"ROAR—!"
The Cerberus, having lost the buff from its rage skill, seemed to sense the crisis. Its central head let out a threatening roar, its massive, hellfire-wreathed maw opening to an astonishing degree as it lunged viciously at Natsuki Subaru, attempting to swallow him whole.
"Is that all you've got?"
Natsuki Subaru roared, facing the massive jaws capable of crushing steel without flinching or dodging, coming to a sudden halt mid-charge. The muscles of his left arm instantly swelled and bulged, with veins coiling around it like writhing dragons.
Wielding a terrifying 400 points of strength, he forcefully blocked the Cerberus's lower jaw!
"BANG—!"
A dull, thunderous boom exploded outwards!
From the point of impact where fist met jaw, a visible, ring-shaped shockwave erupted, blasting away all the surrounding rubble and dust and creating a momentary vacuum.
"Grrroooowl..."
The Cerberus's immense momentum was forcibly halted by this single-armed blow. Its remaining two heads revealed a human-like shock and disbelief, their six eyes widening in unison, as if they couldn't comprehend how a mere human could possess such terrifying power.
"Your strength... is nothing special!"
Natsuki Subaru snorted, his eyes filled with disdain. He used the recoil to leap back gracefully, executing a perfect backflip in mid-air before landing steadily on his feet.
Almost at the same instant, he crouched and launched himself forward again, the ground beneath his feet cracking slightly from the immense force.
His figure became a black streak that tore through the air, lunging forward at a speed the naked eye could barely follow—
"SHING!"
The terrifying force of 400 strength points was channeled without reservation into Kasaka's Poisoned Fang Dagger.
The blade glinted with a lethal chill under a crimson glow, letting out a sharp whistle as it sliced through the air.
An incredibly sharp arc sliced precisely and viciously through tough hide and bone, producing a sickening tearing sound.
The figures of Natsuki Subaru and the Cerberus became blurs, instantly crossing paths amidst the blazing ruins.
"CRACK!"
With the crisp sound of splintering bone, the Cerberus's right head was sent flying.
Dark red blood gushed out like a fountain, tracing a grim arc through the air.
The massive head slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. It twitched a few times before falling still.
"Two heads left!"
Natsuki Subaru didn't pause for a second, not even glancing back at his handiwork.
The searing pain and loss of balance from losing a head made the Cerberus's movements noticeably slow and chaotic.
"ROAR..."
The remaining two heads of the Cerberus let out a pained and furious roar, but they couldn't coordinate an effective attack.
"Now's my chance!"
Natsuki Subaru perfectly seized the fleeting opportunity, pushing his speed to the absolute limit and weaving a deadly black web around the Cerberus.
"SWISH!"
The cold glint of steel flashed again!
Cutting in from an extremely difficult angle, the dagger precisely found the gap between the neck vertebrae and sliced down with unstoppable force.
After letting out a low whimper, the Cerberus's second head was completely severed from its neck. Dark red blood sprayed out, staining the surrounding ground a deep crimson.
"It's over. Only one head left!"
A cold light flashed in Natsuki Subaru's eyes. Without a shred of hesitation, he capitalized on the Cerberus's momentary paralysis from the agony and leaped high into the air.
"Strike while the iron is hot! I won't give you any chance to breathe!"
All of his body's strength was instantly focused at the tip of his dagger. The blade in Natsuki Subaru's hand let out a piercing shriek as it tore through the air, aimed squarely at the last head of the Cerberus for a merciless, fatal blow!
The flash of the blade descended like lightning!
"SQUELCH!"
Kasaka's Poisoned Fang Dagger accurately and viciously pierced through the Cerberus's final head. The entire motion was clean and efficient, without a hint of wasted movement.
The sickening sound of the blade tip shattering the skull echoed as dark red blood slowly trickled down the blade.
The Cerberus's third head was utterly destroyed. Before it could even let out a final howl, the light faded from its six crimson eyes simultaneously.
Its massive body convulsed violently once, its limbs went limp, and it finally crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom, raising a cloud of dust.
Immediately after, a series of System notifications chimed continuously in Natsuki Subaru's mind:
[Notification: You have eliminated the Cerberus.]
