Bete's ears twitched.
He heard it... the unmistakable sounds of battle echoing from another part of the floor.
Raising his nose, he sniffed the air.
His beastman senses were sharp... his sense of smell far beyond human.
The scent was unmistakable.
Minotaurs. Three of them.
"Ais..."
The two sprinted toward the noise, their boots clanging against the stone floor.
The sounds of clashing steel and bestial roars grew louder, sharper.
"What's that weakling doing?"
Bete muttered.
They soon spotted the scene... a lone adventurer locked in a desperate struggle against three minotaurs.
'A rookie?'
Ais, ready to leap into action and cut them down, halted mid-step.
The fighter was a human girl... red eyes, white hair, and an appearance so delicate she almost resembled a rabbit.
"Level 1? Is she trying to get herself killed?"
Bete growled.
Even from a distance, his seasoned eyes as a Level 5 adventurer told him everything... the human girl was just a mere Level 1.
"Oi, weakling! I know there's a rule against stealing another adventurer's prey, but this is above your pay grade! Back off before—"
He froze.
"Wait... Ais, am I seeing this right?"
The werewolf's golden eyes narrowed in disbelief.
"That weakling.... that Level 1 nobody... is actually keeping up?"
Ais gave a small nod. She hadn't moved an inch since they arrived.
Bete fell silent, his sharp gaze fixed on the fight before him.
He recalled what he knew about minotaurs... Level 2 monsters, symbols of brute strength and endurance.
Among the strongest beasts in the Middle Floors.
For a Level 1 adventurer, facing even one was practically a death sentence.
'What the hell...'
His mind flickered back to his own first encounter with a minotaur.
Back when he was still Level 1, all he could do was run, unable to fight back.
It was only after reaching Level 2 that he finally took one down by himself.
'Who is she?'
Even after seeing it with his own eyes, Bete had a hard time believing it.
...
The ground shook as three Minotaurs surrounded Belle, their massive frames casting shadows that swallowed her slender form whole.
Each breath she took echoed against the walls... steady, controlled.
'Calm heart. Sharp mind.'
'Read their movements. You can't match their strength... so move smarter.'
'Find its mana stone and destroy it.'
Her aunt's cold, cutting voice echoed in her mind
'I know... I have no intention of dying here.'
She thought as her heart began to race.
Drenched in sweat, she swallowed her fear and steeled her nerves.
'My first real challenge in the dungeon.'
So far, things had been easy.
The monsters on the upper floors, while stronger than those on the surface, had barely given her any trouble.
'If I survive this, Miss Eina is going to yell at me.'
Her gaze never wavered, though she could sense eyes watching her from afar.
She didn't question it... she just focused on the enemies before her.
'Bring it.'
As if recognizing the challenge in her eyes, the first Minotaur roared and lunged, its massive fist crashing down like a boulder.
Belle's eyes narrowed.
In an instant, she shifted her weight, sidestepping with graceful precision.
'Too close!'
The blow shattered the floor where she'd stood.
She darted in... her twin daggers flashing like streaks of silver.
She darted in low, slicing across its thigh to break its balance.
Her blade bit deep... not enough to kill, but enough to slow it down.
The beast roared, swinging again.
Belle retreated just in time, her boots skidding against the dust.
The second Minotaur charged, horns first.
Belle jumped to the side, but the sheer wind pressure of its charge sent her sprawling to the ground.
Pain shot through her arm as she hit hard, her daggers clattering beside her.
She barely rolled aside before a foot the size of her torso stomped down, cracking the floor where she'd been.
"Damn it..."
She hissed, snatching her weapons back.
The monsters regrouped... three hulking forms circling her, red eyes burning in the dim light.
Their muscles rippled with every breath, each step shaking the earth.
Belle's mind raced.
She couldn't overpower them. Not even close. But she could outthink them.
'They're strong but slow... thick hides, low agility. Use that.'
From their short clash, Belle didn't stop analyzing her opponents.
Gathering information... especially in the Dungeon... was crucial.
Knowing or not knowing could mean the difference between life and death.
That habit had been literally beaten into her by her vicious aunt.
The same practice that once tortured her and made her feel like she had experienced hell was now helping her survive.
The nearest one swung again... a wild, heavy punch.
Belle ducked under and slashed twice, fast and shallow.
Blood splattered, but the beast barely flinched.
The Minotaur growled, pivoting to face her... exposing its chest.
Belle's eyes locked on the faint, glowing pulse beneath the skin.
The mana stone.
She dashed forward... but the second Minotaur barreled in, blocking her path.
Its massive arm caught her mid-sprint, hurling her into a wall.
The impact knocked the wind from her lungs.
'It hurts.'
She coughed, forcing herself to stand, her knees trembling.
"But my mother hits way harder than this."
She clutched her stomach and bit her lip.
"So get up. Always get up."
Belle wiped the blood from her lip and steadied her breathing.
Her body suddenly felt light as a feather, and the pain dulled dramatically.
"Ah, finally... my skill."
Tenebris Vitalis... a skill she had awakened shortly after being blessed with a falna.
Born from the punishment Alfia forced her to endure almost every day, this skill was created to help her survive it.
'I can do this.'
The daggers glinted faintly as she raised them again.
The first Minotaur came again, stomping toward her.
This time, she moved before it could swing.
A low dash, tight step, pivot... her body flowed like water.
Her right dagger pierced its forearm, deflecting its punch just enough for her to climb its arm and reach its chest.
The monster roared, thrashing violently.
Belle stabbed again... this time into the faint light beneath its ribs.
The dagger struck the mana stone.
A burst of blue light flared as the creature froze mid-roar before collapsing into dust and ash.
"One down..."
She muttered, and in the darkness of the dungeon, her crimson eyes burned with a quiet, defiant light.
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