BOOM!

The master of the Golden Ox Palace descended from the open rift, touching down inside the Gate. The ground shuddered, heralding the arrival of a new boss.

—KRRWAAAAH!

The bull, brandishing two double-bladed axes, lifted them high above its head with a flash and let out a deafening roar. In response, the bodies of the original Minotaur bosses began to shrink, then split, multiplying one by one.

Stunned into silence by the unbelievable transformation unfolding before them, the members of Noah slowly began to regain their composure. The first to react was Mi-jeong.

Wiping away a bead of cold sweat, he nonchalantly fanned himself, his eyes fixed on the master of the Golden Ox Palace. No matter how he looked at it, the odds were impossibly stacked against them. He shuddered.

“First, it was an SS-Rank, and now it’s an SS+-Rank? I’m so sick of this. Seriously, how is it that every time I’m with you, Sa-yoon, the weirdest things start to happen?”

“I’m just a bit unlucky.”

“So it seems.”

Mi-jeong forced a smile, his lips trembling slightly as he waved his fan to cool himself. Just as he tried to take a step, however…

Clunk.

His movement was halted, as if an invisible shackle had clamped around his body. Mi-jeong’s panicked gaze darted around.

“What’s going on? Why can’t I move? Are we stuck?”

“I’m not sure…”

“Ugh. Jaehee!”

By now, it had become second nature for Mi-jeong to call for Jaehee whenever a question or problem arose. Having unofficially become Noah’s problem-solver, Jaehee tested his footing once before nodding.

“We’ll likely remain in this state until the labyrinth is fully formed.”

“What a pain. I was hoping to find a shortcut.”

They could still draw or change their weapons, but any attempt to move from their spot was met with a supernatural paralysis. It was the same rule they had experienced in the Tower’s Minotaur Labyrinth, so it wasn’t entirely a surprise.

However…

Sa-yoon stroked his chin, his eyes scanning the Gate. Even with the rank and name change, the fundamental rules haven’t shifted.

Despite the transformation, the Gate’s structure operated similarly. The only significant change was the boss itself; more precisely, the master of the Golden Ox Palace had taken the role of the final boss, while the original Minotaurs had multiplied like minions to populate the labyrinth.

The difficulty has shot up, which is a headache, but it’s not impossible to clear.

Sa-yoon summoned his favored half of ‘Conviction,’ letting the Formless Dagger skill suspend it in mid-air before he switched his weapon.

Moonlight.

The wire, which gleamed with a fiercer edge under the moonlight, materialized in his hand.

Swish!

The wire shot through the air and embedded itself in the labyrinth wall. He deliberately cut his hand on the taut wire, and Moonlight seemed to drink the blood, growing stronger and harder. His preparations complete, Sa-yoon looked over the members of Noah, who were desperately trying to feign composure in the face of their first-ever SS+-Rank Gate. His gaze settled on Jaehee.

“We’ll start with the same strategy we used in the Tower.”

“You mean you want us to hold off the Minotaurs.”

“Exactly. If you can take down three of them without a single casualty, I’ll even praise you. Han Geon-joo and I will handle the boss.”

It was an audacious command, but no one voiced any objection. In an unexpected crisis, leadership naturally falls to the most experienced, and Sa-yoon fit that description perfectly. The members of Noah had already witnessed the power of Sa-yoon and Geon-joo in the Forgotten Temple. Seeing no need for a lengthy debate, they nodded in agreement and gathered behind Lee Jaehee.

“This is an SS+-Rank Gate. Do not act on your own. Consult with each other and move with caution. I will ride the Gryphon and give orders from above. The rest of you will split into teams and focus on eliminating your assigned monsters. Team Noah, we will now begin the assault.”

Lee Jaehee’s declaration was perfectly timed with the moment the labyrinth’s construction completed and their movements were freed.

With the battle declared, everyone moved with disciplined precision. The members of Noah broke off into pairs to engage the Minotaurs, while Sa-yoon put his weight on the anchored wire. Moonlight wrapped around his wrist, and with a whoosh, his body was flung toward the labyrinth wall. He kicked off the wall as if running up its surface and threw another wire with his free hand.

Crunch!

Moonlight’s silver thread bit deep into the wall, securing a new anchor point. Gripping both wires, Sa-yoon leaped into the air, taking a sharp breath.

Flying skills like Void Walk or items that granted flight were useless in the Minotaur’s Labyrinth. To command the airspace, one had to either use a flying summon, as Jaehee did, or resort to a clever workaround like his wires.

It’ll drain a good chunk of my stamina, but it’s better than getting lost in this maze.

“Han Geon-joo, to your right!”

Soaring high, Sa-yoon surveyed the labyrinth at a glance and guided Geon-joo, whom he hadn’t been able to bring with him while setting up the dual wires. It was a method they had used before, so both the one giving orders and the one following moved with fluid efficiency. Kicking off the walls, falling, and using the wires to launch himself back into the air, Sa-yoon calculated the optimal route to the boss and landed beside Geon-joo.

