Fire Mage-Chapter 632: Poisoning

Chapter 632: Poisoning

Though protected by a golden shield, Charles doubted it could withstand a direct hit from a Legendary Magical Beast.

In the blink of an eye, the Minotaur reached him. Its massive form loomed overhead as it raised its axe high and brought it crashing down on the [Golden Shield].

The impact shook the wilderness. A deafening bang echoed in all directions, followed by a supersonic shockwave that rippled outward, disturbing the once-serene landscape.

The shield held, but only just. Charles sensed it wouldn’t survive a second blow. And another one was coming.

In the next moment, the sheer force of the strike hurled Charles backward like a missile. He slammed into a rock, the impact ringing in his ears.

"Damn it!" he cursed, breathless.

The Minotaur roared again, its rage shaking the ground. It charged forward once more, rapidly closing the gap.

Groaning, Charles rose to his feet and prepared to flee. Before that, he cast [Soul Heal], calling on soul fire to restore his strength. Then, with a wave of his hand, he summoned [Fallen Angel’s Wings], black flames erupting from his back.

As the Minotaur approached, Charles flapped his wings and shot into the sky, narrowly escaping its reach.

But the beast didn’t stop. It raced to the point where Charles had stood, then crouched and leapt. Using its brute strength and intelligence, it angled its jump to soar even higher.

Mid-air, the Minotaur opened its massive jaws, locking its focus on Charles.

Charles had anticipated this. He spun around in mid-air and tried to cast [Burning Thoughts]—but nothing happened.

His eyes widened.

At that moment, the Minotaur unleashed [Chaos Breath], firing a torrent of reddish flame. The blast struck Charles from behind, scorching one of his wings and obliterating his left hand.

Despite the pain, Charles stayed calm. He spun mid-air and used his wisdom power to stabilize himself. Then, once more, he cast [Soul Heal], the spell rapidly repairing his destroyed arm.

"That was close," Charles muttered, composed.

With a steady breath, he pointed his finger and cast [Finger of Destruction], sending a ray of chaotic flame toward the Minotaur. Simultaneously, he re-cast [Fallen Angel’s Wings], soaring even higher for a better position.

The Minotaur swung its axe and blocked the incoming spell mid-air, then fell like a meteor. It landed smoothly, showing no panic despite the chaos.

But then it noticed something strange—a small but persistent wound on its chest. Though minor, it wasn’t healing. Blood flowed steadily.

The Minotaur touched the wound and roared in frustration. Its cry echoed through the sky.

It turned and walked toward the place where it had earlier flung the wild boar’s corpse. Reaching it, the Minotaur picked it up with its left hand and began heading toward a distant waterfall.

Soon, it noticed strange blisters forming on its skin. It growled, realization dawning—poison.

Without hesitation, it activated [Revitalizing Burst]. A wave of chaotic energy erupted from its chest, slowing the spread of the poison.

The blisters faded gradually, and the Minotaur let out a victorious roar before continuing on.

After some time, it reached a small hill and spotted a rough cave at its base. It stepped inside to rest.

Meanwhile, Charles hovered in the sky, watching the Minotaur disappear into the dark cave.

"I’ve got about an hour and forty-five minutes before I can activate the altar," he muttered, eyes scanning the landscape.

As he waited, he monitored the cooldown of [Rebirth Domain].

Inside the cave, the poison continued to take effect. The Minotaur’s senses—sight, hearing, and smell—began to dull. The wound on its chest remained open, still bleeding.

Even after devouring half of the wild boar, the Minotaur felt dizzy and weak. The poison was corroding its internal organs, slowing its heart and clouding its mind.

Within thirty minutes, a burning pain coursed through its body. Roars of agony shook the hill.

Although its natural healing and the [Revitalizing Burst] spell offered some resistance, they weren’t enough. The beast was no longer on the brink of death—but it had grown much weaker.

At that critical moment, Charles descended slowly from the sky and landed at the mouth of the rocky cavern. Calm and composed, he raised one hand and launched several fireballs into the darkness within.

A guttural roar echoed from deep inside, followed by the heavy thud of footsteps. The Minotaur emerged, its eyes blazing with fury, gripping its massive axe tight enough to crack stone.

The instant its gaze locked onto Charles, it charged with a deafening snarl, axe lifted high. It staggered slightly but didn’t slow down—its rage drove it forward like a raging bull.

Charles didn’t bother to face it head-on. Despite its weakened state, the Minotaur was still too dangerous. Without hesitation, he turned and sprinted into the dense wilderness, weaving skillfully through thorned vines and low-hanging branches as he made his way back to the battlefield.

The Minotaur roared behind him, enraged, crashing through the underbrush in relentless pursuit.

Soon, Charles reached the clearing. He turned sharply, his expression calm yet focused. With one smooth motion, he drew the Moonfire Scimitar. The blade shimmered in the fiery light of dusk.

