Trembling, from what just happened with Gerald and now seeing Cerberus, I don’t move. Still confused, I keep looking at the massive head staring at me.
“Do not fret little one, I will not harm you.”
Hearing a voice in my head, I look around me, seeing no one else, I look back up at the head. Seeing it stare at me, I point to myself, as if asking if he was speaking to me. Nodding, the voice appears in my head again.
“Little one, I am curious, why are you here?”
Taking a breath to calm down, I open my mouth and ask the question that I needed an answer for.
“What happened, wasn’t I captured again, he was there, he was tor-”
“You were in a trial, you are now safe. What you saw was a vision created for my trial.”
Offering me this explanation, I pinch my cheek, and feel the slight sting from doing so. Knowing this was likely to be real, I breathe in relief…I can still remember the pain that I experienced.
“You may have failed the trial, however not many would have survived as long as you. Some would have died from the pain, some would have taken their life by biting their tongue, perhaps you did not know to do that. Unleashing your inner monster was not the wrong choice…however it was not the correct choice either.”
“W-what was the right choice?”
“I can not tell you that. This is something you need to learn yourself, otherwise you can not survive this world as a monster. Now little one, can you explain why you entered my domain.”
Sitting up and brushing a strand of hair behind my ear, I think for a moment on how to explain everything. Like he was reading my mind, maybe he really was, he said “Take your time, your companions have moved to the third trial.” Nodding, I start from the beginning, and explain our backstory and how we ended up here.
Without interrupting me, Cerberus takes everything in. For a moment, I thought I saw his eyes flash when I mentioned humans breeding hybrids like us. As I continue the story, I see Gray wake up, however he tilts his head, nods and doesn’t interrupt. Cerberus must have explained the situation to him, and I continue. After speaking for about an hour, I finished explaining our situation in full, including the trials I had just taken. Taking a breath, I wait for Cerberus to speak or Sally to wake up.
“Little one, I understand your plight. I can not offer you any assistance, but know this. The world is bigger than you can imagine, do not think that you are anchored here. I can only offer you these trials, the humans who enter will not be offered trials but my true domain.”
Nodding in understanding, it seems we were truly given something different compared to what the dungeon should have been. Thinking of the words about being anchored here, I realise we don’t really know anything outside of Crater.
“I will offer you this advice. I do not know where you are, or what your world is like, but do not trust the System to help you. Use your own strength to gain power, the System will only give you some strength, you need to find the rest yourself.”
Tiling my head in confusion, I consider his advice. The System doesn’t help us, we know that, it shows that we are monsters after all. Use our own strength to gain power…so we shouldn’t rely on the System to give us that strength. Nodding to myself, I asked another question that was on my mind.
“What is the System?”
“I do not know, I only know it’s been there since the day I was born, even those before me do not know the answer to this. It is something that is a part of us, yet is not. Perhaps you’ll find the answer, perhaps you won’t. It does not bring us harm, but it does not bring us good. Do not trust in it for strength.”
Nodding at his words, I thought as much. It seems someone as powerful as Cerberus does not know the answer to this. It wasn’t a bad thing, and I agreed with his words that it was a part of us, and yet was not. Looking at Sally, I realised that she had been sitting up for a while now. Guessing Cerberus had also spoken to her, I gave her a nod. Looking at Cerberus, Sally asked him a question.
“What should we do now? Will the humans find us if we leave this dungeon?”
“I do not know, I can not see outside of this dungeon. However this is not the true dungeon, they will not find you here.”
Nodding, Sally closed her eyes. Looking at Gray to see him shaking his head, I turn back and look up at Cerberus.
“Thank you for answering our questions. Can we stay here to rest before leaving?”
