Apocalypse Cheater

[: Daniel POV :]

[: Return the Stolen Treasures (Ex) :]

- The treasures that belonged to the North Holy Templar had been stolen. Collect 3 Stolen Treasures from the Gargantua Minotaur -

- Treasures Retrieved: 0/3 -

- Rewards: ???

Upon receiving the mission from the Saintess, my attention was diverted to the name of the monster.

"Gargantua Minotaur..."

I muttered, squinting my eyes in contemplation.

Recollections flooded my mind as I thought about the alternate future where the Gargantua Minotaur had breached the borders, wreaking havoc upon the North Region.

It only happened five years later, and at that point, perhaps it was stronger than it is now.

I couldn't help but admit that the monster was truly monstrous.

Even though it wouldn't be difficult for me to subdue the monster, it remains a creature worth remembering.

I didn't know why was it strong, but now I knew.

It might be because of these 3 treasures that It became stronger

"Alright, Saintess, count me in to assist you in reclaiming your treasures," I affirmed.

"Great, should we set out?" she asked innocently, a sweet smile playing on her lips.

"We?" I questioned, puzzled by her choice of pronoun.

"Yes, 'we,' because I'll be accompanying you on this quest. But rest assured, I won't hinder your progress,"

She assured, offering comfort with the promise that she wouldn't be a burden during our mission.

My concern didn't lie there.

Little did she know, the mission would conclude before she even realized.

"Well, I don't mind, but it'll be over sooner than you think."

My words weren't a jest, but it appeared she doubted them.

No, it wasn't a lack of belief, but rather, she drew incorrect assumptions.

"How fast can it be? 1 week? Well, if you're familiar with the ways in the Zero Forest, then, I understand it'll be that fast"

"And to add on, finding the tracks of the Gargantua Minotaur might take some time"

"But if you have a skill that could track its movement, perhaps we can decrease our time finding the monster"

It was adorable seeing her making such assumptions.

It seemed she believed me, yet there was a charming unawareness in the underestimation woven into her thoughts.

But it's not like I'm blaming her.

"Saintess, care to hold my hand?"

I inquired with a soft smile playing on my lips.

Far from taking advantage, the intention was to make the demonstration smoother, as actions often spoke louder than words.

"Oh my, then don't mind if I do,"

She responded, a playful tease evident in her words.

Fortunately, doubt found no place in her response, and she seemed to trust the sincerity behind my actions.

"!?"

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, an obvious shock seemed to course through her when our hands connected.

"Is everything alright, Saintess? Is holding my hand uncomfortable for you? If you prefer, we can-"

Before I could complete my sentence, she interrupted, her response surprisingly fervent.

"N-No, I don't mind!"

She declared a sudden fierceness in her tone.

Her abrupt change in demeanour caught me off guard, leaving me puzzled, but I didn't delve any further.

"Alright then, if you're comfortable with it. Let's proceed with the mission,"

I remarked with a gentle smile, seeking to reassure her as we continued our journey.

"Yes please..."

I'm not sure why, but she felt bliss and she kept looking at my hand with an odd smile.

Is it comfortable holding my hand?

Well, whatever it is, it's time to move on.

To find the Gargantuan Minotaur in the easiest and fastest time, I decided to use the skill, Samsara Effect (Epic).

The moment I activated the Samsara Effect, my eyes changed.

Except for my pupil, the colour had changed to black.

My pupil underwent a mesmerizing transformation.

It was an intricate blend of mystical patterns.

The outer line took the form of a Full Red Hexagon, while the inner line boasted the pattern of a Full Black Diamond.

Commanding attention at the very core of the pupil, a minuscule circle emerged.

It was a dark purple hue emanating an arcane aura.

This intricate display unfolded exclusively with the activation of my skill, becoming the main spectacle in our pursuit.

With its extraordinary ability to Detect Mana, the world around me transformed.

The Mana energy of every living being became visible, each body enveloped by a radiant blue flame at its core.

It was a mesmerizing manifestation symbolizing the reservoir of Mana within.

Within this sea of Mana, variations sizes of Mana appeared.

