Chapter 6 - Boss Fight

He hung from the top of the tallest building as he watched the loose minotaur groups walking close to the target, getting on his knees he put on the silencer in his rifle then lifted it to his shoulders, the aim assist quickly marked the 3 loose groups of minotaurs in a red light indicating their distance and calculating the best shoot, slowly releasing his breath he pulled the trigger seven times, he missed one, to kill the first six minotaurs dropping them with piercing bullets.

[you have slain minotaur level 1 x 5 + 250 XP]

[you have slain minotaur level 2 + 55 XP]

Turning to the other 2 groups he ran to the other side of the building to get a shoot, making sure to drop all minotaurs before they warned anyone else, their tendency to stand around with dumb faces and look for the enemy when one of them died made it much easier.

[you have slain minotaur level 1 x 8 + 400 XP]

[you have slain minotaur level 2 x 3 + 165 XP]

[Congratulations you have reached level 3, as a human you gain 1 attribute point]

Happy his increased level in such opportune moment he decided to increase his again.

[Congratulations you're the ninth person to break the limits of humanity trough the as a reward you gained the ability title ]

[PIONEER

you are one of the pioneers of humanity in the system + 10 XP gain]

[Congratulations you're the first person to break mankind's limit with trough the as a reward you gained the unique skill ]

[DIVINE INSPECTION

Knowledge is power, with divine inspection you can see trough one's attributes and obtain far more information]

[Congratulations, by breaking through your race's limit in you gain +100 mana]

Smiling at his unexpected gains he found it a pity that only his max mana and not the current one increased, getting off his knees he materialized a wider string he laid it down between rooftops then ran trough it using his abnormal dexterity and speed to not fall, he got to the supermarket just after one of the minotaur guards got a fireball to his chest and fell down, using another string he fixed it to the roof's edge and tied his waist before running down the side of the building stopping right above the two guards, creating another two strings he tied them into hangman's knots and dropped them around the creature's heads before pulling, using his hands to increase control and power.

[You have slain minotaur guard level 6 x 2 +147 XP ]

[Congratulation has increased a level]

Releasing his strings he turned around and jumped through an open window to step on one of the steel support beans, the supermarket was a mess, most of the shelves were pushed down and a round open space was made besides the black node, besides the node there was a huge bonfire over which various pieces of meat from the butcher shop were slowly roasting, they probably tasted better than human meat.

As most of the minotaurs present ran out of the door he could finally see the boss, it just continued sitting on a throne made of broken shelves and other products covered by clothes it's body was big but lean and it was gnawing on a huge piece of cow leg "That's got to be cannibalism" he whispered to himself, the boss didn't even lift his head at the commotion convinced that his troops could deal with it.

By the sides of the boss were two huge minotaur guards, nearly the size of Ulmog also enjoying the food, an old and skinny minotaur with impressive twisting horns and a walking cane was also sitting down in a smaller throne.

On one of the corners of the place there was a big pile of dried up human corpses discarded away and a dozen naked human woman laid in a crude holding pen, they were big or strong woman and, although they were still breathing and moving, their eyes were already dead, taking care of them were 5 minotaur females, looking very much like the male the only difference were 3 sets of breasts on their chest but didn't appear to be fighters.

[Uthar – minotaur chieftain – Level 14

HEALTH: 100%

STR: 21 END: 15

DEX: 18 SPD: 12

WIS: 6 INT: 4]

[Ethok – minotaur shaman – Level 10

HEALTH: 75%

STR:14 END: 9

DEX: 12 SPD: 12

WIS: 6 INT: 8]

[Minotaur guard – Level 8

HEALTH: 100%

STR: 15 END: 12

DEX: 6 SPD: 10

WIS: 1 INT: 2]

[Minotaur guard – Level 8

HEALTH: 98%

STR: 14 END: 13

DEX: 7 SPD: 9

WIS: 1 INT: 2]

He had to smile, knowledge really is power however he didn't know if he should laugh or cry at a level 14 Boss with more than double his strength.

Giving time for the other minotaurs to get as far away from the place as possible he silently approached the boss jumping from support bean to support bean finally standing right above it he thought about his fight with Ulmog, this boss was probably even stronger than him and much, much faster.

