An old friend

Gary quickly turned around, but before he could fully react, the Minotaur's massive fist was already hurtling toward him. Instinctively, he lifted his sword to block the attack, but it was futile. The sheer force sent him flying across the chamber, disappearing into the darkness. As he was flung through the air, he managed to throw his light crystal toward the center of the battlefield.

The situation had turned dire. With Gary outside of the light's reach, it was impossible to tell how injured he was. Worse yet, without his presence, their already slim chances of survival had dropped even further. The Minotaur was a King-tier beast—far beyond what they could handle. Even with all four of them together, victory was nearly impossible. And with the dim lighting, Ray's Dragon Eyes skill was useless.

The Minotaur suddenly locked onto them. Without hesitation, it charged.

Ray and Monk barely managed to react in time, activating their Shadow Step skill to vanish into the darkness. But when they turned back, their hearts sank—Jasmine hadn't moved. She stood frozen in fear, sweat trickling down her forehead, paralyzed.

"Jasmine, move!" Monk shouted.

Jasmine snapped out of her daze just in time to see the Minotaur's massive hand descending toward her. She tried to move, but it was too late. The beast grabbed her tightly, its fingers crushing her body like a vice. The sound of her bones creaking echoed throughout the chamber, and her screams of agony rang in their ears.

Then, in a blur, a small figure leaped onto the Minotaur's hand, twin daggers flashing. Monk. He drove both blades deep into the back of the Minotaur's massive hand. The creature let out a guttural roar, releasing Jasmine from its grip. She fell limply to the floor, gasping for air.

Ray's eyes widened. The person who had been the most terrified out of all of them had been the first to act.

The Minotaur's fury now shifted entirely onto Monk. It swung at him wildly, but Monk's agility kept him just out of reach. He ducked, weaved, and flipped between its attacks, narrowly avoiding each devastating blow.

Jasmine remained on the ground, barely conscious. She was too injured to move. Meanwhile, the Minotaur seemed to grow more enraged by the second. Then, suddenly, it stopped swinging at Monk.

Between its two horns, tiny bolts of electricity began to spark and crackle, growing larger with each passing second.

Just then, a figure emerged from the darkness. Gary. His left arm hung limply at his side, twisted in a way that was completely unnatural. It was clearly broken.

"Monk, get out of there! It's an elemental attack!" Gary shouted.

Monk immediately sprinted toward Ray and Gary. For some reason, the beast remained stationary while charging its power. But as the three of them watched in horror, realization struck them all at once—Jasmine was still lying helplessly on the ground, only a few feet away from the Minotaur. There was no way she would survive the attack.

Jasmine must have realized it too. She clawed at the ground, desperately trying to drag herself away. Gary, panic evident on his face, tried to rush to her side, but Monk blocked his path.

"We have to save her!" Gary yelled.

"It's too late! Do you want to die too?!" Monk shouted back.

Gary clenched his jaw, fists trembling. He knew Monk was right, but the helplessness burned deep inside him. He cursed himself for how powerless he felt.

The Minotaur's electricity now surged throughout its entire body. Then, spotting Jasmine still trying to crawl away, it took a single step forward and raised both of its fists.

With a deafening crack, the Minotaur slammed its fists into the ground.

The chamber trembled as a shockwave tore through the ground, sending dust and debris flying everywhere. When the dust finally settled, the Minotaur stood in a massive crater nearly four meters wide.

"Where's Jasmine?!" Gary shouted, his voice shaking.

"She... she must have been smothered to dust," Monk whispered, his voice wavering as he fought back tears.

"No. She's fine." Ray's voice was calm but firm.

Gary and Monk turned toward him, confusion evident on their faces. Then they saw it—a massive, black-furred wolf standing beside Ray. It was the size of a fully-grown tiger, a single large horn protruding from its forehead. But what shocked them even more was the unconscious figure resting on its back.

"How... why is this magical beast helping us?" Monk asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

While the Minotaur had been gathering its electric power, Ray had summoned Noir. There was no time to hide secrets anymore. If they wanted to survive, they needed to fight at full strength.

"No time to explain. Just know that it's on our side! Noir, take Jasmine somewhere safe."

Noir sprinted off into the shadows, gently laying Jasmine down at a safe distance before swiftly returning. Meanwhile, the Minotaur's body still crackled with energy. It was still incredibly dangerous.

Ray took a deep breath. "I'm going to grab it. You two need to hide. When the time is right, hit it with everything you've got."

Gary hesitated. "Did you see what it did to the ground? You won't be able to handle it."

"Just trust me!"

Gary and Monk exchanged a look before vanishing into the shadows. Noir, too, disappeared into the darkness. Now, the Minotaur's attention was solely on Ray—just as he wanted.

Ray focused, gathering Ki within his body. More than he had ever drawn before. But even this wasn't enough.

Ray hesitated. The last time he used mana, it had nearly killed him. But he was stronger now. He had no other choice.

"Yes."

A surge of power coursed through his body. His Ki expanded dramatically, and he activated as many Ki-enhancing cells in his hands as he could. His body hardened in preparation for what was to come.

The Minotaur roared, lowering its head and charging at full speed. Its lightning-infused body moved faster than ever before.

Ray planted his feet firmly. At the last possible second, just as the beast's horns were inches from impaling him, he grabbed hold of both of them.

The sheer momentum of the Minotaur pushed him back instantly. He gritted his teeth as his feet scraped against the stone floor, his arms screaming in pain. Lightning coursed through his body, each pulse threatening to make him lose his grip. But he couldn't let go. No matter what, he had to hold on.

The Minotaur continued its charge, shoving Ray back further and further until—

CRASH!

Ray's body slammed into the chamber wall, the impact nearly knocking him unconscious. The Minotaur came to a halt, still trying to push forward.

Ray gritted his teeth, ignoring the unbearable pain.

"Now! Everyone, attack!"