Asterion's axe was two meters long and had been forged from the labyrinth itself and the minotaur's body. Its structure had two blades, both marked with red runes that increased its destructive power. The handle, made of nearly indestructible bones, was reinforced with chains that kept all its parts firmly together.
"Shit!"
Asterion swung the axe with terrifying strength, and the blow cut through several walls of the labyrinth, opening a path between them. Enrico only managed to save himself and his companions because he pulled them down at the last moment. Otherwise, all three would have been decapitated.
'System, what the hell is this? If I remember correctly, the difficulty of dungeon bosses was only fifteen percent higher than the original difficulty in the story!'
As the System had explained, all enemies were stronger than they had been in the original story. Enrico, however, realized that the increase wasn't as absurd as he had imagined: their power had increased by fifteen percent.
[I'm sorry, but this world's difficulty is increasing over time. Don't you remember that I told you this world had reached EX difficulty?]
'I know it's EX, but why didn't you warn me that the difficulty would increase over time?'
[I wanted to surprise you.]
'What a shitty surprise!'
Before Enrico could continue complaining, Asterion charged forward again.
Grakka stood up and tried to block the next blow with her own axe, but she made a terrible mistake. As soon as the two weapons collided, her axe shattered, and Asterion's blade continued forward, opening a gash in her arm.
'Charged Impulse!'
Enrico activated his magic and reached Grakka before the minotaur could deliver another attack. Grabbing her, he pulled her out of the way just as the axe struck the ground, destroying a considerable portion of the area where she had been standing.
"Wind Blessing!"
Elian took advantage of the opening to increase his speed with wind magic. Moving around Asterion, he tried to find a gap in its defense and pierce it with his dagger. However, even when he managed to land a few hits, the blade barely penetrated the creature's skin.
"What tough skin!"
"It's using stone magic to increase its body's resistance!"
Enrico realized that Elian wouldn't be able to deal much damage while that magic remained active. The boy who looked like a girl retreated as soon as the axe approached, moving far enough away to avoid being hit. Enrico, meanwhile, took advantage of the minotaur's attention and positioned himself in front of his companions.
When Asterion swung its weapon again, Enrico deflected its trajectory with a punch to the blunt side of the blade. The impact wasn't enough to stop the blow completely, but it managed to change its direction, allowing him to narrowly escape.
"Zero Impact!"
Enrico immediately advanced, delivering seven consecutive strikes against the minotaur's body. His fists struck the enemy's chest, abdomen, and sides, but the result was disappointing. Even after landing so many attacks, he had barely managed to inflict any damage.
'Damn it, I need to improve this technique.'
Before Asterion could counterattack, Enrico retreated and activated another spell.
"Flame Steps!"
The axe passed through his body, cutting it in half, but Asterion realized too late that it had struck only an afterimage. Enrico was already moving around it at high speed, leaving behind several images that confused the minotaur's perception.
One of them jumped above Asterion's head and attempted to land a punch, but the creature reacted quickly, raising its axe and destroying the image with a single motion.
"Flame Impact!"
While Asterion kept its attention focused upward, Enrico appeared in front of it and punched it in the face. The impact made the minotaur's head jerk slightly backward, forcing it to interrupt its movements for a moment.
'Damn it, I'm still not dealing enough damage.'
Asterion twisted its body and tried to hit Enrico with a sideways strike, but it hit another image. This time, Grakka took advantage of the opening and punched the creature in the back, coating her fists in mana to increase the force of the impact. Elian also approached and concentrated his magic into his dagger, managing to open a small cut in the enemy's skin.
The three began coordinating their attacks. Enrico drew most of Asterion's attention, using his speed to dodge its blows and create openings that allowed his companions to attack. Grakka focused her efforts on physical strikes, while Elian sought to hit the points where the minotaur's defense seemed less resistant.
The strategy worked, but the damage they inflicted was still insignificant compared to Asterion's resistance.
Suddenly, the minotaur abandoned its axe attacks and delivered a brutal punch toward Elian. The blow struck the young man before he could retreat, sending him flying through several walls until his body disappeared inside a hole.