It ranged from tiny pebble-like emanations to majestic streams soaring through the air.

It was not easy to pinpoint the Gargantua Minotaur amidst these forms of Mana.

Swiftly, my scanning prowess activated, zooming through the myriad manifestations within a mere second until I had found the target itself.

"There you are, I found you,"

I declared with a smirk, a triumphant undertone in my words.

Perplexed, the Saintess questioned, "What do you mean?"

Her confusion hung in the air, yet the revelation of my words remained shrouded in mystery.

It's a puzzle she was yet to unravel, poised for comprehension in the unfolding hunt.

"You will understand soon Saintess and hold on tight"

Without waiting for her to continue, I used the Skill of Void Hop and teleported immediately right in front of the monster.

"W-What happened? How did we appear here?"

The Saintess was adorably panicking as she was baffled by how we arrived in a different location.

She believes something must have happened.

*Roar*

Well, it seems like someone's not happy with our visit.

"H-Huh!? Why is the Gargantua Minotaur right in front of us!?"

She pointed towards the monster with fear in her eyes and she was trembling due to fear.

"How foolish of you humans to appear before me!" It spoke with confidence.

As I gazed at the Gargantua Minotaur, I was amazed by its size.

It deserved to be called Gargantua Monster since its size was as huge as a mountain.

It felt like we were both ants.

It has a snow-like skin and with its axe, the Minotaur does appear terrifying.

But not to me.

"W-What should we do...?" The Saintess questioned as she looked at me.

It seems like whatever plans she had, she wasn't ready and never expected this to happen.

"Just trust me on this and it will be over before you realise what happened"

I tried to be cool but of course, I understood why she was showing me the expression that said, "What are you talking about?".

"Human" The Gargantua Minotaur called with a deep voice that was so low that it caused mini earthquakes.

"Aren't you being overconfident in yourself?" The monster pointed its finger towards me.

I can see that the monster was insulting me internally.

The monster perhaps had it ridiculous that a human had claimed such words.

"Pipe down will you?"

I gazed at the monster and a second later, the life within its eyes had faded instantly.

Without knowing how or why, it had died without realising it and its bodies dropped onto the ground.

"Heh?"

It was interesting to see the expression on the Saintes's face.

She was in deep shock and she didn't realise what had happened to the monster.

"W-What happened?" She turned to me and questioned.

"The monster had died and I already completed the mission you gave to me" I answered her.

[: Congratulations, you have killed a Transcendent Monster, Gargantua Minotaur :]

[: You have obtained the 3 Treasures stoles from the Saintess of Moon and have completed the mission :]

"You... did complete the mission"

She was in disbelief no matter how many times she saw it. After all, she could see the notification that I had completed the mission.

"How did you complete it!? That monster was a Transcendent!"

She had emotions that were a mix of surprise, confusion, happiness and interest.

"Well, I used a skill of mine and it died afterwards" I answered with a simple reason.

Moreover, I used the Samsara Effect ability called the Death effect.

"T...That's unbelievable..." She said and she looked at me with a strange gaze.

"Since you have completed the mission, then, it's my turn to rightfully reward you"

Even though she was still in a state of disbelief, she had no choice but to move on.

"But, we'll have to return to the Templar, for me to reward you," She said and I had no problem with that.

"That will be no issue for me. But you'll have to hold my hand" I said.

"That'll be no problem!"

It seemed like she was rather excited about holding my hand.

Without further ado, we arrived back at the Holy Templar.

"So, is this another skill of yours? It's too impressive and convenient!" She remarked.

"I agree" I nodded my head.

"Alright, I will take the reward, so you can wait here for the time being"

She went off to fetch my reward and it didn't take that long for her to arrive.

"I'm back!" She said.

As I looked at my reward, it was in a golden white chest and I never felt so holy looking at it.

"You can open it up and look at it"

She declared with a smile as she placed it on a nearby table.

I didn't hesitate to open the chest as I knew what would be the reward.

The moment I opened the treasure chest, what appeared before me was a Fruit.

"You might not know this, but this is a Forbidden Fruit known to possess strange powers"

She explained and she appeared rather sad.