The doors of the dungeon burst open, as the 2 Minotaurs rushed in and quickly closed it. It seemed that they were being chased by the Griffins for eating their eggs, as I saw they had a mixture of blood, eggshells, and feathers around their mouths. Luckily, they ran straight into the Main Room.
5 Golems, 5 Orcs, 2 Elementals, 2 Slimes, 1 Lich, 1 Giant Serpent, and a Young Cerberus. These mobs were currently staring at the Minotaurs. Obsidian and Bose were also on standby to support the mobs if things got dicey. Unsurprisingly, the Minotaurs spared no time to attack, as they immediately began charging towards the Golems. Their speed was as fast as you would expect.
"Hopefully, the slimes will slow them down. We need them immobilized", I said.
Before the Minotaurs arrived, I turned the slimes into Slime Traps near the front of the Main Room. Initially, the trap worked and they were stuck in place for a number of seconds. However, they didn't stay stuck for long, as they effortlessly used their battleaxes to cut the slimes into pieces. They used a mixture of lightning magic and pure strength to decimate the slimes.
"Yikes! Their goes both of our Slimes. It's to be expected when the enemy is a Dark-lightning type though. The slimes were effective at 10 DP, so I would suggest that we buy the (Improved) Slimes after this", Orai said.
Although we lost our slimes, they bought the other troops enough time to enter formation. While the Elemental spirits were launching ranged attacks, the Lich was told to summon as many Archer Skeletons as possible. However, compared to the Skeletons I could buy, these skeletons only remain if the Lich isn't killed. Thus, the Lich is a unit that is best placed at the rear of a formation. The Giant Serpent, also known as Titanoboa, was currently waiting to strike at its prey.
The Orcs and Golems were initially assigned to attack the Minotaurs while they were entrapped but it turned into a frontal assault formation. As the Minotaurs charged towards the formation, the Orcs intercepted them first. Since the Minotaurs were only 6'6", the Orcs had the definite size advantage. However, the Minotaurs were more agile, faster, and stronger than the Lesser Orcs. Whenever the Orcs swung their Warhammers, it seemed to always be a step too slow. The Minotaurs would consistently parry their attacks and land hits against them. When the Golems finally arrived, they tried attacking the two minotaurs with blunt and physical attacks. Since the Minotaurs were B+, it was not surprising to see the Golems have their attacks be blocked by the Minotaur's brute strength. The Golems were able to land more successful hits against them thanks to their size but they were able to be knocked back by the Minotaur's charging Horns. However, since the Golems I purchased were Tank units that weighed 3 Tons, they were able to recover and charge back into the fight. The Titanoboa, realizing that the fight was looking uncertain, attacked the Minotaur to it's left. It used it's long, black tail to grab the minotaur and constrict him. Despite the initial effectiveness of the immobilization, the Minotaur was still able to use it's lightning magic. It eventually shocked the beast to be released from constriction.
"Well, shit. Looks like we need to send Obsidian and Bose after all. At this rate, all of the Orcs are gonna perish. They may have endurance but not as much as the Golems", I said.
"It's to be expected. They are all Lesser Mobs after all. Just imagine what they can do once they are B-ranks", Orai said.
As the assault team was keeping the Minotaurs busy, Obsidian and Bose began to run towards their assigned Minotaurs. Obsidian had the one on the left, who was still recovering from Titanoboa's constriction. I directed 2 Golems, 2 Orcs, Titanoboa, and the water elemental to give Obsidian back up. The rest of the mobs would be giving backup to Bose, who was taking on the other Minotaur. Time was also against us, as the Griffins were circling around the Grassland for the Minotaurs. It was only a matter of time before they picked up their scent and broke into the Dungeon.
"Ok lads! I'll put on my Dwarven battle gear and head over to the Core Room! The last thing we need is the Griffin destroying the core out of rage! I still have some general materials left over so I should be able to set up an ensnare trap for the Griffins!", Briggs said.
"We wish you luck! We'll try to finish off these Minotaurs before the Griffins learn their location", I said.
