Is this the second time I've faced a Minotaur?

The first encounter ended in my utter defeat.

In fact, it’s hard to even call it a fight.

It was more of a one-sided beatdown.

With one punch from the Minotaur, my shield was shattered, the next attack broke my spirit, and after that, I could do nothing but tremble in fear, awaiting death.

But what about now?

Back then, I was just a hollow shell, with only my level increased, but now, I’m a seasoned veteran with a wealth of experience.

All my stats have increased significantly, and I’ve learned holy magic.

There’s no need to even mention my battle experience.

And to top it off, I just finished doping up with all the buffs I could use, making this situation incomparable to when I faced the trials of Luel.

If this were a game, I wouldn’t have worried at all.

I used to take down Minotaurs with a level 1 character, so with this much power, I could toy with it.

But maybe because this is reality.

Or perhaps due to the memory of my crushing defeat.

My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.

<Are you okay?>

‘What do you mean?’

<You must be afraid, having been defeated once already.>

‘Thinking about it just makes me angry. Grandpa, want to see the trash compactor in action again?’

<...>

After that one remark, Grandpa went silent.

I was trying not to bring it up, but he mentioned it first.

That was your fault, Grandpa. I’m still holding a grudge, you know?

Sure, things turned out well in the end, but I’m not over it yet.

Phew.

...

The truth is, I am scared.

I’m not some invincible hero from a story.

When I first took the elixir, I wouldn’t have touched the second one if I didn’t have a skill to help me through the pain.

It was the same when I started my training.

The skill pushed me to keep going, but without it, I would have given up long ago.

The first time I faced an Orc was no different.

Could I have stayed calm without the Fear Resistance skill? I doubt it.

And it’s no different now.

Facing that monster is terrifying.

Moving my body with such intensity is exhausting.

But I can do it.

Because I have skills.

People who find themselves in these game-like worlds always rely on their skills to push forward, right?

I’m no different.

I trust that Fear Resistance will banish my fear.

I trust that my Unyielding Will won’t let me give up.

I trust that Iron Wall will block the Minotaur’s attacks.

And with that trust, I take a step forward.

‘I’m going.’

“Follow me, Pathetic Prince.”

I step out of the alley and face the Minotaur.

That massive body.

Those blood-red eyes.

The breath so hot it feels like it’s searing my skin.

And the axe that could cleave me in two.

I take a deep breath and raise my shield.

“Hello there♡ Ugly, stinky, and stupid bullhead♡”

As the Minotaur’s gaze locks onto me, I tighten my grip on the mace.

“What’s with the look, you pathetic creature?♡ Are you a masochistic pervert who wants to be slaughtered?♡ Haha♡ Fine, I’ll tenderize you with my mace♡”

With the thrill that comes from my Mesugaki skill, the Minotaur lets out a roar and charges at me.

Damn it. It’s faster than its size would suggest.

But...

This is manageable.

Crash!

The Minotaur’s axe, swung down with both hands, is blocked by my shield.

The clash of metal against metal screeches as the two forces grind against each other.

It’s strong. Disgustingly strong.

My hand holding the shield, my arm, and my shoulder all feel like they’re about to break.

But, you know, Bullhead? Did you realize something?

I haven’t even activated my buffs yet.

‘As the Lord sends His apostle to the earth...’

I recite a prayer in my mind.

One of the special abilities of a Paladin.

A spell crafted to protect the Lord’s faithful.

It strengthens my body.

Increases my power.

Fortifies my body and mind.

And stirs up unwavering resolve.

The holy magic that I, an apostle of Armath, can wield is so impressive that even Bishop Johann, who dislikes me, can’t help but marvel at it.

It’s enough to narrow the gap between me and the Minotaur to some extent.

The stalemate between the Minotaur and me was broken by Arthur.

The magic swordsman unleashed a wind spell that struck the Minotaur’s face.

As it staggered back, I seized the opportunity and struck its thigh with my mace.

The Minotaur’s hide is thick, and its muscles are solid, but that doesn’t matter.

The level difference between us is vast.

No matter how high its defense is, true damage will still go through.

And when I slammed down my mace—

“Grrraaah!”

I felt it.

Was it enraged by the unexpected pain?

The Minotaur, stumbling back, looked past me and toward Arthur.

As if it saw him as the source of its pain.

Hey. Where do you think you’re looking?

There’s a small, cute girl right here who wants to punch you in the gut.

Turning your eyes away from me? That disqualifies you as a male.

Wait, are you a female?

But you look way too hideous to be one.

Hmm. Ah! Are you into men?

Then it makes sense why you’d ignore me.

But I can’t allow that.

I’m the tank, after all.

“You pathetic bullhead♡”

Look at the enemy in front of you.

“Are you so sure you can’t break through my shield?♡ That’s right♡ Your pathetic axe can’t do it♡”

Look at me, the one taunting and mocking you.

“Coward♡ Loser♡ Idiot♡”

That’s it.

Look at me, Bullhead.

Your enemy is me.

The enraged Minotaur charges at me, desperate to crush me.

I block its repeated axe strikes with my shield.

There’s no chance to counterattack.

Even though my buffs have closed the physical gap, the Minotaur is still the superior force.

If even one of its wild attacks hits me directly, I’ll be gravely injured.

So, I wait.

