The Minotaur lay before me, frozen solid, its once-menacing form now nothing more than a massive chunk of ice. The battle had been intense—more than I'd expected—but now, as I stood there, my heart was still racing. The sword in my hand hummed with energy, and I couldn't help but feel the rush of victory surge through me. The ground beneath my feet was littered with broken chunks of ice, and the air still crackled with the remnants of my power. My hands were covered in blood, the grip on the hilt of my sword tight.
I took a deep breath, staring at the frozen Minotaur before me. I walked slowly toward it, my steps heavy, feeling the weight of the battle settling in my bones. Each movement was like a battle of its own as my muscles screamed in protest, but I wasn't going to stop. Not now. Not after everything.
With a single, smooth motion, I raised my sword high. It felt natural now, as if the weapon had become an extension of my very being. The Minotaur's head was still firmly attached, its twisted, gnarled horns frozen in place like a twisted crown. I didn't hesitate.
Slicing the air with a swift motion, I cleaved its head from its body.
The crack of frozen flesh and bone echoed in the silence, followed by the sickening thud as the head tumbled away, landing with a soft crunch on the icy battlefield. A moment of eerie stillness followed, but then a sudden ping sound filled the air.
I froze mid-step, sword still in hand, as a translucent menu popped up before me, like an intrusive thought interrupting my thoughts. My heart pounded as I stared at it, trying to process what it meant.
[Level Up!]
Level 1 → Level 17
You have defeated a High B-Rank Mini Boss!
The words flashed before my eyes in bold letters, and I blinked a few times, as if trying to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.
Level 17?
I couldn't help but let out a breath of disbelief. I had no idea that defeating something like that would give me this much power. To be honest, I was still getting used to the idea of gaining levels in the first place. I hadn't been paying attention to any kind of system like this before. Was this how everything worked now?
Before I could dwell on the numbers for too long, fatigue hit me like a wave. My legs buckled slightly, and I took a deep breath to steady myself. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, and the exhaustion from the battle was quickly catching up with me. I could feel the blood pulsing in my veins, but my body was screaming for rest.
I had done what I came here to do. It was over now.
The sound of distant car engines reached my ears, a low hum at first, but it quickly grew louder. I turned toward the source of the noise. From between the broken buildings, a convoy of sleek, black government cars came into view, their engines roaring like a pack of hungry wolves. The glint of sunlight reflected off their windows, but the one thing that caught my eye was the crowd of suited officers in the back, their hands resting on weapons holstered to their sides.
I clenched my sword tighter, my instincts flaring. I wasn't in the mood for more trouble, but I wasn't about to let my guard down. The cars screeched to a halt just a few feet away, dust billowing up from the ground as the sound of tires screeching to a halt echoed through the wreckage.
I didn't move, staying perfectly still as I waited to see what they'd do. The soldiers piled out of the cars, their eyes scanning the battlefield, taking in the frozen Minotaur. It was clear they hadn't expected this—whatever they had anticipated, it wasn't me standing there with the sword in my hand and a level-up notification floating above my head.
One by one, the soldiers took their positions, weapons still drawn, forming a perimeter around me. I could see their wariness in their eyes. I didn't blame them. If I were in their shoes, I'd be equally wary of someone who had just taken down a monster like that. But it didn't matter to me.
I was too tired to care.
I heard a door slam open behind me, and a figure emerged from one of the cars. The crowd of soldiers parted as the person stepped forward, their presence unmistakable. A sharp, commanding air hung around them as they slowly approached, and I finally saw who it was: the president. The person who had the power to make decisions for the entire country.
She was dressed in a crisp, navy blue suit, with her expression hard and calculating. She walked with purpose, her heels clicking against the ground as she neared me. For a moment, I simply stood there, watching her approach, trying to understand why she was here.
When she was just a few feet away, she stopped, her eyes scanning the scene. Her gaze lingered on the frozen Minotaur for a second, before meeting my own. Her expression softened, but it was fleeting.
"So, you're the one," she said, her voice low and measured. "The one who killed it."
I nodded slowly, still unsure of what was happening. I wasn't sure how to feel. I had been thrown into this mess without a choice, and now here I was, standing in front of the president of the United States, covered in blood and ice.
"I didn't expect this," she continued. "The Minotaur was something we were going to have to deal with eventually, but this…" Her eyes narrowed, studying me. "You're not who we were expecting."
She glanced around, her gaze flicking over the group of soldiers still standing on edge.
"You're not one of the Flag-bearers?" she said, her tone more confused. "Who are you?"
I stayed silent for a moment, my mind racing. I wasn't sure what to say. How did I explain all this?
Before I could speak, she raised her hand, silencing me.
"Doesn't matter," she said coldly. "What matters is that you did your job. And now, we have questions. You're coming with us."
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could get a word out, the soldiers closed in, their weapons still pointed in my direction.
I could feel the weight of the situation slowly pressing down on me.
The president's voice was steady.
"You're going to explain exactly how you did that."