Ch.79The First Morning Star (2)

A pitch-black lightning bolt struck in front of William, and from within it emerged a massive Minotaur.

“Superhero landing? Impressive for someone your size. I love superhero movies so I appreciate that pose, but you’re the first person I’ve seen actually do it.”

Flying through the air, landing on one knee with a hand touching the ground.

*Clap clap clap*

William greeted the Minotaur with applause as it performed the superhero landing that never fails to appear in superhero movies.

However, the Minotaur, Khan, seemed displeased with William’s reaction and merely snorted.

“Anyway, nice to meet you. I wanted to see a fellow participant who’s practically a public benefactor of this world. I’m William. Oh, do you understand human speech?”

Khan simply stood there, looking down at William without responding.

“I’ll take that as a yes. But… I don’t like being looked down on. If you came to talk, would you mind meeting me at eye level?”

Despite hearing William’s words, Khan absolutely refused to bend down to his level. Instead, he looked down at William with an expression that seemed to say “if it bothers you, come up here.”

“Sigh… Fine. Since you’re a participant too, I’ll let it slide. Just this once, I’ll come up to you.”

William’s body slowly began to float upward. Despite not casting any flight magic, he achieved perfect flight.

He flew up to Khan’s eye level, about 10 meters high, and met his gaze.

“That’s better. So what I wanted to ask is, would you form a team with me? Your strength seems sufficient to join forces with mine. There are only about 40 participants left in this game anyway, so let’s work together until the end and then fight each other in the final round. Sounds good, right?”

At those words, Khan seemed to consider the offer, stroking the chin of his bull head with his thick hand. Khan looked at William with an expression that suggested interest, while William returned his gaze with a seemingly friendly smile.

Khan, appearing to have made a decision, nodded his head while looking at William with bright, innocent eyes that contrasted with their red color. William’s smile deepened at this response.

“You’ll join me? That’s a relief… Fighting you would be too troubleso—”

WHAM—!

* * * * *

“KYAAAAH!!! WILLIAM!!!”

William’s harem screamed as he took a hit from me, and I had struck the participant who introduced himself as William with a punch containing my full strength.

CRASH—!!

William flew at high speed and collided with the wall with a thunderous sound. He was embedded in the wall, motionless. He had been wearing a friendly smile, and he genuinely looked like a nice person.

But even though my beast senses were gone, my instincts were highly wary of him. That friendly-looking smile was fake.

That blond guy was a con artist.

I had actually witnessed how he treated his party members like objects, and besides, I didn’t need any allies other than Mary. So I stalled for time to draw out his carelessness.

When I nodded my head, he showed an opening with his bright smile, and I was able to throw a punch with all my might.

But… the sensation wasn’t like hitting human flesh. It felt more like hitting some kind of heavy air. I tilted my head in confusion.

“My mother told me never to trust anyone, whether human or beast. I took her words to heart, and thanks to that, I’ve survived another day.”

William emerged from the wall where he had been embedded, without a single scratch, arms folded.

It definitely didn’t feel like hitting human flesh, but rather like striking some heavy barrier. However, my strength should easily tear through ordinary barriers, yet he was unharmed…

Probably a unique trait, or perhaps a skill only humans can use.

To think he could withstand a punch with my full strength. As expected of a surviving participant—I couldn’t let my guard down. With that thought, I charged at him again.

MUOOOOO——!!

Thud— Thud— Thud—

The sound of my footsteps echoed through the labyrinth. I charged at him with my horns pointed forward.

“My power is gravity. The strongest power that beasts like you can’t even use.”

KRRRRRUNG—!!

Mmm?

Something pressed down on me with those words. William said his power was gravity, so he must be crushing me with it.

But while William’s power slowed my steps, it couldn’t stop me.

CRASH——!!!

My horns struck William with tremendous force. The barrier of heavy air was still solid, but my horns were even harder.

GRRRR—

William protected by gravity, and my horns, which now seemed to rival the hardness of adamantium, beyond titanium.

CRACK—!!

The gravity bent, and though the gravity pressing down on me intensified, my strength allowed me to move even within this waterfall of immense gravity.

RUMBLE——!!

