CHAPTER 64: TAURUS THE MINOTAUR

The chamber entrance loomed before them like the maw of some ancient beast, its stone archway carved with symbols that seemed to writhe in the flickering torchlight.

The sounds of destruction echoed from within, each impact making the very walls tremble with barely contained violence.

"CRASH!"

"BOOM!"

"SMASH!"

Jack gripped Corvin’s feathers tighter, feeling the massive raven’s muscles tense beneath him as they prepared to enter whatever hell awaited beyond that archway. The creature’s intelligence sparkled through their soul link, tactical awareness flowing between them like a shared breath.

’Whatever’s in there is big, angry, and probably hasn’t had visitors in a very long time,’ Jack thought, lightning already beginning to crackle around his fingertips in anticipation.

"ROOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRR!"

The roar that erupted from the chamber was so powerful that it sent loose stones cascading from the ceiling above them. Dust rained down like gray snow, coating Jack’s hair and shoulders as he tried to peer into the darkness beyond.

"CLATTER!"

"CRASH!"

"PING!"

’Alright, Corvin. Time to see what we’re dealing with.’

The raven’s only response was to spread his wings wider and dive through the archway with the fluid grace of death itself.

The chamber beyond was a masterpiece of ancient engineering and current destruction. Massive stone columns supported a vaulted ceiling that disappeared into shadow, while the floor was polished marble that reflected torchlight like dark water.

Or at least, it had been polished marble before something very large and very angry had begun destroying everything in sight.

Deep furrows scored the once-perfect floor, gouged by claws that could rend steel. Chunks of stone lay scattered throughout the space, the remains of decorative pillars that had been reduced to rubble.

Ancient murals that had once adorned the walls were now cracked and faded, their images partially obscured by what appeared to be claw marks.

But it was the creature responsible for all this destruction that made Jack’s breath catch in his throat.

"Holy shit," Jack breathed, the words escaping his lips before he could stop them.

The Minotaur stood in the center of the devastated chamber, and even the word ’stood’ seemed inadequate to describe the sheer presence the beast commanded. It towered nearly three meters tall, its frame packed with muscle that rippled beneath fur-covered hide like steel cables under tension.

The creature’s head was that of a massive bull, complete with curved horns that could gore a man in half and eyes that burned with an intelligence far beyond any mere animal. Its nostrils flared with each breath, producing snorts that sounded like steam engines building pressure.

A thick gold ring pierced its nose, glinting in the torchlight with every movement. The only concession to modesty was a simple loincloth that somehow made the creature appear even more intimidating, as if civilization was just a thin veneer barely containing something primal and savage.

But it was the weapon that truly caught Jack’s attention.

[Enemy Detected:Taurus]

[Rank: Dread]

[Level: 42]

[HP: 5,000]

[Skills: Berserker Rage, Charge, Stone Smash, Intimidating Roar]

The Minotaur gripped a war hammer that was easily the size of Jack himself. The weapon’s head was carved from what appeared to be a single piece of obsidian, its surface etched with runes that pulsed with malevolent energy.

The handle was wrapped in leather that had been stained dark with what Jack really hoped wasn’t blood.

"SNORT!"

"HUFF!"

The beast’s breathing was like the sound of a forge bellows, each exhalation visible in the chamber’s cool air. Its burning gaze fixed on Jack and Corvin the moment they entered, its eyes assessing them with the cold calculation of an experienced predator.

"ROOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRR!"

The Minotaur’s challenge echoed through the chamber with bone-rattling force, its voice carrying the accumulated rage of centuries spent in solitary confinement. The sound was so powerful that cracks appeared in several of the remaining stone pillars.

Lightning crackled around his body as he raised his spear, the weapon’s crystalline point blazing with contained electrical energy.

Corvin didn’t need any further encouragement. The massive raven launched himself into the air with a powerful downstroke of his wings, ascending rapidly toward the chamber’s shadowed ceiling. His form seemed to merge with the darkness above, becoming a shadow among shadows.