He needed to fight the boss with no distractions and even his gun probably wouldn't be fast enough to get all 4 of them before the boss reacted, if his gun could even get through their hides.

Manifesting twenty wide strings he twisted them around each other in groups of five forming four strong ropes, tying them in hangman nooses he sent them looping around the throats of all four and tightened it before they noticed.

All four of them jumped to their feet in fright as the invisible rope bit into their necks, using everything he had he tightened the noose, the boss was the first to react getting up it dashed away from the source of the attack trying to get distance to stop the ability, it wouldn't.

The two minotaur guards fell to their knees clutching their throats in panic helplessly, the shaman pointed his cane to the naked women on the holding pen, a translucent scarlet light was drawn from all of their orifices as they screamed and dried up becoming husks as the light flew into the shaman's hands then covering its entire body and starting to eat away at his own invisible hope, pain started to increase in his head.

Dissolving the shaman's rope Aaron jumped aside as a bolt of scarlet light hit the place he had just been destroying the support bean and blowing a hole through the roof of the building, the minotaur females screamed and bellowed in fright as they hid at a corner trembling.

Even as he drew his Smith & Yessel from its holster the old bull gathered the remaining scarlet light into a ball and sent it the boss way, with no time for proper aiming Aaron went for a body shoot, the bullet pierced it's right lung and exploded inside the body blowing a hole the size of a basketball in it, he looked at his own gun, impressed.

[You have slain Ethok + 260 XP]

The scarlet ball of power hit the back of the boss and his muscles bulged in an unnatural way, veins appeared all over its body flashing red and its neck nearly doubled in size making the rope snap, a huge backlash hit his brain as his ability got destroyed, the enraged bull turned towards him, its eyes flashing red.

"Fuck that complicates things!" increasing the pressure on the last two minotaur guards he heard their necks breaking from the pressure as his adrenaline increased his power, seeing it the boss bellowed in rage, it's voice seemed to hit Aaron hard in the chest and make him dizzy.

[You have slain minotaur guard level 8 x 2 + 200 XP]

Fear gripped his heart and his muscles locked up in terror of the monster running his way, the red light filled it's body and it grew nearly 10 centimeters with each step it took, its horns growing and curving with demonic fire, its claws extending from its hands.

Jumping onto another support bean he Shoot all 13 of his remaining bullets at the creature, unfortunately the bullets were not enough to pierce its skin exploding on contact and blowing small holes all over its chest and arms.

[ Normal strike -18% health]

In an even greater rage tentacles sprung from the monstrosity's back and countless mouths opened in its huge chest screaming as one in terror and rage, one of its tentacles grabbed a minotaur guard's hammer and threw the huge thing at him.

Although his whole body was heavy and rigid Aaron still knew better than to stand still so he jumped into another bean dodging the projectile and ran alongside it as a sword and then a whole metallic shelf flew his way.

[though your willpower you have overcome a fear effect, you have gained ]

Looking back the boss was back into his normal form but its eyes were still red and its muscles still bulged with glowing veins, picking another shelf with its hand he threw it at him but he was already too far making it fall short.

Releasing a breath he made all seven blades leave their sheaths and fluctuate around him he was extremely angry "Fucking cow and its stupid fear effect goddamnit" his heart was still beating like a drum against his chest and his breathing was still ragged, rage flooded his veins as he tried to recover, he absolutely hated feeling fear, he had felt it too much already, letting himself fall to the ground he sent two knives towards the creature's eyes.

Lifting his rifle he took aim at the boss even as it picked up another shelf and batted his knives aside, pulling the trigger he unloaded a full clip on the fucker with penetrating bullets but they just bounced right off its hide with flashed of red, as the boss prepared to throw the shelf he manifested a string and tried to bind its arm but his power just dissolved when it came into contact with its skin.

As the shelf came flying his way he used to bash it aside then pick up one of the wooden balcony and return the favor, as the minotaur was districted he reconnected both knives with new strings and sent them at its back, one hit its neck harmlessly while the other hit one of the gunshot wounds and penetrated to the hilt

[Normal Strike -3% health]

Unfortunately he lost connection to both knives as soon as they touched the scarlet light running through the boss' body and couldn't reconnect them, finally tired of throwing things the boss picked up a double bladed war axe with a nearly 2 meters long handle and started walking towards Aaron cautiously.

