Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 294: The Monster of the Labyrinth
If the dragonfolk’s records and the Voice of the World were correct, the Storm was a formless, floor-specific realm guardian of Floor 86 that had appeared only a handful of times over several centuries.
Its attack robbed its victims of sight, direction, contact with the ground, and even the ability to use their skills.
Tauro had managed to temporarily neutralize that terrifying effect. With his senses and abilities restored, he began moving through the labyrinth to rejoin the escort and search parties.
[Presence Detection] showed allies relatively close by, but the labyrinth’s walls repeatedly forced him away from the direct route. Reaching them took far longer than expected.
Along the only available passage, Tauro encountered a monster perfectly suited to a labyrinth.
“A huge humanoid with a bull’s head… A Minotaur. The classic guardian of a labyrinth. It looks extremely strong, but this is only Floor 86…”
The creature’s appearance immediately put Tauro on guard.
Although the labyrinth itself was enormous, they faced each other in the confined space of a passage.
The Minotaur soon noticed him. It snorted heavily and tightened its grip on the massive axe in its hands.
Tauro withdrew the Guardian Doll Round Shield from [Magic Storage], equipped it, and drew Shortsword Tauro.
“Pella, can you mimic the surface of my shield?”
Pella immediately released its leather-armor disguise and spread itself across the round shield’s surface.
With a bellowing ‘Moo!’ the Minotaur charged.
Tauro’s Behemoth Leather Armor increased several of his abilities and enhanced his physical strength. The Guardian Doll Round Shield improved his physical resistance, while the Great Scarlet Ape magic stone set into it granted Arm Strength Increase (Strong).
In addition, the recently acquired [Heroic Style] had raised his basic abilities.
Tauro’s physical capabilities had once been his greatest weakness, but those combined enhancements were substantial. He calculated that he should now be able to withstand the Minotaur’s attacks.
Using the momentum of its charge, the Minotaur brought its axe down on him.
Clang!
The heavy impact of metal against metal rang through the passage as Tauro caught the blow head-on with his shield.
“Guh!”
The force was far greater than he had anticipated.
The Minotaur was stronger than expected, but its attacks weren’t especially fast. Once the initial shock passed, Tauro concluded that it wasn’t an opponent he was incapable of fighting.
He decided to test the newly acquired [Skill-Killing (Weak)]. If the Minotaur possessed a skill that amplified its strength, disabling that skill should reduce the force of its attacks.
“[Skill-Killing (Weak)]!”
Tauro activated the ability and braced for another axe strike.
The second blow was every bit as heavy as the first, nearly driving him to his knees.
“It had no effect at all!”
Tauro immediately abandoned the experiment and changed tactics. He redirected the Minotaur’s attacks rather than blocking them directly, disrupted its balance, and repeatedly stabbed or slashed at vulnerable points with his shortsword.
An hour later, the Minotaur’s body was covered in countless cuts and puncture wounds. It released one final bellow and collapsed.
“Ha… ha… Its stamina was unbelievable. Without all of those physical enhancements, I might have lost…”
Gasping for breath, Tauro sank to the floor.
Pella released its camouflage on the shield and trembled reassuringly.
“You’ll protect me while I rest? Ha… Thank you. You’re more than enough—you’re my shield.”
After his breathing finally steadied, Tauro drank a stamina-restoration potion and rested a little longer.
“That was frightening. [Skill-Killing (Weak)] did absolutely nothing. Did I misunderstand how to use it? I’ll need to test it properly later.”
Once the potion restored his strength, he drank a second bottle to complete his recovery and stood.
“For now, rejoining the escort team takes priority.”
Tauro asked Pella to resume mimicking his leather armor, stored the Minotaur’s remains in [Magic Storage], and continued through the labyrinth.