After confirming that a piece of block meat had dropped, Mika and Saori-chan let out long, deep sighs, releasing the tension that had gripped them during the battle. Since they already had one fight against a minotaur under their belts, they managed to get through this one safely without any major blunders.
Mika cast a quick glance around to stay alert before picking up the dropped block meat.
"Finally, we got our first one. But even after facing such a tough enemy, it’s just one piece, huh..."
"We’ll probably get faster at it once we're used to them, but it’s still hard to predict how they’ll counterattack," Saori added.
"Yeah. Unless we can reach a point where we can take them down in a one-hit kill to prevent them from countering, we won’t be able to handle many of them. If we were up against a group, I can easily see things devolving into a chaotic brawl the moment we stop moving."
"True. But it feels like it'll take a while before we can pull off a one-hit kill like that."
The two girls let out small sighs at the meager reward for such a difficult struggle. Their expressions turned gloomy as they imagined a grueling series of consecutive battles against the monsters.
Indeed, to handle multiple minotaurs, the key was learning how to settle the fight with the very first blow. This was especially true when facing a group; if you failed to finish one off instantly, the minotaurs' counterattacks would chain together. For instance, while a few minotaurs kept the party's mid and rear guards pinned down, the rest would move in to swarm the vanguard.
"Hey, Onii-chan, how do you and your team defeat minotaurs? Does it take you guys a lot of effort, too?"
"Hm? No, well, we were a bit thrown off at first, but it doesn't really take much effort now. In our case, we basically take their heads off in a single blow before they can do anything. If anything, collecting the drop items is more of a chore than the actual fight."
Mika and Saori-chan looked momentarily stunned by my answer.
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah, once you get the hang of it, one-hit kills are definitely doable. As for the drop collection... I really want to find a way to make that more efficient. On the floors below this one, minotaurs start attacking in groups, after all."
"I see..."
"I wonder if we’ll be able to pull off one-hit kills against minotaurs if we work hard..."
Recalling their recent struggle, the girls looked up at the ceiling with distant gazes, clearly feeling that one-hit kills were still a distant dream. Given their current lack of experience, they could probably coordinate to create an opening and land a blow on a vital spot, but finishing one off before the enemy could even react was a different story.
It would likely take a long time before Mika and Saori-chan could pull off one-hit kills individually. This meant that moving down to the floors where minotaurs appeared in groups was still premature. Even if their hourly acquisition rate for drop items stayed low, it was better to focus on gaining experience while ensuring their safety.
"You'll get there. Even now, you're handling their counterattacks well enough. You're both just a bit rattled because the minotaur's behavioral patterns are different from the monsters you've fought before. Once you're used to that, you'll handle them just fine."
"You think so?"
"I wonder..."
"In terms of raw combat power, both of you are already more than a match for a minotaur."
In fact, they were already capable of dealing fatal damage in a single strike, even against an unfamiliar foe. Once they refined their positioning, distance management, the timing of their lunges, and their responses to feints, they would be fine. They had fought reasonably well for their second attempt.
Usually, explorer parties that couldn't adapt to these shifts in combat logic would find themselves stuck on this floor for quite a while.
"More importantly, Mika, you shouldn't leave raw meat out for so long. If you don't manage perishables properly, you might get a 'buyout rejected' status at the counter. At worst, it’ll be treated as waste, and you’ll end up paying disposal fees on top of losing the meat."
There were actual cases of this in the past. Parties would return from multi-day explorations with mountains of monster meat, only to have much of it rot because they kept it at room temperature. Naturally, the meat would be deemed unfit for sale as dungeon food. When told to take the rotting, foul-smelling meat back home to dispose of it themselves, many parties would break down in tears and pay the fees just to have the association handle it.
Perhaps because of those incidents, most modern explorer parties now carried at least a small cooler bag and ice pack set.
"Oh, right. Sorry, I'll put it away now. Just a second."
After asking Saori-chan to keep watch, Mika pulled a foldable cooler bag from her backpack and began wrapping the minotaur block meat in plastic wrap. Occasionally, some parties would bring monster meat to the purchase counter uncovered, but they usually got a stern lecture and were "encouraged" to attend a hygiene management lecture. Naturally, their buyout valuation would plummet, and the meat might even be rejected entirely.
"There! All set. Thanks for waiting!"
Mika finished the task quickly and stood up, slinging the cooler bag over her shoulder. Since they planned to collect a lot of minotaur meat today, she had brought a fairly large bag.
Now that it was unfolded, however, it looked quite cumbersome. It was light for now since it was mostly empty, but it swayed heavily from side to side as Mika moved. It might stabilize once it was full, but then the weight would likely throw off her center of gravity.
"Hmm, this bag is swinging around and getting in the way a bit."
"Maybe I got greedy and picked one that's too big?"
"Probably. Maybe we should set it down nearby before we start a fight."
"Yeah, a bag this size should be stable enough to stay upright even if we just set it down on the floor."
Looking at the bag hanging from Mika's shoulder, both girls agreed that its current size was a nuisance. It looked like a commercial-grade container. If it had some weight in it, it probably wouldn't tip over even if set down haphazardly.
"I’ll leave the logistics to you, but make sure it doesn't interfere with your movement or combat. Once that bag is full, it's going to be pretty heavy."
"Got it."
"Understood."
With the drop item secured, the battle was officially over.
Now then, I hoped the next fight would go smoothly.
As we resumed our exploration, we walked cautiously while discussing our next move.
"So, in the next fight or the one after that, we're going to try fighting a minotaur one-on-one?"
