Cronus' system: Against the gods

Chapter 14: The real Cerberus

Rex's heart sank as he saw the shadow of the real Cerberus materializing before him. Unlike the trio he'd just battled, this one was much larger, its nine heads towering over him, each set of crimson eyes glowing with a predatory hunger. The ground trembled beneath the beast's massive paws, dust swirling around them as if the very earth was alive with fear.

"That... is much bigger," Rex muttered, his throat dry. He was bruised and beaten from the last fight, barely hanging on, but this... this was a whole new level. He couldn't let it end here.

Cronus's voice echoed in his head. "Now thou facest the true might of Cerberus. A battle worthy of a Harbinger."

"Yeah, thanks for that," Rex shot back. His body ached, his Aether reserves were nearly dry, and his mind was racing to keep up with the situation. But there was no time to waste. This beast wasn't going to wait for him to catch his breath.

Rex clenched his fists, calling on the last remnants of his Aether. He focused on the creature in front of him, the pulse of danger clear in his mind. He had to assess this monster before making any move. Taking a deep breath, he activated God's Eyes for the first time.

The world around him shifted. Colors dulled, and time itself seemed to slow. Cerberus's massive frame was outlined in an ethereal light, and data poured into Rex's mind, stats, weaknesses, strengths. But what hit him hardest was the sheer disparity between their power.

Cerberus:(Guardian of the Underworld Gates)

Strength: 24

Agility: 26

Endurance: 25

Rex swallowed hard, his own stats flashing in comparison. The Cerberus was nearly twice as strong and fast as him. Panic flared briefly, but he forced it down. He couldn't afford to give in to fear. If he did, he was dead.

"Well, this is going to suck," Rex muttered, preparing himself for the fight of his life.

Cerberus didn't wait. With a deafening roar, it lunged forward, all nine heads snapping toward Rex with terrifying speed. The ground quaked as the beast closed the distance in the blink of an eye. Rex barely had time to dodge, throwing himself to the side, but one of the creature's heads grazed him, sending him tumbling across the cracked earth.

Pain shot through his body, but Rex forced himself to stand, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He was outmatched, but he wasn't out of options. He'd fought worse odds before.

"I need to slow this thing down," he whispered to himself, wincing as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. His body screamed for rest, but he pushed on, Aether sparking faintly in his veins. The only way he stood a chance was by using everything he had.

Cerberus charged again, and this time, Rex was ready. He reached out, focusing all his remaining Aether into a time distortion. The world shimmered, and Cerberus slowed, its movements dragging through the air like it was wading through thick syrup. But the strain on Rex was immediate, his head spun, and he could feel his body weakening under the effort.

Still, he forced himself to act. He dashed toward the slowed Cerberus, aiming for one of its flanks. His fist, glowing with the last remnants of his power, slammed into the beast's side. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, but Cerberus hardly flinched. Even slowed, its hide was like iron.

Before Rex could pull away, Cerberus broke free from the time distortion, one of its heads snapping toward him with vicious speed. Rex barely had time to register the movement before he felt teeth sink into his side. A searing pain shot through him as Cerberus flung him across the battlefield like a rag doll.

He hit the ground hard, pain exploding in his chest. His vision blurred, and for a moment, all he could hear was the pounding of his heart in his ears. He struggled to push himself up, gasping for air as blood trickled down his side. The wound was bad, but not fatal yet.

"Thou must endure," Cronus's voice cut through the haze of pain, his tone more serious now. "This trial will push thee beyond thy limits."

"Yeah... no kidding," Rex grunted, coughing as he stood on shaky legs. His entire body screamed at him to stop, to just give up. But he couldn't. He wouldn't.

The beast's nine heads whipped around, growling in unison as it prepared to strike again. Rex kept his distance, darting between the canyon rocks to avoid the beast's powerful jaws. He couldn't let it pin him down, one bite, and he was done for. He knew he wouldn't survive a direct hit from something this strong.

"Alright, Rex, think," he muttered to himself, narrowly avoiding another lunge. "There's gotta be something I can use again"

"Thou art only a mortal with a single strategy, thinkest thou not out of the box"

"Damn you! If it keeps working, I'll keep using it till it fails"

"Good luck, Harbinger"

His eyes scanned the area as he ran, searching for anything, an environmental advantage, a weakness in the beast's attack pattern. He remembered the narrow canyon walls from before and an idea began to form in his mind. Cerberus was massive, and though it was fast, its size might actually work against it like.

"Gotcha," Rex said under his breath, formulating his plan.

Cerberus lunged again, but this time, Rex didn't dodge to the side. He sprinted directly toward one of the tighter passages between the cliffs, leading the massive creature into the rocky maze. He could hear the pounding of its paws behind him, feel the heat of its breath on his back as it chased him.

Rex ducked into the narrowest part of the canyon, sliding through just as Cerberus slammed into the entrance. The beast's hulking frame struggled to fit between the jagged cliffs, and its massive heads snarled and snapped in frustration. The walls were just barely wide enough to allow its heads through, but its body was too large to follow easily.

"Perfect," Rex muttered, adrenaline surging through him. He had bought himself a moment.