Enrico immediately seemed to realize the Nartheis's strategy.
'Shit! It's trying to separate us!'
"Grakka, let's go after Elian!"
"I'm right behind you!"
The two ran in the direction Elian had been thrown, but Asterion jumped and tried to intercept them with its axe. Enrico reacted immediately, planting his foot against Grakka's ribs and pushing her away while using his own momentum to move away as well.
The blade struck the ground between them, opening a deep cut in the stone. At the same time, the surrounding walls began to move, closing off the paths they had come through.
"Grakka, hurry!"
"What's happening?"
"It seems it can move the labyrinth to its advantage. It must be a feature of its unique ability!"
The two wasted no more time trying to find an open passage. Since the labyrinth itself was constantly changing, Grakka and Enrico began destroying the walls blocking their way, advancing toward the place where Elian had fallen.
When they finally arrived, they found only an intact floor.
"... It seems it can alter the labyrinth itself, too."
Before they could investigate further, they sensed a presence behind them. Asterion had appeared again, wielding its axe.
This time, Grakka stepped in front of Enrico and assumed a defensive stance.
"Resistance Magic: Immovable Wall!"
The magic enveloped her body, strengthening her defense as she prepared to receive the blow. When Asterion's axe struck her protection, Grakka managed to withstand it for one second, but the difference in strength was too great. Her body was thrown backward, and her defense began to give way.
Enrico charged forward to prevent the minotaur from delivering a second blow.
'I'll try to redirect the attack!'
The moment the axe approached, Enrico grabbed the blade with both hands, enduring the pressure for a brief moment. Then, he twisted his body and deflected the weapon to the side, using Asterion's own movement to change the trajectory of the blow.
It was the second time that human had managed to do something like that.
Asterion seemed surprised, but its reaction was immediate. Its foot glowed with an intense red light, and the minotaur delivered a kick to Enrico's abdomen.
The impact was devastating.
Enrico was thrown against Grakka, and the two smashed through one of the labyrinth's walls, falling into an unknown passage.
"Damn it. We're falling."
"Magical Defense!"
As they plummeted, Enrico felt magic enveloping his body. Realizing it came from Grakka, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and reinforced the protection with his own fire and water magic. The barrier needed to withstand the impact of an attack infused with earth magic, or the two of them could die before even reaching the bottom.
"Gah!"
The two crashed through the floor and continued falling for several more levels. Enrico tried to remain conscious while reinforcing his protection, but he soon realized that Grakka was losing consciousness.
He grabbed her tightly and twisted his body, positioning himself in front of her to protect her when they finally passed through another opening and fell onto a lower level.
'Water Healing!'
As soon as his back hit the ground, Enrico began healing both of their injuries. Since Grakka had lost consciousness, he could finally use his water magic without needing to hide his affinity.
[Enrico, it's not over yet. It's coming.]
'Wait, what? But we're on a floor that doesn't belong to it!'
Asterion had jumped after them and was descending along the same path.
Enrico immediately stood up, carried Grakka on his back, and began looking for a safe place where he could leave her. In the original story, Asterion was forbidden from leaving the floor it controlled. This restriction allowed Kai and his companions to remain relatively safe once they managed to escape its territory.
Now, however, that rule apparently no longer existed.
'What a shitty difficulty!'
Enrico crouched behind a large rock and tried to catch his breath without making a sound. Shortly afterward, he heard a deafening crash as Asterion hit the ground. Dust spread throughout the area, obscuring part of the surroundings.
The minotaur continued pursuing them, determined to find them wherever they were.
Enrico held his breath and tried to organize his thoughts, ignoring the pain he still felt from the impact.
'What should I do? The fact that it left the labyrinth is good, because it won't be able to use all the other features of its unique ability as easily. But the situation we're in is terrible...'
Peeking from behind the rock, Enrico saw Asterion sniffing the air as it searched for any sign of his presence.
He needed to get as far away as possible before coming up with a new strategy. If he was lucky, he would also manage to find Elian and the others, reuniting the group before the minotaur hunted them down one by one.