The beast in front of the Stonehooves tribe was a towering Minotaur, its body covered in a rough hide of dark, leathery skin that rippled with muscle.


    Standing nearly fifteen feet tall, its massive horns curved upward like a deadly crown, gleaming in the dim light.


    Its eyes glowed a fiery red, filled with a mix of rage and hunger as it clutched a massive double-headed axe in one hand, its other hand dragging across the earth as it stomped forward.


    Its snout red as it inhaled the scent of fear from the humans below, its breathing out in deep, guttural huffs.


    Sophia, standing beside Lyerin, couldn''t tear her eyes away from the creature.


    She had heard stories of Minotaurs, of their strength and cruelty, but seeing one in person made her blood run cold.


    "What is that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the low rumbling growl emanating from the beast.


    Lyerin nced at her, his expression unreadable, though a hint of amusement danced in his eyes. "That''s a Minotaur," he said simply, as if the answer was obvious.


    The Minotaur took another step forward, its hooves pounding the earth beneath it with a force that sent small tremors through the ground.


    The tribe behind them began to panic once more, some of them backing away in fear, while others stood frozen in ce, unable to move.


    Corora, sitting on Lyerin''s shoulder, looked around at the terrified faces of the tribe and frowned.


    Despite the sheer size of the beast, something seemed off to her. She studied it for a moment longer before she turned to Lyerin.


    "Wait... why is it so weak?" she asked, a note of confusion in her voice.


    Lyerin raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Weak?"


    "Yes," Corora said, her brow furrowed in thought. "It''s only in the Initial Peak Stage of the Mana Cycle. Anyone who''s participating in this survival game should be able to handle it. They''re all second cycle or higher, as strong as you, Lyerin."


    Lyerin chuckled at that, a yful smile creeping across his face.


    "Oh? You think those pesky bugs from other civilizations can defeat and rival me?"


    His voice was filled with mock arrogance, and he tilted his head slightly to the side, his grin widening as he teased her.


    Corora blushed, her face turning a soft shade of red as she stammered, clearly flustered by his yful attitude.


    "N-no, that''s not what I meant…" she began, but her voice trailed off, unable to find the words to continue. She ducked her head slightly, embarrassed by her reaction, and fell silent.


    Lyerin''s yful smirk faded as he gazed up at the Minotaur again, his eyes narrowing slightly in thought.


    He mumbled something under his breath, so quietly that even Corora couldn''t hear it clearly. But his lips formed a familiar phrase: "All ording to n."


    In truth, Lyerin had been expecting the arrival of the Minotaur.


    He had purposely drawn it toward the tribe by killing numerous monsters during his scouting missions. His Mana beasts had been instrumental in capturing and eliminating those creatures, though the cost had been high.


    Many of his beasts had been killed in the process, leaving him with only six remaining, and even those were badly injured.


    Still, Lyerin remained confident, his eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger as he surveyed the approaching Minotaur.


    "Let me deal with this creature," Lyerin said, his voice calm andposed as he gently lifted Corora off his shoulder and set her down on the ground beside Sophia.


    Sophia, though still anxious, nodded at Lyerin, her trust in him evident.


    She took a step back, giving him space to confront the monstrous being.


    As Lyerin stepped forward, his gaze remained fixed on the Minotaur, but in his mind, he couldn''t help but feel a flicker of excitement.


    His Mana beasts had already seen the creature earlier, but now, with it standing before him, something primal stirred within him.


    He licked his lips in anticipation.


    ---


    High above, in a realm far removed from the mortal ne, six shadowy figures watched the unfolding events through a shimmering portal.


    These beings, towering and enigmatic, had no distinguishable features beyond their silhouettes.


    Each one of them possessed six arms, their movements slow and deliberate as they observed Lyerin and the Stonehooves tribe.


    "It seems the humans of Earth have drawn the attention of a Minotaur," one of the figures remarked, their voice deep and resonant. "How unlucky for the weakest tribe of all to face such a creature so early in the game."


    Another figure nodded, its form rippling like smoke.


    "Indeed. Though it''s that human, Lyerin, who sent his Mana beasts to scout the area. He''s paid the price for his recklessness—most of his beasts are either dead or severely injured. He has only a handful left, and even those are covered in wounds."


    The six-armed shadows continued to watch, their eyes fixed on the trembling humans below, their expressions unreadable.


    "What a pathetic disy," one of them sneered. "Earthlings, especially this tribe, seem woefully unprepared. How did they even qualify for this game?"


    "Fate can be cruel," another responded. "Still, this Lyerin intrigues me. There is something about him that I could feel upon seeing his confidence…"


    The others murmured in agreement, though their collective attention remained on the impending battle.


    One of the shadows finally broke the silence, its tone thoughtful and curious. "So, what should we do with Earth?"


    ---


    Back on the ground, Lyerin stood face to face with the Minotaur, the air between them thick with tension.


    The beast let out a snort, its breath hot and rancid, as it raised its axe high above its head, preparing to strike.


    The tribe behind Lyerin held their breath, their fear palpable as they watched their leader stand alone against the massive creature.


    But Lyerin showed no signs of fear. He simply smiled, his hand reaching for the weapon strapped to his back. His movements were slow, deliberate, as if he had all the time in the world.


    The Minotaur, impatient, roared in frustration and swung its axe downward with incredible force.


    In a sh, Lyerin moved. He sidestepped the attack with ease, the axe mming into the ground where he had stood only moments before, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air.


    The Minotaur let out a growl of anger, pulling its weapon from the ground and preparing to strike again, but Lyerin was already on the move.


    He leaped into the air, his body twisting gracefully as he brought his weapon down on the Minotaur''s exposed back.


    The de sliced through the creature''s tough hide with surprising ease, and the Minotaur let out a bellow of pain, stumbling forward as blood gushed from the wound.


    Lyerinnded smoothly on the ground behind the beast, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.


    He could feel the surge of power coursing through his veins, the thrill of battle igniting a fire within him.


    "Too easy," he muttered under his breath, his smile widening as the Minotaur turned to face him once more, its eyes zing with fury.


    Despite its strength and size, the creature was slow, its movements clumsypared to Lyerin''s fluid grace.


    He dodged its attacks with ease, each swing of its axe missing by a wide margin. And with every miss, Lyerin struck back, his de finding its mark again and again, each wound weakening the creature further.


    In the distance, the Stonehooves tribe watched in awe.


    Their fear began to fade, reced by a growing sense of hope as they witnessed their leader holding his own against the fearsome beast.


    Whispers spread through the crowd, their voices filled with wonder and disbelief.


    "He''s doing it…"


    "He''s actually beating it…"


    Sophia and Corora watched as well, their eyes wide with amazement.


    Sophia clutched her hands to her chest, her heart racing as she watched Lyerin move with precision and power.


    As the Minotaur staggered back, blood pouring from its wounds, Lyerin moved in for the final blow.


    His de gleamed in the dim light as he brought it down on the creature''s neck, severing its head from its body in one swift motion.


    The Minotaur''s body crumpled to the ground, the earth shaking beneath it onest time.


    Lyerin stood over the fallen beast, his chest rising and falling steadily as he wiped the blood from his de.


    With a nce back at the tribe, he smirked.


    "This one is easy," he loudly said.


    Yet after he said that, his eyes widened.