Cerberus roared, slamming its heads into the canyon walls, causing the rocks to tremble and crack. Rex quickly climbed a nearby ledge, using the high ground to his advantage. He had to act fast—the beast wouldn't be trapped for long.

Using the time he had, Rex studied Cerberus carefully. Its strength was overwhelming, but it wasn't invincible. His eyes focused on the beast's middle head, which seemed slightly sluggish compared to the others. A weak spot? An injury? It didn't matter. Rex knew that would be his target.

"Gotta hit it hard, and I've only got one shot," Rex whispered, gathering the last bits of Aether he had left. He knew he couldn't take Cerberus down with brute force. His strength wasn't enough. But if he could exploit that weakness, he might just stand a chance.

Cerberus thrashed violently, its heads snapping at the air, trying to reach Rex. The cliffs wouldn't hold it much longer. Rex inhaled sharply, psyching himself up for the attack.

"Here goes nothing."

He leaped from the ledge, Aether swirling around his fists as he plummeted toward the middle head. With pinpoint precision, he slammed his fist into the base of the creature's skull. Time seemed to slow as the impact reverberated through Cerberus's massive frame, and the middle head let out an agonized howl.

The beast stumbled, its massive body shaking the earth, but it wasn't down yet. Rex landed and rolled, avoiding a crushing swipe from one of its massive claws. His body screamed in protest, every muscle aching from the exertion. But he wasn't finished.

He circled back, keeping his distance, watching as the middle head swayed slightly, clearly dazed from the blow. He had to hit it again, harder this time, and in the same spot.

Cerberus, enraged now, broke free from the narrow passage, its heads thrashing wildly. The beast was in a frenzy, but that weakness was there. Rex just needed to avoid the other heads and deliver the final blow.

He darted forward, using his agility to dodge the snapping jaws. His mind worked faster than ever, calculating every move, every dodge, every step. He was out of Aether, but he didn't need it. His intellect was his greatest weapon.

Rex feinted left, drawing one of the heads toward him, then ducked low and dashed toward the middle head again. This time, he jumped, grabbing hold of its thick fur as it reared back. With a roar, Rex pulled himself onto the beast's back, clinging tightly as it bucked and thrashed beneath him.

"Now or never!" Rex yelled, raising his fist one last time.

Summoning all the strength he had left, Rex drove his fist into the base of the middle head's skull again. The blow landed perfectly, and with a final, deafening howl, Cerberus collapsed. Its massive body hit the ground with a resounding crash, sending shockwaves through the canyon.

Rex rolled off the beast's back, panting heavily. He lay there for a moment, staring up at the crimson sky, his body trembling with exhaustion. His side ached where Cerberus had grazed him, and blood still seeped from the wound, but he was alive.

"You did it," he whispered to himself, a weak smile tugging at his lips.

Cronus's voice echoed in his mind, filled with a rare note of approval. "Thou hast proven thy worth, Harbinger. The real Cerberus lies defeated."

As the words sank in, a strange sensation washed over Rex. The pain in his side began to fade, and a soft golden light shimmered above the fallen Cerberus. A glowing orb, brighter than the ones before, hovered in the air, slowly descending toward him.

You have gained a new ability: Time Rewind (2 seconds).

Rex blinked in surprise as the orb entered his body. Time rewind? He wasn't sure what to make of it just yet, but he could feel the power surging through him. It wasn't much, only two seconds, but it could mean the difference between life and death in a fight like this.

Before he could even catch his breath, another notification flashed before him.

You have gained 10 ability points.

1,100 XP gained. Level up: Level 2.

Rex's stats appeared in his mind:

Name: Rex Xander

Level: 2

XP to next level: 500/1500

Race: Human

Class: ???

Strength: 12

Agility: 13

Endurance: 14

Intelligence: 11

Aether: 10/10

god's eyes(Level 2)

Ten ability points. He needed to be stronger, more capable in both body and mind to face these trials. After a moment of thought, he made his decision.

Strength +5

Intelligence +5

The energy rushed through him, filling his muscles with new power and sharpening his mind even further. Rex clenched his fists, feeling the surge of strength and clarity. He was more prepared than ever.

Then, a new message appeared:

You have gained 5 stat points.

Without hesitation, Rex poured those points into agility. It had saved him before, and he'd need it even more going forward.

Agility +5

Just as he was about to take a moment to rest, the world around him shifted. The crimson sky of Tartarus began to dissolve, and in the blink of an eye, Rex found himself back at the dodgeball stadium. Everything was the same as when he had left. It was as if no time had passed at all.

Confused, he quickly checked his stats. They had all increased.

Name: Rex Xander

Level: 2

XP to next level: 500/1500

Race: Human

Class: ???

Strength: 17

Agility: 18

Endurance: 14

Intelligence: 16

Aether: 15/15

Passive skills

god's eyes(Level 2)

Active skills: Time control(level 2) Time rewind(level 1)

"Cronus?" Rex asked cautiously.

"Ah, thou hast returned," Cronus said with a chuckle. "In this realm of Tartarus, time doth not pass in the mortal world. Thy trials exist outside the boundaries of ordinary time."

A/N: Now, everyone, I have a question. Is this be the real Cerberus?