After healing up, Cael returned to the boss gate.
This ti... he was going for the kill.
Last ti, he needed to copy its skill, so he had no choice but to hold back.
But this ti, he wouldn’t underestimate it.
Certainly not after being nearly one-shotted by it.
The "it" in question was, naturally, the Minotaur.
The massive stone gates groaned open as Cael stepped into the boss chamber once more.
Cold air lingered inside. The cracked stone floor still bore the marks of their previous clash.
At the far end, the Minotaur sat upon its throne again.
The mont it saw Cael, it roared.
The sound shook dust from the ceiling.
Gripping its enormous axe, the Minotaur leapt from the throne and charged.
It had no intention of letting him escape this ti.
Instantly, twenty Caels appeared in its field of vision.
The Minotaur paused for a fraction of a second before swinging its axe in a wide arc.
The blade sliced through several Caels.
They dispersed like mist.
—CLANG—
A wind slash struck the Minotaur’s torso. Though it caused no visible damage, it revealed the real Cael’s position.
The remaining Caels rushed forward.
Thinking they were all illusions, the Minotaur ignored them.
Its crimson eyes locked solely onto the real Cael.
But then, sothing unexpected happened.
The other Caels’ attacks connected.
They weren’t illusions.
In truth, ten of them were dummy clones. The other ten were illusions created through Moonlight.
By deliberately allowing the Minotaur’s axe to pass through illusions earlier, Cael conditioned it to believe all duplicates were fake.
He also let one dummy clone take the forefront, baiting the Minotaur’s focus.
And it worked.
The Minotaur concentrated on that one "real" target.
But when multiple blades struck its body simultaneously, confusion flickered in its eyes.
That was the mont Cael had been waiting for.
He imdiately used [Teleportation].
At the sa ti, he activated [Energy Construction].
Two sharp daggers ford in his hands; they are made of pure mana, white in color.
He didn’t aim for the heart. Its hide and muscle were too dense.
He didn’t aim for the head. He wasn’t confident he could pierce the skull.
He didn’t go for the neck either. Most monsters instinctively react to lethal intent.
So, Cael chose sothing simpler.
He appeared directly before the Minotaur.
Before it could react...
Cael stepped on the Minotaur’s nose, using it as a platform. He drove both daggers forward.
Frostfla surged through the daggers as they pierced straight into the Minotaur’s eyes.
Then, without any hesitation, he used [Teleportation] to move away.
"ROOOAAAARRRRR!"
The Minotaur’s roar shook the hall, echoing violently off the stone walls. Its massive body staggered backward.
Its eyes crystallized instantly into solid chunks of jagged ice. Without continuous mana feeding the flas, the Frostfla subdued on its own.
But the damage was already done. The Minotaur had lost its vision.
Cael reappeared at a safe distance, watching calmly.
A faint grin ford on his lips.
"Hehe... I wonder how you’ll look after I’m done with you."
The Minotaur swung its axe blindly as it roared once again.
"RRRROOOAAARRRRR!"
Cael bent his knees slightly, preparing to charge.
Then suddenly the interface opened up.
...
[SS Skill: Copy Activated]
[Do you wish to copy B-Rank Skill: Battle Intent?]
[Yes] [No]
...
And it didn’t stop there.
...
[SS Skill: Copy Activated]
[Do you wish to copy B-Rank Skill: Battle Instincts?]
[Yes] [No]
...
[SS Skill: Copy Activated]
[Do you wish to copy A-Rank Skill: Battle Suppression?]
[Yes] [No]
...
[SS Skill: Copy Activated]
[Do you wish to copy B-Rank Skill: Battle Focus?]
[Yes] [No]
...
Cael’s eyes widened.
’A battle-oriented skill set.’
He could feel it imdiately.
His [Silver 1] aura felt suppressed, dragged down toward [Bronze 3] under the effect of Battle Suppression.
A suffocating pressure pressed against his chest. Most likely due to Battle Intent.
Even blinded, the Minotaur radiated overwhelming dominance.
For a brief mont, instinct told him to retreat.
The grin on Cael’s face widened.
"Thanks for the al."
Then he copied all of them.
...
[You have successfully copied B-Rank Skill: Battle Intent]
[You have successfully copied B-Rank Skill: Battle Instincts]
[You have successfully copied A-Rank Skill: Battle Suppression]
[You have successfully copied B-Rank Skill: Battle Focus]
...
The battle resud.
Cael and his ten dummy clones began exploiting the Minotaur’s blindness.
Although its combat awareness was heightened due to its skills, the lack of vision created openings.
One clone deliberately clashed with the Minotaur’s axe to draw its attention.
Another attacked from the flank.
The real Cael moved in silence, striking with Frostfla whenever the Minotaur’s guard shifted.
The fight dragged on.
Steel t steel.
Stone cracked beneath heavy stomps.
For nearly an hour, it turned into a brutal ga of attrition.
Like a cat and mouse.
Except that the "mouse" was slowly carving the predator apart.
Finally, the Minotaur collapsed.
Its massive body crashed against the stone floor.
"Haa... haa..."
Cael lay flat on the ground, staring at the ceiling.
His mana reserves were depleted.
His limbs felt heavy.
He was completely exhausted.
But the gains of the dungeon were worth the pain.
A pulse of energy coursed through him.
He had broken through.
[Silver 1 → Silver 2]
Cael steadied his breathing and said,
"Activate Fusion."
"Fuse Battle Intent. Battle Instincts. Battle Suppression. Battle Focus."
The interface illuminated before him.
...
[Analysis Complete]
[rging skills: Battle Intent (B), Battle Instincts (B), Battle Suppression (A), Battle Focus (B)]
[High probability of producing S-Rank Skill: Battle Reaper’s Dominion]
Do you wish to proceed with fusion?
[Yes] [No]
...
Cael’s lips curved upward.
"Yes. rge them."
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