"Inhale... Exhale..."
"Right off the bat, you throw me a major challenge. I'm barely getting used to this; couldn't you start with a regular four-digit trial to ease me in?"
Although Bell's words were filled with complaints, the aura radiating from his body began to sharpen.
Facing the tough, thick-skinned Golden Bull, mercy was simply not an option.
This bull had the resilience to withstand even Tiamat's attacks, so showing mercy would only invite unnecessary trouble.
"Moo!!!"
A long, deep bellow resonated throughout the entire floor, and the overwhelming aura hit Bell like a wave. Yet, the emotions carried within the bull's cry left Bell momentarily confused.
Excitement, resentment, scrutiny, and curiosity—all mixed together in an oddly symmetrical pattern.
Bell couldn't understand why the bull from Type-Moon seemed to carry so much emotion.
Even though he didn't fully grasp the Golden Bull's intent, a fight now seemed unavoidable.
He flexed his limbs slightly.
As the battle drew closer, Bell briefly considered whether he should use the "Simulated Star Creation Map."
If he deployed it immediately, the battle would be over swiftly. No god had ever survived after entering his "Simulated Star Creation Map."
After a moment's consideration, Bell decided to forgo it.
"Let's test things a bit."
He wasn't sure whether his current power could affect a four-digit god. If it could, Bell preferred to fight and use the opportunity to test his limits.
"Here we go, Gugalanna!"
As if responding to Bell's voice, the distant bull's eyes narrowed, and all emotion faded as it focused entirely on the upcoming battle.
A battle-filled bellow echoed, matching Bell's resolve.
"Moo!!!"
After exchanging their battle spirits, man and beast charged at each other almost simultaneously.
The massive Gugalanna lacked the speed of Bell, who, despite his smaller size, was incredibly agile.
In an instant, the two collided.
The young man, overestimating his strength, swung his clenched fist at the golden, armored bull's face.
"Thud!"
The spot where Bell struck caved in slightly.
"Sizzle!"
A torrent of lightning instantly surrounded the young man.
Realizing the danger, Bell stomped on the golden bull's face and quickly retreated. Yet, the lightning didn't relent and quickly followed his movements.
Bell cursed under his breath, "What a pain."
His eyes narrowed, and in an instant, he analyzed the essence and composition of the lightning.
With a wave of his hand, an invisible barrier appeared.
"Boom!"
"Crackle!"
Every lightning bolt slammed into the invisible barrier, disintegrating instantly.
But Bell had no time to watch.
A shadow appeared before him—Gugalanna's golden hoof.
With little room to dodge, Bell braced himself, pressing both hands against the hoof.
The weight was extraordinary, nearly causing Bell to lose control of his arms. The impact numbed his hands, and his body was sent flying backward with incredible speed.
It took him a moment to regain control after flying a considerable distance.
Looking at his numb hands, Bell felt a hint of astonishment.
"This guy isn't just tough; his speed and strength are no joke."
"Strength really isn't my specialty. One hit nearly sent me flying all the way back to the entrance."
He lightly shook his hands, and the numbness quickly began to fade.
This was Bell's first time colliding directly with such a powerhouse.
It felt oddly refreshing, even exhilarating.
Though his strength paled in comparison to Gugalanna's, Bell's endurance and recovery were still impressive.
At the same time, Bell noticed something else.
"Because of his massive size, his speed is deceptively difficult to gauge. No—his sheer size makes his initial acceleration slow. Once he gains momentum, though, his agility suffers considerably..."
"Therefore, when attacking, he likely needs to coordinate with other attacks to feint, ensuring more precise strikes against me."
"However, his attack range is very wide, so evading isn't easy. But..."
As Bell analyzed, a smile spread across his face.
Gugalanna was incredibly tough, but the more difficult the fight, the more exhilarated Bell felt. The apprehension and nervousness before the battle vanished, replaced by pure excitement. No fear remained, only a burning drive to charge forward.
This time, Bell increased his speed even more.
He was so fast that even Gugalanna didn't have time to react.
With the bull's massive jaw in front of him, Bell tightened his fist, adding a bit of magical energy to enhance his destructive and explosive power. He threw an uppercut.
"Boom!"
The giant bull's head was knocked back slightly.
Gugalanna's enormous eyes flickered with confusion for a moment, but in the next instant, it realized it had been struck.
The bull rose again.
"Moo!!!"
Surrounded by crackling lightning, Gugalanna slammed its head down, raising its massive hoof again.
But this time, Bell moved faster. Before the hoof could strike, he reappeared at the base of the leg.
"Second time? You think you'll succeed?"
Bell's eyes narrowed as he threw a powerful punch into the bull's leg. The blow exploded inside.
"Boom!"
A deep, three-meter bloodied hole was torn open.
The thigh of the bull's hoof was unarmored, meaning these joints were its weakest points.
"Moo!!!"
Sure enough, the shattered leg caused Gugalanna to feel a deep pain, as if its front hooves were about to be ripped apart.
Gugalanna, filled with both fury and shock, responded immediately.
Lightning surged across its body. Despite its lack of agility, the massive storm still had the power to push back any enemy.