Then, he cast [Rebirth Domain].

A wave of blazing energy exploded from him, setting the clearing ablaze. Flames leapt from tree to tree. Even the stones began to glow, as if the earth itself had caught fire.

The Minotaur halted mid-charge, startled. Its bloodshot eyes widened in confusion and pain, clearly unprepared for the sudden inferno.

Before it could react, Charles vanished—teleporting in a blur of heat and light—and reappeared directly in front of the beast. With calculated precision, he leapt and slashed at the Minotaur’s neck. The blade sliced through thick hide, drawing blood, though not deeply.

"ROARRR!!!"

The beast howled in pain.

Charles vanished again, reappearing behind the creature. Without pause, he conjured a swarm of chaotic fire needles and launched them at the wounded side of its neck. The Ember Needles shot forward like a cloud of fiery hornets.

Taking advantage of the beast’s distraction, Charles darted in and slashed again—this time across its back. The blade carved through flesh just as the Ember Needles struck. The creature’s face vanished in flames.

The Minotaur staggered, disoriented, fresh wounds blooming across its body in mere seconds. Its thick skin was now a canvas of red.

With the Rebirth Domain enhancing his speed, Charles moved like a blur—twenty times faster than the beast. He struck again and again, targeting joints, tendons, weak spots. Though the cuts were shallow, the sheer number of them caused blood to flow like water.

Within ten seconds, the Minotaur’s hide turned crimson. Realizing its situation, it activated Skin Hardening, cloaking itself in a shimmering red aura.

But it wasn’t enough.

Charles kept pressing. His attacks never relented, each aimed with surgical precision. The Minotaur swung its axe in wild arcs, but Charles flowed around the strikes like smoke, his [Faceless Eye] predicting every move.

Two minutes passed in a whirlwind of steel and fire. Then—

Slash!

Charles severed the tendons in both of the Minotaur’s legs. The beast faltered, nearly collapsing.

But it didn’t fall.

Despite its ruined legs, the Minotaur stood firm, axe raised, protecting its heart and skull. Its breath came in ragged bursts, blood dripping freely—but its eyes still blazed with unyielding fire.

Charles narrowed his gaze, unshaken. He intensified his assault, each strike sharper, faster. He invoked [Purple Consciousness], reaching into the beast’s mind to weaken its will.

Yet as he probed deeper, confusion crept into his thoughts.

The Minotaur’s mind was empty of memory. No past battles. No learned experience. Nothing but instinct.

"It’s fighting me purely on instinct? Is this what they call... battle genius?"

Charles was stunned.

The creature had no strategies, no forethought—only raw, primal talent and a will that refused to die.

For the first time, Charles felt a flicker of respect. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Five minutes passed. The beast’s nerves were shredded, its tendons torn. Finally, it dropped to its knees. Its massive frame trembled, blood pooling beneath it.

Still, a low growl rumbled from its throat—a declaration of defiance.

The Rebirth Domain faded, and the surrounding flames died down, leaving the battlefield scorched and silent. Charles stepped back cautiously, watching the creature with wary eyes.

The Minotaur glared at him, breath heaving, one hand still grasping its bloodstained axe. Its limbs shook uncontrollably. Yet it wouldn’t let go.

Then—

A surge of chaotic energy burst from its chest, forming a swirling vortex. The air grew heavy. The Minotaur forced itself upright, using the axe as a crutch, standing against all odds.

It crouched, readying for another attack. But its movements were slow, heavy... desperate.

Charles didn’t hesitate.

He sidestepped the sluggish blow and raised one hand. The sky darkened as a crimson cloud formed above them. A rain of blazing fireballs descended like meteors, crashing into the ground and igniting the battlefield anew.

Simultaneously, Charles unleashed a barrage of spells—more Ember Needles, then Finger of Destruction, each targeting the Minotaur’s battered defenses.

The assault continued for fifteen relentless minutes. Wave after wave of fire and force battered the Minotaur, pushing it to the edge of collapse.

Then Charles saw his opening.

In a blur, he drove his scimitar into the Minotaur’s chest—right where its heart beat weakly. The beast roared in agony, dropping its axe. One massive hand clutched its wound.

Charles didn’t stop.

He cast spell after spell, targeting its head from every angle.

Finally, the Minotaur collapsed. It dropped to its knees, eyes dazed yet defiant. With one last breath, it glared at Charles.

Then, it fell—its body crashing to the blood-soaked earth.

A silence followed, broken only by the crackling embers and Charles’s steady breath.

The mighty Minotaur... was dead.

[16 Wisdom Points Obtained!]

The message flashed before Charles’s eyes and vanished just as quickly. Without sparing it another thought, he turned toward the lifeless beast sprawled before him.