Chapter 132 The Minotaur Doesn’t Play Fair

Chapter 132: Minotaurs Fight Dirty

And so it was. The vanguard monsters at the front were swiftly dispatched by the combined efforts of the Peanut Squad. Thanks to their excellent teamwork and logistical support, although some members sustained injuries, none perished. A quick application of healing items and they were back on their feet, rejoining the fray in no time.

With the vanguard cleared, the legendary-level Minotaur bosses at the rear became even more conspicuous.

"Moo—"

Towering like five-story buildings, the colossal Minotaurs’ eyes blazed crimson with fury. Clearly enraged by the demise of their underlings, they let out an angry roar, white steam snorting from their nostrils. A single stomp carved a deep crater into the sturdy highway, the surrounding ground cracking like a spiderweb.

To make matters worse, there were five of them.

Xie Tingsheng’s thin lips pressed together as he lifted his gaze towards the Minotaurs. His half-lidded phoenix eyes betrayed no panic, instead gleaming with a bloodthirsty battle intent. His sharply angled, ink-black eyebrows further accentuated the fierce determination on his handsome face, radiating an imposing aura of combat readiness.

He calmly delegated tasks: two Minotaurs would be handled by him and Hua Diao. The remaining thousand-plus squad members would consolidate into four teams—three teams would each engage one of the remaining Minotaurs, while the last team would deal with the continuous stream of low-level Minotaur underlings constantly spawning around the five bosses.

Legendary-level monsters inherently summon their kin as long as they live. Thus, until these five legendary Minotaur bosses were eliminated, the lower-level Minotaur monsters would continue to appear endlessly.

Hua Diao and Xie Tingsheng exchanged a glance. Xie Tingsheng readied his mortar, while Hua Diao drew her jade-green bow for an initial probe.

This was her first direct encounter with a Level 41 legendary Minotaur, so she needed to assess its defensive capabilities. With that thought, Hua Diao drew her bowstring, and two green arrows shot forth like meteors, striking the Minotaur squarely in the heart.

"Moo—"

The Minotaur let out a pained bellow as its massive 400,000 HP bar dropped by a mere 320 points. Despite the minimal damage, Hua Diao had successfully drawn its aggro.

The Minotaur, which had been charging straight ahead, immediately changed course, its blood-red eyes fixed on Hua Diao as it charged, steam furiously puffing from its nostrils.

Xie Tingsheng acted swiftly, firing a mortar shell at another nearby Minotaur, instantly wiping out over 30,000 HP.

The fact that the mortar could inflict such heavy damage on the Minotaurs’ formidable defenses showcased its power. Compared to Hua Diao’s jade arrows, which only chipped away thirty-something HP per shot, this was far more potent!

Hua Diao couldn’t help but envy his arsenal of powerful weapons. She quickly produced a mortar of her own and fired a shot straight into the Minotaur’s eye.

Every time Xie Tingsheng unlocked a new weapon in his arsenal, he would always purchase one for her as well—whether for amusement or self-defense. Thus, she possessed both the earlier rocket launcher and the current mortar in her inventory. This was likely the thoughtfulness of a true leader!

Hua Diao greatly appreciated Xie Tingsheng’s consideration. Delighted, she aimed her mortar at the Minotaur boss, blasting it from every angle. When the Minotaur chased her, she ran; when it pursued her to the rear, she executed a daring turn and lured it back to the frontlines.

Equipped with high-speed boots, Hua Diao darted about with incredible swiftness, her movements exceptionally agile. She led the slow-moving Minotaur on a thrilling and exhilarating chase, leaving it disoriented.

Xie Tingsheng’s side was similar. At this moment, the mortar was their most potent offensive weapon. Neither Hua Diao’s legendary-level spells nor Xie Tingsheng’s own legendary weapon, the Scythe of Death, could match the destructive power of the mortar recently acquired from his arsenal.

And given the immense strength of the Minotaur bosses, even Xie Tingsheng—who typically favored close-quarters combat—couldn’t recklessly charge in for a direct confrontation. They had no choice but to rely on heavy firepower, adopting a hit-and-run, kiting strategy.

Of course, the primary reason was Hua Diao’s presence today. Like any man in love, Xie Tingsheng didn’t want to display his cruel, bloodthirsty side in front of the person he cherished.

So, unlike his usual battles—where he would plunge into the monster horde, slaughtering until drenched in blood—today’s fight was far more restrained.

Zhu Bin and the others, while desperately focusing their attacks on the Minotaurs, couldn’t help but steal glances in their direction. They all agreed: their captain was acting uncharacteristically refined today!

In the end, the two brainless legendary Minotaurs succumbed to the cunning tactics of their human opponents.

Hua Diao wiped her brow and exhaled.

Legendary-level monsters were truly formidable adversaries. Even with the mortar, she had expended considerable effort, her feet aching from all the running.

"Tired?" Xie Tingsheng’s breathing was noticeably heavier than usual, a thin sheen of sweat on his high nose bridge. Ignoring it, he strode directly towards Hua Diao. He even produced a white handkerchief and gently dabbed the sweat from her face, his husky voice softening as he asked.

Originally intending to say she wasn’t tired, Hua Diao found herself pouting under his doting gaze. She nodded pitifully and whined, "So tired. My feet are sore from all the running. They’ll definitely feel worse tomorrow."

Xie Tingsheng’s expression immediately turned concerned, as if facing a grave crisis. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her towards a nearby boulder. "Sit down. I’ll massage them for you."

Just then, a squad member—who had been trampled by a Minotaur and suffered a bone fracture—was being carried past on a stretcher by the logistics team. Overhearing this, his face twisted with bewilderment.

So this was their mighty captain?

Sore feet? A single vitality potion would fix that—how could they possibly hurt tomorrow? His bones were literally broken! Was this some kind of forced public display of affection?

He was utterly baffled—and deeply shaken. Somehow, he felt like he’d learned something profound.

"Moo—"

Suddenly, an earth-shaking bellow erupted, even more deafening and aggressive than before. Those with weaker defenses had their eardrums ruptured on the spot from the sheer force.

Even the two stretcher-bearers clutched their heads in agony, instinctively dropping their load. The injured man hit the ground with a pained howl.

Xie Tingsheng reacted instantly, drawing Hua Diao close and covering her ears with his hands. His handsome face furrowed as he looked towards the source of the sound with grave concern.

Amid the chaos, panicked shouts could be heard.

"Holy shit! These Minotaurs are playing dirty—three of them just fused together!"

"Since when could Minotaurs do that?!"

"Goddamn—level 61! A rare-tier monster!"

Monster tiers: Common, Advanced, Legendary, Rare, Epic, Mythic. Rare-tier was a whole major tier above Legendary—its defense, combat power, and HP were several times higher!