“The strategy is the same as last time. I’ll use the wires, you use your sword to exploit the openings I create. I’ll be right there for backup.”

Moonlight was perfectly suited for the labyrinth. The ideal tactic was for him to first flay the boss’s tough hide with blood-hardened wires, exposing the tender flesh for Han Geon-joo to strike. But as he explained, Geon-joo grumbled, a tell-tale sign of his reluctance.

“What is it now?”

We’ve used this method before, and it’s been proven to work. What’s the problem?

He shot Geon-joo a look that said, Don’t be difficult, at least not during a battle, but Geon-joo only glanced nervously at the floating video stone.

“To pull off that strategy, I’d need the Formless Dagger skill, too, wouldn’t I?”

Ah.

The Formless Dagger skill was what eliminated the tedious process of embedding a sword and retrieving it. It was essential for maintaining a relentless tempo of attacking the massive creature, dodging, and striking again. Understanding Geon-joo’s point, Sa-yoon stopped running. Geon-joo, who had paused in sync with him, reached out and grabbed Sa-yoon as he approached without hesitation.

“You know they can’t edit that footage, right?”

“I’ll cover your face, so stop worrying.”

“That’s not what I mean. Our relationship—”

He talks too much. Anyone would think we were out for a stroll.

“What does it matter? The rumor that I’m wrapped around your little finger has been all over the internet for ages. Now, take off the mask.”

Clearing the Gate was the priority. The Minotaurs, though weakened, had once been the bosses of an S+-Rank Gate. With a dozen of them now pressuring the remaining Noah members, one wrong move could mean losing a teammate. Lee Jaehee would do his best to prevent that, but one could never be certain.

There was no time to waste. Sa-yoon grabbed Geon-joo by the collar and yanked him forward. Though startled, Geon-joo reflexively took off his mask as he was pulled in. The moment the mask was off, Sa-yoon covered his stunningly handsome face with one hand and bit down hard on his lip. Geon-joo let out a muffled grunt and shuddered. With a faint, knowing curve to his eyes, Sa-yoon pushed the mask back onto Geon-joo’s face and stepped away.

“Tsk.”

Geon-joo licked the wound, his expression incredulous as he felt the clear imprint of teeth on his lip.

“Why did you bite me?”

“To help you focus.”

Sa-yoon said it as if it were nothing, then gestured with his chin for him to try the skill. Geon-joo understood the signal and immediately accessed his stored skills, activating Formless Dagger.

“The copy was successful.”

They once again began their race along the shortest path. They were now less than ten meters from the boss.

“Do you think we can clear this in under ten minutes?” Geon-joo asked.

“Well… it looks like some demigod-level being has descended, but I don’t think it’s unbeatable if I use my True Word. First, we need to analyze its patterns, so we’ll just hit and run initially.”

“Understood.”

Just as the quiet affirmation reached his ears, the end of the labyrinth came into view, revealing the beast sitting upon its throne.

“Here we go.”

A wire slithered across the ground like a serpent. With a resounding CRACK!, it struck the stone floor, sending shards flying and drawing the boss’s attention. As its gaze followed the debris, Sa-yoon used his newly maxed-out agility to rapidly plant his wires on the ceiling and reposition himself behind the boss’s head. The creature sensed his presence and turned, but it was too late. The wires in Sa-yoon’s hands had already shot forth.

Whirrr!

Silver threads coiled around the boss’s body, binding it. They seemed like simple threads, but with a soft click, Sa-yoon activated a switch on his wires. Moonlight’s edges grew sharper, digging into the boss’s flesh.

—KIIIIEEK!

Instantly restrained, the boss strained against the wires, trying to break free. But the more it struggled, the deeper Moonlight cut. Just as the silver threads were about to snap under the pressure of the creature’s expanding muscles, Sa-yoon, who had been timing it perfectly, pulled the wires back.

TWANG!

With a resonant snap, the wires that had been constricting the boss recoiled like a vortex. As they did, they tore away half of the creature’s skin with a sickening rip. The boss let out a shriek of agony. Before it could recover from the shock, a shadow-clad sword plunged into the exposed, tender flesh. With the blade buried in its wound just before it could begin to regenerate, the master of the Golden Ox Palace’s eyes widened as it screamed.

—KRAAAAAAH!

The roar was deafening. Sa-yoon was about to smile at the successful attack when he noticed something appear above the boss’s head, and his expression hardened.

A red energy bar floated there.

It looked exactly like a health bar for a boss monster in a video game.

With a grim face, Sa-yoon counted the number of bars.

Excluding the one that was now about 20% depleted, there was one full bar, then a second, a third…

A fifth.

There were six bars in total. Sa-yoon exchanged a stunned glance with Geon-joo and let out a disbelieving laugh.

It seemed this wasn’t just some run-of-the-mill celestial, playing at being a master.

“This is going to be tougher than I thought, pretty boy.”

Dealing with that much health in under ten minutes was going to be a problem.