Wingman flew and zipped around the dungeon with ghost green light trailing from behind.

Beneath him was Mat, squaring off against a giant of a monster on the dungeon floor. It was a minotaur, a hybrid of man and oxen. It stood twice his height, carrying with it its giant axe, with its muscles bulging and patted by heaps and bundles of blue fur. Its black horns gleamed against the flickering fires of the torches on the walls, its red glare staring right back at him.

The minotaur curled on itself, bringing its axe in with its horns facing towards Mat like a spring waiting to burst. It then dashed, like a truck moving at speed, going straight for the kill.

Mat swerved fast, rolling to the side to dodge the death horns by a hair strand. He felt the air pressure burst beside, like a bullet just shot past him. It was close- too close. If he hadn't reacted in time he would've been minced meat.

The minotaur ended up ramming itself against the dungeon wall, sending rocks and stones and debris flying all around. Dust clouds swept up into the air from the impact, obscuring vision between the monster and Mat for a brief moment before it all settled down again.

The monster readied another ram, curling in on itself before dashing towards him again. Mat swerved to the side with a tumble and roll, the monster ending up smashing again into another stone wall.

After a few more close encounters, Mat understood more or less how it worked, seeing the pattern. When he had distance put between him and the monster, it would curl into a ball before dashing and ramming into him. When he's closer to the monster though, the minotaur would switch to its axe, swinging rampantly like an angry child.

With that, Mat knew what he had to work with.

He whistled for Wingman flying in the air. Wingman followed, diving straight down before circling around the minotaur, trying to catch its attention. The minotaur took the bait, moving its gaze from Mat to the ghost bird circling him like a buzzing fly.

The monster took hold of its giant axe and swung it around, trying to catch the bird. While the minotaur was distracted, Mat drew closer and closer with every single step, careful not to make any noise. He latched onto his sword with a strong grip. He was now close- very close, feeling the pressure of each axe swing in front. He was hesitant- still waiting, waiting for the perfect opportunity, and once the minotaur's back was turned to him, he took it, jumping to it with his sword.

A glance of the axe blade cut through Mat's chest midair, sending blood splattered all around. Mat groaned, gritting his teeth through it all as he charged through with reckless abandon. He couldn't back off now. The minotaur won't fall for the same trick twice.

Mat took foothold, his bare feet against fur as he raised the sword high above. He thrust deep into the minotaur's nape, striking strong and true. Its muscle was as hard as it was strong, but Mat put his all into the blade, sending blood splattering out as he twisted the blade right.

The minotaur paused. At first, it was a standstill- no movement, with the heavy breathing the only tension to give away. Then, the monster dropped to its knees before falling over to the stone ground below, landing with a sound thud.

"Let's go!" Mat said, shouting another round of victory. He raised his hand for Wingman to latch onto, celebrating his first minotaur kill.

"Another monster down." Mat winced at his wound, the blood flowing like a stream before turning to the ladies watching him on the far side of the dungeon.

"Give me the health pot already!" He shouted to the distance.

Nian stood from the group before she started walking towards him. It took a few seconds given the huge distance between her and him, almost taking forever before she finally met him face to face. She held out the health potion for him to take. "How long has it been since you last drank one?"

"Forty minutes?" Mat motioned towards the potion before Nian pulled it back. "What-"

"Wait fifteen more minutes." Nian stared at the health potion. "It's gonna get pretty nasty if you drink now."

Mat turned to the wound on his chest. It stung, with the skin on his chest almost sliding off. But he knew what the side effects of drinking potions consecutively were. Pretty bad. Drinking the potion would end up with a pain way, way worse than the one he's experiencing now.

. . .

Nian and the rest followed behind Mat as he pushed deeper and deeper into the dungeon, keeping a sizable distance between them and him. She was sitting atop Amigo, leaning against the leather bags as she watched Mat and the ghost bird fight another pair of wandering eyes over the distance.

She held up her fingers, raising another one after Mat killed the monsters shortly after a few minutes. "That's thirty."

It has been almost a day since they entered the dungeon. At the pace Mat was going, he might as well finish in around three days.

Nian was skeptical at first, but for each health pot she's given to Mat, his resolve only strengthened- the wide smile on his face a reminder that he's nowhere near giving up. She half expected Mat to come crying back to them after taking a couple of wounds and injuries, but that notion seemed to grow further and further away from the truth the more he progressed.

"He's kind of- how do I say this- he's pretty good." Nian said, catching the attention of Ruan and Youmu sitting up front. They'd really gotten used to using the giant wolf as a fluffy couch. "Don't you guys think?"

"He's definitely in a better spot than when I first fought my monster." Ruan said, a hint of a proud smile drawn on her face.

Nian remembered her first monster encounter. She was around sixteen then, two years younger than Mat is now when she was tasked to kill two slimes for the final exams. She eventually won, but not without being battered and beaten to pieces. She couldn't even stand after the whole ordeal. Seeing Mat now, it kind of made her jealous. Sure she was younger then, but the thought still lingered. Maybe he just had it in him from the start.

"Pretty weird of you to compliment him." Youmu said, a slight smile drawn on her face.

"Just don't tell him," Nian looked back to where Mat was preoccupied, fighting with another minotaur in the distance. "He definitely won't let me hear the end of it."

Clunk. The minotaur's body dropped to the dungeon floor.

"Health pot!" Mat shouted through the distance like he was the one leading the party.

Nian rolled her eyes, taking another potion from the bag behind her. These things were designed for bronze-rank adventurers, but they didn't have any lower-tier potions with them. The side effects of drinking higher rank potions were diminished healing effects coupled with longer cooldowns, but nothing that caused permanent harm.

Nian threw the health pot to him. Mat promptly caught it before beaming another smile. He shouted out thanks before going to the monster's body and doing his usual soulmancy thing.

"He's really feeling it." Ruan laughed.

"Right Youmu," Nian turned back to the girls.

"How long till we get to Garafeit?"

Youmu paused, fiddling inside her bag to take out a map. "Give or take, two days walking."

"You have something to do there right?"

"Need to see an old friend." Youmu rolled the map back into the bag. "The guild is also supposed to send a messenger, so expect another mission when we get there."

"We're staying there for a while?"

"Aye. I remember your boyfriend said he was round the area."

"Yeah, I'm hoping to see him again."