Battle of Beasts

{–900HP}

Levi swiftly plunged his blade into the hand of the beast forcing it to let go as it emitted a low pained grunt.

Levi retracted his blade and quickly widened the gap between him and the enemy. He didn't know if he was going to defeat this monster but he was sure that if he lost his blade at this point it would most definitely be the end for him.

With the way things were going, Levi began doubting if he could actually take down this invincible beast. 

The minotaur was both faster and stronger than him. He could no longer keep up with the demanding battle due to exhaustion.

He had lost more than half of his health from that second attack, which meant that he couldn't afford to take another hit, he had to find a way to end this fight as soon as possible.

Levi had one more trick up his sleeve, he hadn't used his buff Effect, Demonic beast presence. The effect was supposed to be more effective against enemies with low wisdom, like the minotaur, so maybe it could give him an edge.

The minotaur had fully recovered from Levi's last attack and closed the gap between them in an instant.

<Demonic Beast Presence Activated>

The air around Levi changed instantly as he began emitting a very intimidating aura. The effect was depleting his mana reserve at an alarming rate.

As Levi activated the effect it stopped the monster mid-swing. It was frozen in place as a shiver of fear gripped the minotaur. 

Levi knew the effect would be effective on the beast because of its low wisdom but he never expected it to completely petrify the beast.

What Levi didn't know was that along with partial blindness, the minotaur had the natural ability to sense the aura of any creature and it could perfectly identify who this ominous aura belonged to.

It was Aigar, the king of destruction. Without a proper sense of sight to reveal the image of its enemy, it could only assume that Aigar had somehow broken out of the temple.

In all its years of guarding the temple, it had always feared the day this would happen. The day the beast would return, to reign destruction on the earth. Frightened and distraught the beast was completely paralyzed by terror, even the most powerful predator becomes prey when placed before an even more powerful predator, that was the natural order of things.

This moment gave Levi the chance to leap over the beast and drive his blade into its neck, swiftly slicing the head off.

{Critical hit –16280}

{A-rank beast slayed -57,765xp gained}

{You have leveled up} X20

Current Level: 28

{You have received 630SP}

The dead minotaur pixelated and disappeared leaving behind a few items including Levi's axe.

_____

Gold nose ring

A special item worth 300 gold coins

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Minotaur's horns

Grade: Mid-grade

Info: The horn of a minotaur is the hardest part of its body, almost unbreakable by any other weapon. In the hands of a skilled craftsman, it can be used to make a powerful weapon.

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Minotaur's Battleaxe 

Grade: High-grade

Info: The double-headed battle axe is a traditional weapon that was used by Kerra, the snow minotaur. Durability (9854/11432)

 (Attack power 1986-2314)

User restriction: level 110+, Strength 500+

–––––

Exhausted and breathless, with adrenaline still coursing through his veins, the victorious warrior stood amidst the aftermath. 

Eyes wide with a mix of astonishment and relief, a faint, triumphant smile played on his lips as Levi pridefully absorbed the gravity of his victory.

A moment of silence followed, interrupted only by the synthetic voice of Blue.

[Commendable strategy, I must admit that you might have a talent for battle. Choosing to activate that effect at the last minute was a good plan]

Levi knew that wasn't his intention but it had still worked out anyway so maybe he did have a talent for battle, afterall it was one of the main reasons why he wanted to become a warrior. The adventurous Spirit that can only be satisfied by the thrill of battling and defeating a monster.

He thought back to the times he would spend hours in the craft shop with nothing better to do than imagine himself fighting beasts and monsters, the pleasure and satisfaction that followed could never be compared to the real thing.

Levi retrieved his axe from among the drops. It was worn out from the battle, with its once gleaming surface now marred by scratches and nicks making the edges dull.

A quick check revealed that the durability of the weapon had drastically reduced and from the looks of things, he couldn't use it in his next battle.

"I'll need to find a way to repair it" he reasoned

[I wouldn't advise that, repaired weapons are considerably weaker compared to newly forged weapons, why don't you use the horn of the minotaur to craft a new one, it's a very durable high-quality material]

"craft a new one?" Levi mumbled to himself as he picked up the horn

"That's a good idea, do you think it would make a good axe?"

[Are you still going to stick to using an axe? You could use a more efficient weapon like a sword or a spear, it has been proven to offer more precision and speed with a wide range of versatility]

"I doubt I'd notice all these differences, the axe offers more balance and attack power, and besides I have the short blade as support"

[It appears that I was mistaken, your choice of weapon was also a strategic move, afterall research in the history of warfare has proven that the mastery of the dual sword is the highest achievable proficiency in close combat. So I suppose this combination also isn't a bad one

The horn is very hard material and it can't be forged by just any craftsman. He would have to be a very skilled and experienced craftsman]

"Hmmm… hopefully Father can make something good out of this"

Levi turned to see Aiden emerge from behind a boulder. He had since been hiding after the minotaur's first attack.

"I knew that monster was no match for you, warrior Levi" Aiden pridefully said as he approached Levi, giving him a light pat on the shoulder.

"And that's why you choose to remain hidden all this while?" Levi sarcastically replied

"hehe, It was a tactical move my friend… so what's our next course of action Warrior?" 

"We have everything we need so we can head back, I heard this place gets even colder when the sun sets so we have to get to the First Village as quick as possible if you don't want to freeze to death" Levi firmly stated as he led the way back to the village.

The companions began their journey back to the first village.

Perched high atop a mountain, an ominous figure observed intently as the companions strolled away.

"I knew it," Glint murmured. "Those two are very interesting. I can no longer sense Aigar's presence... Was it the warrior?" he questioned himself.

"Things are about to become entertaining... and just at the right time, I was already getting tired of the quietness in Aetheria," he chuckled.