Thanking my mother for giving me such a sturdy body, I now attacked him with lightning and rock projectiles fired from the ground.

“You think I’ll just leave you alone?!”

The lightning was neutralized by a mage’s lightning attack, and the rock projectiles were blocked by guards from what appeared to be a knight and a cleric.

I thought they were members chosen only for their looks and figures, but they seemed to have some skill as well, blocking my continuous attacks.

“HAAAA!!”

The archer fired a powerful arrow at my face. I raised my hand to block it, but the arrow still pierced my skin.

It wasn’t just an ordinary arrow either, but one the size of a spear. Between the gravity pressing down around me, the arrow piercing my hand’s skin, and his party members continuously neutralizing my rock projectiles and lightning…

It seemed that William, who was babbling about gravity being the strongest, had carefully cultivated his party. The mage and archer were attackers, the cleric was support, the knight was the tank, and William himself was nearly omnipotent.

Thinking they were the most elite group of humans I’d encountered so far, I stopped my probing attacks and began using my power in earnest.

MUOOOOO——!!!

RUMBLE—!!!

With my roar, lightning began to swirl around me.

“Gravity Ball!”

Seeing Khan’s lightning, William released black spheres from his hands to counter it.

The black spheres emitted from William’s hands began to occupy the sky. I thought they might absorb the lightning like they had absorbed the stone wall earlier, but the result was the opposite.

CRASH—!! CRACKLE…

The lightning, affected by the gravity from the balls, didn’t fall to the ground but dispersed and curved in different directions.

Undeterred by this sight, Khan threw himself into the dispersing lightning.

* * * * *

William was startled by the sudden situation. The beast had thrown himself into the lightning he had dropped, and that massive body disappeared.

When the beast had appeared with lightning, William thought he was just a genuine hero otaku who used it for dramatic effect, but it seemed the creature could actually travel through lightning.

“Wrath travels through lightning! Watch out for the lightning strikes around us!”

At that call, the party members began gathering beneath William. They formed a tight group covering all four directions, with William covering the air, all on guard against Khan who could appear at any moment.

Lightning continued to pour down toward the gravity balls, and unable to withstand the gravity, it spread out, melting the walls.

Rumble…

The 20-meter walls were riddled with holes like cheese from the heat of the spreading lightning, causing the labyrinth walls to shake slightly.

“He’s not coming out… Is he really a Minotaur? Why is a monster that usually just charges straight ahead using its brain like this…”

“Indeed. At times like this, we must be patient. We don’t know when this vicious monster will target us.”

At mage Berin’s words, knight Sage urged caution. Cleric Chris and archer Jane nodded in agreement, watching the lightning in their respective directions.

CRASH—

The lightning began to shatter William’s gravity balls and fall to the ground. As one broke, two more, then three more were destroyed in succession, and more lightning bolts fell to the ground.

“There—! To the left of where I’m looking!”

CRACKLE…

Jane, spotting Khan within the falling lightning, fired an arrow that pierced through the lightning falling to the ground.

The lightning, pierced by the arrow, scattered, and Berin’s magic and William’s black arrows fell in the direction she pointed.

CRASH—!!

Wind magic that tore up the earth, and William’s arrows that sucked in the torn ground. But Khan wasn’t there.

“Over there!”

This time they attacked in the direction Sage pointed, but Khan wasn’t there either.

Not there. Not here either.

All of William’s party members kept pointing at falling lightning bolts, but Khan was nowhere to be found.

Though they attacked after confirming Khan’s appearance among the countless lightning bolts, they gradually grew tired as Khan seemed to be nowhere.

CRASH—!

“KYAAAAH——!!!”

“What?!”

Khan burst through the ground beneath William’s party members’ feet and grabbed them all.

“Let go of what’s mine, monster!! Gravity Arrow!!!”

Excited by this sight, William gestured, and countless black arrows formed in the air, showing fierce intent toward Khan.

As the black arrows made a wooing— sound, as if threatening to pierce his entire body and suck everything in if he didn’t let go immediately…

Khan squeezed his hand holding the party members, turning them into red pulp, and showed William his middle finger, stained with their blood.

“You son of a bitch—!!!!”

Dozens of Gravity Arrows were fired toward Khan.