The moment my fingers pressed against the fractured stone of the throne, the world around me collapsed without warning, the clearing, the crater, the forest.....everything folding into silence before dissolving completely. There was no transition or sense of movement, just a sudden shift as the ground beneath my feet hardened into something smooth and cold, the air around me tightening as if sealed within invisible walls.
I stood in a circular chamber.
The space was wide but enclosed, its walls made of dark stone that reflected no light, rising high enough that the ceiling disappeared into shadow.
The floor beneath me was marked with faint lines, almost like an arena, worn and scratched from countless clashes that had taken place long before I arrived. There was no exit anywhere in sight.
Only the center. A ripple formed ahead of me.
The system responded.
[Designation: Defier confirmed]
[Trial Initiated]
[Defeat all opponents]
The ripple expanded, and from it stepped out a Minotaur.
It stood tall, easily towering over me, its frame massive and thick with muscle, its body covered in coarse dark fur. Its head was that of a bull, horns curved outward and forward. Its eyes glowed faintly red, locked onto me with immediate intent. In its hands was a single axe, heavy and brutal, its blade chipped but thick.
[Minotaur – Level 50]
It didn’t hesitate.
The moment it appeared, it charged.
The ground trembled under its steps as it closed the distance quickly, the axe rising above its head before coming down in a heavy vertical strike. I stepped aside, the blade slamming into the ground where I had been standing, the force cracking the stone beneath it. I moved in immediately, my axe coming up in a clean arc, striking across its side.
The hit landed solid.
The Minotaur reacted fast, turning with surprising speed for its size, its free hand swinging toward me, but I ducked under it and stepped closer, driving another strike into its torso before pulling back.
It roared and swung again.
This time horizontal.
I blocked.
The force pushed through my arms, but not enough to break my stance, and I twisted into the motion, slipping inside its range and bringing the axe up toward its neck. The blade bit in, cutting through flesh and muscle as I followed through with another step, driving it deeper until the resistance gave way.
Its head separated cleanly.
The body dropped.
The next ripple formed before the first had even fully settled.
[Minotaur – Level 53]
This one stepped out already moving, its axe glowing faintly along the edge as it advanced. The stance was tighter and the aura surrounding it was more fierce.
The strike came faster. I met it head-on.
The clash was heavier this time, the force pushing me back a step as the glow along its blade flared on impact. It followed immediately with another strike, then another, each one chaining into the next with no pause, forcing me to defend instead of counter.
I shifted my footing and let one swing pass, then stepped in and struck, my axe colliding with its side, but the creature barely flinched, turning into the hit as it brought its weapon down again.
I lunged back once.
Then "Impact Burst."
The energy surged through my legs, launching me forward instantly, the distance closing before it could react. My knee drove into its chest, the impact lifting it slightly as I followed through, the axe already moving.
The blade came down hard.
Straight through. The strike split deep, the force carrying through its torso as it dropped under the impact and its body disappeared into motes.
The third came immediately.
[Minotaur – Level 56]
The third one stepped out slower than the rest, its hooves grinding against the stone as it lowered its head slightly, a deep growl rumbling from its chest that echoed through the chamber before rising into a full roar that shook the air around us.
Its grip tightened around the axe, veins standing out along its arms as faint energy gathered along the blade, coiling inward like pressure waiting to be released.
It didn’t charge immediately.
It took one step. Then slammed the axe into the ground.
"GRRAAAHH!"
The moment the blade struck, a compressed wave burst outward from the point of contact, tearing across the arena floor in a widening arc, the stone cracking as the force rushed toward me.
I pushed off the ground and shifted back, the wave grazing past, but the pressure dragged at my legs, slowing my movement just enough for it to close in.
It was already moving. Faster than something that size should. The axe came from the side, low and heavy.
I brought mine up to meet it.
The clash rang out sharp, the force pushing straight through my arms as my feet slid back across the stone. Before I could reset, it twisted its grip and brought the axe up again, this time from below, the movement chaining seamlessly into the next strike.
I shifted my stance and angled the block, but the impact still drove me back another step.
It didn’t pause.
A third strike came down from above, heavier than the last two combined, the energy along its blade flaring at the moment of impact.
I let it pass and stepped to the side as the axe slammed into the ground, the shock cracking the surface beneath it, and moved in to counter, my blade cutting across its side.
The hit landed. But it barely slowed.
The Minotaur turned into the strike, a snarl tearing from its throat as it drove its shoulder forward, forcing space between us before dragging the axe free and swinging again in a wide arc meant to take my head off.
I ducked under it, the wind of the swing brushing past as I stepped back out of range.
This one wasn’t going to drop from a simple exchange.
It roared again, louder this time, the sound carrying force behind it as the energy along its weapon thickened, its stance lowering as it prepared to come in again.
I took a step back.
"Radiant Slash."
The motion was clean. The axe cut through the air, and the energy followed, forming instantly into a blazing arc that tore forward across the arena, the heat trailing behind it as it closed the distance in a blink.
The Minotaur saw it and reacted. It brought its axe up in front of its body, planting its hooves and bracing as the glow along its blade surged, meeting the attack head-on.
For a fraction of a second, it held.
Then it broke.
The radiant arc tore through its defense, splitting the energy along its weapon before cutting across its body, the force carrying through without slowing as the impact passed cleanly through.
The roar cut short.
Its body split along the line of the strike, the two halves separating as the energy carried past and dissipated behind it.