Chapter 135: Minotaur
At this moment, Maya had already started directing the operation. She could sense the smell of blood and an aura of evil emanating from within, so rescuing the hostages was clearly out of the question. All they could do was capture the perpetrator and see if they could gain any information.
In reality, if it weren’t for the need to capture them alive, they could simply throw incendiary bombs made from Black Glue Bug fluids.
These incendiary bombs only needed a simple modification to reach temperatures of several hundred degrees. Even Teutonic Knights wouldn’t be able to withstand them. After all, even with the peak human physique, heavy plate armor, and powerful Battle Qi, they couldn’t become impervious to fire and water. Being engulfed in flames would result in either death or severe injuries.
Unfortunately, such a simple method couldn’t be employed because Maya needed someone alive. Only by capturing someone alive could they follow the trail and find the hidden danger. Otherwise, they would face endless trouble.
Maya, overseeing the entire situation, naturally wouldn’t make a small mistake for a larger loss.
Hogg, as the sheriff, noticed that Maya didn’t speak and understood that she was handing over the command of the scene to him. He was immediately invigorated.
Despite appearing mature, Hogg was still a young man full of vigor. Of course, he wanted to prove himself. Now, given the opportunity, he didn’t hesitate for a moment. He immediately directed the Longswordsmen to surround the barn and ordered the Javelin Throwers to prepare.
The role of Javelin Throwers was actually quite awkward. Their range wasn’t as good as bows and crossbows, their rate of fire wasn’t advantageous, and they weren’t very sustainable. It could be said that they had no advantages, which was why Javelin Throwers were rarely seen on battlefields.
However, Javelin Throwers had one advantage that few other units could match: their killing power.
Four feet long, with a one-foot-long spearhead and added weight, this thing, when thrown by the burly Javelin Throwers, could pierce through even a heavily armored knight, let alone a heavily armored infantryman. It could be said that after a round of throws, only the Heavy Infantry with tower shields could remain standing, while other units would be lying on the ground.
Furthermore, compared to the shortcomings of archers in close combat, Javelin Throwers weren’t afraid of close combat, making them more suitable for urban warfare in narrow spaces.
Hearing the commotion outside, Paulie’s face darkened, but he continued to draw the sacrificial summoning array because it was his only chance of survival.
“Hurry up, this is our only chance to survive!” Paulie whispered, his face growing even uglier as he looked at the incompetent Ke Li. But there was nothing he could do, so he could only suppress his anger and guide Ke Li on what to do.
After being scolded by Paulie, Ke Li trembled and frantically made the final preparations.
“Alright!” Paulie exclaimed with delight, tossing aside the black lamb carcass that had long since become stiff in his hand.
Ke Li, who had been bending over, moving the corpses, suddenly straightened up when he heard the good news. But before he could show a delighted expression, a bone-made scimitar crafted from a bull’s horn chopped off his head. Standing behind him, with an expressionless face, was Paulie.
“Now it’s really alright.” Paulie kicked Ke Li’s head and body into the sacrificial summoning array and muttered.
Initially, Paulie only wanted to perform an ordinary summoning to create chaos and escape in the confusion. Who knew that he would be discovered so quickly and surrounded?
Now, escaping wouldn’t be easy. Paulie had no confidence, so he planned to enhance the value of the sacrifice and summon a powerful demon. He didn’t care if he could control the summoned demon because all he wanted was to escape. What did it matter if the demon went out of control? It wasn’t like it hadn’t happened once or twice before.
As Paulie inserted the bone scimitar into the summoning array, the sacrificial summoning array, operating at its limit, instantly extracted all the flesh, blood, and souls from the sacrifices, turning them into a sweet bait to attract the gathering of Abyssal power, which then transformed into an Abyssal passage.
Due to the existence of the spatial barrier, the spatial passage was difficult to sustain, especially an illegal passage connecting to the Abyss. The duration was even shorter.
This was also why Demon Warlocks combined sacrifice with summoning. Relying solely on their own power, it was difficult to tear open the barrier and summon a powerful demon. They could only use their own magic power as an anchor point and borrow the power of the Abyss and the demon to open the passage. Therefore, there had to be enough attraction, such as flesh and blood, and souls.
The sacrificial materials this time were average, but the addition of Ke Li made all the difference. After all, he was also a Demon Warlock. The taste of his soul and flesh was the most welcomed ingredient by demons. He alone was worth a hundred people, so the passage opened this time was exceptionally large. Clearly, the demon on the other side of the Abyss had put in a lot of effort.
However, compared to the demon that was about to emerge, the passage seemed incredibly narrow. Even with flesh, blood, and souls as lubricant, the Minotaur still struggled to squeeze through.
As a type of demon, the Minotaur wasn’t considered high-ranking, but it was the main force of the endless demon legions. Each one possessed the ability to fight against a High-Ranking Knight.
Don’t think this wasn’t a big deal. High-Ranking Knights weren’t common. Only those who mastered High-Level Battle Qi could be considered as such. Moreover, a perfect High-Ranking Knight was far stronger than a Teutonic Knight, as Teutonic Knights only possessed Intermediate Battle Qi. This demonstrated the strength of the Minotaur.
Paulie’s success in summoning a Minotaur was not only due to the decent sacrifices but also because of the bone scimitar in his hand. This weapon was crafted from the horn of a powerful Minotaur, increasing the chances of summoning a Minotaur and ensuring he wouldn’t become the first target of attack.
Of course, don’t pin your hopes on this. If there aren’t enough people to kill around you, or if you don’t run fast enough, it’s just a matter of dying sooner or later.
The Minotaur, constantly in a state of rage, opened its fist-sized bull eyes, bloodshot red. After glancing at the nervous Paulie, it focused its attention outside.
With a roar, the three-meter-tall Minotaur smashed through the barn wall. Amidst the flying debris, it brandished its double-edged axe, starting a massacre.
Even the Longswordsmen, who were considered elite even among the Imperial Border Army, had no power to resist the Minotaur. Sharp long swords and sturdy armor were twisted and shattered under the brute force. Bodies were instantly turned into unrecognizable chunks under the swinging axe. Blood and internal organs splattered everywhere like a burst ketchup packet, accompanied by a thick stench of blood.
“Throw spears!” Hogg had never seen a monster like the Minotaur, but he had seen Bella before. So, although shocked, he didn’t freeze, reacting immediately.
System soldiers weren’t completely fearless, but their obedience to orders overcame their fear. Therefore, under Hogg’s command, their bodies moved instinctively.
Dozens of short spears, thrown with strong arm strength, mostly hit the Minotaur. This was mainly because the Minotaur had no concept of dodging, and another reason was that it simply didn’t need to dodge.
The Minotaur’s muscles were incredibly powerful, with a hardness comparable to stone and bones like steel. Even the highly penetrative javelins only pierced an inch or two into its muscles. For the massive Minotaur, these were just flesh wounds, only making it angrier.
