CHAPTER 10: FIRST BATTLE

[You have gained 2 stat points, 10 Demonic energy]

After close to an hour of using the cultivation technique, Silva finally got something, but it wasn’t that much.

"Oh, come on, all that for this? Well, I guess the negative energy around isn’t so high," he said before pushing himself into a sitting pose. He swung his feet of the bed and clasped his hands together.

’A lot has happened to me in just a few days, new changes, I have felt new pain, and now I’m here.

It all happened because I’m weak. If I was stronger, I wouldn’t need to worry about rent and Ella’s fees. I’d make enough money to take her to the best schools and give her the best life.

If this system can somehow make me stronger, just enough to give Ella a better life, I don’t care what it might take from me or where it leads me.’ Silva concluded in his mind. There was no backing away for him at this point. He had seen an opportunity, and he would take it.

"System, tell me about those keys you gave me," Silva asked.

[Key of Minotaur’s Gate: opens a gate into a Minotaur dungeon]

"A gate, huh? So I have five opportunities to enter a gate. If I’m the only one that has this, then it means it has to be special. The risk is, what if I die in there?" Silva asked.

"No, that’s not enough reason to back down. Enough bitching around, it’s time I really take risks."

"Open the gate, system," he said.

It was the middle of the night, and a purple portal opened in his room. He was still in his hospital gown. He looked at the cupboard in the room and opened it.

His clothes were there, tattered by all the attacks he had faced, but they were clean. Not thinking much about it, he put them on and then faced the gate. He drew a deep breath, the cold sore pressing against the back of his throat.

He stepped in.

The moment he walked out the other side, he was inside a cave, a cave dimly lit by blue crystals that stuck to the wall.

[You have entered a Minotaur Gate]

The smell of rotten flesh reached his nose. He scrunched his nose and looked around. There was nothing there except the path that led deep into the cave.

"I didn’t even take a weapon, shit, what was my thought process?" he said. But then he recalled the skill he got.

[Claw Strike]

He didn’t bother reading the description. He simply thought about it, and the information on what to do came naturally. He slashed with his fingers and five purple claw arcs shot out and dug into the cave wall, a few inches deep.

He felt the energy leave his body quickly, but that wasn’t anything. He was elated when he saw the damage the attack could do.

Never had he done this much damage to anything before. He was a sensory type, and so he had never had the chance of actually battling anything.

Regardless of that, he still trained himself in basic combat and strength training, even if he never used it.

His attack on the wall seemed to have drawn the attention of something, as he sensed a presence approaching fast.

Even after gaining his system, he didn’t lose his sensory ability. The creature heading toward him was a seven-foot-tall bull on two legs with a battle axe. It was a Minotaur.

Just from using his sensing to see the monster, fear had already filled his heart, sweat tricked down his head and he clenched his fists. It was almost twice his size, looked stronger, moved faster, and had a freaking axe with him. There was no way, on paper, the normal Silva would be able to put up a fight.

Luckily, he wasn’t the same person as a few days ago. Now he had a shot, and he was going to give his all to not miss it.

The Minotaur finally came into view. It stopped the moment it saw Silva, and then let out a heavy breath, steam coming out from its nostrils as its red eyes locked on Silva.

Its black fur looked like it was made of metal, and its muscles looked ready to rip through its skin.

Silva stared at this monster. He took a deep breath and then got into a boxing stance, jumping from side to side on his toes.

His heart was racing, everything in his body told him to run away. But there was a low voice at the back of his head telling him different: "Now or never, you don’t have to keep running."

He listened to that tiny voice and then lunged forward, running as fast as he could. The Minotaur took this as an insult. It rose its battle axe into the air, swinging its arm back until its muscles seemed like they would rip.

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" it roared with a thunderous cry before swinging at full speed, the axe ripping through the air.

Luckily, Silva kept his sensing activated, and with its help, he knew there was no way he would be dodging an attack like that.

Immediately, he forced himself to a stop and leaped back.

BOOOOOM

The axe slammed into the ground. The floor exploded into bits, dust rose, fragments flying in all directions, some slamming into Silva. He placed his hands to block his head and ribs. The flying fragments cut through his arms and lower abdomen, the pain was intense.

His ear rang from the sound, making it hard for him to concentrate, but he shook his head, gritted his teeth and landed on the ground, skidding backward. He looked through the gap in his hands and saw that the Minotaur was already rushing toward him.

Without any other option, he used the Claw Strike. The purple arcs traveled fast. The Minotaur managed to block with its axe, but it was pushed back a few feet, and deep gashes were left in the axe.

The Minotaur stared at the axe, now convinced that Silva was actually a threat. It let out another steaming breath, ran its foot over the ground like a bull about to launch forward.

Silva clenched his fist, blood dripping from his wounds, he locked eyes with the Minotaur. For the first time, he didn’t feel like a prey or useless.