Limitless Ascension:The System Chosen-Chapter 22: Blood and Grit

The ground trembled.

The special Minotaur's roar echoed like a war drum, shaking the dungeon walls and Ethan's very bones. This wasn't the average monster he'd studied in the anime. This was different—larger, its muscles bulging, its eyes blazing with unnatural rage.

A mutated, elite-type Minotaur.

Ethan's dagger felt small in his grip as he stared down the beast. The air grew heavier. The pressure...it was overwhelming.

[System Warning: Monster class exceeds Level 2. Estimated power—Level 3 threshold.]

[Caution advised: opponent surpasses your current stats.]

"Great," Ethan muttered under his breath. "Just my luck."

Behind him, Lili crouched near a broken pillar, eyes wide with terror, hands clutched around her bag. She didn't speak—too stunned to form words.

The Minotaur lowered its head—and charged.

BOOM!

Ethan sidestepped just in time, feeling the gust of wind from the beast's horn as it tore through the stone wall behind him like paper. The impact sent chunks flying, and he barely managed to raise his arm to shield his face.

He retaliated instantly.

Spinning on his heel, Ethan slashed at the creature's flank. His dagger dug in—but barely. It was like stabbing reinforced hide. The wound was shallow, the blood only a trickle. The Minotaur bellowed and swung its massive arm.

CRACK!

Ethan flew back, smashing into a wall. Pain exploded in his ribs. He coughed violently, blood dripping from his lip.

"Shit..."

He rolled to his feet, breathing hard.

This thing... it's a damn tank. One hit and I'm practically done.[HP: 37%]

[Warning: Internal injury detected.]

[Adrenaline Surge activated.]

[Stats temporarily boosted.]The pain dulled slightly. His muscles tightened, reacting to the system's emergency boost.

He dashed in again, this time aiming for the Minotaur's legs. He ducked low and stabbed the back of its knee.

The beast howled and stomped, nearly catching him underfoot, but Ethan rolled away and kept moving. His mind was running on overdrive—observing, analyzing, looking for patterns in the Minotaur's movement.

Come on... There has to be a weakness.

Suddenly, the Minotaur slammed both fists into the ground, causing the chamber to quake violently. Ethan lost his balance and fell.

In that moment, the beast charged.

"Ethan!" Lili screamed.

He twisted mid-fall and activated one of his hidden trump cards.[Skill: Shadow Blink – Active]

[Range: Short dash to target location. Cooldown: 60 seconds.]Flick!

In a blink, he disappeared from beneath the charging Minotaur and reappeared behind it.

He stabbed with all his strength, aiming for the exposed spine.

CLANG!

The blade sank deeper this time—but not enough.

The Minotaur roared in pain and fury. Its massive fist came swinging backward, catching Ethan midair.

THUD!

He hit the ground and rolled, dazed. His right arm went numb from the blow.[HP: 19%]

[Status: Fractured wrist, internal bruising, stamina critical.]Blood ran from his mouth. His breath was shallow.

I'm... not strong enough. Not yet.

But he refused to fall.

Gritting his teeth, Ethan stood again. His vision blurred, but his heart was burning.

"I'm not going down here," he growled. "Not in front of someone watching... and not before I reach my limit."

The Minotaur turned slowly, one leg dragging. His attacks had left some damage—but it wasn't enough.

Ethan's mind raced.

Can I end this in one shot?

He shifted into stance. All his strength gathered into his legs and arm.[Final Burst: One use only. Converts stored energy into one overwhelming strike. May cause backlash.]"Let's go then."

He launched forward, wind screaming past him, blade raised, his body screaming in agony.

The Minotaur roared—and charged too.

Two forces collided.

Steel against bone. Flesh against fury.

The dungeon chamber exploded with sound and force as dust and debris filled the air.

And then—silence.

When the dust settled, Lili opened her eyes slowly.

Her gaze trembled.

There, standing... barely, was Ethan.

His knees shaking, arm limp, body coated in blood.

The Minotaur towered over him still—injured, but not dead.

And then, its mouth opened.

It roared.

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