Chapter 31: Dungeon (X)
"Get ready you filthy beast, this arrow has a magical upgrade in it." I'm confident that this spell can destroy this stupid weakened Minotaur who's currently scratching its back on the wall.
Like a dog with a flea.
"Hmph."
I'm ready.
"[Wind Magic: Humongous Zephyr Arrow]!" I poured almost half of my mana using this one spell. The arrow was twice the size of the Minotaur, if I made it even bigger and if I ran out of mana then I would faint.
The moment I released the arrow, the world seemed to split apart.
A deafening burst of compressed wind exploded from behind me, blasting dust and rubble across the corridor as the gigantic arrow tore forward like a storm unleashed. The spinning layers of mana around it shrieked violently, carving cracks into the stone walls from sheer pressure alone.
The minotaur barely had time to react.
The arrow struck its chest with a thunderous-
BOOOOOM—!
A violent cyclone erupted on impact.
Wind burst outward in every direction, shredding the creature's thick hide as the rotating spear of air drilled straight through its torso. Flesh, armor, and bone were torn apart beneath the overwhelming pressure.
The minotaur let out a monstrous scream.
"GGRRRAAAAAAAHHHH—!!"
Then the arrow pierced completely through.
A massive hole exploded open in its chest, large enough to see through from the other side. Blood sprayed across the corridor walls in a crimson wave while shattered fragments of armor spun through the air. The force hurled the enormous creature backward before it crashed onto the ground hard enough to shake the dungeon floor.
Silence followed.
Only the fading whistle of wind remained.
Elre stared at the fallen monster with wide eyes before letting out a shaky laugh. "You actually did it…"
I dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. I mean to hell with it, I didn't think it would work either and even at the start I wanted to go back but ugh… I can't… hah… tell him that.
"Told you… one shot was enough."
For the first time since the battle began, relief settled over us.
The minotaur wasn't moving.
Its axe slipped from its hand with a dull clang while blood pooled beneath its body. Even the oppressive pressure filling the corridor seemed to vanish.
Elre grinned weakly and raised a fist toward me. "That was insane. My father was right! You're strong! I can't believe it! My brother would be so proud! How in the world did you copy my spell so quickly?!"
"It's a secret but let's just say I was born lucky." I smirked and bumped it lightly with my own. "Try not to underestimate me next time."
We were both so happy for this to be over.
Then-
THUMP.
The ground trembled.
Our smiles disappeared instantly.
The minotaur's fingers twitched.
Slowly… the monster pushed itself upright.
"What…?" (Elre) whispered.
The gaping hole in its chest began to close.
Muscles twisted and stitched themselves back together in grotesque motions while flesh regenerated at terrifying speed. Blood reversed across its body as if time itself had turned backward.
The eye I stabbed earlier regenerated completely.
Then its body changed.
Its horns split and doubled in size, curving outward like blackened blades. Muscles swelled beneath its skin while dark veins pulsed across its body. Beside the fallen axe, another weapon materialized within its grip- now carrying two enormous axes instead of one.
The pressure flooding the corridor became even heavier than before.
My phone suddenly vibrated violently in my pocket.
"...Huh?"
I pulled it out and froze.
[Error: Guardian Beast Level detected.]
[Advised to run.]
[Please run.]
A warning message. A completely new one. I slowly lifted my gaze toward the newly evolved minotaur. An awful mix of nostalgia, regret and pain peko could be felt.
If this was just any normal dungeon rpg game I would be happy to test my skills in a fight but…
"You've got to be kidding me…" I muttered. "It's a multi-phase boss fight."
A multi-phase boss fight was exactly what it sounded like- a monster that changed forms after taking lethal damage. Instead of dying, it entered another "phase," becoming stronger, faster, and far more dangerous than before. Most dungeon creatures only had one form.
But Guardian Beasts were different.
They were designed to punish adventurers who celebrated too early.
"Why… did we have to celebrate so early…" I cried internally as I counted the scraps of mana I had left.
It wasn't enough.
At best, I could create one more massive arrow and gamble everything on a single shot against the newly evolved minotaur. But after watching it regenerate from a hole through its chest…
I wasn't sure that would be enough anymore.
