Chapter 233: Gatekeeper

Of course this wouldn't be easy. The Archangel also had this Phase one ending or something. Damn it.

I rushed over to the Cerberus and unleashed all the skills I can. But within my first swing, I felt something immovable.

[Immovable Object]

[Immovable Object]

[Immovable Object]

[Immovable Object]

[Immovable Object]

I knew it. I can't do anything while its transforming.

A loud howl followed as the Cerberus broke from his chains.

It leaped an absurd amount of distance in which I could barely react to so I just raised my sword up in a hopes of reducing the damage, but the knockback of his attack managed to blow me away.

As I was being flung, I dug my sword in the invisible ground below and it seemed to work as it stopped me from my flight. I then began to run at the Cerberus but it seems to be waiting for me.

It started off with a flame breath, but it was imbued with dark magic. That flame breath was the same as the one that the manticore that I previous fought.

A single concentrated skill that focuses on a pinpoint accuracy and absolute power.

But its just a fast laser and doesn't track at all so its easy to dodge. I stepped to the side and as soon as I did, I couldn't move my feet or arms.

I looked over and I was covered with ice. And flames were coming out of those ice slowly crawling up on my armor.

"Damn it, shouldn't I be immune to fire..." Its making some damage on my armor and to myself.

Maybe its because of the ice element so my skill ignores the immunity against fire.

This is tricky...

So that Triple Synergy earlier combines skills ignoring single element immunity and resistances... Isn't that... a bit too strong..?

"Cocoon's Rest!" A skill that wraps around my whole body in an indestructible coffin and heals me. I can't do anything while inside it other than be frozen there for three seconds.

It was enough time for me to completely avoid their attack and remove that ice and flames that were covering me.

I broke out of the coffin and started off with a, "Assault Rush!" A move that uses my momentum and continually multiplies the damage the faster I am by about two times.

I stepped back to gain some ground and ran and ran to the Cerberus.

It then began to spew out flames on the ground, I decided to be careful and step to the side even though I'll lose some speed.

But good thing I did that since the fire that they spew out had ice underneath it covering its appearance.

A new element appeared and it seemed to be... some form of liquid?

It was dark, murky and it seemed to be overwhelmingly weird. I didn't take any chances so I dodged whatever the other head of the Cerberus threw at me.

I finally got near and their faces and as I stretched out my hand for my sword to reach them, I couldn't pierce through their thick skin. So I just ran and ran with the Cerberus on the tip of my sword as I was carrying it.

I still couldn't pierce so I just activated another skill. "Hell Drop!" A skill that binds my sword to the nearest enemy and once I hit them, it'll stick as long as the buff is active.

I then grabbed my sword with both of my hands and in a hammer like motion, I swung the Cerberus down to the ground, pummeling them over and over like a madman.

The effect ended and as soon as my blade lost its grip on the Cerberus, it stepped away from me and unleashed combinations of spells against me.

Spikes rose from the ground imbued with that weird liquid.

"Mana Search!" I began to find where those things are spawning so that I can dodge it.

Three spikes appears every intervals but these spikes are spawning in free form. Meaning that it can change directions even if one spawned in.

A single spike doesn't just move in one direction, it twists and bends like its clay. Keeping the hardness and sharpness despite it moving in all directions.

And as time passes by, the spikes just keep on growing and stretching and bending making it incredibly difficult to dodge. So I had to just gather it in one direction so that it'll reset back to one spike. So I can finally counter attack.

So I flew up to the sky and as expected, all the spikes began to converge into one spike following me as higher as I can go.

I stopped once I noticed that its all conjoined into one ice spike covered in a weird liquid.

So I rushed over to the Cerberus controlling the spikes and as figured, it can't follow me and I don't need to dodge anymore. I just need to fly fast.

"Hell Dive!" My sword morphed the handle into a longer version and it looked like I was holding a spear.

I dived right straight to the Cerberus but all I met was a wall of ice in front of me. The weapon reverted back to a sword and I instantly destroyed the wall of ice. It revealed the Cerberus spewing out that weird liquid on me.

I couldn't dodge in time so all I could do was block it.

The liquid surrounded my body and suddenly, steam came out from my whole body. I took a look at myself and its slowly corroding my armor while my sword isn't even faced by it.

But the bigger problem is that my flesh is also being corroded and being slowly eaten by this liquid.

I don't really have to worry about my armor breaking since its just an armor formed using a skill. But the cooldown is pretty long. So I'll keep it as long as its fine.

"Cataclysm!" The same skill that Afal uses is also in my arsenal of the hundred Demon King skills. It summons down a horde of meteors up in the sky ravaging the entire battlefield.

And it did just that.

The Cerberus didn't have any means of escaping since the spell is a large scale spell. And even if it did which the Cerberus tried, he can't. "Demon's Bind!" Chains summoned from my hand and it attached itself to the running Cerberus.

It couldn't run or do anything but just wait as the thousands and thousands of meteors just came falling down on it like it was a practice target.

The Cerberus howled and howled as it was drowning in pain. "I'm not one to see my enemies suffer so... I'll end this."

The Cerberus was incredibly weakened and couldn't stand by itself. Its legs and arms were broken and the heads were panting and trying to do anything it can to run away or fight back.

"Hell's Retribution." I imbued my gauntlets with immeasurable power. "Uncontrollable Power." And another layer to use it on them.

I could see cracks on their skin and I could no longer feel the barrier that was on their bodies. So they're wide open now.

I started off with the first head, and I punched it with all my might. The sheer shockwave of that punch was enough to blow me away but I managed to stand still somehow. But after that punch, all I could see was a clean destruction of its head.

"Hell's Retribution, Uncontrollable Power." I did it again. To the next head. The last head began to whimper but I didn't care for it. So I did it again. "Hell's Retribution, Uncontrollable Power."

"YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I let out a loud battle cry that echoed throughout the entire floor. I couldn't contain my excitement. I then looked over to see if it was really completed.

[Tartarus Floor 1: Cerberus, The Gatekeeper of the Underworld COMPLETED]

[Rewards]

[Tartarus' Key]

A one way key out of the Tartarus. Can be found in Floor 1, Floor 10 and every 10 more consecutive levels after that.

[Triple Synergy]

Able to use up to three spells at the same time with three different elements. The weakness of elements such as fire and water will be ignored while using this skill and will allow the two elements to join together to form a new skill.

[Cerberus' Leash]

A broken leash marks the chaos that will usurp on the world.

I did it. I killed the gatekeeper of Tartarus. I can do this. I can finally fight back against those gods above. I finally proved to myself that I am strong. And I can do this. I just need to hang on a little bit more.

More preparations, more backup plans. I will not let this war end in a failure. I will prepare everything I can until we strike. I don't care how long it takes. In the end, its all worth it.

Freedom for everyone... Its near...

I'm nearing the end.

And this is just a single step, but its a step more than before.