The deeper they ventured into the dungeon, the heavier the air became. A suffocating pressure clung to the walls, thick with an unseen force that made each breath feel heavier than the last.
Yuuya, Christina, and Leonhardt moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing against the ancient stone floor. The only light came from faintly glowing crystals embedded in the walls, casting eerie shadows.
At last, they reached the end of the passage. A massive double door of dark iron loomed before them, carved with ancient runes. This was the boss room.
Leonhardt narrowed his eyes. "This is strange."
Christina, still gripping her sword tightly, frowned. "What do you mean?"
Leonhardt turned to them, his usual composed expression tinged with unease. "The boss of this dungeon has always been a D-rank Ogre. It's strong, but nothing too dangerous for trainees." His gaze hardened. "But something is different. This dungeon… has changed."
Yuuya remained silent, but he could feel it too. A wrongness in the air. The mana flowing unnaturally.
Christina swallowed, but then forced herself to straighten. "So what? We came all this way. Backing down isn't an option."
Leonhardt studied them both, as if weighing whether to stop them. But after a moment, he sighed. "Fine. But stay alert. If things go south, we retreat immediately. Understood?"
Yuuya and Christina nodded.
With a deep breath, Leonhardt pushed open the doors.
The boss chamber stretched before them—a vast, circular stone arena. The ceiling arched high above, barely visible in the dim light. The room was empty.
Nothing stirred.
No ogre. No enemy in sight.
Just… silence.
Christina tightened her grip on her sword. "Where's the boss?"
Leonhardt took a cautious step forward, scanning the room. "Something isn't right. Be careful—"
BOOOOM!!
The stone wall to their left exploded outward, sending debris flying. A deafening roar shook the chamber as something massive emerged from the wreckage.
A towering figure stepped into the light, its form so large that it barely fit within the chamber.
A Minotaur.
But not just any Minotaur.
This one was far larger than normal, standing at nearly four meters tall. Its dark crimson hide was covered in jagged scars, its black horns curved and wickedly sharp. Chains still dangled from its wrists, as if it had been restrained… and recently escaped.
Its eyes glowed red, burning with fury.
Leonhardt's breath caught in his throat.
"Impossible."
Yuuya narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"
Leonhardt's voice was grim.
"That's no ordinary Minotaur… That's an A-rank Minotaur Tyrant."
Christina's face paled. "Wait—A-rank?! This is a beginner dungeon! How the hell is an A-rank monster here?!"
Leonhardt didn't answer. His knuckles were white against his sword hilt.
(An A-rank… that's nearly on the level of an S-rank magic beast.)
It should not be in a beginner dungeon.
And yet, here it was.
The Minotaur's massive nostrils flared, its breath hot and ragged. Then—
ROOOOOOOOAAAAARRRR!
The force of its roar shattered the remaining stone wall, sending a shockwave across the chamber. The sheer bloodlust radiating from it made the air suffocating.
Christina froze. Her sword trembled in her grasp. Her legs locked in place.
(So much pressure… I can't move…)
Leonhardt clenched his jaw. His instincts screamed at him to protect the others—but even he knew this fight would be nothing like before.
Yuuya, however, stepped forward.
"Leonhardt, Christina. Get a grip." His voice was calm—but sharp, cutting through their fear.
Leonhardt exhaled, forcing himself to focus.
Christina's body still trembled. Her mind screamed at her to run, to escape.
(What is this? Why can't I move?!)
Yuuya turned toward her. "Christina."
She flinched at his voice.
"You're the strongest knight in our year, right?"
Christina's breath caught.
"Then prove it."
The words shook her.
She squeezed her sword tighter—and finally, forced her body to move.
"…Right." Her voice was hoarse but determined.
Yuuya faced the monster. "Good. Because we're not running."
The Minotaur charged.
Its hoofbeats thundered against the stone, shaking the entire room. With a swing of its arm, it brought down a devastating strike—
BOOM!
The floor shattered beneath the impact.
Yuuya barely dodged in time, feeling the shockwave rush past him.
Leonhardt dashed in, slashing at the beast's side—but his sword barely cut through the thick muscle.
Christina followed up, striking at its legs, but the Minotaur swatted her away with the back of its hand.
She crashed into the wall.
Leonhardt lunged again—only for the Minotaur's massive fist to collide with his chest, sending him flying across the room. Coughing blood.
