The Cerberus lunged forward, it's paws slamming the ground causing it to rumble with each step it took. It then leapt in the air like before, slashing it's claws at Rex with brute force alone but without sending a red claw slash.
"Shit!" Rex had noticed when the Cerberus moved but he didn't even know when the thing got near him. He was dumbfounded at how the thing's speed increased so drastically. He instantly tried slowing down time when the Cerberus' claws were just about 5 inches away from his chest.
AKK!!!
The claws of the Cerberus struck Rex's chest searing his skin. He instantly dashed backward while clutching his chest in pain and applying Aether to his legs to boost his speed. "What the heck!" Even after Rex had slowed down time, he was only able to shift his head out of the way, narrowly avoiding death. The thing's speed was almost the same despite his slowing down time.
"At thy current level, the guardian of the underworld's might hast the power to withstand thy time control," Cronus remarked
"So that means an enemy's endurance stat can affect my time control?" Rex asked
"Precisely" Cronus affirmed
"Shit! And you didn't tell me this?!" Rex screamed out.
"Thou never asked?" Cronus replied
The Cerberus dashed again, slashing a red claw strike at Rex as it approached him. Rex instantly jumped up to avoid the attack but just as he jumped up, He met the Cerberus in the air, its nine eyes staring at him with a deadly gaze as it slashed Rex with its claws.
Slaaash!!!
Once again, Rex had just narrowly avoided death. Blood dripped from his chest, soaking his shirt as his eyes turned bloodshot in pain. "Damn it! What sort of..."
gnaaaaaash
Rex dashed sideways, avoiding the teeth of the Cerberus' middle head that had almost chopped off its head. "Shit!' Rex cursed under his breath.
"Ye boast of having a plan, but thou hast not done anything of value" Cronus chuckled
"Just shut up and see!" Rex grinned, wiping the trickle of blood from his face. He had two things to try out against Cerberus but the time wasn't right yet... Just a little longer.....
Suddenly, the Cerberus' hind legs and forelegs increased in size, the veins on them bulging out, adding more size to its already hulk-like body. It slammed the legs on the ground, causing a massive boulder to erupt from the ground. It then turned backward and used its hind-legs to push the boulder toward Rex. All of this happened in less than three seconds.
"What the?!" Rex screamed out as the boulder approached him. He screamed out of shock and not fear. He was shocked at the Cerberus' strength but he quickly composed himself. He imbued his fist with Aether and punched forward the boulder sending debris scattering everywhere but just as the debris scattered in front of Rex, the Cerberus appeared amidst the scattering debris, sending a claw strike that sent Rex sprawling backward, blood splattering out of his chest.
"Dammit!" Rex growled, struggling to stand. His body was battered, his hands trembling under the overwhelming pressure. The Cerberus was too strong—stronger than he had anticipated. Every movement sent waves of pain through his chest, making it harder to keep his focus. "That thing is… AKK!!!" He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his knees nearly buckling from the intensity of the damage.
There was no time to recover. The Cerberus roared, and with newfound ferocity, charged at him again, this time faster, more aggressive than before. Rex's mind raced as he tried to come up with a counterattack. His vision blurred as he dodged another swipe of the beast's claws, barely avoiding its snapping jaws once more.
WHOOSH! The middle head snapped at the air, missing Rex by inches as he narrowly sidestepped the deadly fangs. But the beast didn't stop there. It swung its massive paw, catching Rex off guard and sending him crashing into a nearby wall. The impact left a crater in the stone as Rex's body slumped to the ground.
"Ugh…" Rex groaned, feeling the weight of his injuries pressing down on him. He struggled to get back on his feet, but his muscles were screaming in protest. The Cerberus loomed over him, its nine eyes burning with a predatory gaze, as if savoring the moment before it delivered the final blow.
"Thou art running out of options," Cronus' voice chimed in again, though there was a hint of concern this time. "Dost thou have a plan, or is this the end?"
Rex spat out blood, his vision still spinning. He grinned through the pain, his body shaking from the exertion. "Plan? Oh, I've got one, alright. But first… I need to stop getting hit."
The Cerberus lunged again, its claws raised for a final, devastating strike. Rex's eyes sharpened, his focus narrowing to a pinpoint. He couldn't rely on Time Control alone, it was too fast. But maybe he didn't have to fight the Cerberus directly…
With a surge of Aether, Rex launched himself to the side just as the claws came crashing down, creating a massive crater where he had stood. He skidded across the ground, his legs barely holding him upright, but he was still alive.
The beast roared again, frustrated by Rex's relentless evasions. It reared back, preparing for another attack, but Rex was already moving. He needed to wear it down and find the right opening.
"Alright, big guy…" Rex muttered under his breath, clutching his bleeding chest. "Let's see if you can keep up with me now."
With a final burst of Aether, Rex's body shimmered with blue energy. He dashed forward, weaving between the Cerberus' heads and claws in a dizzying dance of speed and agility. The beast lashed out, but Rex was already gone, slipping through its defenses like water.
"Ye have found thy rhythm at last," Cronus mused. "But canst thou last long enough to make it count?"
Rex's grin widened, even as the pain wracked his body. "Watch me."
The fight wasn't over yet.
