Chapter 292 - 160: Fighting the Minotaur

Once they had a plan, the Tattooed Skeletons moved out at once. The Dark Skeleton melted into the shadows, heading in a direction it had scouted earlier.

In the underground caverns, the Skill to merge with shadows was exceptionally useful. The Undead were already stealthy by nature, but merging with shadows made them even more so. The caverns were also poorly lit and filled with shadows, making it the perfect environment for the Dark Skeleton.

The Demonized Minotaur had just finished a fight with the Undead, having wiped out a team of Skeleton Undead that had tried to ambush it. The ground around it was littered with shattered bones—the remains of over twenty Skeleton Undead and more than a dozen Skeleton Beasts.

Wisps of Soul Fire were drawn into its body with each breath. The Demonized Minotaur felt its body constantly changing, its eyes showing a hint of pleasant surprise. Suddenly, its expression vanished. It whipped its head toward the Darkness, feeling as if a gaze had fallen upon it.

’An Undead?’

The Minotaur suppressed its presence and tightened its grip on the oversized cleaver. It cautiously approached the Darkness, swiping its blade through the air twice. It hit nothing, and no Undead leaped out. Frowning, it took two steps back. ’I was sure I felt someone watching me just now... How can there be nothing?’

’Could I have been imagining it?’

Within the shadow cast by the cavern wall, the Dark Skeleton shrank back, concealing itself even better. It hadn’t expected the Demonized Minotaur to be so vigilant; a single glance had been enough to alert it. Thankfully, it was hidden within the Darkness, preventing the other from discovering its true location.

The Demonized Minotaur before it was very different from the others. A normal Demonized Minotaur stood nearly three meters tall but seldom taller. This one, however, had to be three and a half meters, and its build was far more muscular.

Its skin was the gray of stone, covered in bulging, bluish-black veins that looked like earthworms writhing just beneath the surface. A pair of horns curved backward from its head.

The Dark Skeleton switched to its life-aura view. It saw the creature’s life aura burning like a raging inferno and nodded. ’This is the one. No doubt about it.’

Melting deeper into the Darkness, the Dark Skeleton departed without a sound.

’It’s gone?’

The Demonized Minotaur turned its head to look at the Darkness, right where the Dark Skeleton had been moments ago.

Although it couldn’t force the Dark Skeleton out, it was certain someone had been watching it. As a Demonized Creature, it trusted its sixth sense and intuition, which had saved it many times.

It was only a moment ago that it felt the persistent gaze finally lift. Vaguely, it also sensed a presence retreating at the same time.

’What in the world was that? An Undead, or something else?’

The Demonized Minotaur felt a sense of foreboding. Whatever that thing was, it wouldn’t be easy to handle. ’I have to get out of here, fast.’

The Dark Skeleton rejoined the other four Tattooed Skeletons and reported what it had seen. Proceeding with their original plan, the five Skeletons headed in the Demonized Minotaur’s direction.

’That gaze is back!’

Walking down the passage, the Demonized Minotaur’s heart clenched. It stopped in its tracks, scanning its surroundings warily. This time, it wasn’t just being watched—it could feel killing intent. ’Are they going to attack?’

CLACK, CLACK.

A faint sound came from the Darkness ahead. The Demonized Minotaur’s ears twitched.

’It’s Undead. Four of them. One is very tall and carrying something heavy.’

It was certain they were Undead. The sound of their feet scraping the ground was completely different from that of Demonized Creatures like itself; the abrasive noise was unmistakable.

Out of the Darkness, a figure slowly emerged and stood before it.

It was an Undead, but unlike any it had killed before. This one was exceptionally large. While still much shorter than the Minotaur itself, it towered over the other fragile Undead. And strangely, its Weapons were Shields—two thick, heavy Shields.

’A defensive Undead?’

The Demonized Minotaur considered this as it raised its cleaver. It wouldn’t have cared if there was only one such Undead—it was confident it could finish it in two blows. But the sounds from before told it there were not one, but four.

Sure enough, after the tall Undead appeared, three more figures emerged. These three were clearly less imposing than the first, but they still looked different from ordinary Undead.

CLANG!

The two large Shields slammed together as the Constitution Skeleton blocked the Demonized Minotaur’s path, assuming a defensive stance.

The Demonized Minotaur wasted no time on words. Demonized Creatures and the Undead were mortal enemies; there was no need for pleasantries, only battle. Gripping its great cleaver, it charged the Constitution Skeleton and swung with both hands in a wide, horizontal slice.

The sharp blade grated against the Shield’s surface, cutting deep enough to nearly split it in two. But in the end, the battle-worn Shield held.

Before the Demonized Minotaur could retract its cleaver, the Frenzied Skeleton erupted in a blood-red light. Producing an axe from thin air, it leaped up and swung at the arm gripping the cleaver.

Judging by its posture, the Frenzied Skeleton intended to sever the arm with a single blow, solving the problem for good. Without an arm, the Demonized Minotaur would be useless, no matter how strong it was.

The Demonized Minotaur seemed to have expected this. Its motion to retract the cleaver paused, and its technique changed instantly. The great cleaver flipped nimbly in its hand and swung upward, perfectly blocking the Frenzied Skeleton’s axe.