“Oh, lord.. What a monstrosity!”
Ethan and the others nearby stared in shock at the colossal demonic entity on the frontline.
The creature, nearly 250 meters long, loomed over them like a mountain, its massive form dwarfing everything around it.
Even with the Sunfire Crow’s illumination, they struggled to see its full shape; the creature’s pitch-black color blended seamlessly with the darkness.
The Dreadnaught Colossus was the embodiment of pure darkness, a demon forged from darkness and skeletons. Its skull-like head, crowned with jagged obsidian horns, bears hollow sockets filled with swirling voids that could devour light.
With each step, its legs (pillars of darkness) crush the earth beneath them, leaving voids where the ground has been consumed by shadow.
Its entire being exudes an aura of dread, bending light and space around it, as the air grows cold and hope fades in its presence.
Some hunters had already lost control, wetting themselves in terror after locking eyes with the monstrous entity.
As soon as Ethan was about activate Appraisal, he felt an overwhelming amount of dread. It’s as if his instincts was screaming not to do it at all cost. He felt like he could be turned to ashes instantly upon doing it.
Ethan felt cold head to toe, shivering all over.
“What the hell! Who in their right mind would face this thing?”
Roar!
Howl!
Screech!
But, their horror was short-lived as they watched yet another horde of beasts began to emerge from the wilderness, charging directly into the fray.
“Damn it,” Marcus cursed in frustration as he saw thousands of more beasts were on the way. His eyes turned red, but he felt overwhelming despair inside.
“Oh no! Are we going to die like this?” Panic spread among the ordinary hunters as the newly arrived beasts swarmed them.
By this time, they had nearly depleted all their Mana Reserves and supplies. Exhaustion weighed heavily on them after the prolonged battle.
Struggling to keep up with the berserk beasts’ relentless assault, several hunters were crushed in the chaos.
“Run! Run!” Some scrambled away in fear, dragging their exhausted bodies.
“O Source of All Being, in Your hands, the stars are born, and the earth finds form. Guide us, Your humble servants, as we walk the paths You have shaped. May we be ever mindful of Your eternal light, which breathes life into all creation,” some prayed earnestly, preparing for what seemed like their inevitable deaths.
“Ahh!” A girl screamed as she saw a giant serpent propelling itself toward her, its gaping mouth and sharp teeth ready to seal her fate.
Ethan moved swiftly, his sword slicing through the air as he killed the serpent instantly, saving the girl from certain death.
“T-Thank you..!” The girl, snapping back to her senses, expressed her gratitude with a trembling voice.
Without wasting a moment, Ethan dashed off to aid another person in need. With plenty of Mana still at his disposal, he was determined to keep fighting. To him, these berserk beasts weren’t just threats—they were experience points.
As the essences of the fallen enemies flowed into him, he felt himself inching closer to leveling up.
“Phew….” Cedric, being exhausted, watched Ethan in disbelief and shook his head in defeat. “How can anyone keep up with this guy?” Still he felt pride knowing such a person was his friend.
Meanwhile, Yona was fully engaged in battle with a giant bird in the sky, her mind focused and sharp, while Marcus fought recklessly as ever.
Roar!
Without warning, a giant humanoid beast with long, fiery horns charged at Ethan. He was wielding a heavy stone axe, that resonated through the air.
The sound of the Minotaur’s hooves pounding against the ground was like distant thunder, each step resonating with primal force.
Ethan’s Predator Instincts flared, his senses sharpening as he turned to face the beast. The Minotaur swung its axe with immense power, the sheer force of the blow sending a gust of air that made Ethan’s hair nestled around.
“Damn it…” Ethan felt the crushing weight of the attack and knew he needed to act quickly. He activated Shadow Step, vanishing in a blur of shadow hoping to evade the strike.
Yet, to his dismay, the axe seemed to have the ability to track his every movement, its arc following him through the air.
“Shit!”
