Chapter 13: Akira vs Cerberus
Narrator POV
Cerberus growled ferociously as it advanced toward Akira, its three heads locked onto him, each one burning with fury and determination. The heat of the surrounding flames seemed to grow more intense as the beast approached, and Akira gripped Kasaka's Dagger tighter.
Knowledge was power—and Akira knew that dagger alone wouldn't be enough if the enemy outclassed him. Some things couldn't be changed, and Cerberus's hide was far tougher than any ordinary beast's. The dagger's drain and paralysis effects simply wouldn't work on a creature of this caliber.
Focusing his mind, Akira shifted his gaze toward the glowing name floating in his system interface.
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[Guardian of the Demon Tower's Gate: Cerberus]
[Danger Level: High]
---
A faint smile crossed Akira's lips. It was the first time the system had labeled an enemy as "High Danger."
Why was he smiling? Because he had no intention of backing down. This was his chance to grow stronger—and he wasn't going to waste it.
He took a breath, thinking quickly. He needed a strategy.
A frontal attack wouldn't work. Cerberus was too powerful. But there was one thing that never failed: the eyes.
Just like he had done with Kasaka before, Akira decided that would be his first target. The eyes were always the weak spot, no matter how tough the opponent was—and he would exploit that.
Suddenly, the system interface flickered, and a new notification appeared before his eyes.
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[Notification]
[Title "Wolf Hunter" Activated]
[Title Buff Applied: +40% Damage]
---
Akira stood still for a moment, blinking in surprise.
"Whoa! I totally forgot I had that title…" he muttered, remembering the bonus he had earned from past victories.
The Wolf Hunter title had been one of his most recent achievements, and now, with that extra 40% damage boost, he had an advantage he couldn't afford to ignore.
"Alright… I need to deal as much damage as possible before it uses that skill that doubles its power. This is my moment."
With that resolve, Akira dashed forward, dagger ready, his plan clear. Cerberus wasn't going to get the chance to show off its full strength—at least not before taking a serious beating.
Cerberus didn't waste a second and charged at him with unrestrained fury. All three heads focused on their prey, mouths open, ready to tear him apart. Akira jumped, narrowly dodging the bite from the right head, grabbed onto one of the beast's ears, and used it to propel himself forward, evading the central head's snapping jaws.
He landed skillfully atop the central neck, and a mischievous thought flashed through his mind.
"Flea-bitten mutt! Overgrown dog! Genetic mistake!" he taunted with a grin, aiming the insult at the left head—which immediately grew even angrier.
The left head, visibly enraged by his words, lashed out in fury, snapping toward him. Akira smirked confidently, waiting until the massive jaws were just inches away before sidestepping with lightning-fast reflexes.
What happened next was completely unexpected. Because of how close the attack was, the left head ended up biting the central one's neck.
The central head roared in pain and rage, then retaliated by biting the left head in return.
"Better than I expected," Akira thought, watching the chaos unfold as the central head viciously attacked the left.
The scene reminded him of Ghidorah's heads fighting each other—an internal brawl that only made things easier for him. While the two heads battled, the right head simply observed, its gaze unnervingly calm. Then it growled sharply, scolding the other two. It was clear that, while quieter, the right head was the smartest—and likely the leader.
"Well, looks like this fight just got even more interesting."
The right head released a deep, commanding growl that instantly made the other two fall silent. Then, something changed. Cerberus began to grow.
Its claws elongated, its fangs expanded, and its entire body swelled, becoming even more imposing than before.
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[Notification]
[Cerberus has activated its Special Ability]
[Skill "Rage Space" — Cerberus's stats are doubled for 3 minutes]
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"That doesn't sound good…" Akira muttered, a hint of concern in his voice.
In the blink of an eye, Cerberus vanished from sight and reappeared directly in front of him. Akira's eyes widened—he hadn't expected that kind of speed. He barely managed to raise his arms before Cerberus's powerful kick connected, sending him flying to the right.
The impact was brutal. Akira's body crashed through piles of rubble with a thunderous sound before slamming into a massive rock. The blow was so strong it cracked the stone, raising a cloud of dust that blanketed the area.
Slowly, the dust settled, revealing Akira pinned against the rock, blood streaming down his face from the impact.
He lifted his head, a weak but mocking smile forming on his lips.
"Heh… damn mutt…" he muttered, spitting blood as the right head of Cerberus let out a furious roar.
[Warning: -600 HP]
[HP: 3000/3600]
"One hit… just one hit took 600 HP…" he muttered, glancing at his health bar. That was a serious loss for a single attack.
Akira pushed himself up slowly, wiping the blood from his mouth with a grimace. He didn't have time to rest.
In the next instant, Cerberus appeared before him again. Thanks to his enhanced senses, Akira managed to react quickly enough to dodge backward—but not fast enough to avoid the claws completely. They grazed his body, shredding his shirt and leaving three deep gashes across his torso.
One on his chest.
One slightly lower.
And one across his stomach.
[Warning: -150 HP]
[HP: 2850/3600]
Akira gritted his teeth in frustration, clutching Kasaka's Dagger tightly. In a flash, he closed the distance between them again, moving in rapid circles around the beast. With every step, his blade sliced through the air, carving multiple shallow cuts into Cerberus's hide, searching for any weak point.
