They wept and screamed, but nothing could stop what was coming.

Several beams of light converged on the eastern door. The heavy, animal breathing grew closer and closer — so close it sounded like something pressed right against the door.

Everyone’s nerves stretched to the breaking point as they watched, helpless, as that door swung open.

“Aarrgh…”

A low, rumbling growl — nothing like a bull. It was closer to something from the bear family.

As those massive horns slowly pushed through the doorway, they finally saw the minotaur in full.

It did have the head of a bull and the body of a man, but it differed somewhat from the abstract carvings on the wall. The creature’s chest and back were draped in thick black fur. It stood in a hunched posture, and even without fully straightening up, it towered nearly two people high — an utterly crushing presence.

It was a hundred, a thousand times more terrifying than the image on the wall. Crimson eyes, protruding fangs, and fingernails that were long, black, and hard as iron.

Bai Youwei tossed the rabbit onto the ground. “Go!”

The little plush rabbit charged at the enormous beast, gathered all its strength, leaped high into the air, and unleashed a blinding bolt of lightning!

*BOOM!!!*

For one instant, the stone chamber blazed white as day.

For one instant, it went dark again.

The minotaur let out a long howl and crashed to the ground.

At the same moment, Shen Mo, Ashalina, Du Lai, and Leonid all charged in together. Some drove weapons toward its eyes, some swung blades at its throat, some raised their weapons high and drove them deep into its back, straight through to its heart.

The minotaur’s body was paralyzed — it had no strength to resist. Crimson blood poured from every wound, flooding the stone floor like a stream.

But Mark and the others still trembled in fear. “It’s no use…” they quavered. “Even if you knock it down, it’s no use…”

Bai Youwei heard this and furrowed her brows slightly, looking toward them.

Why would it be no use?

At that moment, Ashalina stood on the minotaur’s back, gripping the sword hilt with both hands and driving it even deeper.

A powerful pulse shot up through the blade and into her palms, jolting her.

Ashalina’s face went pale. She could feel it — the heart was beating. The heart she had just pierced through had somehow resumed beating.

Ashalina yanked the sword out, jumped down, and backed away, shouting to her companions, “It’s still alive!”

The others heard and scrambled back.

The wounds on the minotaur’s body healed rapidly. It roared and hauled itself upright, lunging directly at Du Lai, who was closest.

Du Lai reacted with lightning speed, rolling along the ground, sliding right under the minotaur’s legs, then spinning around and driving his dagger into the back of the creature’s knee.

The minotaur let out a howl.

The others seized the opening and attacked again, but these wounds did nothing to slow the creature’s movements. It lowered its head and rammed forward with its massive, iron-hard horns — like a maddened bull in a bullring.

For the moment, both Leonid and Shen Mo were unable to get close. The minotaur turned and charged straight toward Bai Youwei.

The plush rabbit sprinted to intercept from the side and unleashed a burst of lightning.

The blue-violet electric flowers bloomed and barely made the minotaur stagger — it wasn’t enough to stop the creature’s advance.

The rabbit frantically unleashed more bolts, each one weaker than the last, each one more strained than the one before. They could only slow the minotaur for a moment and couldn’t deal any real damage.

That first lightning strike had nearly drained its charge. Now, the rabbit’s power was clearly running out.

Bai Youwei watched the minotaur barreling toward her with cold eyes.

The plush rabbit was her only means of protecting her life. If even the rabbit failed, she would truly have no options left — unless…

Her gaze drifted to Mark, Dylan, and Slade not far away.

If someone were sacrificed…

The thought had barely flickered through her mind when the minotaur let out another terrifying roar.

Bai Youwei whipped her head around and saw Shen Mo grip one of the horns with a single hand. The paper doll in his other hand had taken on the shape of a curved blade and sliced open the creature’s throat.

“Run!” Shen Mo leaped down from the minotaur and grabbed Bai Youwei’s hand, pulling her out of the way.

Behind them, blood sprayed out like a fan.

—