There's a Cow!

A Minotaur spawned on the 17th floor had appeared on the 5th, and its target was clear: it was coming straight for him.

At the same time, the walls beside the pair cracked open, spitting out three Hellhounds that immediately cut off their retreat.

In that instant, Thor felt the malice of the dungeon deep in his bones.

Seeing the Hellhounds spawn behind Thor, Bell immediately shouted, "Lord God, watch out behind you!"

Without looking back, Thor yelled, "Don't worry about me! I just condensed some Stardust and have some combat power—focus on the Minotaur!"

"Yes!" Bell knew he had to concentrate.

The Minotaur's massive shadow almost completely engulfed him, and his right hand, gripping his short blade, trembled uncontrollably.

Sweat slid down his temples, his heart hammered wildly, and every heavy stomp of the monster felt like it was crushing his nerves.

Is this a monster from the fifth floor?

Instinctive fear was devouring him.

But thinking of Thor behind him—if he retreated, Thor would be in danger—Bell forced down the surging terror in his throat and actually charged toward the bull-headed monster!

He turned into a white blur; having just completed his status update, he felt his body was impossibly light!

I can do this!

A surge of confidence welled up in his heart. He cut in at an incredible angle, attempting to circle into the Minotaur's blind spot to strike at the back of its thick neck.

"Got you!"

A glimmer of hope flashed through Bell's mind. With all his strength, he drove his dagger forward with a sharp whistle, aiming precisely for the Minotaur's relatively vulnerable carotid artery!

Clang—!!!

The dull thud of a blade piercing flesh that he had expected never came.

The tip of the dagger struck the black skin, covered in thick grease and coarse, stiff bristles, but it was like slamming into a wall of reinforced steel!

Sparks flew, accompanied by a harsh, screeching sound like metal grinding against metal.

Where the dagger struck, it left only a shallow white mark!

The recoil, however, tore the webbing of Bell's hand, numbing his entire arm in an instant and making it nearly impossible to hold his blade!

"Wha...?!" Bell's pupils shrank to pinpricks, his mind going blank.

How is this possible?!

This monster... its hide is even harder than rock!

In the split second Bell was stunned, the Minotaur moved.

It didn't even turn around.

Its left arm swept backward in a casual, careless motion, yet it was so fast that it exceeded Bell's reaction time.

It was just like swatting away an annoying fly.

Whoosh—!

A terrifying sound of compressed air rang out.

"Argh—!"

Bell only had time to cross his empty left hand and his numb right hand in front of his chest, forming a crude defensive posture.

Bang!!!

A solid, heavy thud!

Bell felt as if he had been struck head-on by a battering ram!

The excruciating pain from his arms nearly made him faint on the spot; his body flew backward, completely out of control.

Boom!

He slammed heavily into the hard dungeon wall behind him. The massive impact even caused spiderweb-like cracks to appear on the stone, and debris rained down.

The bones in his back let out a chilling groan, his internal organs felt as if they had been shifted, and his vision spun as darkness encroached. He could only slide slowly down the wall, barely managing to kneel on the ground.

So, so strong!

Is this the gap between me and a monster from the fifth floor!?

In an instant, Bell felt a crushing sense of inadequacy.

The stats he had just updated were like a joke in front of this opponent.

His dagger, which could pierce the carapaces of other monsters, couldn't even break this one's skin.

A single counterattack from the opponent—not even a proper move—had brought him to the brink of collapse.

"Ugh!"

Sharp pain radiated from his arms and back, and a metallic, bloody taste surged into his throat.

Bell's vision darkened, his field of view completely occupied by the mountain-like shadow of the Minotaur looming over him.

Cold despair gripped his heart in an instant.

Am I going to die here?

No! I cannot give up!

This thought exploded in Bell's chaotic consciousness like a star piercing through the darkness!

I still have magic! I still have the miracle bestowed upon me by my Goddess!

The Minotaur let out a deafening roar, its massive fist descending with brutal force! The icy breath of death instantly enveloped Bell.

"Star Burst--!" Bell practically shrieked.

BOOM!

Blinding starlight erupted at point-blank range! Violent shockwaves mixed with shards of starlight blasted outward in every direction!

The momentum of the fist was brought to a jarring halt by the close-range explosion, and the powerful shockwave sent the half-kneeling Bell flying, causing him to roll across the ground in a wretched state, yet he narrowly avoided the lethal blow.

Amidst the choking dust, the Minotaur's massive frame swayed; a small crater had been blown into its right hand, leaving clearly scorched scars upon its fur.

This minor damage meant nothing to its colossal body, but the burning pain only fueled its rage, its blood-red eyes locking firmly onto Bell as he struggled to stand.

"Ineffective!?" Bell spat out a mouthful of blood, the suffocating fear in his chest deepening.

But the moment the blood from the Minotaur's wound splattered onto his cheek, Bell froze for a split second.

It was absolutely not ineffective! The damage was simply too low!

His fear was diluted by a strange, almost fanatical will.

Once wasn't enough?

Then do it again!

If twice isn't enough, then three times! Ten times! A hundred times!

He saw an opening! The magic was not entirely useless! Those scorch marks were the proof!

Ignoring the agonizing pain that made his bones feel as if they were falling apart, Bell kicked off the ground, charging back toward the Minotaur like a cornered beast unleashing its final ferocity!

He did not choose to clash head-on, instead utilizing the agility he had just pushed beyond its limits to weave and dodge beneath the massive bull-headed monster.

"Star Burst!"

"Explode for me!"

"Again!"

With every desperate dodge, every brush with death, Bell would force his aching arm upward, gathering the Stardust Power he had only just learned and struggled to control.

He slammed it against the Minotaur's torso, waist, abdomen, and the back of its knees—anywhere he could see that kept him clear of those fists!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The narrow dungeon echoed with a continuous barrage of explosions!

Shards of starlight bloomed across the Minotaur's skin like fireworks of death!

Each explosion could only leave patches of scorched grime on its iron-tough hide; the splashing stardust and shockwaves couldn't even truly tear its skin, looking both ridiculous and futile.

The recoil from the explosions made Bell's arm ache with piercing pain, and the dizziness from mana exhaustion washed over him repeatedly.

But the situation was only getting worse!

He hadn't even finished off one Minotaur when the roar of another echoed from the tunnel behind him.

A second one! No! More Minotaurs were closing in on them!