“You may, however I have a condition. I will gift you something with the help of the System, look after it, that is my only condition for you resting here. You may stay as long as you need, I will bring you some monster corpses if you require food.” Nodding, I reply that we would need food, and I see a strange glowing circle appear beside Cerberus, and a few black furred hounds walk out from it, dragging two big dead bovine looking beasts towards us. Dragging them to us, they release the corpses of the bovines and walk back into the circle and disappear. I see a pile of wood appear with a flint and steel. Knowing this was to help cook it, I thank Cerberus once again. When I do, he stands and starts to disappear.
“When you have become stronger, seek me out. I will allow you to go through the trials once more, they will benefit your growth greatly. What you went through was only the beginning. I pray you break the cycle for your brethren.”
Leaving those words behind, Cerberus disappears. Once he does, I collapse into a heap out of nervousness and tiredness. Sitting up, I look over at Sally and Gray and motion to the food. They nod and the three of us start to set up a fire, skin the bovines and make food, and for the first time, the meat we prepared was not for the humans but us.
While the food was cooking, I checked my System for the details on the quest.
[Emergency Unique Quest: Cerberus’s Trial Completed.
As you failed the second stage of the trial, rewards have been adjusted. Cerberus has gifted you additional rewards in light of your efforts. You may leave the dungeon when ready.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Rewards:
5,000 experience
Gauntlets of the Demonic Hound
Monster Egg of ???
Bundle of Clothing]
‘That is a lot to take in…’ Thinking this to myself, I look over my rewards once again. Prompting the System to claim the rewards, a cluster of items appears in front of me. Before I look through it, I notice some prompts.
[You leveled to 8!
You leveled to 9!
Level 10 available.]
“Level 10 is available?” Looking at the only one who has leveled to 10, Sally, who is now level 11 and has a similar pile of items in front of her, she nods and says “Don’t level up yet, it’s painful.” Nodding in response, I look through what I’ve received. Picking up a pair of gloves, the system gives me information about them, which has never happened with the swords we used before.
[Gauntlets of the Demonic Hound.
Special gloves that have extendable claws built in. Can be used with or without the claws extended. Makes a good thud when you hit things!]
Putting on the gauntlets, they fit like they were made for me. Moving my hands and fingers, I found that if I squeezed my fist lightly claws would come out where my knuckles were. Squeezing hard, they stayed extended. Releasing my fist, the claws retract. Nodding to myself in satisfaction, I turn to the Monster Egg, which needs both of my hands to hold.
[Monster Egg of ???
An Egg. You can form a blood oath with this egg. It will hatch after some time.]
“What’s a blood oath?” Looking once again at Sally, she shakes her head while shrugging, Gray also shakes his head. Prompting the System to form a blood oath, I feel a cut on my hand under the gauntlets, taking off the gauntlet, the blood streams from the wound and winds around the egg, forming a strange symbol and imprinting onto the egg, disappearing after some time. Seeing no changes, I take it as the egg needing time like the System told me. Turning to the clothing, I see a set of underwear, 2 black singlet shirts and 2 red skirts that seem to go down to my knees. Looking around the grassy terrain and failing to find a river or water of any kind, I fold the clothes and put them in my sack for the time being, along with the egg. I’ll wear the clothing after a bath, since my current clothing was barely covering me.
Looking at Sally, I see she is holding a small sword and a big shield. About as big as she is, about a metre and a half tall. She too has some clothing as well. Looking at Gray, I see he has what seems to be a big two sided hammer, requiring him to use two hands to hold it. Along with the clothing, I noticed that both of them did not have an egg like I did. Guessing the egg was what Cerberus asked me to look after, I checked the food, skimmed some off and took in the smell. The other two join me in getting some of the meat and we start talking of our experiences during the trials. After telling them about everything, Sally spoke of her experience.
“For the first trial, when my sword broke, I grabbed two skeletons and used one as a weapon and the other to block attacks. The second trial I was dragged out of the forest by humans when I first ran, beaten before I stood up and fought back. When I did I ended up in the third trial. The third trial I was under water, I tried to swim to the surface but monsters kept attacking me. I never reached the surface and before I knew it, I was here.”