[Notification: Level Up]
[Notification: Level Up]
[Notification: Obtained Cerberus's Fang]
[Notification: Obtained item 'Collar of the Cerberus']
[Notification: Obtained Gate Key]
[Notification: Obtained 'Holy Water of Life' Crafting Recipe.]
"Well, the guard dog is finally dealt with."
Hearing the System's notifications, Natsuki Subaru let out a long breath. He slowly pulled Kasaka's Poisoned Fang Dagger from the Cerberus's skull and stood still for a moment to regulate his breathing, feeling the changes in his body.
A warm current from leveling up twice flowed through him, and a sense of replenished power instantly filled his entire body, dispelling his earlier fatigue.
An unprecedented surge of strength welled up within him, his muscles feeling as if they had been re-energized, leaving Natsuki Subaru feeling incredibly invigorated.
"This thing was tougher than I expected," Natsuki Subaru remarked, looking at the massive corpse of the Cerberus.
"Tough hide, strong regenerative abilities... If its rage state hadn't ended, allowing me to catch it at its weakest moment, this would have taken a lot more effort."
After all, the Cerberus's strength, according to the System's classification, should be around level 70, while Natsuki Subaru was currently only level 64. There was still a noticeable gap in their levels.
"But level doesn't completely represent strength," Natsuki Subaru thought to himself, gripping Kasaka's Poisoned Fang Dagger.
"True combat power also depends on a comprehensive set of stats like strength, agility, and skills. Although this thing had a high level, it was ultimately just a monster running on instinct, with attack patterns that were too simplistic."
"Unlike us humans, who understand flexible and varied tactics, who can seize opportunities and use the environment. That's the advantage of being an intelligent creature."
"Still, the rewards for defeating it are pretty generous. A direct two-level jump."
"As expected of a boss-class monster, the experience points are truly plentiful. I'm level 66 now, one step closer to level 100."
A smile touched Natsuki Subaru's lips as he carefully savored the changes from leveling up.
Strength surged in his muscles, agility made his body's reactions more nimble, and even his perception had become sharper. He nodded to himself in satisfaction.
"My strength has increased quite a bit, and my agility has grown as well... Good. This gives me more confidence for the battles ahead. I just wonder what level the enemies in the next area will be?"
"Whatever. I'll think about that later. First, let's see what kind of goodies this thing dropped."
With that, Natsuki Subaru opened his inventory, carefully examining the loot he had obtained.
His gaze settled on a strangely shaped key.
"Another key? Looks like a specific reward for killing the Cerberus."
Natsuki Subaru took the newly acquired key from his inventory to examine it closely.
[Item: Gate Key.
Acquisition Difficulty: A-Rank.
Description: A key that opens the inner gate of the Demon Castle. Can only be obtained by defeating the Cerberus. The key is imbued with ancient sealing magic and can sense specific magical locks within the castle. Using it will open the path to the depths of the Demon Castle. Please be fully prepared before use.]
"Looks like this key is the way to the next area."
Natsuki Subaru examined the key in his hand for a moment before putting it away.
"So, this Cerberus was basically a gatekeeper sub-boss."
Natsuki Subaru thought, musing.
"Defeating it is the prerequisite for entering the next area. A very typical dungeon design."
Next, Natsuki Subaru took out another piece of loot:
[Item: Collar of the Cerberus.
Acquisition Difficulty: A-Rank.
Type: Necklace.
Agility: +20.
Spirit: +20.
Special Effect: Fire Resistance +15%.
Additional Skill: Hellfire Summon (Once per day)]
"The item 'Collar of the Cerberus' even comes with a skill. Not only does it boost stats, but it can also summon hellfire. That's a pleasant surprise."
Natsuki Subaru raised an eyebrow in surprise, then equipped the collar around his neck without hesitation.
He immediately felt a cool stream of energy flow throughout his body.
The boost to his agility and spirit stats made him feel lighter and his mind clearer.
"A decent piece of equipment, perfect for me right now. The fire resistance should be very useful when facing fire-type enemies. As for the Hellfire Summon... who knows, it might come in handy at a critical moment."
"Finally, a miraculous potion that can restore life. This is basically a resurrection coin from a game..."
