Val and Katya broke camp early the next day and began their trek toward the level five exit. The journey across the fifth floor would take about twice as long as the prior levels, thanks to the winding paths that took them between impenetrable patches of thick forest.

Apparently, level five had a floor boss that guarded the stairs to the level below, a towering golem made of stone and dirt that sprung from the earth around the end of each month, but it was apparently such a pedestrian encounter, and offered such comparatively valuable items, that it was generally downed within hours of forming. Val had heard of the creature, but wasn’t worried, knowing he could just camp out nearby until some wandering guild group came by to take care of it.

Still, they had some distance to cover, so they started early and kept to a fast clip over the course of the morning. They kept to the paths, relying on keeping a consistent pace over the lure of potentially dangerous shortcuts.

They stopped for lunch just inside the treeline, and away from the path, before a wide expanse of undulating open ground. It was nice to see the clear sky after hours on the narrow, tree-lined path.

Val put together a simple meal of hard baked biscuits softened with a tart fruit preserve, layered with cold leftover slices of butterpork loin and a sharp, soft cheese that Val had bought even though he knew he’d have to eat it within the first few days of his journey.

Katya looked on covetously as Val put the final touches on the food.

He handed her the plate, watching with satisfaction as she took her first enormous bite, then started on his own meal. As he ate, he looked out over the field, watching the clouds cast shadows on the grass as they floated above.

He was only half way through his meal when he noticed a small group break from the trees on the opposite side. There were about ten of them, running and carrying one another in an apparent panic. They were armoured for combat, and a number of them had their weapons drawn.

Katya suddenly appeared beside him.

“What’s going on down there?” she asked.

“No idea,” Val responded, concern apparent in his voice.

The group were still moving at a full sprint, at least those that weren’t limping, despite having well and truly cleared the forest. Val looked behind them for any sign of pursuit, but couldn’t see anything.

“It -”

Val had barely uttered a word when the treeline behind the group exploded outward, shredding entire trees and launching splintered branches high into the air. Out of the chaos ran a giant bull, easily the size of a semi-trailer, with wicked iron horns that glinted in the sunlight.

The bull stopped in the clear space, snorting and scanning the area. Val could see that its face and haunches were criss-crossed with fresh wounds, bloodied, blackened and peppered with arrows. But the damage looked superficial, and the bull wasn’t moving like it was injured.

“Holy hell,” Val uttered, “What is that thing?”

“The dire bull,” came Katya’s response, her voice hungry.

Val looked over at her, seeing the avaricious look on her face.

“The…” he trailed off, “As in, -”

“The floor boss from level twenty, yeah,” Katya interrupted, “It must have tailed them back up here.”

“It chased them fifteen floors?” Val said, horrified.

“They must have really ticked it off,” Katya replied.

The bull caught sight of the fleeing group and bellowed with rage, picking up the chase and, now in the open, closing the distance rapidly.

“What do we do?” Val asked.

She drew her greatsword from the scabbard on her back.

“I guess the hunt’s over!” she declared, and took off toward the bull, running at full speed.

“Katya!” Val called after her, but she didn’t slow down, “Damn it! Damn it!”

Not again.

The thought came unbidden to Val’s mind, and he froze momentarily. He watched Katya running toward the charging bull and the fleeing adventurers and saw again in his mind’s eye Teddy sprinting toward the helpless kitten, and the box truck bearing down on her.

Val shook off the intrusive thought, grabbed his pack and threw it open, pulling handfuls of health potions from inside and shoving them into the pouches on his belt. Once he’d filled them to capacity he sprinted after Katya.

The group saw Katya and Val moving from the trees and adjusted their path, heading towards the newcomers. Behind them, the bull did the same, totally focused on its targets. 

Katya’s speed, augmented by her Fleet Foot skill, carried her well ahead of Val and she ran through the injured group without stopping.

“Keep going!” she yelled, her blade swinging at her side.

The group needed no encouragement, and continued to flee toward the trees on the opposite side of the field.

Val passed the group just as Katya reached the bull, his pace no match for hers, and he did not acknowledge them, his eyes locked to Katya as she swung her blade backward at a magically-enhanced full sprint.

She leapt up and met the bull head on, swinging her greatsword in a wide arc, the blade leaving a trail of bright white energy in the air. It clashed with the bull’s right horn, sending out a deep clang that echoed across the clearing. The dire bull’s head snapped to the left and it crashed past Katya, losing its footing and sliding across the grass, carving a deep groove into the ground.

Katya tumbled through the air, spinning from the impact, but managed to land on her feet, stabbing her sword into the dirt to halt her momentum.

Both Katya and the bull turned to face one another. Katya smiled as she saw a deep divot sliced into the horn, near the tip, and pulled her blade from the ground, swinging it in front of her.

The bull bellowed and stamped its front hooves, enraged by the sudden appearance of a new foe.

Katya wasn’t intimidated by the show, and ran toward the bull, blade hanging low at her side. The bull saw her coming and started forward, but she closed the gap quickly and swung the enormous sword two-handed, smashing into the bull’s chin and snapping its head upwards.