"I-I… Francisca, what should we do? T-This?! I-I don't know what to do!" Elre's voice shook violently. "I-Is it possible for you to make the same spell from before?"
I forced myself to stay calm despite the fear clawing at my chest. I'm… scared too but I should stay calm and see if we can find another exit somewhere or something!
If we didn't think of something soon-
THUNK—!
The dungeon doors burst open.
"What now?!"
Several silver-haired elves rushed inside with bows drawn, their footsteps echoing through the corridor. At the very front stood Chief Helbram himself, cloak fluttering behind him as he entered the dungeon with terrifying composure.
"Father!"
"Chief Helbram!"
Relief crossed the chief's face the moment he saw Elre alive.
But it vanished instantly when his eyes landed on the transformed minotaur. The creature growled deeply, both axes dragging across the floor with murderous intent.
"I won't lose the only son that I have left to the likes of you!" Chief Helbram roared.
He raised his hand.
Behind him, the remaining village warriors- only five exhausted elven archers- stepped forward and drew their bows. Green mana spiraled around their arrows as they moved into formation.
"Archers!" the chief commanded. "Cast the Net Position!"
"Yes, Chief!"
The elves spread out instantly. Mana lines connected between their arrows like threads weaving through the air itself.
Chief Helbram narrowed his eyes before thrusting his hand forward.
"Fire!"
The arrows launched simultaneously.
Mid-flight, the projectiles exploded into streams of wind that intertwined together, forming a gigantic glowing net that descended upon the minotaur from every direction. The compressed currents wrapped around the beast's limbs and torso, pinning it down beneath layers of tightening pressure.
For a brief second-
It worked.
Then the minotaur roared.
"GGRRRAAAAHHH—!!"
Its twin axes swung outward with monstrous force.
BOOOOM—!
The shockwave tore straight through the wind net. The entire spell shattered into fragments of scattered mana while the elves were blown backward from the backlash.
Chief Helbram clicked his tongue and immediately prepared another spell, but Elre suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Father, stop!"
The chief frowned. "What are you doing?!"
"You're only wasting everyone's mana!" (Elre) shouted desperately. "We already beat the minotaur once, but it came back stronger! Trapping it like that won't work!"
"Elre, my foolish son!" The chief barked back. "You dare lecture me after causing this disaster?! Your mother will kill me in the afterlife if she learns where you've been!"
He smacks him right on the head but even then, Elre didn't give up convincing his own father.
"But Father, listen to me!" (Elre) pointed toward me.
Ah… please don't drag my name into this.
"You remember [Zephyr Arrow], right?! Francisca turned it into a gigantic version and pierced straight through the minotaur!"
The chief froze hearing what he just said.
"S-She did?" His eyes widened in disbelief as he turned toward me. "How could a human learn our spell? Even if it's simple, enlarging it to that extent requires terrifying concentration and mana control…"
Elre immediately faced me.
"Francisca! Can you make another one of those arrows?!"
"Yes," I answered honestly. "But with the mana I have left… I can only make one. Unlike the original version, I can't create multiple arrows. I focused my mane into a single piercing arrow that's humongous in size. If I make anymore I'll faint."
Silence filled the corridor.
Then Elre's expression changed. It was enough to give him hope it seems.
"Father-! Everyone-!" he shouted. "Give her all of our mana!"
The chief stared at him as if he'd gone insane. "Son, that is absolutely absurd! To give her all of our mana! She's just a human child! I may have recognized her strength but to leave ourselves defenseless!"
"You can make duplicates if you want, right?!" (Elre) continued desperately, he was gambling and putting all his chips to be it all in me. "If Francisca has enough mana, she can create even more of those arrows!"
"Father, trust me!" (Elre) stepped forward. "Just this once! Please! I swear we'll make it out alive if you listen to me for once!"
He pointed directly at me.
"Let's trust this human."
Chief Helbram hesitated.
The minotaur's footsteps shook the dungeon as it slowly advanced toward us, both axes dragging behind it with murderous intent.
The chief clenched his jaw.
If they failed here… the village would lose everything.
Finally, he exhaled heavily.
"…Fine."
