Jaeden’s heart hammered as he processed the glowing system message: Quest Received: Trial of the Labyrinth. He’d made it to the center, but now he had to get past Asterius, the monstrous Minotaur. The reward? A whopping 10,000 EXP and a Unique Class Unlock. And if he survived without a scratch, there was an additional prize. But the message was clear—failure was not recommended.

Clutching the quartz-like stone he’d found near the pile of bones, Jaeden took a deep breath. The Minotaur, towering over fifteen feet tall, glared down at him with fiery eyes, its double-headed axe gleaming. Every instinct in Jaeden screamed to run, but there was no way out except through this beast.

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The Minotaur let out another ear-splitting roar and charged, hooves pounding against the ground with terrifying force. Jaeden dodged to the side at the last moment, feeling the gust of wind from the Minotaur’s missed swing. He stumbled, but quickly regained his footing, his mind racing.

Think, Jaeden, he told himself. Use your surroundings.

Glancing toward the bronze statue in the courtyard’s center, Jaeden wondered if it held a clue. The statue’s eyes glowed faintly, almost as if it were watching the battle. The Minotaur charged again, and Jaeden dodged, making his way closer to the statue, hoping it held the key to turning the tide.

“This is it,” Jaeden muttered, bracing himself for the challenge of his life.