Blood sprayed out from the deep wound that appeared in the bull’s face, and it reared up on its hind legs. 

Katya laughed triumphantly, and she pulled back her blade and activated her Cross Slash ability. The blade shimmered black up and down the edges and she leapt forward in a blink, slashing horizontally in a shining line and cutting the bull’s back legs from under it.

Katya slid to a halt a few metres behind the bull and it crashed forward into the dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust and mud.

Val reached the battlefield just as the dust started to settle. He ran straight up to Katya, a potion in each hand.

“Are you okay?!” he demanded.

Katya smiled, her breathing only slightly elevated.

“Perfect,” she answered.

Val heaved a sigh of relief, clutching the potions in his hands a little looser.

“But take a step back,” she continued, “I think this thing has a second phase.”

The bull was already struggling to its feet as Val stepped backward, giving Katya room to swing her sword into position.

It rocked side to side as it pulled its front hooves back under itself and forced itself upright. The bull sucked in a deep breath and roared its rage up into the sky.

Katya grinned expectantly.

“Come on then.” she whispered.

The bulls muscles strained and swelled, veins popping along its throat and limbs. The metallic horns hummed like a tuning fork and the tips shimmered and then turned black.

Val took a few more steps backward. He was still safely in range to dose Katya with potions if needed, but the pressure exerted by the bull felt like a crushing weight.

The bull ceased its roaring, brought its head down and locked its gaze on Katya. She seemed tiny by comparison, the bull somehow seeming even larger and more destructive than before.

Katya was unimpressed, smiling confidently at the beast.

She was still smiling when the bull launched forward suddenly, tearing up grass and dirt as it seemingly flew toward Katya. Her face turned to sudden shock and she only just managed to pull her blade across her body in time to block the point of the wicked horn from skewering her chest. The bull flicked its head upward and launched her into the air, blasting the breath from her lungs with the force of the blow.

Val looked up at Katya, floating in the air, her eyes bugging out of her face. She was still conscious, but her hand was only just grasping the hilt of her sword.

Val watched in horror as the bull spun on the spot, bucking its back legs into the air and hammering its hooves into Katya, luckily only a glancing blow, that sent her spinning across the field. The greatsword caught the full brunt of the bull’s other hoof and flew away from her, but Val was already moving. He sprinted as hard as he could, his eyes on Katya.

The seconds that she flew through the air felt like hours as Val’s legs pumped and strained, but he managed to cover enough ground to get under her as she tumbled down. She crashed into him forcefully and he wrapped his arms around her, sending them both into the dirt. Val groaned as her full weight drove into him, but he kept her close as they rolled and tumbled across the grass.

Val ended up on top of her and pushed his weight off her prone body with both arms.

“Katya!”, he yelled.

She didn’t respond.

“KATYA!”

Katya coughed, and a small amount of blood spilled from her mouth.

“Oh thank God!” Val cried, “Are you hurt?!”

Katya mumbled something, too quiet for Val to hear.

“What?!” Val asked.

Katya grabbed Val’s collar-guard and pulled him in close.

“Sword,” she repeated, her voice strained.

“Katya, I -”

“Get.” she growled, “My. Sword.”

Val leant back and looked around, seeing the sword lodged in the ground a few metres behind them.

“It’s -”

Again, Katya interrupted him. She sat up and pushed him away, forcing her leg under herself and, with a grunt of pain, driving herself up onto one knee.

Behind Val, the bull bucked and bellowed triumphantly, roaring its rage into the air. It swung its head to and fro, blasting hot breaths from flared nostrils.

Val stood up and cried out in pain as he put weight on what was surely a shattered kneecap, but he managed to help Katya to her feet, and she hurriedly limped off toward the sword. Val followed her, limping even worse than she was, occasionally glancing over his shoulder at the bull.

“At least let me -” he yelled, then stopped suddenly.

He pulled his hands from the pouch on his belt, his gloves covered in shattered crystal and viscous red liquid. He dug around again, finding not a single intact bottle. His face dropped.

Katya reached the sword, and managed to pull it out of the dirt on the second attempt. She swayed as she turned, looking past Val to the bull.

At that moment, the dire bull fell silent, dropped its head low and set its eyes on Katya and the fleeing Val. Its front hoof pawed at the dirt.

Katya met the bulls eyes and, with a heroic effort, pulled her sword up in front of her.

“Get behind me,” she told Val as he reached her, and he did as she asked.

The bull tensed its muscles and Katya set herself in a defensive stance. 

“Katya, please,” Val begged, “We can run, we can get away, I -”

“Just,” Katya breathed, straining with the words, “Just go… I can do this.”

She swayed as her left knee buckled and Val grabbed her, pulling her upright, compensating on his one good leg.

“Katya…”

“Fine, stay,” she told him, “But keep me upright.”

The bull charged toward them, its horns shimmering black with some bestial power, and Katya braced herself. She drew the blade back like a baseball bat and waited, she gritted her teeth and blue fire shimmered up the centre of the blade, casting the red filigree in bright purple. Val held both his arms to her back, sliding his fingers between the joints of her armour and taking her weight.

