Chapter 28: Chapter 28 - Between death and life
The Minotaur pushed Link hard against the stone wall and shook its head from left to right, further opening Link's wounds.
"Aghhh... ahem..."
He really didn't want to be hit by this type of monster.
Link endured the sharp pain in his abdomen, spun the spear in his hand, and pierced the opponent's eye socket with the tip of the spear. With a bang, as the Minotaur turned to flying ash and dissipated, Link slid down the stone wall.
At that moment, a large hole opened in his abdomen, and blood flowed out like a force threatening his life.
Link half-knelt on the ground, holding the wound with one hand and gasping for air. He temporarily put down the weapon with his other hand, then took out two potion tubes from his space and drank them in one gulp.
Olga squeezed out the last bit of her magic power and released a bolt of lightning, eliminating the surrounding monsters and rushing off.
Link took out two potion tubes and stuffed them into his hand, then looked around. The area was completely filled with endless monsters, making retreat completely impossible.
As if wanting to destroy everything here, the ground shook again, and several more Minotaurs appeared in the cave.
"Why… are there so many…"
The Minotaur is the backbone of LV.2 monsters. It often appears on the 15th to 17th floors. In a one-on-one battle, ordinary LV.2 adventurers may not be able to defeat it.
Link could deal with some of them, but in this situation, there were still plenty of hellhounds and One-Horned Rabbits out there…
Link launched several slashes again to deal with the approaching Minotaurs. He also cleared out the rest of the surrounding monsters. Olga took this opportunity to help Link. She applied a simple bandage.
He had already been seriously injured, but he tried his best to attack, and the injury worsened. At that moment, Link's face gradually turned pale, and his lips lost their color. Cold sweat kept dripping from his cheeks.
Ever since he came to Orario, he always thought he was the lucky protagonist of those novels and anime, but now he realizes that death is very close to him.
He doesn't want to die. This is only natural.
There are still many beauties he has yet to meet, and a happier future still awaits him. As long as he is still alive, there are many things he can do.
*And when he die, everything disappears; his body and mind will be completely submerged in darkness, and he sink into the endless abyss.*
He wants to live. The desire to survive is so strong at this moment, like a stranded fish struggling to return to the sea.
He doesn't want to die. Link couldn't help but look at Olga.
Olga, who has no magic power and can no longer cast spells, is nothing but a burden at this moment.
'If... if he were alone... '
Between life and death, an evil thought suddenly arose deep in Link's heart. The seed called selfishness quietly sprouted within him.
Olga can't use magic; she's just a burden. If a decision isn't made, both of them will die here. Rather than falling here, it's better to abandon Olga and escape alone.
'Why not look for other women and things later?'
Link gritted his teeth; the demon called cowardice kept encouraging him in his ears and whispering wicked words to him in his heart.
At that moment, Olga looked at the injured Link and the countless monsters surrounding him who were staring at him, feeling a bit lost. Previously shielded by Link, she had fallen to the 15th floor. But now it was different; Link was seriously injured.
Seeing Link's pale face while still insisting on fighting, Olga felt guilty in her heart. *"Obviously, my purpose is to help him, but now I've become a burden needing his protection."* *"What a shame I am!"*
If this continues, there's no doubt everyone will die! The inevitable result will be being torn apart by these monsters, their bodies swallowed by them until nothing is left.
Link in front used fire essence to weave cloth and once again resisted the flames for her. Olga noticed the bloodied bandage around Link's waist and had never felt so powerless. If this continues, both will perish.
Instead of this... "Lord Link, the potion just restored a bit of my magic power. After I cast the spell later, you can take the opportunity to escape, and I'll buy you time!"
Seeing Link stare in disbelief, Olga forced a smile. "I can't do anything. Without magic power, I am just a burden. I can't run fast. If I'm with you, Lord Link, you can't escape. You should be fine if you go out alone..."
Olga smiled at Link, her tears still glistening at the corners of her eyes. "Lord Link, goodbye!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
Unlike Link's selfish thoughts, Olga spoke words of sacrifice. *"Damn, can't you be more selfish?"*
A feeling of shame arose deep within Link's heart, completely overwhelming him. Yes! He's a man; how could he harbor thoughts like that, even worse than hers? *"I'm so useless!"*
Link couldn't help but feel anger at his own failure! As if he had made a decision, Link gritted his teeth. He wasn't going to run away alone; even if it cost him all 12 lives here, he would leave with Olga!
Brandishing the spear with all his might, he carefully shattered the approaching monsters. But now that things had come to a head, was there a better way? Link racked his brain and thought hard.
*"Compared to the upper level, the cave becomes wider and the ceiling higher as you go down. In addition to the normal routes leading deeper, there are also vertical caves leading to the lower levels..."*
When he went to see Eina to check the information in the dungeon, Eina provided him with the relevant details.
Link suddenly remembered!
Longitudinal point?
That's right! Vertical hole!
If he could find the vertical hole and go straight to the 18th floor…!
The 'Safe Point' on the 18th floor is a rare safe level in the dungeon. Monsters will not appear here, so many adventurers gather for a short period to repair and rest.
Rather than risking the same route back, it's better to find the vertical cave and head straight to the 18th floor. Additionally, the Goliath floor master on the 17th floor was already dealt with during the Loki Familia expedition some time ago. He will return in two weeks. He won't respawn; that means the floor master won't emerge on the 17th floor now!
"Olga, release magic to the other side!"
"Huh?"
"We won't go back the way we came! Let's find the vertical point and head straight to the 18th floor!"
Link looked toward the direction of the passage. There were fewer monsters there than on the retreat path behind him.
'Use all your strength and fight back! '
"Don't give up, Olga! I will do my best to protect you! Unless I die first, I will never let you go ahead of me!"
"Mr. Link…"
"Get ready to escape!" Link tightened his grip on the spear in his hand and added, "Thank you, Olga!"
"It is precisely because of you that I learned something more important than my own life between life and death."
Olga looked back at the one blocking her and smiled.
She closed her eyes, opened them after a few seconds, and faced the monsters without fear.
The wand fell heavily to the ground; the magic power accumulated after a short recovery activated, and the condensed magic exploded.
"Fire Beam!"
The burning flames annihilated the monsters blocking the way one after another. Taking advantage of the massive reduction in these monsters, Link seized the opportunity, took Olga's hand, and ran, unimpeded, with the spear in his hand stabbing continuously, killing the monsters in their path.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone