Michael and Tiara were flung through the air and crashed hard against a nearby tree.
His breath hitched, and Michael gasped for air while also trying to ignore the pain that spread through his entire body.
He opened his eyes wide and looked at Tiara. Her neck was bruised and she had difficulties breathing. She was weak and her body was shivering as he held onto her tightly.
'She's still alive…good,' Michael thought, sighing in relief.
He got up from the ground with some difficulty and picked her up from the ground.
His eyes flicked once to the Minotaur, who was struggling against the Vengeful Ghost's spiritual attacks, and briefly held the Priestess' gaze.
"Make sure she survives!" Michael ordered sternly before manifesting the Siltang Bow once again.
Since the Vengeful Ghost was playing the role of an immortal vanguard, Michael didn't have to approach the Minotaur to deal more damage.
He used bits of energy to conjure an arrow before he drew back the bowstring. With no pressure around him, Michael had enough time to aim precisely before he released the arrow.
The arrow made a beautiful arc through the air before it hit its target. It pierced the Minotaur's chest – exactly where Michael's Seron Voulge had caused considerable damage.
The other Archers, the Crossbowmen, and the Mages released one projectile after another to attack the Minotaur, slowly wearing down their opponent.
It may not be able to feel pain, but it could still bleed to death.
Overflowing with adrenaline, Michael could ignore the pain all over his body as well. He was tired and a mess, but he knew that he couldn't stop before the Minotaur died. It had to be defeated – today.
After the Vengeful Ghost had been summoned to the Origin Expanse for exactly 150 seconds, it screamed out loudly. It turned to the pale Summoner and screamed in anger and resentment. The next moment, it disappeared, just like the summoning circle that brought the Vengeful Ghost to the Origin Expanse.
Michael's first reaction was a deep frown. Now that the Vengeful Ghost was no more, they had nobody to use as a vanguard against the Minotaur.
However, it was at the same instance that Michael noticed something about the Minotaur.
'Is it emitting less black smoke than before?' He first mused to himself, until the realization struck him hard, 'Brown hide!!'
The Minotuar's crimson hide was slowly reverting back to its original brown color! Meanwhile, the black smoke was about to disperse completely.
Burning Life's effect had worn off, and the Blood-eyed Minotaur was about to enter a weakened state!
Coincidentally, both Michael and the Blood-eyed Minotaur noticed at the same time that its Burning Life ability completely wore off.
Slowly, the sensation of pain returned – and the Minotaur felt like it was burning in hell. It had sustained hundreds of minor, and dozens of serious injuries during the last ten minutes, but the pain reached the Minotaur in its full force only now.
The moment it noticed that its immense power had been drained, and pain spread through every cell in its body, the Minotaur threw a last glance at Michael.
Afterward, it turned around and ran with all its might.
The brutal monstrosity, which had traumatized everyone on the battlefield, fled. It ran for its dear life instead of attacking them!
Michael couldn't really believe it either. He stared blankly at the departing Minotaur, his eyes shot wide open in shock.
He spent a second or two regaining his composure. His eyes moved across the battlefield, and he clenched his fists tightly.
Everyone was either drained, in a state of shock, injured with broken bones as the lightest injuries, or they were dead. Nobody was full of energy at this point.
However, Michael knew that he shouldn't allow the Minotaur to escape, recuperate and return. Too many loyal subjects had valiantly fought to wear down the Minotaur, and Michael didn't want to repeat the same procedure once again. It would be a great loss to let the Minotaur flee like this.
"Good job, everyone. Tend to your wounds, and help your comrades. Don't let anyone die!" Michael commanded as loud as he could before he turned over to Icarus.
The Greater Eagle sensed his gaze, and it subconsciously dived down from the canopy bridge.
"Let's follow the Minotaur. We'll finish it for good!" Michael said as he jumped up on Icarus' back.
Icarus was also traumatized due to the Minotuar's great combat prowess and terrifying brute force, but it could also tell that the Minotaur's presence weakened considerably after its hide reverted to its original color.
He screeched loudly in agreement and shot through the air. They tore through the canopy of trees and reached the sky. Both subconsciously stared into the sky to make sure that there was no mythical serpent waiting for them before Icarus dashed in the direction the Minotaur had run off.
It might have been a subconscious decision, but the Minotaur charged straight outside the Untamed Jungle. Michael and Icarus had a hard time pinpointing the Minotaur's exact location through the canopy of trees, but flying high up in the air was the easiest way to pursue the Minotaur silently.
In fact, the Minotaur couldn't afford to pay any attention to potential pursuers in its current state. It was already on the verge of death, and it was only a matter of time until it would bleed to death – if nobody was to tend to its wounds.
The Blood-eyed Minotaur continued to run even after it broke through the thicket of the Untamed Jungle. It reached the plains bordering the Untamed Jungle and continued running. The weakened Minotaur slowed down with every minute that passed, but it never stopped running.
Half an hour after it reached the plains, Michael noticed something further ahead. He had been following the weakened Minotaur from above and would have continued to do so, if not for the ripples of energy spreading through the area in front of him.
The ripples were hard to perceive, but they were there. Michael didn't dare to order Icarus to fly through the ripples at first. Yet, when he saw the Minotaur pass through the energy ripples and disappear suddenly, he began to understand something.
'Invisible Dome?' He mused before he dared to test it out. He pushed one of his hands through the energy ripples, only to see that his hand seemed to have disappeared.
Michael retracted his hand, and he could see it again.
Driven by curiosity, and the desire to kill the weakened Minotaur, Michael ordered Icarus to fly through the energy ripples.
They passed through the energy ripples and disappeared from the plains – or so it seemed for everyone outside the barrier.
'It's just like an invisible dome, but it feels different. There is no device empowering the barrier.' Michael noted after he passed through the invisibility barrier. The barrier felt eerily natural. It was certainly different from an artificially manifested dome of protection.
In fact, it felt similar to the protection barrier given to Rookie Lords. The effects of the barriers were different but they both felt and looked very natural.
It was very interesting, but even more so were the three tents on the ground, and the fact that six Adventurers were standing around the weakened Blood-eyed Minotaur.
'Found you, bastards!!'
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