The Labyrinth

"This should be the place." Lonely as Snow carefully examined the quest map, repeatedly comparing it with the concealed cave before him. Feitian Nüwu said impatiently, "Alright, let's head in then." "Wait—" Lonely as Snow interrupted in astonishment, first glancing at Feitian Nüwu in bewilderment. "We have three spellcasters in our party. Don't we need to do any preparations in advance?" Feitian Nüwu said nonchalantly, "I'm already level six. I can just carry you guys and steamroll right through. Besides, I'm a sorcerer—I don't have that many spells." Lonely as Snow turned his head toward the African duo. European Emperor scratched his head and said sheepishly, "Don't look at me, I'm only level two. I barely have any spell slots to begin with, and I haven't learned any buff spells either. If I burn them all out here, I'll be helpless once we're inside the labyrinth." "Then let me give it a try." Jiuli stepped forward and touched Lonely as Snow's armor, generating an imperceptible magical fluctuation. Instantly, Lonely as Snow's armor gleamed brightly. [Cantrip: Light] "..." Lonely as Snow fell silent for a moment and sighed inwardly, the bitterness in his heart growing even deeper. A Wild Magic Sorcerer whose only strategy was to charge blindly, wizard apprentices who were utterly useless... What kind of cursed teammates were these? Lonely as Snow took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and entered the deep, gloomy cavern. The three unreliable spellcasters followed closely behind. This place had originally been an abandoned spot used by underground merchants to store smuggled goods. After an ancient mechanism was triggered, the ground collapsed and sank, bringing the centuries-old labyrinth back into the light of day. Looking at the winding corridors of the labyrinth, Lonely as Snow whispered, "Let's sneak in quietly. Don't make too much noise... It'd be best if we can avoid combat and just complete the quest directly." "Mm," Feitian Nüwu replied. Yet before Lonely as Snow's voice had even faded, European Emperor was caught by the sight of several glittering silver coins scattered across the ground. "There's so much money on the floor!" "These silver coins must belong to that underground merchant. If we follow them, we can complete the quest." "Heh-heh, and make a tidy little profit too..." European Emperor kept scooping up the dropped silver coins, strolling straight down the passage. "Wait—don't go over there!" Lonely as Snow called out anxiously. However, European Emperor, lost in his daydream of paying off his debts, couldn't care less. He kept happily picking up coins until he was deep into the labyrinth. In the end, Lonely as Snow could only shake his head helplessly and follow after him. "Running dungeons really is the only way to make bank." "One hundred and three." "One hundred and four." "One hundred and five—huh?" "What's this...?" European Emperor suddenly caught a foul, rancid stench. A thick liquid dripped onto his head, instantly snapping him out of his money-grubbing reverie—it appeared to be the saliva of some unknown beast. His legs trembled uncontrollably as he raised his pale face. A massive, muscular minotaur wielding a great axe stood looking down at him, its eyes brimming with rage and cruelty. European Emperor let out a startled cry, rambling incoherently: "Holy crap! M-Monster!" "Help me! Save me!" "Roar—!" The minotaur roared toward the ceiling and raised its great axe high. Coated in bloodstains, the axe cleaved downward accompanied by a foul, reeking gust of wind. Clang—! Only the sharp ring of metal crashing against metal could be heard. At the very final moment before European Emperor was split in two, Lonely as Snow surged forward holding his greatshield aloft, forcefully deflecting the lethal strike. Yet under the minotaur's brute, monstrous strength, even with the shield blocking the blow, his arms were jarred numb. "What are you standing there for? Run!" Seeing European Emperor frozen in terror, Lonely as Snow shouted urgently. Only then did European Emperor snap out of it, turning on his heels and bolting to the rear, wishing he had been born with an extra pair of legs. However, the minotaur seemed to have locked onto European Emperor as its prey. Its bulging eyes were filled with fury as its massive hooves scraped against the ground, kicking up clouds of dust, before charging straight at European Emperor. Seeing his useless teammate about to be trampled and lose his life, Lonely as Snow had no choice but to step forward again. He raised his shield high, a bright light rippling across its surface. [Channel Divinity: Champion Challenge] Lonely as Snow issued a challenge, compelling the minotaur to fight him. Instantly, as if bound by an invisible chain, the minotaur was prevented from attacking European Emperor, who had collapsed onto the ground in fright right beside it. "Holy crap, I almost kicked the bucket!" European Emperor patted his chest with lingering fear. Seeing the meat slip from its jaws, the minotaur let out an enraged roar. It turned around and glared menacingly at the fully armored Lonely as Snow. Its hooves pawed at the ground once more; it wanted to smash this human who repeatedly thwarted it into meat paste. "Moo—!" Losing all reason, the minotaur charged forward like a chariot. Seeing things turn dire, Lonely as Snow had no choice but to cry out for backup: "Senior Feitian Nüwu, lend me a hand!" "You got it!" Feitian Nüwu, who had been waiting behind them for quite some time, casually waved her hand and conjured a massive fireball. Lonely as Snow was in luck; no wild magic surge was triggered this time. Boom! The blazing fireball slammed squarely into the back of the charging minotaur and detonated violently, tearing its flesh apart and scorching its back black, with even the fur across its entire body catching fire. "Awoooo—!" The minotaur's charge was broken. It stood in place swatting at its body, howling in agony. "I am a Pure Love Warrior!" "So—die, minotaur!" Seizing the opportunity while it couldn't retaliate, Lonely as Snow lunged forward in a single stride, slamming his greatshield viciously against the minotaur's skull. Thud! Caught off guard, the minotaur was struck until stars danced before its eyes, unable to see anything in front of it. Under attacks from all directions, the minotaur completely lost its mind. Sinking into endless frenzy, it began thrashing about aimlessly at its surroundings. Taking advantage of the opening, the two wizard apprentices, European Emperor and Jiuli, launched their own attacks—though their spellcasting was clearly clumsy. "Ignis! (Fire Bolt)" Two slender flames shot out, but both completely missed their mark. Instantly, the atmosphere fell rather quiet, save for the wild bellowing of the minotaur. Lonely as Snow: "..." Feitian Nüwu: "..." In the end, it was Feitian Nüwu who personally stepped up to finish off the minotaur. She puffed her cheeks slightly, channeled for a few seconds, and then spewed out a linear surge of rolling flames that completely engulfed the minotaur. [Aganazzar's Scorcher] The minotaur writhed in the flames before finally toppling over unsteadily, leaving the labyrinth filled with the savory aroma of roast beef. "Tsk, tsk. In the end, you still have to rely on me." Feitian Nüwu dusted her hands off breezily and turned her head around in high spirits. "Isn't that right, Lonely as Snow—huh?" "Baa~" Lonely as Snow had vanished. Where he had originally stood, there was now only an exceptionally weary-looking sheep bleating plaintively, its cry filled with helplessness. Feitian Nüwu stuck out her tongue sheepishly. "Sorry about that! But don't worry, the effect will wear off in two minutes." "Baa..."