Chapter 208 Cerberus

Chapter 208 Cerberus

Pluck...

My Longsword dug deep into the creature's hide, causing it to let out a whimper and pause.

Its obsidian eyes froze for a second and in the next moment, it crumbled to the ground, black blood oozing from its chest.

"..."

Looking at its corpse, I sighed.

It has already been a few days since I've entered the fourth floor of the spire and yet, not even for a moment, have I been able to let my guard down.

The endless hordes of monsters kept coming without any sign of relenting.

Although the floor is supposed to be a battle royale, it's more like me against the world.

"I wonder how many creatures are still left..."

Muttering to myself, I lifted my eyes toward the sky, seeing the Shadowy dome stretching out above me, casting an eerie darkness over the entire floor.

There was also a massive moon hanging in the middle of the realm, allowing some light to filter through the shadows.

It was the only thing that allowed me to see the approaching enemies.

At first, I could barely make out the silhouettes of my attackers but with time, my eyes had adjusted to the dim light.

I managed to become pseudo-nocturnal, relying on the faint glow of the moon to spot any movement in the darkness.

Anyways, since I dispatched another horde of creatures, I had now killed around a few thousand beings already.

From my memory of Leclentia, I knew that there were around 5 thousand such monsters on this level and with each passing day, I couldn't help but wonder just how many remained.

On the first day, I killed 500 Frog-like beings that emerged from the murky pools scattered throughout the floor, their croaks filling the air.

On the second day, I managed to vanquish more than a thousand of the spider-like creatures that scuttled along the walls and ceilings of many ruins, their hairy legs skittering with each movement.

And today, I was hoping to reduce the number of hellish hounds that prowled the dark corners of the floor, their glowing red eyes reflecting the moon's feeble light.

I had already killed more than 1,500 of these hounds, but their numbers seemed never-ending.

I started fighting 8 hours ago and only now, I managed to kill the last hellish hound in sight.

Shifting my body around, I could see a mountain of corpses piling on top of each other, the proof of my relentless battle against the creatures of this floor.

It was a complete massacre.

Luckily, I didn't suffer any fatal wounds.

Although there were a lot of monsters, they were weak individually.

Of course, some of them managed to cause me some harm but I had more than enough health potions to aid my recovery.

While my body was fatigued due to the previous event on the third floor and the intensity of the battles, I could still go on for a while longer.

Whoosh...

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the battlefield, carrying with it a faint scent of decay.

Within moments, all the corpses began to disintegrate into ash, leaving no trace of the fallen creatures.

It was another unique aspect of this floor.

All the creatures were devoured by the floor itself, leaving no evidence of their existence behind.

I didn't know where all the remains went or how the floor consumed them so effortlessly, but it was a remarkable mechanism that prevented any lingering stench or mess.

"There should be a few thousand more monsters left..."

Murmuring those words to myself, I pushed myself to move forward, walking through the landscape that was desolate yet littered with many ruins.

Swish...

Suddenly, another gentle breeze caressed my face, carrying with it a sense of anticipation and danger.

Instantly, I shifted my body toward the source of the breeze, a frown appearing on my face.

Looking toward the north, my eyes narrowed as I sensed a growing presence of powerful adversaries lurking in the shadows.

It seems that the Demon was finally on the same floor.

I needed to go and meet him, kill him before I advanced to the next floor.

As I was preparing to move toward the north, a sudden roar echoed through the desolate landscape, shaking the ground beneath my feet.

Glancing behind me, I instantly noticed the silhouette of a colossal beast emerging from the ruins.

The creature had a hulking frame covered in thick, dark scales that glistened menacingly under the dim light.

It had four muscular limbs, each ending in razor-sharp claws that tore through the already crumbling structures of the ruins.

The monster also possessed three wicked-looking heads, each adorned with rows of sharp fangs and glowing eyes filled with a hunger for destruction.

It was a Cerberus - a fearsome creature, in my previous life known as a massive hound that guarded the gates of the underworld.

"A miniboss..."

A small smirk appeared on my face.

Although this floor didn't have a final boss since I had to kill every living being in the Dome, it had some stronger monsters that posed a greater challenge.

They also dropped rare and valuable loot, making them worth the extra effort.

"..."

I took a moment to assess my body's condition before I stepped forward to face Cerberus.

Although more than half of my Mana was gone, I knew I had enough strength and abilities to take down this miniboss.

With grim determination, I kicked the ground with a powerful leap, propelling myself toward the approaching Cerberus.

I locked eyes with the fierce beast, ready to unleash my full strength and show it the folly of challenging me.

Swish...

The wind howled as the monster raised its three heads, its eyes locked onto me in a menacing glare.

It raised its claws, letting out a ferocious growl that reverberated through the air.

Clank...

My Authority clashed with Cerberus's sheer power, creating a resounding clash that echoed through the desolate landscape.

My muscles tensed as I strained them to their utmost limits to overpower the strength of the Cerberus.

"Fuck..."

However, the sheer force of the monster's entire body pressing me down was more than I had anticipated.

Swish...

Scrapping the idea of overpowering the Cerberus, I quickly analyzed the situation and adjusted my strategy.

I retracted my longsword, allowing the weight of the Cerberus to push me back, using its momentum to retreat.

In that split second, I swiftly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the swipe of its clawed limbs.

It was by a hair's breadth that I narrowly escaped Cerberus's attack.

"..."

I didn't even rest, lunging toward the massive hound once again.

As I approached the Cerberus, one of its heads snarled, its venomous saliva dripping from its fangs.

It opened its massive jaws, trying to consume me in one bite.

However, I was prepared for its attack, knowing all of the monster's attack patterns since I've played this game hundreds of times.

Swish...

As the head hurtled toward me, I reached toward the Timekeeper's stopwatch, activating it with my Mana and slowing down the time.

Although I had to waste quite some of my remaining Mana to activate the Timekeeper's stopwatch, it was a risk worth taking.

Whoosh...

The Time around me slowed down, making the Cerberus's approaching strike appear sluggish and predictable.

Lowering my body, I swiftly evaded the monstrous jaws of Cerberus, narrowly escaping its deadly bite.

I observed as its sharp teeth snapped shut just inches from my face, the force of its jaws causing a tremor in the ground.

"..."

However, I kept calm, grabbing the hilt of my sword with both hands and driving it into the head's eye.

ROARRRR...

The head of the Cerberus jerked backward with a deafening roar, its fiery gaze replaced by a searing pain as my sword pierced its eye.

The other heads growled and thrashed about in agony, their collective rage filling the air.

Although they shared the same body, each head had a mind of its own, amplifying the chaos and confusion of the battle.

Grrr...

In the end, the Cerebus began to calm down, pain being replaced by rage and determination.

However, I wasn't going to let my advantage slip away.

Straining my muscles, I dashed toward the beast, launching a few precise and calculated strikes at its vulnerable spots.

One of my strikes struck the monster's chest, the other one its front limb and another hit its hindquarters.

Within a few seconds, I managed to deliver a series of decisive blows to the weakened Cerberus.

"Good..."

Smiling, I relished the small victory, dashing in close quarters once again.

I continued to press my advantage, channeling all of my focus and skill into each strike.

I didn't even notice as one of the heads went limp from its injuries, the weight of it hanging down and adding to the challenge of the battle.

The other heads tried to lash out in fury, but I anticipated their movements with precision.

Not a single hit landed on me.

I managed to kill such a being without getting hit once.

However, my Mana reserve was also depleted.

Another battle of this magnitude would be dangerous without replenishing my Mana.