Chapter 60: Roar

The death cries of the minotaurs intertwined with the frenzied roars of their comrades. The sounds of flesh being torn and bones breaking filled the air. Despite the overwhelming disparity in strength, the minotaurs' fighting spirit didn't waver in the slightest. Each warrior's eyes were bloodshot, driven by both their innate ferocity and the bloodlust spells. These warriors, who had never known fear or the concept of death, often relied on their savage courage and berserk fighting spirit as weapons more potent than their physical strength or axes.

But no amount of courage or fighting spirit could bridge the gap of absolute power. It was like a mouse, no matter how brave, could never stand against a tiger.

Even the weakest minotaur warrior possessed strength comparable to a rhinoceros, yet in the face of the red-haired woman, these elite warriors seemed weaker than mice. The massive axes in their hands clashed against the woman's, producing deafening metallic crashes before being sent flying, along with chunks of flesh, severed limbs, and minotaur corpses. The combined defenses of prayers and stone skin spells were as useless against her as a second layer of thin paper—easily pierced.

The woman's movements were fluid and effortless. Her slender body, accentuated by the tight leather outfit, was undeniably sensual, but amidst the rain of blood and gore, it was impossible to associate her with anything other than death.

In less than a minute, over thirty of the most elite minotaur warriors had been reduced to tattered corpses scattered across the ground.

Yet, the red-haired woman continued to pant, her expression one of exhaustion and strain, completely at odds with the carnage she was unleashing. Finally, as if truly worn out, her movements slowed, and a minotaur's full-force axe strike landed on her back.

The massive steel axe, nearly as large as her body, struck her with enough force to send her flying sideways.

No blood spilled from the woman's body. The axe strike, powerful enough to breach a city gate, left only a white mark on the leather armor covering her back. If such a strike had landed on a dragon's massive body, even with its thick scales, the axe's armor-piercing properties and the minotaur's strength would have caused a bloody mess.

But this wasn't a dragon's massive body—it was a human body, a hundred times smaller. Rather than being struck by the axe, it seemed she had used the force to propel herself backward. A human body, being lighter and more agile, was incomparable to a dragon's massive form. Less than a tenth of the axe's force had actually impacted her, leaving her virtually unharmed.

However, the moment the red-haired woman was sent flying, a thunderous roar filled the cavern, drowning out the minotaur warriors' cries.

The golden war bow in Welleskay's hands had been charged to its limit, but only now did he release the arrow, unleashing all his combat energy in a single shot. Given the red-haired woman's speed and agility amidst the minotaurs, this was the only moment he could be certain the arrow wouldn't miss.

The minotaur warriors were nearly all dead or incapacitated, but the five temple knights, who had already activated Blessing of the Heavens, had yet to move. These minotaur warriors had always been expendable, and the knights had been waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Now, with the minotaurs nearly wiped out, that moment had come.

The light that had been gathering on the golden war bow transformed into a massive white beam, streaking over the heads of the minotaur warriors toward the red-haired woman. The deafening roar of the arrow's release caused the entire cavern to tremble. Three minotaurs were obliterated in an instant, their deaths insignificant compared to the sheer power of the attack. The white beam was like the wrath of a thunder god descending into the depths of the cavern, directed entirely at the red-haired woman.

Welleskay staggered, nearly falling, the light of Blessing of the Heavens around him flickering out. This arrow had not only drained all his strength and combat energy but also his very essence.

The red-haired woman was still flying backward. As she saw the thunderous beam approaching, her panting ceased, and the narrow slits of her eyes glowed as brightly as the white light hurtling toward her. Though she had been battling the minotaurs, she had always known the five figures standing behind them were the true threat. Her attention had never left them.

As she retreated, the woman hurled the two mangled axes in her hands toward the white beam. The steel axes shattered with crisp, brief sounds, like glass, under the force of the temple knight's full-powered arrow. The white beam hesitated for a moment before continuing its path toward her.

The red-haired woman's back was now against the cavern wall, with no room to retreat or dodge. Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed the massive beam of light. The beam was several times larger than her body, and the sheer force and momentum caused the rock wall behind her to begin crumbling. Her slender frame seemed destined to be torn apart like a piece of paper in a hurricane.

But with a dull thud, as her hands closed around the beam, the deafening roar that had filled the cavern vanished, and the white light disappeared.

Her long, well-defined hands clasped together, and the immense roar, light, and force were extinguished as if they had never existed. It was as if she had snuffed out the wrath of a thunder god with a single gesture.

The rock wall behind her cracked extensively, radiating outward from where she stood. The steel anti-magic arrow, now silent, was held firmly between her hands. This arrow, capable of slaying a behemoth, had been caught barehanded.

A drop of crimson blood fell from her palm—she was finally injured. At the same time, the gleam in her eyes faded, and her yellow eyes grew unfocused. She took several heavy breaths, then bent over, coughing violently.

But just as the cavern seemed to settle, the thunderous roar returned with ten times the intensity, as if the previous earth-shaking arrow had been merely a prelude. The entire cavern seemed on the verge of collapsing under the combined force of combat energy and magic.

This time, it wasn't just one arrow—it was two swords and a spear. These three weapons came from different angles, their combat energy just as fierce. The swirling currents of energy resonated and amplified each other, tearing apart two or three nearby minotaurs who were caught in the crossfire.

This was the full-force attack of three temple knights, unleashed immediately after Welleskay's arrow. There was no time for the red-haired woman to catch her breath or evade. This strike had the power to destroy half the cavern.

The minotaur warriors were nearly all dead or incapacitated, their purpose fulfilled. Though they hadn't inflicted any significant damage on the dragon as expected, they had at least drained the red-haired woman's stamina and created this opportunity. The temple knights wouldn't miss such a chance to deliver a fatal blow. The killing intent and momentum of the three weapons had firmly locked onto the red-haired woman.

The woman, who had been bent over coughing, suddenly straightened. She tilted her head back, opened her mouth, and let out a roar at the three temple knights charging toward her like beams of light.

This was the first sound she had made since appearing, and it was not a sound any human could produce.

The combined strike of the temple knights sent tremors through the entire cavern, but their attack was completely drowned out by a deafening roar.

No one who had not witnessed it firsthand would have believed that such a sound could come from the small frame of a red-haired woman. Not even the mightiest Behemoth or the largest Thunderbird could produce such a terrifying howl. This sound was not merely loud or ear-splitting—it shook the heart, the soul.

Within this roar lay an overwhelming majesty and pressure, a force that directly imposed itself upon all who heard it. It was a sound beyond comparison, beyond defiance.

Every remaining minotaur who heard it felt their legs go weak and collapsed to their knees. This was no longer about courage or willpower—this was pure, instinctual fear. A primal terror ingrained in their very being, triggered by the presence of something far greater, far more powerful than themselves.

The three temple knights in midair faltered. Though they were not completely overwhelmed like the minotaurs, the combined strike—powerful enough to crush any living being—was momentarily disrupted. Their momentum and killing intent dissipated in an instant.

The red-haired woman flicked her wrist, reversing her grip and hurling the Steel-Piercing Anti-Magic Arrow back toward the spear-wielding temple knight. This time, there was no overwhelming aura of battle energy, no surging force—just raw speed and power. The arrow's flight was accompanied by a piercing whistle, so sharp it seemed capable of slicing through the knight with sound alone.

With a deafening clang, the spear-wielding knight was violently thrown backward. The radiant white light surrounding him shattered, dissolving into the air like a broken shield.