Realizing that fleeing wasn’t an option, Ethan stopped mid-movement, a cold sweat forming on his forehead.
He swiftly activated Earth Manipulation, channeling a substantial amount of Mana into the ground. With a focused effort, he conjured a massive Stone Boulder, hurling it into the path of the descending axe.
“Boom!” The collision was deafening. The stone boulder and the axe met with a thunderous impact, sending a shockwave rippling through the surrounding area.
“Bang!” The force of the blast knocked Ethan off his feet, sending him stumbling backward, his body crashing into the ground.
But, the Minotaur stood like mountain, his face turned into a scowl.
[ Appraisal ]
[ Netherhorn Minotaur ]
[ Power Level: 31 ]
[ Health: 7,000 ]
[ Abilities:]
[ ★ Devastating Swing: Unleashes a powerful axe swing with the potential to cause massive damage and create shockwaves.]
[★ Nether Horn burst: Channels nether fiery energy through its horns to create a massive, explosive shockwave that radiates outward. The burst inflicts substantial fire and dark damage, ignites and disorients enemies, and can cause structural collapse within the impact zone.]
[ ★ Horned Rampage: Uses its fiery horns to gore and smash through enemies, delivering both fire and physical damage.]
[★ Minotaur’s Outburst: Enters a berserk state when their health falls below 10%, increasing its strength, speed, and attack power, allowing it to perform rapid, ferocious strikes.]
“Level 31? Tough nut, aren’t you?” Ethan muttered, his eyes narrowing at the imposing Minotaur.
He quickly realized that the beast must have slipped through the frontline due to the sudden chaos. Normally, such a powerful creature wouldn’t breach the third defense line.
Surveying the battlefield, Ethan saw that the sight of the Minotaur had left everyone around him trembling with fear.
It meant everyone was in utmost danger.
“Roar… Roar…”
The ground shook with each thunderous roar, and the echo of more Minotaurs arriving became apparent. The rhythmic pounding of their hooves was like a relentless storm, making everyone’s hearts pound with dread.
Ethan cast a complicated glance over his surroundings. His mind raced to find a solution. There were nearly ten of these monstrous creatures, their power ranging from level 30 to level 35.
Marcus, his face a mask of despair, stared at the approaching Minotaurs. Despite his fierce determination, he knew that facing even one of them alone was an almost certain death sentence.
Still, he resolved himself and went to Ethan, to fight beside him, in company. That seemed to be the best option.
Cedric and Yona also followed along, finding no other options.
“Alright, time to get serious.”
Ethan glanced at them, then activated Lava Juggernaut’s (D), his most destructive skill. In an instant, he transformed into a towering seven-meter giant, a fearsome amalgamation of molten rock and searing magma.
“Inferno Leap (D)!” he commanded, charging upward amidst the Minotaurs.
The onlookers, frozen in terror and awe, gasped in amazement. “Wow!” they collectively exclaimed.
“Good heavens! What is this power? Who is this young man?” the elderly veteran hunters marveled, their eyes wide with shock. In their entire lives, they had never witnessed such a display of power.
Though they were familiar with transformation skills—typically possessed by individuals with powerful bloodlines, like those from the five great clans—Ethan’s form was entirely unprecedented.
Some veterans noted a resemblance to the Lava Giants from the newly discovered Rock Giants Cave.
“Guys, maybe he got that skill from the newly formed dungeon—Rock Giant’s Cave. I’ve seen similar monsters down there…” a young man suggested to his companions, capturing everyone’s attention.
“Ohh, Really?”
“What luck!” they whispered among themselves, their eyes gleaming with a mix of envy and excitement.
They began to plan a visit to the dungeon, hoping to survive and potentially acquire such incredible skills for themselves.
However, no one knew that it was just their wishful thinking.
Thanks for the golden tickets guys. Your motivation is flowing through my veins. Keep supporting guys. And let me know if you’re enjoying the story. We are going enter volume 2 soon. Meaning new adventure.. Can you guess?
