Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess - Chapter 129

Chapter 129: Chapter 128- Cleared
Austin was back. Inside the dungeon, facing the twenty-foot-tall monstrosity.

Standing amidst the corpses of fallen giants, he locked eyes with the Minotaur.

As the system said, before reaching any boss, he had to defeat all the mobs once again. And the sad part is they gave barely any points.

[Total points: 352]

But well, Austin’s goal was to defeat the creature before his eyes who had given him the taste of defeat for the first time after reincarnating.

He didn’t ask for a resting zone and decided to fight right away.

Reason? Elara’s Shard was about to fade away, and Austin wanted to use the remaining time in his favor.

“*HUFF*” The big nose of the beast exhaled visible air as it held its weapon with both hands and slammed its hoof on the ground with enough force to send tremors.

Austin took a deep breath, steadying himself. Then, with a sharp motion, he crossed his hands over each other before snapping them apart—flinging the shuriken and Wisp in opposite directions like a sudden burst of lightning splitting the sky.

The beast’s eyes gleamed, locking onto Austin. But in the blink of an eye—SHFF—he swapped places with the shuriken, dodging the paralyzing glare by a hair’s breadth.

“HUFF…” The minotaur exhaled sharply, caught off guard. Its bloodlust, meant to paralyze its prey, was wasted.

It twisted its massive frame, scanning the area—only to hear a sharp whistle cutting through the air.

Austin was already mid-air, his hair fluttering as he hurled the shuriken toward its skull.

CRACKLE!

Lightning surged as he summoned Raijin. The sudden burst of electricity sent a violent warning through the beast’s nerves. It spun toward the sound—toward the blond standing above.

THUNK THUNK

It charged. Each step cracked the earth, sending vibrations rippling outward. The weight of the beast was abyssal, its sheer presence suffocating.

But then—

FWIP!

Austin was gone.

CRACK!

“AGHRERR!”

The minotaur’s roar shattered the air as something struck from above. Sparks crawled over its thick skull, burrowing into its flesh. Its muscles twitched uncontrollably.

However, the monster was far from being defeated.

It swung its massive weapon upward, only for—

*Click*

—Austin to switch places with the Shard once again.

*Tap*

Austin’s feet touched the ground, right before the monster.

Using instant teleportation had its advantages.

No wonder Elara was one of the strongest in Valorian Academy.

‘I guess I need to hurt him a little more—’

His thoughts cut off.

“KHRUUUUUUEENGH!”

The monster’s howl shook the air, its massive frame pulsing with power. A sinister glow spread across its body as if something inside had awakened.

Austin instinctively took a step back, his breath hitching. The pressure pressing down on him was overwhelming—disastrous. His muscles tensed, and for the first time, doubt flickered in his mind.

The minotaur spun its weapon above its head, the sheer force stirring the wind into a violent howl—before it brought it down in a diagonal slash.

CRACK!

The ground didn’t just split—it was ripped apart. A massive air slash tore through space, rushing toward Austin.

And this time, he had no way to escape.

SLAASH!

“AGHHHH!!”

The wind screamed past him, his clothes shredding apart. Blood sprayed into the air as deep, burning cuts riddled his body. The force sent him hurtling back, his vision spinning as pain lanced through every nerve.

His grip loosened. His shuriken—his lifeline—faded.

No escape.

DHAK!

His back slammed into the dungeon’s barrier, the impact rattling through his bones. A ragged breath tore from his throat before his body finally collapsed to the ground.

His chest rose and fell unevenly. Each inhale burned.

His whole body—a mess. Hundreds of cuts marred his skin, blood trickling down in countless streams.

He remained lying there lifelessly, giving the Minotaur the opportunity to close in.

The monster slowly approached the dead meat, its weapon lazily pressed on its shoulder as it stepped closer and closer to the human.

“*HUFF*” A huff of pride and arrogance as the monster appeared before Austin and raised its foot to end the farce once and for all, when suddenly,

*TING*

A heavy burden slammed down on the Minotaur’s massive frame.

Its foot, raised to crush the human beneath it, suddenly faltered mid-air—trembling.

Its breath hitched.

Then—

“KHRRRHHH!!”

A guttural snarl escaped its throat as an invisible force coiled around its body, slithering into its very core. Its muscles stiffened, its instincts screaming in alarm.

It felt like being submerged in a sea of pure malice.

Austin rose.

The deep gashes across his body stitched themselves shut, flesh mending as though his injuries had never existed.

[Ding!]

[Skill Adapt is in use!]

[Skill Adaptive Flesh is in use!]

He exhaled sharply, dragging the back of his hand across his bloodied lips. Then, his gaze lifted—cold and unyielding—as he fixed his eyes on the frozen Minotaur.

It stood there, its massive leg hovering mid-stomp, its entire body twitching. The once-proud behemoth—paralyzed by its own medicine.

Austin’s lips curled into a vicious smirk.

“Bitter, isn’t it?” His voice was low, mocking. “The very medicine you force-feed others.”

The beast’s muscles spasmed violently, its instincts roaring for it to move. But its body refused.

CRACK!

Austin launched himself forward, wind tearing past his ears as he soared toward the Minotaur’s towering frame.

The beast’s eyes widened in alarm—

THUD!

Austin landed on its shoulder, boots pressing into the thick, muscled flesh.

“KHRUHHH…” A deep, panicked groan rumbled from the beast’s throat.

But before it could react—

Austin plunged his hand straight into the Minotaur’s massive nose.

The beast convulsed, its head jerking back as it gargled in shock.

Austin’s arm pushed in deeper—farther than it should have. His fingers curled, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fist.

The Minotaur’s body jerked, its legs stumbling. It staggered backward—

But it was already too late.

Austin’s grin sharpened.

“See you in hell, buddy~”

BOOM!

Something erupted from Austin’s fist.

A shining blue weapon—his Shard—tore through the Minotaur’s insides like a merciless spear, ripping straight through flesh and bone, traveling downward at a terrifying speed.

It burst through its pelvis, tearing the monster apart from the inside, before stabbing deep into the dungeon floor with a deafening THUD!

The Minotaur’s howl of agony never even left its throat.

Its eyes remained wide, frozen, as thick rivulets of blood poured from its gaping mouth, from its nose, from its very eyes.

Austin twisted his arm, his grip tightening—

And then—

SCHLURK!

The Shard expanded, its jagged edges splitting open, shredding every last organ inside the beast’s body—turning everything into an unrecognizable pulp.

A deep shudder passed through the Minotaur’s massive frame—before, finally, its strength gave out.

It collapsed to its knees.

Then—

With one final, sickening lurch—

It fell.

Austin heaved a sigh, as he jumped away from the Minotaur, his Shard returning to its original size of a dagger.

He knew that damaging the skin of the beast was fruitless, so he had to somehow find an opening that led him inside its body.

So there were two options—nose and…well, Austin chose the first one.

Looking at his arm and his body which was full of blood and mucus, he sighed, “Lucky that I don’t have to appear like this in front of Val…”

°°°°°°°

A/N:- If you are wondering when Austin copied Blood Lust from the monster, then when the beast sent the wind attack, it paralyzed Austin.

Thanks for reading.