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Book 1 - Chapter 1 - Part 7
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As the trembling stops, Alexandros struggles to regain his balance. He has no idea what is happening or why everything is shaking, but something tells him it isn’t a good sign. Turning his attention toward the exit, he realizes that it is starting to close. His eyes widen, and he wastes no time rushing toward the way out. However, it would appear that luck isn’t on his side, and he quickly stumbles back as a massive Cerberus drops down from out of nowhere, its eyes locked right on him.
Thankfully, he can regain his balance before hitting the ground, giving him enough time to turn and start running. With a little head start, he hopes he can escape the beast. Glancing back over his shoulder, his stomach turns. The Cerberus is directly behind him, and before he can react, it is already on him, throwing him across the room.
-70 HP
Alexandros slams into the wall hard, and his vision grows hazy momentarily when he tries to pull himself back to his feet. He knows he’s in trouble if he can’t get back up, so ignoring the pain is the best he can do. Pulling himself to his feet, he keeps his eyes locked on the target. “This isn’t over yet,” he mutters.
He prepares to launch an attack against the Cerberus, but he is too slow, and once again, he finds it charging at him. The moment it gets close, he drops to the ground and rolls out of the way just in time. When he stands up, he moves back a few feet and notices that he can see the stats on the Cerberus.
Cerberus (Level 4)
Health:
200
Mana:
100
Stamina:
100
Strength:
180
Difficulty:
Moderate
Glancing over at his health bar, he sees that he is already down to 60 health, and his breath catches in his chest. One more hit like that, and he knows he will be done for. Looking around the area, he tries to find something that will help him regain his health.
The Cerberus roars, and before he can get a good look at anything, he is already diving away from the monster. His breathing is heavy by this point, and he isn’t sure what to do. Pulling out his sword, he stands back up and steadies himself as his eyes lock onto the Cerberus. It has higher stats than he does, which leads him to believe this isn’t an easy fight.
He doesn’t give the Cerberus enough time to attack this time and launches himself forward. His heart bangs against his chest like a drum as he slashes toward the Cerberus in a downward motion. His movements aren’t as fast as he would like, but his attack manages to hit, causing the Cerberus to back up by a few feet as it screams with rage.
+45 damage to Cerberus
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As soon as the Cerberus backs away, he launches himself toward it again, attempting to thrust his sword into the beast’s chest. Right before his attack can land, the Cerberus rolls out of the way before immediately pouncing at him. Each head tries to clamp onto a different piece again, and he manages to move out of the way to avoid the attack. He knows he likely won’t make it out of the fight if he takes another hit.
When he tries to ready himself for another strike, one of the heads turns toward him in an attempt to pull away his sword. Alexandros realizes what it is doing and tightens his grip on his sword before pulling back hard when he feels the Cerberus’ teeth wrap around it. Blood sprays through the air as he pulls his sword free, slicing open the monster’s mouth. He nearly falls backward but catches himself just in time to avoid another attack.
+52 damage to Cerberus
Seeing the health bar drop down to nearly half, Alexandros’ eyes widen. For the first time since the fight started, he believes there is a chance he can win. Without wasting another second, he rushes toward the Cerberus, barely managing to move out of its mighty jaws. Once he is close enough, Alexandros spins around to the side of the Cerberus and brings his sword down toward its back.
+55 damage to Cerberus
“Just one more hit,” he whispers to himself. Even though his breathing is heavy and he feels like he is about to drop, Alexandros refuses to give up. This time, he waits for the Cerberus to make the first move. He knows that if he tries to attack it again right now, it likely won’t go in his favor.
The Cerberus meets his gaze and lowers its head before charging him again. Alexandros is convinced that his heart will beat right through his chest as the monster gets closer. Just as it is about to pounce, he thrusts his sword forward with as much strength as he can muster, burying it deep into its chest.
A roar reverberates throughout the room, and Alexandros drops to the ground, breathing heavily, when a notification appears.
+60 damage to Cerberus
Cerberus has been defeated!
You earned 100 XP
He reads the words again a few times before pulling up an image to tell him how close he is to reaching the next level.
You have a total of 175 XP
To reach Level 4, you still need 125 XP
As he closes out the image, his attention shifts toward a chest rising out of the ground. He wonders if the chest appeared because he managed to defeat the Cerberus, though he doesn’t want to ask about it. Deciding it isn’t worth putting too much thought into, he reaches forward and carefully opens the chest.
To his surprise, he has no trouble opening it, and his eyes widen when he sees what’s inside. Inside is a brand-new armor set placed carefully alongside a short sword. Before he can do anything else, his notifications begin filling him in on the status of the armor and weapons.
You have received: Steel Shortsword.
A well-made blade that is lightweight and easy to use. Perfect for beginners.
Rarity:
Uncommon
Condition:
Fair
Stats:
+2% defense
+5% strength when using swords
+3% agility
Special:
None
You have received: Steel Plated Armor
A moderately heavy set of armor that provides good protection from enemies and the elements.
Rarity:
Uncommon
Condition:
Fair
Stats:
+5% defense
+3% agility
+2% health
Special:
Protects against cold