its actions reminded him of bullfights on Earth.

When the Minotaur charged forward with its iron hooves thundering across the ground. 

Aiden's foot lightly tapped the ground, his body gliding effortlessly like a swallow. His Dragon Slayer swung with blinding speed, the dark red blade flashing like crimson lightning.

With a spray of blood like a geyser, the Minotaur's head, arms, and upper body were sliced into large chunks, crashing to the ground. Aiden, just beginning to master his swordsmanship, had dismembered the Minotaur into five unequal pieces before it could even react.

As the leading Minotaur fell to pieces, another one followed close behind. Aiden, not having activated Tempest, narrowly avoided being splattered with blood.

Before the horde of Minotaurs could arrive, Aiden sheathed his Dragon Slayer. The first Minotaur had met a swift end, and now, seeing a solitary Minotaur that had strayed from the group, he felt his long-dormant fists clench tightly. Before beginning his serious training, he wanted to have some fun.

"Tempest."

As soon as Aiden uttered the incantation, Tempest activated. A gentle breeze enveloped him, and in an instant, intertwining air currents wrapped around his fists and body.

The Minotaur, breathing heavily as if in rage over its comrade's death, roared and charged at Aiden.

As the Minotaur attacked, Aiden, who had been patiently waiting, unleashed a powerful punch, infused with tremendous force, directly onto the Minotaur's sturdy head.

Bang!

The impact sounded like the collision of giant boulders. The Minotaur let out a wail, almost incapacitated by Aiden's punch. It could now only struggle to stand, barely able to move.

Aiden's inborn divine strength erupted as his right fist struck again. His fists moved at blinding speed, a flurry of punches enveloping the nearly incapacitated Minotaur. The barrage of blows, relentless and torrential, completely overwhelmed the beast. The sound of incessant, muffled impacts filled the air.

"ORA ORA ORA!"

The Minotaur let out a despairing howl, trying to escape Aiden's storm of punches. Yet, it was like a small boat in the middle of a raging storm, tossed around by the relentless waves and wind.

Blood seeped continuously from its muscles as solid as marble.

Finally, Aiden delivered a powerful kick, his leg whipping like a lash and striking the Minotaur's abs with the force of a thunderbolt. The blow was so mighty that it bent the Minotaur's massive body into the shape of a cooked shrimp. It flew through the air like a baseball hit for a home run. Amidst a cloud of dust, the giant body tumbled and rolled, finally coming to a stop and becoming part of the swirling dust.

Within the massive dust cloud, several pairs of enormous bull eyes glowed with a crimson light.

Confronted by this many Minotaurs, even Aiden couldn't afford to be careless. A joyful smile curled at the corners of his mouth as he drew his Dragon Slayer.

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