Nodding, Gray muttered “I-it was like that f-for me. But t-the second trial I-I relived my f-fight with Gol, but my handler t-tried to kill m-me. So I s-stood up and t-tried to fight him, and I e-ended up underwater and g-got eaten…”
Feeling embarrassed at failing the second trial compared to the other two who passed, I scratch my cheek and return to eating. I think the other two picked up on my embarrassment and started eating as well. Having not eaten meat before, I couldn’t believe how amazing it tasted. Having my fill, and a bit extra, I get up and move around a bit, throwing a few fists around to get used to my new gauntlets. I see Sally looking over her new shield and sword, meanwhile Gray was laying down using his sack as a pillow and sleeping. Thinking about how the other two performed in the second trial, I think I see what I should have done, or rather what I failed to do, to have courage to stand against something I feared. After a while, Sally and I also lay down to sleep, and for the first time in my life, I slept with a full stomach.
Waking up after several hours and waiting for Sally and Gray, we got some more food and discussed our plans.
“What should we do when we leave?”
“First before we leave, you both should level up to 10. It’ll be painful, but afterwards you’ll be stronger.”
“Alright, if we’re stronger then we should do that. I think when we leave we need to find somewhere to stay, a cave near water and some weaker monsters for food.”
Nodding, Sally adds “We also need fire, so somewhere with wood we can easily get will be best.”
“W-what if the h-humans are o-outside?” Saying this, Gray nervously looks at us. “They’re h-higher than l-level 10.”
“We’ll run into the forest as fast as possible if that’s the case. The humans want to avoid fighting monsters without hybrids protecting them, so if we reach the forest they won’t follow.” Saying this, Sally grabs more meat and continues eating. Nodding, this was our best chance.
“Once we set up somewhere, we should focus on leveling ourselves and rescuing our brethren.” While saying this, I also get some more meat. I love eating meat, it tasted so good.
“Right, but lets focus on one thing at a time. Finish eating you two, level to 10 and lets leave this place.”
Nodding, I slowly finish the meat we have left. Wrapping some up in scrap cloth we have and storing it equally in our sacks while Sally explains what will happen when we level to 10. Sitting down with Gray next to me and prompting the System to level me to 10.
[Confirmed, good luck.]
Mentally preparing myself, I feel the pain Sally described…but it was less than what I experienced during the second trial. Gritting my teeth, I bare with the pain while listening to Gray growling with pain himself. After a few agonising minutes, the pain dissipates and my body relaxes. Opening my status, I see how it’s changed according to what Sally mentioned.
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Alisha
Demonic Fox and Human Hybrid
Level 10
Health: 400
Mana: 100 (Locked)
Experience: 3,700/10,000
Class: Not Available
Class Level: Ineligible
Experience: 0/0
Skills: Demonic Fox Awakening (Incomplete, 0.03% Awakened)
Spells: None
----------------------------------------
Getting up and moving around, my sense of smell has gotten stronger. I can still smell the meat we cooked earlier, as well as finer details like the smoke from the wood and the wood itself. My vision has also improved, however it’s not as detailed as Sally said. She never mentioned anything about smell though, maybe it’s different for everyone. Stretching my arms around and moving a bit, I feel a lot stronger than I did before. So this is why the humans were so strong, level 10 gave them this kind of strength. So what were the other levels like...what was level 20 like? Oh, I shouldn't think like that, Cerberus did tell us not to rely on the System for strength. Still unsure on how we would seek power out, I decided to not think of things like strength through the System. I'll force a path with the strength I earn.
Seeing Gray also slowly get up, he looks around before shyly smiling at Sally. “I-I see a lot b-better, thank you.” Mentioning that my sense of smell is much better but my vision only slightly improved, Sally tilts her head in confusion and shrugs.
“Right, we should get going. Lets find somewhere quick, I want to wash all the blood and dirt off.” Saying this, I look at Sally and Gray. We move towards the doors of the dungeon, and leave stronger than we were before we came in with our new equipment ready in case of a fight.