Valor: Brave Souls

Chapter 6: First Blood

Chapter 6: First Blood

We hurry up, running as fast as we could, to arrive immediately at Zephyrus’s location. A blue transparent screen appeared on my vision showing Zephyrus and Carios’s status points. They are taking constant damage and their HP and MP are gradually depleting. Just what kind of monster they are fighting? No matter what it is, for sure it is out of their league and they need an immediate help. I can’t let them die on me.

The shaking of the ground and the cave’s ceiling continues and it’s getting stronger as we get nearer to where our comrades are. The continuous deafening roar also adds up to the tension in the atmosphere. We came into halt after we entered a huge chamber as a gigantic monster bull just shows up before our eyes, ramming its horns on the cave’s wall and crushing Carios and Zephyrus. I gasped as an initial shocked reaction but I managed to pull myself together and out of impulsiveness, I rushed in to attack that monstrous abomination. However, I remained calm even without plans on how to defeat this beast.

I quickly forged a sword using my skills, Crystallization and Manufacturer, busted it on the bull’s horn. It glared at me for a moment of seconds, making me awestruck in the air due to its ferocious crimson-red eyes. Then, it immediately vanished on its place just before I landed a blow on it. It’s fast. My omnicognition skill can’t even catch up to analyze its entirety, including its status points and skills.

I came back to my senses when both Carios and Zephyrus almost fell off to the ground. Good thing, I was able to grab their hand and catch them. They are nearly at a death state. They took a massive blow from that atrocious monster.

“Aurus, can you carry them up to the lake of Dairy Mineral? Their magicites need to be replenished and their wounds need to be healed immediately,” I said with a strong conviction.

“Yes, Miss Luna. Leave them to me,” Aurus replied. I nodded at him and sealed Carios and Zephyrus’s wounds first through crystallizing them before giving them to Aurus. The latter assisted them to stand with their hands on his shoulders and used shadow control to travel from shadows to shadows. I see, that skill is handy when it comes to transportation.

The giant monster bull positioned itself uprightly as if it’s preparing for something. I looked at Lumond for a while and we both nodded at each other. I can feel the connection of our minds. Is this because of our bloodline pact?

I snapped back when the monster in front of us thumped its robust chest several times then violet aura started to envelope its body. It started to roar again and a sudden urge of strong wind pushes us. Blue transparent screens appeared on my vision again, activating my omnicognition skill to analyze the monster.

My mouth went agape as I saw its status points skyrocketing and now its HP reaches 25,000 and its MP already hits 24,500. Its magicite level on the other hand increases five times, from 6,000 to 30,000. And as time passed by, its body became bigger and bigger. It’s now called a Megataur－the final evolved form of Minotaur. It has a towering height that almost reaches the ceiling of this chamber where we are in. According to the analysis, it is already classified as an A class danger beast that can bring forth destruction to a village. It is a rock type evil monster that knows nothing but to cause rampage. Once in a rage mode, no one can stop it from eliminating everything on its way. This is bad.

“Miss Luna, I hate to admit this but we can’t defeat that monster with our current status points and skills. Let’s escape now before it finally enters its complete rage state,” Lumond told me with a deep concern on his voice.

“You’re right. W-withdrawing from a fight is not a-always a sign of weakness. Let’s run,” I stammered. My hands were shaking. My heart went haywire. That monster is sending chills down to my spine.

We are about to escape but the Megataur summoned a massive axe on its right hand or hoof or whatever you call it and with a tremendous might, he slammed his weapon on the ground, causing a powerful earthquake that shook the whole place and making boulders of rocks fell from the ceiling. These blocked the only entrance and exit of this chamber. I can’t help but to cuss words while protecting myself from the falling much-worn masses of rocks through slashing them into pieces. I tried to activate my skill, shadow control, but it won’t activate. Come on, what’s happening.

“Solomon, what’s going on? Why I can’t use my shadow control? Aurus was able to activate his a while ago,” I mentally asked my virtual assistant with nervousness in my head.

“There is something wrong between the spaces of this area just now, Master, though I am not sure what causes it. It seems like there is someone out there who is concealing all the spaces of this chamber to stop you from escaping using shadows,” he reported.

“This is really bad!” I muttered underneath my breath. Lumond looked at me with a firm look on his face. It seems that he already has a resolve.

“We have no other choice, Miss Luna, but to defeat that monster right here, right now,” he stated. I gulped because of a sudden lump blocking my throat. Our combined status points are still too low compared to that Megataur’s. But if we can devise a good battle strategy, with our combined strength and wit in fighting, we could pull this off together. Maybe I should go back to my wolf form first because my Metamorphosis skill slowly drains my magicite while maintaining my human form.

“Lumond, let’s go. Let’s attack alternately from different directions. Clone yourself using shadows with my shared skill, Shadow Control, to confuse that Megataur.”