Just before the bull hit them both, Katya swung the sword and met the charge head on. The equal forces clashed and, at first, neither gave any ground. Blue and black flames licked and twisted, attempting to force the other back, and Katya’s muscles strained against the bull’s charging body. Time seemed to stand still to Val, who was somehow immune to the forward motion of the bull, only feeling the weight of Katya’s body.

And then, it happened. Katya’s blade swung forward, sliding along the bull's horn and slashing across its eye, spraying blood into the air. The bull was knocked backwards, its hooves sliding along the ground, bellowing in agony, and Katya’s blade completed its swing, slamming into the ground beside her.

Val took more of her weight as her legs threatened to collapse.

“Let me go, Val,” she said.

“But -”

“Val, please.”

Val lowered Katya to her knees, extending his busted leg so he could follow her down and keeping his hand on her back to keep her upright. She kept her left hand on the hilt of the sword and watched the bull stomping and thrashing its rage.

Katya exhaled a deep breath and looked over at the group of fleeing adventurers, supporting one another as they entered the trees. 

Val saw her shoulders drop as she watched the others escape and, despite the grievousness of their situation, found himself sharing her relief. 

“Katya -” Val started.

The bull, now one-eyed, bellowed its rage at the two and then fell into muffled silence as a thrown hammer smashed into its face and encased it in a thick coating of ice. 

Val lowered his arm and put it on Katya’s shoulder.

“I don’t think that’s going to last very long,” he said, “Can you move?”

She shook her head.

“Me either.”

Katya’s shoulders shook as quiet sobs started to rack her body. She squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her head as she tried to stem the tears that threatened.

“Hey, hey,” Val whispered, soothingly.

Val moved one of his hands from Katya’s shoulder and put it on her head.

“There’s no need for tears,” he said, his own voice thick with emotion.

Val thought about Teddy, about how he was never going to see her again, unless being gored to death by a giant bull would simply kick him along to the next other world in the same way the Nissan Cube that killed him the first time did. But it didn’t seem likely.

In his final moments, Val was forced to realise just how underprepared he was for this journey. Despite everything he’d seen since arriving in this world, he had recklessly assumed that he could somehow do what generations of adventurers had not, and the labyrinth had corrected this assumption. In his desperation, he had committed to a course of action that he did not understand the real danger of, and now he was about to pay the price.

Silent tears fell from his eyes, but he kept his voice even in the vain hope that Katya wouldn’t notice. 

Across the field, the bull stomped and smashed its head against the ground, carving deep cracks in the ice on its face.

“You saved those people,” he said.

Katya scoffed, bitterly.

“And?” she spat, “I lost.”

“Hey,” Val admonished her, “You did your best, and I’m proud of you.”

The crystal on Val’s neck flashed, bright enough that Val noticed it inside his armour. A small popup window appeared in front of his eyes.

‘New skill unlocked: FASTUS PATRI’

Val didn’t speak Latin, nor did he have the time to try and discern the meaning of the message before golden light burst from his palm and poured into Katya’s body. She shone for a brief moment, bright as flame, then as suddenly as it appeared it was gone.

Val pulled his hand away, sure he had hurt her somehow, but she did not seem to be in pain. In fact, she stood up, unsupported, and hefted her blade as if it weighed nothing.

Val looked up at her.

“Katya?” he asked, “Are you okay?”

She nodded.

The bull smashed its head against the ground for a third time, and the ice shattered and sheared away. It trained its one remaining eye on Katya and readied itself to attack.

“Can you run now?” Val said, panicked, “If you’re better you should -”

“No,” she cut him off.

“Kat-”

“Val,” her voice was level, her breathing even, but there was a dark edge of violence to her tone, “I’m not going anywhere.”

The bull sprang forward, its deadly horns shining in the sunlight. 

Val sat silently as the bull bore down on them both, his own body screaming to run, crawl, drag himself away from the charging monster, but he couldn’t move. All he could do was watch.

At the last second, right before the bull would have crashed into Katya, she swung the greatsword up and across her body so quickly that Val didn’t even see it move. The flat of the blade batted away the bull’s horns effortlessly, as if they were nothing, snapping its head back. It didn’t even have time to roar in pain before Katya stepped in underneath it and spun the blade in a wide arc that opened the bull’s throat as smoothly as a surgeon’s scalpel.

Katya turned on her heel, switching the blade to her left hand and driving the entire length of the greatsword into the bull’s chest. The guard hammered into its side and the impact sent it tumbling sideways to crash into the ground, roaring in pain.

Katya let the sword fall with the bull, then watched it thump into the grass alongside a scattered selection of items as the dire bull dissipated into nothing.

Katya’s wounds were gone, and her body hummed with energy, every muscle at the same time relaxed and sizzling with power. Val could only sit silently, waves of relief and confusion washing over him in equal measure.

Just inside the trees, a few of the injured adventurers looked on in awe.