Crackle! Pop!
The closer Hal got to the burning tower, High Aflame as he chose to call it, the louder the noise of flames rampaging around grew.
"Can I even enter this thing in the first place?"
While still in the thought of his chances of entering into that flaming building, Hal got near the entrance, but quickly came to a halt, as he sensed a strong aura near the entrance.
'Mm?'
He slowly surveyed his surroundings and spotted a black lifeform the size of a bull huddled in a slumber right in front of the doorway.
Hal carefully summoned his dagger Steel.
He walked as quietly as possible while approaching that creature. However, it was impossible to fool the olfactory sense of a monster. Soon enough, the creature sniffed the air, and its heads were raised in alarm.
'Tsk tsk.'
Hal clicked his tongue.
The creature raised its body, fully standing, all its three heads turned towards Hal.
[Hell's Gatekeeper, Cerberus]
It was a huge dog possessing three heads. The name written in red letters floating on top of its head quickly drew his attention. It was proof that the monsters 'level' was very high.
'Since it's red, does that mean it's around the same level as the Land Craptor from the penalty zone?'
Back then, he managed a narrow escape and got to keep his head on his neck. Well, he was only a level 1 back then so it couldn't be helped.
"But it's different this time."
He had grown stronger quite quickly during the short space of time.
Without a doubt the three-headed monster was strong, but it wasn't enough to make him falter. His enhanced, alert perception was telling him that he could do this.
It wasn't for nothing that he kept on filling those stats. 'Intelligence' and 'Perception'. It was so he could easily tell whether to fight or take flight in cases like this.
"Growl!"
The Cerberus sensed the enemy and bared its fangs to threaten him.
Hal's gaze then wandered off to the creature's tail. It was reminiscent of a whip, except that it wasn't just that; it also bared a torch at the end. On the tip of the monsters tail, fire could be seen.
This indicated that at the bare minimum, the monster had two forms of attacking.
Hal's eyes sharpened in an instant. The monster was not to be underestimated.
Hal adjusted his posture, and his grip on the weapon became more firm.
The Cerberus slowly crossed the distance before stopping right in front of him and began to study him, for reasons unknown.
'It probably is looking for an opening in....'
Hal didn't get to finish his thought before the monster attacked him.
"Rowr!!"
Hal's eyes opened much, much wider.
'Too fast!'
Hal barely escaped the Cerberus fangs by sliding underneath the leaping monster.
The Cerberus landed back on the ground and spun around before it began biting at him with all of its head.
"Growl! Rowl! Bark !"
The sharp fangs gleamed coldly in between the biting snouts.
Hal activated the skill 'Dash', and he became faster.
Tti-ring
[Skill 'Dash' has been activated. Your speed will be increased by 20% for 5 minutes.]
As Hal became more faster, he was able to quite easily defend himself. But that was it; he was on the defensive while the monster was on the offensive and hot.
Its huge paws, with sharp nails, came swinging at Hal, and he put up his hands in an X format to block the attack, but he couldn't comprehend the amount of force behind that attack.
As soon as it connected with his body, it sent him flying a few yards back and crashed into a rock at one side, shattering it into small bits.
"Ahh."
Hal groaned as he quickly stood up from where he had landed; as the Cerberus was already in front of him, it leaped up, with his whole fangs baring down at him, ready to tear him apart.
Hal activated the skill 'Intimidation' and waited to see its effect.
[Skill: 'Intimidation' has been activated.]
[The effect has been canceled due to the high resistance of the target.]
Hal's eyes widened in surprise. The only skill he possessed, that could probably have helped him, had proven ineffective against the monster.
Hal quickly tried moving out of the way, but the Cerberus was a tad faster.
One of the heads powerfully but into Hal's left shoulder.
"Gah!"
Hal summoned all his strength and continuously stapped the dagger into the middle of the biting head.
STAB!
STAB!
STAB!
Black blood spurted out from the Cerberus's head, and it howled in pain before letting go of him.
"Roowwn!"
Thankfully, he was able to minimize the damage done before other heads joined in on the attack, but his left shoulder was now in tatters.
What a scary biting power that was.
Hal's expression crumbled unsightly as he tried moving his left hand, but it didn't bulge
He managed to wound the Cerberus, but when comparing the severity of their wounds, it was clear that he came off far worse in that exchange.
Hal glared at the Cerberus and his face slowly formed into one of panic.
The blasted monster was entering the rage mode due to a minor injury on just one of its heads!
Hal simply was too shocked.
He watched the eye of the monster grow red.
"Groowwl!"
[Hell's Gatekeeper: Cerberus is using Skill: 'Rage'.]
[The state of rage will persist for the next three minutes.]
[All of Cerberus's Stats will be increased by 100%.]
[Cerberus will no longer feel pain.]
"What in the name of the blights!"
"It's a skill?"
First of all, Hal couldn't understand how a monster was making use of a skill, secondly that 'skill' was a skill considered to be the greatest strength of a monster, yet this guy had activated it has a skill, when it wasn't even on its last leg – no far from that it was still fine!
Hal entered another level of disbelief altogether.
In that instant, the Cerberus leaped off the ground, again.
'Fuck!'
Even before he could react, the Cerberus appeared right before his eyes. He hurriedly swung his dagger but it only managed to graze the side of one of its heads.
And all three heads but into Hal simultaneously.
Grahhh!
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"
Hal cursed out in pain. His neck, waist, and thigh all got bitten.
The Cerberus ran at its top speed and slammed Hal against the castle's gate.
SLAM!
Hal's HP hit rock bottom in an instant.
"Kuk-hiek!"
HP: [110/500]
Tti-ring!
[Your HP has decreased below 30% and 'Skill: Tenacity' has been activated.]
[All damage received will be reduced by 50%]
Thanks to the ability the Skill Tenacity to reduce damage, he managed not to get killed in one hit.
"Keuh!"
Hal's eyes shot up in anger.