Chapter 61: Chapter 57: Millian
Where did those Cat Demons they encountered on the path earlier come from?
After opening the door before them, the question seemed to be answered.
This also confirmed one of Lin Mo’s suspicions: the Demons in this maze weren’t confined to their own designated areas. They could leave their chambers to hunt in the vicinity, or even further afield.
But that raised another question...
If a grayish-blue door represented a Bronze Level chamber, then how could this also be a Bronze Level chamber? This room contained one Cursed Cat Demon and over a dozen—no, including the ones they killed on the path, it was a total of nearly twenty Ordinary Cat Demons.
Meanwhile, the chamber they had just cleared contained only a single Minotaur. The disparity was obvious.
Lin Mo’s thoughts turned to the locked Bronze Treasure Chest and the red sigil upon it that had not faded.
’Is this just how the difficulty is designed, with chambers of the same Level varying in strength, or is it something else...?’
The sudden, fierce battle had prevented Lin Mo from thinking further, but now, the sounds from behind them had just confirmed his worst fear.
The answer was that the previous chamber hadn’t contained just one Minotaur. It had contained two!
One of them had simply happened to be out. That was why the Treasure Chest hadn’t unlocked after they killed the Minotaur inside.
And now, whether it had discovered its companion’s gruesome death and given chase or it was pure coincidence, the other Minotaur had appeared... right behind them.
Bain didn’t have time for such deliberation, but he understood the meaning of the heavy, drum-like footsteps behind them. His vast experience allowed him to make the right call in an instant.
"Run!"
Without a moment’s hesitation, he roared, putting all his might into a "Shield Strike" that sent the Cat Demons before him flying, clearing a path for the others.
Cody was the first to react. He immediately abandoned the two Cat Demons he was entangled with and sprinted into the chamber ahead—or more precisely, toward the crack at the far end of it.
Evan and Millian, snapping back to their senses, also scrambled to retreat.
They stood a chance against a lone Minotaur, or against the Cursed Cat Demon and its minions. But against both at once? Even with Lin Mo, they didn’t have a shred of hope.
If they hadn’t stumbled upon the Secret Realm’s exit, this would have been a deathtrap.
But even with an escape route, would their withdrawal really be so easy?
Behind them, thundering footsteps drew near as the massive creature pursued them with its Giant Axe.
Meanwhile, the Cat Demons that Bain had just repelled swarmed them again from the front and sides.
"Dammit..."
Cody, the first to retreat, was quickly cut off by Cat Demons. He gritted his teeth, clutched his dagger, and charged forward, but breaking through their blockade was no easy task.
Evan and Millian were also bogged down. With their minds solely on escaping, not fighting, their situation became even more perilous than before.
After all, Evan couldn’t fend off attacks from every direction. In truth, his skill was barely enough to handle a single Cat Demon; any more than that and he was completely overwhelmed.
Millian couldn’t find a moment’s peace to draw her bowstring. The Cat Demons swarming her left one deep, bone-exposing gash after another on her body.
Bain brought up the rear, struggling to hold his ground against the siege of several Cat Demons.
At this rate, they would be wiped out long before they reached the Secret Realm’s exit!
Lin Mo knew the situation was critical. He wanted nothing more than to disengage from the Cursed Cat Demon, but if he ignored it, his teammates would likely die even faster.
So, he could only keep it occupied while searching for an opening.
The Minotaur had caught up. Its massive Iron Axe descended upon Bain with terrifying force.
CRASH—!
This time, with Lin Mo unable to intervene, the Giant Axe slammed directly into Bain’s Shield. The immense force was too much; Bain had no hope of resisting. He was sent flying, spitting up a mouthful of blood in mid-air.
At the same time, several Cat Demons pounced toward the spot where he was about to land.
Lin Mo finally seized his chance. When the Cursed Cat Demon attacked again, he didn’t use a Skill to repel it as he had before. Instead, he twisted his body slightly, leaving a non-vital area exposed.
The Cursed Cat Demon realized something was wrong but couldn’t pull back in time. Its sharp claws ripped through Lin Mo’s Leather Armor and dug into his flesh.
"Cross Slash!"
The next moment, a cold voice rang in its ear. A flash of sword light, and an arm went flying into the air.
"Tsk."
Lin Mo clicked his tongue. ’The Cursed Cat Demon is still too fast,’ he thought. ’At the last second, it managed to change its angle and avoid a fatal blow.’
Regardless, the exchange of blows had paid off. As the Cursed Cat Demon hastily retreated, Lin Mo was finally free to act.
He glanced behind him, and his pupils constricted sharply.
"ROAR—!"
A furious roar filled the air. After grievously wounding Bain with a single blow, the Minotaur raised its black Iron Axe again, this time bringing it down on Evan.
’At this distance... I’m not going to make it...’
Lin Mo gritted his teeth. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the person closest to him—Bain, who was lying on the ground, now completely defenseless.
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"Hahh— Hahh—"
The young man, who had been giving his all to hold back two Cat Demons and protect Millian, was already covered in wounds. A ringing filled his ears, and blood masked most of his vision. He couldn’t spare a single thought for any enemy beyond those right in front of him.
The heavy Giant Axe stirred a howling wind, descending with unstoppable momentum as if to cleave him in two.
Millian stood behind Evan, having just released a Feathered Arrow that pierced a Cat Demon’s skull.
She saw everything unfold before her: the Minotaur taking a heavy stride, swinging its Giant Axe, and bringing it down on Evan.
In that moment, the world before her eyes seemed to freeze.
Her body moved before her mind could think. A tearing sensation shot through her calves as she pushed off with a speed she never knew she possessed, her form a blur as she threw herself at the young man before her—
"What are you doing? Feel proud of yourselves, bullying a little girl?"
It was a sun-drenched afternoon. She was curled up in a corner, as usual, her head buried in her knees.
"Where’d this stray dog come from, sticking his nose in other people’s business? Get him!"
She looked up and saw the boy, just as small and skinny as she was, being beaten to a pulp by the group.
"..."
"It’s black bread. I bought it with money I earned myself. Here, you can have half..."
"Why don’t you like to talk...? What’s your name?"
"Your uncle is a real piece of work! My uncle is great. The money I used to buy the bread, I earned it all from him..."
The girl stubbornly pressed her lips together, but tears still streamed down her cheeks. For the first time, she finally spoke, interrupting the rambling boy, "Millian... My name is Millian!"
...
"I borrowed some money from Uncle Bain. He said he’s an Adventurer, so he can earn a lot of money... I’m going to be an Adventurer too, and I’ll earn lots and lots of money, and we’ll never have to worry about going hungry again."
"Millian, I finally became an Adventurer! Don’t worry, I’ll be earning money soon!"
"I rented a room for you, so now you have a home..."
...
"Millian, someday we’ll be famous Adventurers, renowned all over Roland Town... No, all of Lania City!"
’So noisy...’
The wind roared in her ears. Millian felt as if she were flying, her body weightless.
Her eyes met Evan’s. She saw the shock and anguish on his face, and a faint smile blossomed on her lips.
’Goodbye, my... love.’
