Rex stood up from the road, his eyes locked onto Ralph's corpse on the ground. "I know I said I won't hesitate to kill anyone who tries killing me but now.... It kinda feels weird thinking about how I killed him" Rex sighed, looking at his hands.
"Thou didst what thou ought to do, feel no regret for laying thy enemy to the earth" Cronus' said, his tone hoarse and reprimanding.
"Hmm... it's not like I regret it... It just felt weird since this was my first time"
Cronus chimed in again with the same tone "Thou shouldest focus on the future and let the past stay in the past"
"Focus on the future huh?" Rex smirked and twisted his head sideways in a confident and excited manner. He rolled his hands as if preparing for combat
"What dost thou plan on doing?" Cronus asked
"Oh... Don't I have 1000 Aether for a day?" Rex smirked
"Yea, thou has it and so....?"
"Well... I wanna use it to the best of my abilities" Rex replied and then sat on the ground in a meditative state while closing his eyes.
"And how dost thou plan on that?" Cronus asked again
"Don't worry Crony... I only want to entertain you" Rex replied
Rex sat cross-legged on the ground, his breath steady as he closed his eyes, sinking into a meditative state. The world around him faded into silence, leaving only the pulse of energy that thrummed through his body. He focused, drawing in the ambient Aether from the surroundings, feeling it course through him like a river, slowly replenishing his reserves.
[System Alert: Aether Reserve filling… 800/1000.]
The process was smooth this time. No distractions. No wandering thoughts. Rex had learned to control his mind better after everything that had happened. His determination was sharp, cutting through any hesitation.
Seven minutes passed in quiet concentration as his body soaked up every last bit of Aether, filling his reserves to their limit.
[System Alert: Aether Reserve full. 1000/1000.]
Rex opened his eyes, a slight smirk on his lips as he felt the power surging within him. His body felt lighter, the weight of exhaustion from the previous battle now gone. He rose from the ground and dusted off his clothes, feeling ready for what was to come.
Cronus, who had been silently observing, finally spoke, his voice tinged with curiosity. "What dost thou plan to do now, Harbinger? Thou art brimming with power."
Rex stretched, rolling his shoulders as if preparing for the next challenge. His eyes gleamed with purpose. "Let's go get the key to the Underworld."
Cronus was silent for a moment, clearly taken aback by Rex's directness. "The key to the Underworld, thou sayest? Truly, thou art eager. Very well." There was a brief pause before Cronus added, almost with a sense of amusement, "This shall prove most entertaining indeed."
With a single thought, Rex willed himself to be in the Underworld. Blue energy swirling around him as the world bent and twisted. When the light faded, he found himself standing in front of the colossal gates of the Underworld, just as he had seen in his vision during Chapter 24.
Massive iron doors loomed before him, shrouded in darkness, towering above him like the entrance to another realm. Their intricate carvings depicted ancient battles between gods and monsters, while the air around them was thick with foreboding energy. The Underworld radiated a sense of dread, its very essence heavy with the souls that had passed through its gates.
Rex stood his ground, his eyes unwavering. The cold of the Underworld's domain washed over him, but he barely flinched. He had come too far to turn back now.
"Hi there, Cerberus" Rex winked at the Cerberus standing at the gates as usual, its three heads snarling at him. It's black fur shimmered, adding a more ghastly feel to it's looks.
Name: Cerberus
Origin: Child of Echnida and Typhon
Abilities: Poisonous bite, Claw strike
Role: (Guardian of the underworld)
Strength: 70
Agility: 80
Endurance: 80
Intelligence: 2
Greatest enemy: Hercules (Demi-god of Strength who once severed it's heads)
Rex stood tall, unfazed, as the hulking figure of Cerberus loomed before him, snarling and baring its deadly fangs. Each of the beast's three heads snapped in his direction, their fiery eyes glaring, but Rex didn't flinch. Instead, a confident smirk spread across his face.
"Hi there, Cerberus," Rex winked again as if greeting an old friend. The guardian of the Underworld responded with a low growl, its massive paws digging into the dirt, ready to pounce.
"Oh, great, 2 Intelligence? I guess you're not much of a conversationalist." He couldn't help but snicker as one of the heads snapped at the air. "I can already tell we're going to have a deep and meaningful chat, bud."
Cerberus roared, the sound reverberating through the underworld like thunder. Rex rolled his eyes. "I get it. Big scary dog, yadda yadda. You must be real fun at parties."
"Thou art jesting with the guardian of the underworld," Cronus' voice echoed in Rex's mind, tinged with disbelief. "Hast thou truly no fear?"
Rex shrugged casually, not even breaking a sweat. "Why would I be scared, Crony? I've got a trick up my sleeve." He raised a finger, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "This fluffy mutt doesn't stand a chance. Watch."
The Cerberus lunged at Rex, all three heads snapping toward him in unison, but Rex stood perfectly still. In the blink of an eye, he activated his Time Control ability, slowing everything down. The three heads of Cerberus seemed to freeze mid-snap, their massive jaws wide open as if caught in a photograph.
Rex casually sidestepped the slow-motion attack and patted one of the heads as it passed by. "There, there, boy. No need to get so worked up."
He strolled around the now-crawling Cerberus, hands in his pockets, inspecting the beast with an almost bored expression. "You know, for a guardian of the underworld, you're kind of slow. Zeus really needs to update his monster roster. Get you guys some agility training or something."
"Thou mockest the very beast that struck fear into the hearts of demigods," Cronus remarked, sounding both amused and baffled.
Rex shrugged again, adjusting his jacket with a cocky smile. "Hey, I've got 1000 Aether and all day to kill. What's the worst that could happen?"
Cerberus finally caught up to the moment, snapping out of the time-slowing effect, its heads turning wildly as it tried to locate Rex. But he was already behind the beast, casually leaning against the colossal iron gates of the underworld.
"Oh, you're looking for me?" Rex called out, giving a little wave. "Sorry, I move fast when I'm in the zone."
The middle head of Cerberus let out a frustrated howl, and all three heads charged at Rex again. This time, he didn't even bother slowing time. Instead, with a flick of his wrist, Rex summoned blue Aether to his hands, forming it into a swirling vortex of energy.
"Okay, fluffy," Rex said, smirking. "Let's wrap this up. I've got places to be."
With one powerful strike, Rex sent the vortex of Aether straight into the ground beneath Cerberus. The beast was launched into the air, all three heads yelping in unison as it tumbled backward, crashing into the shadows beyond the gates.
Dusting off his hands, Rex turned back to the now slightly bewildered Cronus. "Well, that was fun. Kinda like playing fetch with a three-headed dog, except I don't have to worry about slobber."
"I am… impressed," Cronus finally said, though his tone held a hint of exasperation. "But dost thou truly intend to keep jesting as thou enter the realm of Hades?"
Rex grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Hey, Crony, if I don't keep things light, what's the point? I'm here for the key, right? And besides, it's way more fun this way."
Suddenly, the Cerberus stood up once more. Only this time, the deadly aura it emitted was more powerful than the previous one. This time, it had a look of "Maybe I should get serious"
"Aha! Cerberus has no time for thy jests" Cronus said
"Oh... It's getting serious too right?... I haven't even used the trick up my sleeve yet but before that... I still have 10 stat points I haven't used yet so...
+ 10 STATS TO Agility
His new stats were:
Name: Rex Xander
Level: 10
XP to next level: 0/20,000
Race: Human
Class: ???
Strength: 38
Agility: 48
Endurance: 25
Intelligence: 29
Aether: (1000/1000) Temporary usage: (Available for just one day)