Holding up my shield, like a crocodile lurking underwater.

Waiting for the right moment when the enemy steps into the river.

The Minotaur’s vitality is relentless.

Among all the monsters, it ranks near the top in toughness.

But just because it’s tough doesn’t mean it’s invincible.

This creature is still a living being.

It’s not a ghost without a body. It’s not an undead that never tires.

Eventually, it will show an opening.

You’re asking if I’m the same? Well, we’ll see.

While enduring and waiting, the Minotaur prepares a massive attack.

It swings its waist wide.

Pulls its arms back.

As if to prove how much muscle lies beneath its hide.

That strike is dangerous.

Iron Wall warns me that I can’t block it, that I must deflect or dodge it.

Grandpa says I should charge in and interrupt its attack.

I know they’re right.

After all the grueling training I’ve done, how could I not know?

But my body, exhausted from blocking the Minotaur’s attacks, wouldn’t follow my will.

The best I could do was block the attack with my shield.

As the Minotaur’s wide swing struck my shield, my body was sent flying.

Ah. This feels familiar.

That pointless thought crossed my mind just before my body slammed into the wall.

Damn. That hurts like hell.

Coughing as I inhaled the dust from the wall, I grabbed my trembling legs and forced myself up.

Then I saw the Minotaur charging at me again, not giving me a moment to rest.

In my current state, I couldn’t block that attack.

Even if I raised my shield, it would probably break.

Despite knowing this, I wasn’t frightened, not just because of Fear Resistance.

Armath’s Mercy.

I don’t like that it bears the name of the pathetic, useless, perverted trash god, but its effectiveness is undeniable.

As soon as I activated it, my body returned to its normal state, and I easily blocked the Minotaur’s attack.

I saw the Minotaur flinch.

Haha. What’s wrong? Did you think you had won?

Too bad, Bullhead.

Want to know something fun?

I can still use Armath’s Mercy ten more times.

And I could use it even more if I dip into the potions in my pouch.

So come on, let’s see who’s tougher.

Let’s find out if a beast like you can outlast a cockroach like me.

“Bring it on♡ Pathetic bullhead♡”

•  

Lucy Allen is unyielding. Even with her shield dented.

Even with her armor broken.

Even with blood streaming from her head, turning her face red.

Even with her hair, always neatly tied in two pigtails, now a tangled mess.

Even as she screamed in pain, having endured countless attacks.

She didn’t falter.

She stood firm, blocking the Minotaur’s path, flashing her signature irritating grin.

And what of the Minotaur?

The opponent we thought we could never defeat?

Its hands had lost the strength to grip its axe.

Its legs, after enduring countless attacks, now wobbled as if standing was a challenge.

The Minotaur no longer had the strength to maintain its offensive.

Out of pride as a monster, it was forcing itself to stay upright, but that was all.

The overwhelming terror it had initially displayed was nowhere to be seen.

And the last shred of the Minotaur’s pride, which it had desperately clung to, was shattered the moment Lucy Allen swung her mace.

The Minotaur’s legs buckled, and it fell to its knees.

The battle between the mighty monster and the little girl, which had begun as everyone expected, ended with a completely opposite outcome.

The one standing over the other was Lucy Allen, and the one looking up in terror, like it was staring at a monster, was the Minotaur.

So, this is the bloodline of the Allen family.

The lineage that has produced countless heroes.

It’s not just talent.

With extraordinary talent combined with an even more formidable will, she has become this kind of monster.

Haha. I’m actually starting to respect her.

Who would have thought I’d come to admire Lucy Allen?

If someone had told me this a week ago, I would have thought they’d lost their mind.

Lucy Allen, now standing before the Minotaur, raised her mace high.

And as she brought it down, the Minotaur’s horn fell to the ground.

“Let’s go, Pathetic Prince.”

As Lucy Allen wiped the blood from her face and smiled, she seemed more reliable than ever.

•  

<That was close.>

‘It sure was.’

Facing the Minotaur wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped.

That bullheaded bastard was tough as hell.

To be honest, holding out wasn’t too bad.

With all the holy magic, Armath’s Mercy, and other skills I have.

But the real problem was the lack of damage.

Even though I was dealing true damage, it was only 5% of my attack power.

If it had been something fragile like the undead I fought before, it would have been fine, but it was tough dealing with the notoriously resilient Minotaur.

If Arthur hadn’t created openings and attacked its weak points with magic, the battle might have been much tougher.

Well, in the end, we won, and I leveled up.

That’s enough, right?

Isn’t it?

Ding

Just as I thought that, stepping into the safe zone triggered a message window to pop up.

Having been burned by Agra before, I flinched and quickly turned my attention to the message.

[Quest Cleared!]

Fortunately, this one was from that damned pathetic, useless, perverted trash god.

Even though he can’t protect me from Agra’s curse, he still jumps out to scare me!

Ugh, this really pisses me off.

[A special ticket from Stophe has been awarded.]

At least the rewards are decent?

Well, if he didn’t give me anything, he’d be a scammer, not a god.

Alright, hand it over quickly. I want to put it in my pouch and rest.

[...]

[It has been confirmed that you successfully resisted Agra’s touch.]

...What?

[Additional rewards will be given.]

What’s going on?

Why is the useless god suddenly acting like this?

That’s not how he usually is!