The Bloodforged Kin

Chapter 259 251: Luna - The Minotaur

Luna's chase began in the Ear Zone, the sound of cloven-hooved death accompanied by the screams of the ears. She'd scooped up the torch as she ran and let Luck guide her way, desperately keeping her terrified whimpers low and breathless to not give away her position. The thing that was chasing her was as relentless as the zombies, but more intelligent - and faster. At times it got close and Luna had to make desperate turns, each sprint down a long hallway feeling like an exposed death sentence. Her footfalls felt too loud to her ears and every accidental brush against the walls made her heart stutter. She heard the thing chasing her take wrong turns and she thanked her Luck, never truly knowing if it had been the cause or not. She was breathless when the stones changed colors again and she slid to a stop, hands on her knees as she bent over to catch her breath.

This stone had a blue hue and a new carving - an eye.

"What are you now?" She clamped her hand over her mouth in terror, eyes going wide as she spun around behind her. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

There was no screaming this time, though, and the roaring and clomping had long since faded. After long moments she turned back to the carving, reaching out to run her hand along it. She wanted to ask it what it was again - she didn't know why she did that, but her thoughts were always only a word away from her lips. Instead she just studied it, trying to prize out secrets that it would not give. Whatever it did, it was different and, therefore, closer to the exit. She just had to find her way out - that was the only objective of the trial.

She thought back on the notification she'd received when entering.

"Congratulations! You have entered an individualized trial. It has been calibrated to your build.

Objective: Survive the labyrinth and find the exit.

Rewards:

- One rare item attuned to you

- One skill modification (Note: This will not be a full upgrade of the skill, but an additional benefit added to an existing skill)

Bonus rewards:

- Kill the trial guardian before completing the trial and choose between three skill upgrades"

The rewards had been too good for her to pass up, even if this didn't seem to be a trial that helped Madison's machine. She'd wanted to contribute to her girlfriend's master work but didn't want to pass up the opportunity to improve her luck-based skills. Now she was wondering if that was a mistake. She'd been relying way too much on her luck and it was showing, and yet she hoped for it to save her once again as she stepped into the tunnel and began to run.

The roaring echoed down the corridors, impossibly loud and filled with fury. Luna clamped her teeth down on a shriek that threatened to break free, biting down so hard her jaw ached. She'd been running for what felt like hours… days… maybe months. All she knew was that the burning in her legs and the stumbling of her feet were bringing her one step closer to death. Her luck meant nothing when the minotaur could track her, and the screams of the eyes were giving it everything it needed. The torch's embers were dying quickly, and she knew now - without any doubt - that every flicker of light caused the carved eye in these walls to scream and betray her position. She knew she needed to be rid of it, but she couldn't make herself drop it. She was holding the guillotine's rope, not sure if releasing it would kill her any more quickly than just letting it go.

The situation was untenable and the embers were burning her hand. It didn't have long left anyway and Luna decided that if darkness was coming for her no matter what, it may as well be from her making. With shaking hands, she flung the torch down a junction, sprinting in the opposite direction. The last embers winked out, plunging her into absolute darkness.

Heart hammering, she staggered forward, reaching out blindly. The stone walls scraped her fingertips as she felt her way ahead. The silence pressed heavily around her, broken only by the distant yet unmistakably closer rumble of the minotaur's hooves. Her ruse hadn't worked. It knew exactly where she was, and it was coming.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

She moved faster, panic rising in her throat. Each hurried step forward was a gamble; each breath held tight in her chest. Her Luck hummed frantically, guiding her feet as they navigated unseen traps. She felt the sudden absence of ground ahead and stumbled back just in time to avoid a hidden pit, the soft brush of air signaling its deadly depth.

Yet luck was not infallible.

She turned to another branch in the darkness and her toe caught on something - a raised stone - and she pitched forward, palms scraping painfully against rough stone as she broke her fall. She bit her lip, blood filling her mouth to keep the scream from escaping. The echoing thunder of the minotaur grew louder, reverberating through the walls, feeling as though it rattled her bones. She scrambled up, ignoring the sting of torn skin.

Luna ran, her body battered by unseen walls and corners, every collision stealing her breath. Her knees struck stone; her shoulder slammed into unforgiving edges; bruises bloomed in real-time agony. Each misstep felt like a betrayal from the very power she had come to rely on. Still, she pushed on, trusting that her Luck hadn't abandoned her entirely.

From behind, a guttural snort pierced the darkness, much closer now. It sounded hungry, angry, and relentless. Luna veered sharply down another path, feeling the pressure of the narrow corridor brushing both shoulders simultaneously. Claustrophobia squeezed her chest, tightness threatening to suffocate her more than the creature ever could.

A rasping sound brushed past her ear - something sharp and metallic slicing the air - and she instinctively ducked. She felt warmth trickle down her neck, realizing only then how narrowly she'd escaped decapitation. This time, the whimper broke through despite herself, a small cry immediately stifled. She could only hope that it was swinging its ax blindly and that it couldn't see her in the darkness. If it could then her silence meant nothing anyway.

Adrenaline surged, pushing her battered body forward through the labyrinthine twists. Each corridor felt narrower, each turn sharper. The minotaur's breaths now rasped audibly behind her, its hooves pounding with terrifying inevitability.

Luna stumbled into a junction, briefly frozen by uncertainty. Panic surged - left or right? Her Luck vibrated in her chest, an insistent nudge. Trusting it implicitly, she dove to the left, immediately feeling a rush of air as a heavy object swung inches above her head. The minotaur's frustrated roar shook the walls as she felt it halt momentarily, caught in whatever deadly trap she'd narrowly avoided.

Her legs burned with exhaustion but fear spurred her forward. The creature was still coming - traps slowed it but never stopped it. Luna could feel tears streaming down her face, unnoticed until now, mingling with blood and sweat. Each step was becoming heavier, her movements sluggish despite the imminent threat.

Then suddenly, impossibly, her outstretched hand touched nothingness. The corridor abruptly opened, the oppressive walls vanishing into empty space. Luna burst from the passageway into a sprawling cavern illuminated by soft, soothing blue luminescence emanating from countless tiny crystals embedded across the low ceiling. The light, gentle and comforting, felt almost alien after the oppressive darkness.

She stumbled to a halt, spinning around wildly. The heavy, relentless footfalls behind her paused abruptly at the cavern's edge, replaced by a frustrated snarl. The minotaur paced at the threshold but didn't enter, its deep breaths echoing angrily from the darkness.

Slowly, mercifully, the beast retreated, the sound of its hoofbeats growing distant until silence once more enveloped her. Luna sank to her knees, breath shuddering, relief flooding her veins. But even as her heart slowed, her Luck thrummed anxiously within her chest - a clear, unsettling warning.

She looked around at the unexpected beauty of the area, so peaceful, so… dormant. The meandering tunnel was not the carved stone of the previous areas - it was a natural cavern, just high enough for her to touch the tip with her fingertips if she stood. The entire ceiling was covered in a soft, undulating carpet of glowing blue, soft and inviting. She wanted to stay here - maybe forever, but for at least as long as it took to be sure that the minotaur was gone. She knew it was, though. It was a lot of things, but quiet was not one of them. It occurred to her that the longer she took to get moving, the higher the likelihood that it would be waiting for her at the other end.

"I hate this place," she sniffled, then pushed herself to her feet and began walking.