Minotaur

The ground shuddered with each uneven step of the four-horned monster. Its skin, a grotesque mosaic of scales and rough hide, rippled with sinews, and four massive, twisted horns spiraled skyward like dark spires, threatening to scrape the clouds.

From its maw, a constant stream of viscous, green liquid drooled, hissing and sizzling as it met the broken earth, leaving trails of acrid steam in its wake. This was no ordinary beast; this was a minotaur, and its sudden appearance was enough to curdle the blood of even Slayer.

A chill snaked down Raven's spine, not just from the minotaur's terrifying visage, but from the sudden, stark realization that this creature belonged to a different league entirely. His eyes darted to the floating panel that materialized before him, an unwelcome harbinger of doom:

[Rift Monster Type: Minotaur]

[Rank: (Hidden)]

[Essence: 400 Points]

[Supernatural Faculties: Null]

[Earnable Gifted-Endowments: One]

"What does this even mean?" Raven's voice was a strained whisper, the information as alien and terrifying as the monster itself.

Even Slayer, who usually had an answer for everything, looked utterly baffled. The only coherent thought that echoed in Raven's mind was a single, primal command: run.

He spun on his heel, intent on putting as much distance between himself and the monstrous minotaur as humanly possible. But a vice-grip on his arm stopped him short. Slayer.

"Hey… let go…" Raven struggled, his panic rising.

Slayer didn't release him, instead pulling them both back a few paces. The minotaur, surprisingly, seemed to show no immediate interest in attacking them, its massive head swaying from side to side, as if contemplating its next move.

"Stop," Slayer's voice was low, urgent. "I've seen this thing run before… it would catch up to us if we try to run."

Raven's heart sank. "So what do we do since running is out of the option?" The question was laced with desperation.

"Isn't it obvious?" Slayer's tone was almost a challenge.

"No, no no no no no… don't even dare say it," Raven stammered, already anticipating the absurd answer.

"We fight it."

"Are you nuts?! Fight this thing?!" Raven's voice cracked. The sheer madness of the suggestion made his head spin.

"Well, do you have any other idea?" Slayer's gaze was unwavering, daring Raven to offer a better solution.

Raven's protests died in his throat. He had been an unusual chatterbox today, a stark contrast to his usual quiet demeanor, perhaps a manifestation of his sheer terror in the face of imminent death.

"Look… I've killed a shorter one of this same creature… looks like they deal with ranks and you earn after killing," Slayer began, trying to rationalize their predicament.

"What do you mean?"Raven asked, a sliver of hope, however faint, sparking within him.

"I've killed exactly ten creatures… five mosquitoes, four small wolves, and one of this bull-thingy,"Slayer explained, his voice gaining a newfound confidence. "After killing… I was rewarded with weird stuff… but I think those rewards help."

"So where are you heading?" Raven pressed, trying to connect the dots.

"Look, what I'm saying is I'm stronger now… so all I need you to do is to distract the mino-whatever while I attack it."

"Wow… what a great plan," Raven deadpanned, his sarcasm dripping like the minotaur's drool.

"First… I'm not doing that and second… this thing isn't even attacking us… let's just go."

With a sudden jerk, Raven wrenched his arm free from Slayer's tight grip and bolted. Immediately, his speed surged beyond a normal walk, a burst of adrenaline propelling him forward.

But before he could take more than a few strides, a deafening stomp echoed behind him, and a colossal shadow rapidly engulfed him. Just as the crushing blow was about to land, Slayer lunged, rolling both of them out of the minotaur's devastating punch.

Slayer's eyes met Raven's, a silent 'I told you so' hanging in the air between them.

They scrambled to their feet, the minotaur now fully engaged, its massive form coiling, its eyes fixed on them with predatory intent. It lunged again, its heavy feet slamming into the earth where they had just stood. They rolled in opposite directions, narrowly evading the deadly impact.

"Okay, follow the plan!" Slayer roared, his voice cutting through the din.

"Fine!" Raven retorted, the word laced with bitter reluctance. His ill-conceived plan to fake a fight and escape had spectacularly backfired. The idea of making himself bait for a stranger to play the hero grated on him.

Taking a deep breath, Raven cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Hey, bullshit over here!" he yelled, trying to draw the monster's attention. The minotaur's head swiveled slowly, its terrifying eyes fixing on him for a chilling moment. "You get it… bull shit 'cause you're a bull and you look like shit!"

The minotaur tilted its massive neck, a chillingly intelligent gesture, and then, in the blink of an eye, sprinted towards Raven. Raven, fueled by a desperate surge of adrenaline, ducked the first sweeping blow, then the second, then the third, his movements surprisingly agile.

'No strange rewards yet, I'm on fire,' he thought, a stupid, egoistic thought born of sheer panic and a touch of temporary invincibility.

His brief moment of self-congratulation was brutally cut short. A blow, delivered with the force of a battering ram, sent him hurtling through the air, his body a ragdoll before he slammed into a sturdy tree with a sickening thud.

"Holy shit," he groaned, the wind knocked clean out of him.

Before he could even attempt to push himself up, the minotaur was already upon him, its enormous head lowered, its eyes boring into his, as if expecting him to utter his last words.

'Tchh… that Slayer of a bastard… where did he go?' Raven thought, his eyes desperately scanning beyond the minotaur's hulking form. 'Guess I'm dying…'

Just as a devastating blow was about to descend, a guttural yell pierced the air.

"Aaahhhhh…."Slayer sprinted towards the minotaur, holding the axe in an offensive manner.

'What the hell?' Raven thought, a horrifying realization dawning on him at the last second: He had just risked his life for a stupid plan made by a stranger that only ever worked in the movies. Slayer's axe, landed squarely on the minotaur's leg, but to Raven's horror, it didn't leave a single scratch.

The minotaur, seemingly unfazed, merely turned and kicked Slayer away with vicious force, sending him sprawling.

"Yep… we're toast."