He turned toward his remaining warriors. The chief didn't say anything at first, I stayed quiet the whole time because I didn't know what to say. If I was in his shoes I wouldn't trust a random human who got dragged into the dungeon by accident.
But finally he does something.
The elves lowered their weapons and formed a circle around me, each of them extending a hand.
"Human," Chief Helbram said firmly, "take our hands. We shall entrust you with our mana… and our faith."
I slowly reached out.
The moment our hands connected- Mana surged into me like a raging river.
A brilliant green glow erupted around my body while streams of wind spiraled violently through the corridor. My exhausted core, once nearly empty, overflowed with power so dense it made the air tremble.
The elves gritted their teeth as they transferred their strength into me without hesitation.
Even Chief Helbram joined.
I could feel it.
The spell.
The mana.
The overwhelming pressure gathering at my fingertips.
I could make the arrow again…
No-
With all this mana…
I could make far more than just one.
The torrent of mana flowing into me refused to stop.
Wind howled through the dungeon corridor so violently that loose stones began floating from the ground. The elves around me struggled to remain standing as streams of green light spiraled toward my hands.
Even the minotaur hesitated. Its massive body lowered instinctively as if sensing the danger gathering before it.
I raised my trembling hand toward the beast.
"[Wind Magic: Multiple Humongous Zephyr Arrow]!"
The pressure in the air became suffocating.
One arrow formed above me.
Then another.
And another.
Elre's eyes widened. "This is amazing…"
The arrows continued multiplying across the ceiling of the dungeon, each one enormous enough to rival a siege spear. Rotating layers of compressed wind wrapped around them while their sharpened tips screamed against the air itself.
Five.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Twenty…
The maximum arrows I could make was-!
"Thirty!"
The dungeon trembled violently beneath the overwhelming concentration of mana.
Chief Helbram stared upward in stunned silence. "This much wind mana… impossible…"
I clenched my fist. The spinning arrows aligned themselves behind me like divine weapons waiting to descend judgment.
The minotaur roared and charged. Both axes slammed against the floor as it rushed toward us with murderous fury.
I narrowed my eyes.
"HARGH!."
The world exploded.
BOOOOOOM—!!!
Every arrow fired simultaneously.
The recoil alone shattered the stone beneath my feet as the colossal wind spears tore through the corridor like raging storms unleashed from the heavens. Walls ruptured apart from the pressure while spiraling currents ripped chunks from the dungeon itself.
The minotaur swung its axes wildly in panic.
Too late.
The first arrow struck its shoulder and obliterated the entire arm in a violent burst of blood.
The second pierced through its stomach.
The third tore through its leg.
Then the rest arrived.
BAAAAM—! BOOOOM—! KRRRSHHH—!!
One after another, the gigantic arrows drilled through the guardian beast from every direction. Flesh exploded apart beneath the overwhelming pressure while torrents of blood painted the corridor crimson.
The minotaur screamed.
"GGGGRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHH—!!!"
But the barrage didn't stop.
The arrows spun violently inside its body before erupting outward, tearing massive holes through its torso and ripping armor, muscle, and bone into fragments.
One final arrow pierced straight through its head.
Silence followed.
The minotaur stood motionless for a moment.
Then-! Its body collapsed.
THUUUD—!!
The impact shook the dungeon floor.
Both axes slipped from its hands and crashed beside it while blood slowly spread beneath the massive corpse.
This time… It didn't move. The terrifying pressure filling the corridor disappeared completely.
Everyone froze. Then the tension holding us together finally snapped.
The elves dropped to their knees one after another, gasping for breath in complete exhaustion. Bows slipped from trembling fingers while several warriors collapsed flat onto the floor.
Chief Helbram let out a long, exhausted sigh before lowering his head.
Elre laughed weakly before falling backward onto the ground.
"We… actually survived…"
I tried to stay standing.
Tried.
"Omph!"
But the moment the adrenaline faded, my legs gave out completely. I collapsed onto my knees beside the others while the remaining wind mana slowly dissolved into the air.
In front of us, the minotaur's mangled body remained motionless on the ruined dungeon floor.
No regeneration.
No second phase.
No movement at all.
It was finally over.