The Minotaur tracked the raven’s flight with obvious wariness, its massive head swiveling to follow the aerial threat. But that moment of distraction was exactly what Jack had been waiting for.

’Thunder Stomp!’

Jack brought his foot down with tremendous force, channeling electrical energy through the marble floor toward his massive opponent. Lightning erupted from the point of impact, racing across the chamber in jagged lines that carved glowing tracks in the stone.

"CRACK!"

"SIZZLE!"

"BOOM!"

The electrical discharge struck the Minotaur dead center, but instead of the devastating damage Jack had expected, the beast merely staggered slightly. Its thick hide seemed to absorb much of the lightning’s power, reducing what should have been a crippling blow to merely an annoyance.

[-1,476 HP]

[Dungeon Lord Taurus: 3,524/5,000 HP]

’Tough bastard,’ Jack thought, already moving as the Minotaur’s gaze snapped back to him with murderous intensity. ’Magical resistance, probably from all those years soaking up dungeon energy.’

"GRAAAHHHHHHH!"

The Minotaur’s roar of rage was cut short as Corvin struck from above. The raven’s Shadow Strike ability activated mid-dive, wreathing his form in writhing darkness as he plummeted toward the beast’s broad shoulders.

Corvin’s talons, each one sharp as a sword blade, raked across the Minotaur’s back and neck. Dark blood sprayed across the chamber walls as the raven’s claws found purchase in the thick hide.

"BELLOW!"

The Minotaur’s cry of pain and fury was like the sound of a mountain falling. The beast spun with surprising agility for something of its size, the massive war hammer swinging in a wide arc toward the airborne raven.

But Corvin was already gone, his Shadow Strike carrying him clear of the retaliatory blow. The war hammer struck empty air with enough force to shatter stone, the displaced wind from its passage strong enough to knock Jack off balance.

"CRASH!"

The hammer struck one of the remaining pillars, reducing the ancient stonework to rubble in a single blow. Chunks of marble rained down across the chamber, forcing Jack to dive and roll to avoid being crushed.

’Lightning Steps!’

Jack teleported behind the Minotaur as it recovered from its massive swing, appearing directly in the creature’s blind spot. His spear blazed with electrical energy as he thrust forward with all his strength.

’Lightning’s Embrace!’

The crystalline spear tip struck the Minotaur’s lower back, lightning crackling along the weapon’s length as it punched through the beast’s natural armor. The Minotaur arched its back in agony, a bellow of pain escaping its massive lungs.

[-209 HP]

[Dungeon Lord Taurus: 3,315/5,000 HP]

But the beast’s reaction was faster than Jack had anticipated. Even wounded, the Minotaur spun with the fluid grace of a trained fighter, its free hand sweeping toward Jack in a backhand that could crush bone.

Jack tried to duck under the blow, but the Minotaur’s reach was too great. The beast’s knuckles caught him across the chest, lifting him off his feet and sending him flying across the chamber.

"THUD!"

"OOF!"

Jack crashed into a pile of rubble, sharp stone fragments digging into his back as he struggled to breathe around what felt like cracked ribs. The impact had driven the air from his lungs, leaving him gasping like a fish out of water.

[-284 HP]

[Current HP: 316/600]

’Son of a bitch hits like a freight train,’ Jack thought groggily, spitting blood from a split lip. The coppery taste filled his mouth as he pushed himself to his feet, lightning crackling weakly around his bruised form.

The Minotaur had turned its attention back to Corvin, who was circling overhead like a feathered harbinger of doom. The beast’s eyes tracked the raven’s movement with predatory focus, its war hammer held ready for another devastating swing.

"ROAR!"

The challenge was directed upward this time, the Minotaur’s voice carrying a note of respect for the aerial opponent that had actually managed to draw its blood.

But Corvin’s response was to fold his wings and dive again, shadows coiling around his form as he activated another Shadow Strike. This time, however, the Minotaur was ready.

The war hammer swept upward in a perfectly timed arc, its obsidian head trailing dark energy as it met Corvin’s diving form.

"CLANG!"