Using his left hand to take a box of exploding bullets out of the compartment at his back he threw both the box and his gun aside to catch with strings and start reloading, with a mental command both strings holding his daggers came close and released the blades at his hand while keeping his 3 remaining blades hanging on their strings ready to strike at any opening.

Coming within 3 meters of the beast he started circling it, stepping over spilled products and shelves, the minotaur was cautious as he had already proven he could wound it while he was buying time to finish reloading, not an easy thing to do with his power.

[Congratulation, your has increased a level]

Finishing reloading he made the first move, aiming with his strings was worse than shooting from the hip but his first bullet still went more or less towards its head unfortunately the boss saw it coming and blocked with the axe's blade before retaliating with a horizontal swing towards his neck

Dodging down he saw the blade pass harmlessly over his head but the handle suddenly flashed into his vision in a rising blow, he only had enough time to block by crossing his daggers before the hit sent him flying in the air, he bounced off one of the support beans and fell down nearly 30 meters away losing control of all his strings.

[you suffered -59% HEALTH!]

"That's it, no more playing nice" the armor was good enough to absorb most of the damage but it still got bent a little and hurt like hell, emboldened by the good hit the boss charged him, axe ready for an overhead strike.

Manifesting he used it to grab his fallen jian and, using both hands to increase its strength, he thrust it upward, all his power and the minotaur's own momentum drove the extremely sharp blade up its pubic region to the hilt severing its little brother, blood gushed out of the wound as the boss immediately stopped in place and screamed like a little calf.

[Crippling strike -24% health]

"Ha… coff coff…. Idiot" getting up slowly, his arms still hurting like hell, he snorted at the crying minotaur, using its distraction he picked up the fallen gun with a string and started to shoot the bovine in the head.

The boss raised its hands to protect its face as bullets continued to explode on impact but he still managed to blow off a piece of horn, 3 fingers of its left hand and an even an ear, the final shoot managed to hit its neck and blow off a huge chunk of flesh in a shower of blood.

[Normal strike -6% health]

[Critical strike -19% health]

Dashing the small distance between them he took advantage of the minotaur's distraction to grab the handle of his sword, twist it, then push it further inside its guts, a desperate swing of the creature's arm bashed his head aside sending him sprawling away still holding the sword

[Critical strike -17% health]

[ you suffered -21% HEALTH!]

The hit finally managed to calm his anger down, so what if this thing had made him afraid, it would die like all the others, looking over at the bloody creature he finally noticed that it had lost the scarlet color on its body and its muscles were deflating, its eyes were back to normal "So the skill had a limited duration" to test it out he materialized a string and wrapped it around the knife still stuck in one of its wounds smiling as he managed to pull it out.

Unfortunately that small act also awoke the boss from its pain induced daze, using its good hand it grabbed the handle of the axe and charged him again, as the bastard prepared its arm for a swing he used a string to wrap around its middle finger and pull back snapping it with a loud crack, the axe fell down from its hand and Aaron threw his sword using again to drive it into the boss' neck would all the way through before twisting it.

[Critical strike -11% health]

Clutching its throat the minotaur fell down, blood gushing out to form a pool on the ground, Aaron finally released a breath and sat down, watching it slowly bleed out, turning his eyes towards the fearful minotaur females he sighed without knowing what to do.

The right thing to do would be to kill them, it would stop more monsters from being born as well as earn his some more XP but it would leave a bad taste in his mouth, he mostly didn't care if weaklings got killed but really disliked killing them himself, he finally decided to ignore the creatures, who knows they could prove useful for information and, if the army wanted them dead, they could do it themselves when they arrived.

"Command this is Loki, the minotaur node has been conquered" "Good work Loki we are sending the army to secure the location in 108 minutes" "Understood" getting up he started to walk towards the black orb floating besides the fire when he got the notice.

[You have slain Uthar level 14 +932 XP]

[For being the first to slay a boss more than 10 levels above you in single combat you earn the ability ]

[GIANT EATER

When killing Elite creatures more than 10 levels above you +1 attribute point, when killing Boss creatures more than 5 levels above you +1 attribute points]

Finally getting to the node he put his hand on it and held on for a full minute

[Congratulations, Loki from US army guild has claimed this node +100 XP to all guild members in node's range]