Jackson had nothing to do with the discussion outside. After developing an initial understanding of the spell, he packed up all the essential items and headed out.
Although he had fought multiple battles in the virtual space, there was not a single hint of exhaustion on his face. On the contrary, Jackson felt refreshed.
Following the usual route, Jackson quickly arrived at his regular hunting location, where tall ancient trees rose toward the sky like ancient pillars supporting the heavens.
Compared to the past few days, the number of hunters he encountered had gone up by a notch.
Because of the raging minotaur, the number of active hunters in the forest had decreased considerably, but when the Hunter Association showed no sign of taking action, the poor hunters had no choice but to risk their lives again.
Even though the threat of the minotaur still existed, the hunters could only grit their teeth and venture out.
Jackson was also one such individual, though to him the minotaur’s existence didn’t matter.
Holding the rank-one alloy combat knife in his hand, Jackson moved swiftly, his movements cautious and refined. The thin armor that he wore was already torn and scratched at several places from past battles, but for now he could only rely on it.
If he managed to save enough by this weekend, he would buy a brand-new suit of armor as well.
Time continued to pass like flowing water, and without realizing it, it was already four in the evening. After hunting blue-horned deer, he moved deeper into the forest.
Jackson’s steps paused as he surveyed the surroundings.
There was silence everywhere, broken only by hair-raising roars echoing from time to time. It was difficult to tell whether those roars belonged to some monster or a fellow hunter.
For some reason, Jackson felt it was most likely the latter.
He slowly inched deeper into the forest. Just then, feeling an intense sense of danger, Jackson threw his body to the side.
Bang!
The spot where he had stood was pierced by a thick black iron rod, its surface covered in fresh crimson blood and bits of flesh.
"Not good!"
Jackson exclaimed aloud as he sucked in a breath of cold air. A chilling sensation ran down his spine.
Tap. Tap.
The sound of heavy footsteps shaking the earth came closer.
Without even needing to raise his head, Jackson knew he had finally run out of good luck.
He had finally encountered the minotaur.
Raising his head upward, he saw an absolutely giant figure at least ten feet tall, built like an ancient tree, standing over him and casting a deathly shadow. Its two sharp horns glinted coldly. With a loud, beastly roar, the monstrous creature gripped the heavy iron rod and, with a simple jerk, lifted the weapon weighing hundreds of kilos into the air as though it were nothing.
For a very brief moment, the creature eyed the iron rod in its hand, then turned its two pairs of beastly eyes toward Jackson. For a moment, a brief flicker of confusion appeared in its gaze.
As if wondering how the puny creature had managed to avoid the devastating blow.
Under the weight of that monstrous presence, Jackson’s thoughts seemingly came to a screeching halt. The pressure he felt from this creature was even greater than the Second Sequence demon hunter Samuel Twig.
"What kind of monster is that...?!"
Jackson muttered under his breath, his hand holding the alloy knife tightening, as a shimmering status window appeared in his vision:
[Name - Corrupted Berserker Minotaur]
[Age - 33]
[Talent - Aura of Slaughter]
[Realm - Peak First Sequence]
[Spiritual Force - 9.9]
[Mana/Physique - 9.9]
Looking at the status window, Jackson’s eyes widened for a very brief moment, followed by relief.
Although he didn’t understand what the word corrupted was supposed to signify, the creature was clearly only at the First Sequence.
The situation was not completely hopeless. No matter how strong it was, as long as it was not a Second Sequence creature, he could deal with it somehow.
Moreover, one thing also caught his attention: Aura of Slaughter.
What kind of talent was this?
Should he try copying it?
Just as this thought popped into his head, as if having had enough of him, the minotaur swung the giant iron rod.
Jackson had barely enough time to blink before the rod was already above his head. Before it could even make contact with his body, Jackson felt the sheer momentum generated by the attack push his body deeper into the ground.
He had barely realized this when the mana shield flashed into existence, briefly halting the rod’s momentum for a millisecond.
Crack!
Several spiderweb-like cracks appeared all over the shield. It wasn’t able to stop the rod even for a second before it crumbled, leaving Jackson completely vulnerable to the oncoming strike.
However brief it may have been, that moment gave Jackson enough time to raise his arms and force the rod away from landing directly. Even so, the force behind the rod was immense. If he tried to resist head-on, Jackson would only be crushed into paste.
In a split second, Jackson used the moment to throw himself backward.
Boom!
The rod hit the ground, blasting large chunks of stone and dust in every direction. If Jackson had not moved quickly, his fate would have been no different.
Fighting head-on is not an option...
Countless thoughts flashed through Jackson’s mind as he thought of buying himself enough time to use the Golden Brush.
Ripple!
Multiple arrows of lightning appeared between Jackson and the minotaur, shooting forward at high speed. The next moment, the smell of burnt flesh filled the surroundings.
Jackson didn’t care about the outcome. His entire focus was on guiding the Golden Brush.
However, just as he was about to interfere with the minotaur’s spiritual force, the Golden Brush halted and turned toward something else. That moment of hesitation allowed the minotaur to attack again.
Just as it raised the iron rod up in a semicircular flash, its gigantic figure paused.
Boom!
The next moment its body imploded, sending bits and pieces of flesh flying in every direction.
Unable to control himself, Jackson fell on his butt. Although it appeared as if he had killed the monster instantly, only he knew just how close he had been to death.
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