Natsuki Subaru's gaze fell upon his most important prize.
It was an ancient, yellowed scroll. The material felt like leather but wasn't, cool to the touch and with a strange resilience. Its edges were slightly frayed, showing the marks of time.
The scroll was covered in an unknown script detailing the recipe's contents. Each character seemed to squirm slowly, emanating a mysterious and ancient aura.
With the System's real-time translation, Natsuki Subaru could clearly understand every word and sentence. The unfamiliar text automatically translated into comprehensible information before his eyes:
[Recipe: Holy Water of Life]
Description: Crafting the Holy Water of Life requires three special materials (Current Progress: 0/3)
1. On the 50th floor of the Demon Castle, in the 'Furnace of Avarice', defeat the Fire God Hephaestus to obtain the [World Tree Fragment] he guards.
2. On the 75th floor of the Demon Castle, in the 'Echoing Catacombs', defeat Metus, the Ferryman of the Undead, to obtain the [Springwater of the Echoing Forest] that he drops.
3. On the 100th floor of the Demon Castle, in the 'Throne Room', defeat the Demon King Baran to obtain the [Demon King's Blood] which contains his essence.
Note: These materials are bound items and can only be obtained by the recipe holder by defeating the specified bosses within the Demon Castle.
Warning: The resurrection effect does not work on natural aging or death from old age. It is only effective against unnatural deaths, such as death in battle, accidents, curses, etc.
"Three materials needed for the Holy Water of Life... and it even specifies the exact floors, locations, and bosses..."
Natsuki Subaru read the recipe's requirements carefully, his brow furrowing slightly.
"World Tree Fragment, Springwater of the Echoing Forest, Demon King's Blood... None of these sound easy to get. After all, each material requires defeating a specific boss on a specific floor. That's no small feat."
"Looks like I'm in for a long and deep exploration of this Demon Castle. But at least with clear goals and a route, it's better than wandering aimlessly through a labyrinth."
"But then again, this Demon Castle actually has 100 floors? If every floor is as dangerous as this one, then the scale of this challenge is just absurd."
And according to this, doesn't that mean every floor has a boss-class monster like the Cerberus, or even stronger, guarding it? The difficulty would be immense..."
At this thought, Natsuki Subaru shook his head, as if to cast the terrifying idea aside, but the gravity in his eyes did not lessen.
"Well, it's too early to think about all that now. I have to take it one step at a time, one floor at a time. The immediate priority is to open the Demon Castle's gate and find the entrance to the next floor."
Speaking of which, the total size of this dungeon is simply unimaginable.
This isn't just a normal dungeon; it's practically a complete underground world.
"As long as I collect all three materials, I can create a potion that revives the dead. For my future adventures, this will undoubtedly be a crucial trump card and an enormous safeguard."
Natsuki Subaru made a firm, unshakable resolve, his fists clenching unconsciously.
"No matter what, no matter how many floors there are or how many powerful enemies await, I will successfully craft the Holy Water of Life."
After all, this Holy Water of Life possessed the miraculous power to resurrect the dead and overturn the laws of life and death.
The significance of this power far surpassed that of any ordinary weapon or piece of equipment.
"Since I've already eliminated the Cerberus, this is a good time to try out the Shadow Extraction skill."
At this, Natsuki Subaru recalled the three exclusive abilities he gained after his job change to Shadow Monarch:
Shadow Extraction: Extracts mana from a lifeless body to create a Shadow Soldier. The higher the target's ability and the longer it has been dead, the higher the chance of failure. The number of extractions increases with the user's level.
Shadow Preservation: Shadow Soldiers are stored in the caster's shadow. They can be summoned or stored again as needed by the caster. The number of storable shadows increases with the user's level.
Shadow Exchange: The user can switch positions with a designated Shadow Soldier. Requires a cooldown after use. The cooldown time shortens as the user's level increases.
"As a dungeon boss, the Cerberus is very strong. If I can extract its shadow, it will surely become a powerful asset."
With this in mind, Natsuki Subaru slowly walked toward the massive corpse of the Cerberus, then extended his right hand toward the body and activated his Shadow Extraction ability:
"Arise! And become my Shadow Soldier!"
_____
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