“Copy that, Miss Luna.” Just as what I’ve told, Lumond immediately replicated himself and made nine copies of him running around the monster. I also shared my skills, agility and enhanced strength to him, hoping he could land a blow on the enemy.

It roared again as if it was warding off its confusion then it suddenly jumped in the air and upon landing, massive shock waves were simultaneously released, causing a wide shallow crater on the ground and making Lumond’s shadow clones vanish into thin air. That monster has a terrific fighting style. It raised its giant axe and without any further ado, it struck Lumond with utmost strength. I almost lost my breath upon the collision of Lumond’s sword and the enemy’s weapon. Good thing, he managed to counter it but still, he took damage.

Sh*t, what am I doing? I need to do something. I came back to my senses when the Megataur next bashed its horns toward Lumond but I immediately went between them and summoned chains of crystals connecting on the cave’s walls to restrain the enemy. We keep our distance from it. With its enormous strength, it broke free from my chains and then gave me a terrifying death glare. You can see smoke coming out of its nostrils because of extreme anger. D*mn, those glares were sending shivers from my nape down to my back. But I mustered all my left courage to fight back. I may be weak but once I am determined, I am not scared anymore no matter how strong my enemy is.

Using the skill crystallization, I stomped the ground with my forefeet and howled. Shards of crystals materialized on the air and they synchronously rushed in toward the Megataur. But the monster effortlessly defend itself using its weapon. I didn’t give up there and I sent another wave of attack but this time, it was a multitude of giant sharp crystals coming out from the ground. The monster didn’t falter and my attacks left it unscathed. What an ominous monster.

“Solomon, what should I do now? I almost used half of my Mana Points for those attacks but the monster we are dealing with is not taking any damage.”

“Everyone has a weak spot, including monsters. You need to find that Megataur’s weakness, Master. If you knew its weakness, there’s a big possibility that you can beat it,” Solomon advised. He made sense. Wait, I can restrain it even for just a short period of time and Lumond can use that moment to launch consecutive attacks to find its body’s weak spot. He can use agility to accelerate his speed and concentrate his enhanced strength on his weapon. Okay, that’s the plan.

“Lumond, attack the monster with all your strength and might concentrated on your sword and land consecutive blows. I’ll restrain it with chains of crystals again and while I’m doing it, find its weak spot. Do you understand?” I instructed him.

“Roger, Miss Luna!” I nodded at him and we hurriedly proceeded to our plan. I howled and summoned another wave of crystal chains coming out from the cave’s walls and ceilings on different locations. I shackled the Megatuar’s hands, feet, horns, neck, belly, and confined even its giant axe. Lumond slashed the monster’s body nonstop but it only screamed in agony when his sword clashed with its horns.

“Lumond, its horns. It screamed when you swung your sword against one of its horn. Focus your attacks on its horns,” I told him as I figured out the monster’s weak spot. Without any question, Lumond followed what I’ve said.

He smashed the Megataur’s horns several times and every time he landed a blow, the monster writhed in pain and agitation. I fortified the chains restraining the enemy but my magicite and MP are running out. I still have a lot of magicite in my virtual chest but high magical energy is useless if you’re MP is rapidly decreasing. I just hope Lumond can separate that monster’s horns from its body just before my MP got drained. But even him, his status points are gradually depleting too.

“Lumond, just hold on a little longer. You can do it,” I cheered him even though my sight is slowly dimming. I can feel dizziness now due to my low MP and magicite level. My hands started to shake. But not yet. I can’t give up yet. Lumond is still doing his best to fight.

With all his strength left, he swung his sword and the Megataur’s right horn fell off to the ground. Catching his breath, he dropped his weapon and stumbled down along with the fall of the monster’s huge body. I loosen my grip on the chains and hurriedly rushed towards Lumond. I sighed as a sign of relief when I saw him just staring at the ceiling, deeply inhaling and exhaling.

“Did… we… won, Miss Luna?” he asked me and there’s an interval between his words because of extreme exhaustion. I was about to answer him but I was greatly astounded when the Megataur still have strength left and it smashed Lumond on his stomach with its one hand. The latter immediately vomited blood as he writhe in pain.

What just had happened didn’t sink in my mind immediately. There were images suddenly flashed in my head, seeing a familiar man twisting in agony and great pain too. Blood is on his mouth, chest and stomach. Tears rolled down on my cheeks and the next thing I did, I picked up the fallen horn of that atrocious monster and stabbed it on its neck without any remorse or hesitation. Thick blood freely flowed from its deep wound as it’s still fighting for its life but in just a few moments, its body slowly disintegrated into thin air while dropping some items.

Solomon’s voice echoed in my mind, telling stuffs about my newly acquired skills and the changes in my status and level but I am not in the right mood now to listen. All I think is to get Lumond to the Dairy Mineral and get him healed just before he lost his life. I don’t know but my tears were flowing nonstop. I just can’t stop crying.