"Given the Mountain, current weather, and the scent of the Minotaurs...I would say we have around 8 minutes", Orai said.
As Briggs quickly put on his matte-black dwarven armor, I was surprised to see that he was an Archer. It seems that the only weapon he can make are bows, as the custom bow and string were matte-black and currently glowing neon blue. Before I got to ask him how he made it, he quickly teleported to the core room with his materials. We had around 6 minutes left.
*Minotaur Moaning In Pain*
"Judging from that sound, I'm guessing you have some good news!", I said cheerfully.
"Looks like Obsidian bit off the Minotaur's arm. I'll put it on the screen for you", Orai said.
Sure enough, the Minotaur was in Titanoboa's constriction without his left arm. As the blood began squirting aggressively, I saw Obsidian glowing dark purple with the arm in his mouth. Since they were both Dark Types and of the same rank, I guessed that the lightning didn't work on him. Dire Wolves, being natural hunters, had similar Strength, Agility, and Speed as the Minotaurs. Titanoboa quickly threw the Minotaur against the wall, with his unique battleaxe falling on the ground. I quickly put the item into storage while he was dazed and in shock. It took a number of seconds for items dropped on the Dungeon's floor to be absorbed and added. It's important to note that Minotaur's derived their individual power from the special, rune-inscribed battleaxe that they carry at all times. This essentially meant that the disabled Minotaur could not use his lightning abilities without it.
Since the Minotaurs were high-endurance creatures, it got up and took out the second battleaxe that it had on it's back. Minotaurs usually dual-wield both axes when it's not using its magic. Effectively using their magic required an open-hand and the inscribed axe, which the minotaur had neither of. Despite its current status, the minotaur still had to be taken seriously. As the Water elemental heavily restrained his only arm, the Golems and Orcs began their attack. While the Orcs left multiple cuts on the Minotaur, he was powerless to escape. When the Golems finally arrived, the Orcs stepped back and jogged over to support Bose. As the golems began to graphically smash and stomp on the Minotaur repeatedly, it was clear that this Minotaur was finally dead.
"Jeez. That was kind of graphic. Good thing I don't have to see that body for much longer. We'll need those materials and 200 DP for our future plans", I said nauseously.
I got the notification about the 200 DP and the components that I gained from the Minotaur. B+ Blood, Horns, and many more Minotaur components were added to storage. As I summoned the Minotaurs Axe, I got the same notification 20 seconds later with different components listed. Initially, I thought the system was bugged but when I looked at the screen, I saw a rather graphic image of the other Minotaur. Safe to say he wouldn't have to worry about his headaches anymore.
"Bose. Beat. Minotaur!", Bose shouted.
Bose's Axe-Greatsword was soaked in Minotaur blood, as he picked up the Minotaur's Axe. Judging from his stance, it seemed that he knew how to dual wield.
"Holy Shit! Brigg's Golem is kinda badass! I know it's an A+ but damn! I guess the real question is if the other mobs fought", I asked Orai.
"Unsurprisingly, the answer is no. They were in Bose's way so he told them to stand and watch. You should've seen the fight! The Minotaur was a Demonic Lightning type and still lost! To have armor with shock resistance that high, you have to wonder how Briggs made it", Orai said.
As the Headless Minotaur fell on the floor, I was now 400 DP richer and with various high-grade components in my Storage. Since I was a summoner specialization, the Dungeon gained the ability to collect more components than usual. With these components, I can either craft a custom monster for the Dungeon or summon a beast for when I'm traveling around.
After seemingly reaching the end of the battle, Orai and I fell onto our King-sized Mattress where we laid exhausted from the stress. Thankfully, the softness of the Mattress helped us to regain some of our energy and calmness. Our celebration was cut short, however, as we heard a mixture of Griffin Roars and Screeches.
As we heard the Griffin roar, I remembered an important excerpt from the Encyclopedia and laughed:
"A Griffin has an acute sense of smell and even a drop of blood is potent".
That's what funny.
We had two pools of it.
Hope You Enjoyed!
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