Yuuya clicked his tongue.
(Look like both of them won't be able to fight already.)
He raised his hands.
Blades of wind shot toward the Minotaur, slicing into its flesh—but the wounds were shallow.
It barely even flinched.
(Too tough… I need to go bigger.)
Yuuya's mana surged. He raised both hands—
A massive blade of compressed wind erupted, slashing straight across the Minotaur's chest—
THWACK!
The Minotaur staggered back, roaring in pain.
But it was still standing.
Yuuya gritted his teeth. He had used a high-level spell—and it wasn't enough.
Christina and Leonhardt pushed themselves up, battered and bruised.
(We can't keep this up…)
Their bodies ached. Their stamina was draining fast.
And then—
The Minotaur swung its arm again, aiming directly at Yuuya.
"YUUYA!"
The axe descended—
CLANG!
Sparks erupted as Yuuya blocked it with his sword, his arms screaming from the force.
But he held his ground.
Yuuya exhaled.
(If magic alone isn't enough…)
Then—
I'll use both.
If wind wasn't enough—then he would burn through.
Yuuya focused his mana, channeling it into his blade. The sword ignited, flames roaring to life along the steel.
Christina and Leonhardt stared in shock.
"Yuuya… you can use fire magic too?!"
Yuuya didn't answer. His eyes locked onto the Minotaur.
The beast roared and charged once more—
Yuuya dashed forward, his flaming sword carving through the air.
The Minotaur swung its massive arm, aiming to crush him—
Yuuya ducked low, slipping past the strike. With a sharp pivot, he slashed upward—
The flames exploded, searing through flesh.
The Minotaur bellowed in pain, staggering backward.
But Yuuya wasn't finished.
He channeled more mana—the fire intensifying, burning hotter. His blade glowed with blue hot flames.
"What is that magic" Leonhardt in awe seeing Yuuya power
And then—
He lunged forward, twisting his body mid-air—
The sword cut clean through, slicing straight across the Minotaur's neck.
For a moment—silence.
Then—
The Minotaur's head fell.
The massive body collapsed, shaking the entire chamber.
Thud.
Yuuya staggered back, panting. His vision blurred, his mana almost completely drained.
Christina and Leonhardt, bruised and battered, stared in disbelief.
Leonhardt let out a breathless laugh. "We… actually won. You one crazy kid Yuuya.."
Christina exhaled, a shaky smile forming. "That was insane…"
Then—
They all collapsed.
After a few hours past,
The academy gates burst open, slamming against the stone walls as three battered figures stumbled into view.
Dragging behind them—
A massive, bloodied corpse.
The Minotaur Tyrant lay motionless, its enormous body leaving a trail of dust and crimson streaks across the ground. The lifeless beast, an A-rank monster, should have never been inside a beginner dungeon. And yet, here it was—brought down by three students who now barely stood upright.
For a moment, silence hung in the air.
Then—
"Wh—what the hell?!" One of the academy guards stepped forward, his hand instinctively gripping his spear. His face paled as he took in the sheer size of the monster.
Several instructors rushed forward, their eyes wide in disbelief. There even some student watching the situation from a far
"That… that's a Minotaur!" One of them stammered. "How did three students—?!"
Another instructor turned to the trio, taking in their bruised, bloodied, and utterly exhausted state.
"Get the healers! Now!"
A team of school nurses and healing mages ran forward without hesitation, their hands glowing with warm, golden light.
The moment Yuuya felt the first touch of healing magic, the warmth spreading through his aching limbs, exhaustion slammed into him like a tidal wave.
His vision blurred. His body gave out.
His knees hit the ground.
Leonhardt collapsed beside him, a tired but satisfied grin on his face. "I've… had worse…" he muttered breathlessly before letting his head fall back onto the cobblestone.
Christina, barely conscious, swayed on her feet. She took one look at the stunned faces of the instructors and the massive beast corpse behind them—then groaned.
"Next time… I pick the adventure…"
She barely got the words out before her legs buckled.
As she fell, one of the nurses barely managed to catch her before she hit the ground.
The last thing Yuuya heard before his vision went dark—
A flurry of panicked voices.
"Get them to the infirmary—immediately!"
"They shouldn't even be alive after facing that thing!"
"Inform the Headmaster immediately."
"What kind of monsters are these kids…?"
And then—
Everything faded to black.