"Yeah. I think you could use a few more practice rounds first, but the ultimate goal is for each of you to be able to pull off a one-hit kill on a minotaur by yourself. When facing a group, you need to thin their numbers as quickly as possible, or you'll get surrounded. Since we know you can handle them two-on-one, we should see if you can fight them solo once you're feeling stable."
"I know you're right, but..."
"I'm still a little nervous about a one-on-one," Saori-chan admitted.
Mika and Saori-chan both looked a bit hesitant. It seemed the unexpected counterattack from the first battle had left them with a lingering psychological barrier toward minotaurs.
To be fair, they hadn't achieved a "perfect" victory without allowing any resistance in their fights so far. Even if they hadn't been hit, the enemy had still reacted and attempted to counter.
"I see. Well, that's understandable. But it’s better to dispel that psychological barrier before it really takes root, don't you think? You feel like you could win, but you’re just vaguely anxious about it, right?"
"...Yeah. I keep worrying that they'll pull another unexpected counter like in that first fight."
"Based on the two battles we've had, I think we can handle it, but..."
Mika and Saori-chan looked slightly uneasy, their gazes drifting away awkwardly.
Just as I thought, they had both developed a slight aversion to the monsters.
"It’s okay. Right now, you’re just being thrown off by the change in their behavior. Once you’re used to it, you can easily handle them alone. If you let this barrier get worse, your body might freeze up in a real emergency, preventing you from reacting quickly. It's better to wash away that anxiety now."
"...You're right."
"...Yes."
Though they still seemed a bit reluctant, both Mika and Saori-chan understood the necessity and nodded in agreement.
"The first step is just understanding their behavioral logic. Once you're used to how they think when they counter, you'll be able to react instantly. The fact that you've been managing to handle them so far means you're already starting to get a feel for it, right?"
"Well, kind of..."
"I have a bit of a feel for it too, I think..."
If they could sense it even vaguely after only two fights, they were definitely capable of winning one-on-one.
"Then just do a few more battles to reinforce that feeling. Since you’re already coping with them, your actions will get much easier once your understanding deepens."
"Okay."
"Yes."
Though they still looked a bit uncertain, Mika and Saori-chan nodded firmly, as if steeling their resolve.
After walking for a while longer, we spotted the shadow of another minotaur further down the corridor.
"There."
"Yeah, I see it."
Mika and Saori-chan confirmed the target. Mika set her cooler bag down by the wall of the passage and quickly took up a combat stance.
"Saori-chan, I want to observe its movements. It might be a little dangerous, but let’s drag the fight out for a bit."
"Right. Luckily, there don’t seem to be any traps or other monsters around, so we should be okay to take our time. How long are we talking?"
"Let's see... how about we trade ten blows?"
"Ten, huh... You mean until the opponent has acted ten times?"
It seemed they had decided to prioritize observation in this battle. Since they had a vague idea of how it moved, they probably judged that they could manage it safely as a duo.
Ordinarily, battles should be settled quickly, and dragging them out was a bad habit, but if the goal was to learn the enemy's patterns, it was within an acceptable range.
"Yeah, let’s finish it once it’s acted ten times. Until then, we’ll use feints from different angles and watch how it counters."
"Got it. Let’s take turns attacking—five times for Mika-chan and five for me. Whoever can land the killing blow at the end should take it, okay?"
"Sounds good."
"Then let’s do that."
With their plan set, Mika and Saori-chan walked forward slowly, closing the distance.
Almost as soon as they approached, the minotaur noticed them. It raised its club and let out a defiant Roar.
"Gumoooo!"
"Here we go, Saori-chan!"
"Yeah!"
Using the roar as their signal, Mika and Saori-chan dashed forward side-by-side.
The moment they entered the club's reach, the minotaur swung the heavy weapon in a horizontal arc, aiming to mow them both down.
"Hup!"
"Ha!"
Mika and Saori-chan ducked under the swing with ease and launched their predetermined feint attacks.
"Ei!"
"Yah!"
Mika thrust her spear at the minotaur's upper right arm, but the creature narrowly avoided the hit by forcibly jerking the club's trajectory upward toward the ceiling.
However, that desperate move threw the minotaur off balance, leaving its flank wide open. Saori-chan immediately followed up.
"Gumo?!"
"..."
Saori-chan’s strike shallowly sliced the surface of its right flank. It was far from a fatal wound, but blood sprayed generously from the cut. Based on how the minotaur scrambled to put distance between them, however, its movements didn't seem as impaired as the injury looked.
Mika and Saori-chan didn't pursue the retreating minotaur. Instead, they watched to see how the wounded monster would respond.
"Gumoooo!"
"..."
"..."
Regaining its stance, the minotaur ignored the blood pouring from its side. Its eyes burned with rage as it glared at the girls and began closing the distance again.
It raised the club in its right hand and swung it down—aiming straight for Saori-chan, the one who had just wounded it.
"Whoops! It really does prioritize the person who attacked it last!"
"Looks like it! If we can manage the aggro well, we might be able to pull one away from a pack!"
"I don't know if they'll act the same way in a group, but the possibility is there!"
"All right, Saori-chan, let’s keep testing!"
"Got it!"
Mika and Saori-chan continued their verification without a hint of danger, testing various attack patterns to see the minotaur's reactions. The psychological barrier they had felt before the fight was nowhere to be seen; they were now deftly outmaneuvering the enraged, club-swinging monster as it lunged left and right.
Yeah, at this rate, they’d be more than ready for a one-on-one in the next fight.
Psychological barriers really can be born from the smallest things.