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[Notification]
[Debuff has been nullified]
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Akira wasn't surprised. He already knew Kasaka's special effects wouldn't work on a creature as powerful as this one. He sighed in frustration, brow furrowed as he shifted tactics.
"Damn mutt!" he shouted, full of rage, before leaping onto Cerberus's back.
He sprinted across it, then jumped again, using his momentum to drive the dagger straight into one of the beast's heads. The sound of blade piercing flesh and bone echoed—a clear sign he'd hit his mark.
Cerberus thrashed violently, shaking Akira loose. Taking advantage of his momentary vulnerability midair, the right head lunged forward and bit down on Akira, its fangs sinking deep into his flesh like a rag doll. The beast began shaking him violently, relishing its control as it crushed him between its teeth.
"Let… me… GO!" Akira roared, feeling the pressure threatening to break him.
In a burst of fury, he stabbed the dagger over and over into Cerberus's exposed gums, desperate to find a weak spot.
[Warning: -500 HP]
[Warning: -350 HP]
[HP: 2000/3600]
Akira's HP dropped rapidly as Cerberus toyed with him like a chew toy. In a last-ditch effort, Akira smashed his fist into the beast's fangs, shattering several of them. Cerberus howled in agony and flung him aside, the pain evident in its roar.
Seizing the moment, Akira quickly distanced himself.
In a blur of speed, he vanished from Cerberus's reach, darting between the rubble like a shadow. The right head licked at the blood dripping from its wounded gums—evidence that Akira's desperate attacks had done more damage than expected.
Akira quickly hid behind the cracked wall of a nearly ruined building, letting out a heavy sigh as blood dripped from the deep bite wounds Cerberus had left on his body after using him like a chew toy.
"Damn mutt... On the bright side, if I remember correctly, Jin-Woo had it way worse when he fought Cerberus," Akira muttered under his breath, peeking out slightly to see the furious beast scanning the area for him.
He gave a cynical smile, knowing that at least he was doing better than Jin-Woo—who had nearly died in his own fight against the same creature.
"I'll wait for the Rage effect to wear off. Once it's over... I'll finish Cerberus."
Suddenly, Cerberus's ears twitched sharply—turning directly toward Akira's position. In the blink of an eye, the beast launched itself into the air, preparing to crush him beneath its massive body.
Akira moved just in time, dodging the impact with swift precision. In one smooth motion, he grabbed a large boulder—bigger than himself—and hurled it at Cerberus with all his strength.
"Bite this!"
The central head caught the boulder effortlessly between its fangs and crushed it to dust. But the explosion sent shards of stone flying in all directions, pelting the monster's faces and momentarily staggering it.
Akira used that brief window to slip out of sight, darting between the rubble to put as much distance as possible between them before the beast could recover.
---
A few moments later, Akira peeked cautiously from behind the edge of a crumbling structure, watching as Cerberus sniffed the air, tracking his scent. That same dark aura still radiated from its body, proof that the Fury effect was still active.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it—why is it lasting so long? It's supposed to be three minutes, but I've been running for five!"
He kept his eyes on the beast as its three heads scanned the area with blazing, predatory focus.
Then, something changed.
The black aura began to fade. Cerberus's body shrank slightly, and the wild, chaotic energy surrounding it dissipated. The Fury effect had finally ended.
Akira couldn't help but grin. His chance had come.
"Now! Beast Style: Eighth Fang — Boar's Charge!"
With a feral roar, Akira launched himself forward at blinding speed, ignoring the snapping jaws and slashing claws of the three-headed monster.
He dismissed his dagger into his inventory and, in one fluid motion, drew two katanas. The Beast Style required dual weapons to unleash its full potential.
"Beast Style: Fourth Fang — Shred to Pieces!"
In a blur of motion, Akira unleashed a devastating storm of diagonal slashes with both blades. His attacks were so fast and relentless that the dual strikes completely tore through one of Cerberus's faces—blinding both of its eyes as a guttural roar of agony echoed through the air.
"This ends here and now!"
Gripping both katanas tightly, Akira gathered all his strength. With a fierce battle cry, he plunged both blades deep into Cerberus's skull—driving them through bone and into its brain.
The monster's three heads howled violently, a deafening chorus of pain and fury. Blood erupted from the central head like a crimson geyser, splattering across the battlefield and painting everything around them red.
With one final, earth-shaking roar, Cerberus collapsed, its massive body slamming against the ground, sending a wave of blood cascading outward. The crimson rain hissed as it extinguished the surrounding flames.
Akira stood, his entire body soaked in the beast's blood. His chest rose and fell heavily—each breath a reminder of the immense effort it had taken to pierce that monstrous hide and skull.
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[Notification]
[You have defeated the Gate Guardian: Cerberus]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
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Akira smiled faintly as he watched five level-up notifications flash across his vision.
Slowly, he let himself drop to the ground, exhausted but satisfied.
Each battle made him stronger. He hadn't been superior, nor had he dominated the fight in sheer power—but he had won.
He had used his mind, his knowledge, and the strength he possessed.
And for him… that was more than enough.
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End of Chapter