The Cerberus noticing Rex's sudden fluid movements started strolling towards Rex, its predator eyes staring at Rex with a calculative gaze. Then as if noticing nothing special about Rex, it dashed forward again, leaving a massive crater in its wake, and leaped up. But this time, Rex was prepared. He dived under the Cerberus' hulk-like body, avoiding the Cerberus.
AETHER LEFT: 900/1000
They had switched positions now but this was not any of Rex's plan. "Okay, here we go" Rex grinned and then opened his palm, drawing out his Aether reserves, and creating a massive spiraling vortex of the energy. The Aether ball kept on getting bigger and bigger until it was about the size of a 100cm beachball.
The Cerberus growled after noticing the Aether ball. It charged at Rex again, trying to disrupt Rex's flow of the Aether. But Rex was ready. Just as the Cerberus leaped again, Rex extended his second hand and slowed down time, although it only slowed down the Cerberus by a minuscule amount. Rex took advantage of it and slammed the Aether ball into its body. "Damn you!"
The Aether-infused ball slammed into Cerberus's chest with a deafening impact, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The beast let out a furious roar as the blue energy engulfed it, forcing it back momentarily. Rex could feel the ground quake beneath his feet as Cerberus skidded, its massive paws digging trenches into the earth to stabilize itself.
"Got you!" Rex grinned triumphantly, but the victory was short-lived.
Cerberus shook off the blow, its nine eyes glowing with an intensified rage. The vortex of Aether had left a smoldering mark on its dark fur, but the beast's strength was hardly diminished. With a thunderous roar, the Cerberus lunged at Rex, even faster than before. It seemed that the attack had only angered the creature, making it more ferocious.
"Shit!" Rex cursed, barely managing to roll to the side as one of the beast's heads snapped at the spot where he had just been standing. He could feel the rush of wind from the monstrous jaws grazing his back.
GNAASH!
The Cerberus's middle head swung down again, trying to bite into Rex, but he was already moving, ducking and weaving between its legs. The beast's speed was incredible for its size, and each attack came faster than the last. Rex was running out of time and options.
CLAW!
The beast's right paw struck out, and this time Rex wasn't fast enough. The sharp claws sliced across his shoulder, leaving a deep gash that sent waves of agony through his body. He staggered back, clutching his arm, his vision blurring from the pain. Blood flowed freely down his arm, soaking his clothes.
AETHER LEFT: 700/1000
"Focus!" Cronus's voice snapped in his mind. "The beast feeds on thy hesitation. Keep moving!"
"Easy for you to say," Rex muttered, gritting his teeth. His legs felt like lead, his breath ragged, but he couldn't afford to slow down. Not yet. He needed to land a decisive blow.
The Cerberus, sensing Rex's faltering movements, pounced again. This time, it aimed to crush him with its sheer weight. Rex's heart raced as he saw the massive shadow of the beast looming over him.
"Not today!" Rex growled, activating his Aether Control once more. He infused his legs with blue energy, launching himself upward in a burst of speed. The Cerberus's paws slammed into the ground where he had been standing, creating another crater, but Rex was already above it, twisting his body mid-air.
He extended his hand again, drawing more Aether, but this time he had something different in mind. His eyes narrowed as he gathered every ounce of strength he had left. He couldn't keep trading blows with Cerberus, it was too powerful, too fast. He needed to end this now.
AETHER LEFT: 500/1000
"Alright, big guy... let's see how you handle this!" Rex shouted, channeling the Aether into his fists. His body glowed with an intense blue aura as he unleashed a powerful technique, one he had been saving for a moment like this but what should I call it?!
"God's Fist!"
"Aha! Nice name!" Cronus remarked
Rex came crashing down with his fist, aiming directly for Cerberus's back. The moment his fist connected, a massive shockwave erupted, sending ripples of energy across the battlefield. The impact was so powerful that it caused the earth beneath them to split, creating a deep fissure that radiated outwards.
The Cerberus howled in pain, its body trembling from the force of the blow. Rex could feel the bones beneath its thick hide crack under his fist. He'd done it—he'd landed a critical hit.
But the victory was fleeting.
Cerberus's heads snapped toward him, its eyes burning with unrelenting fury. Despite the damage Rex had inflicted, the beast wasn't down yet. It roared once more, and this time, all three heads attacked at once, their jaws wide open, aiming to tear Rex apart.
Rex's eyes widened in horror as the jaws closed in from all sides. There was no time to dodge, no time to think.
"Slow down, damn it!" he yelled, activating his Time Control to the fullest extent. The world around him slowed, the movements of Cerberus becoming sluggish, but Rex knew it wasn't enough. He was too close, and the beast's endurance was too strong for his Time Control to hold it for long.
"Think, Rex, think!" he muttered, his mind racing.
Just then, an idea sparked. "I've never tried this but it wouldn't hurt to try"
With the last of his strength, Rex pushed off the Cerberus's back, flipping in mid-air and landing directly in front of its head. As the jaws closed in, he summoned a concentrated burst of Aether into his palms, creating a barrier of blue energy around himself.
The jaws of the Cerberus crashed into the barrier, but Rex held firm, the force of the attack pushing him backward. The energy barrier flickered under the strain, cracks forming along its surface, but it held for now.
"Thou art beginning to understand the ways to use Aether" Cronus remarked again
AETHER LEFT: 300/1000
"Come on... just a little longer," Rex grunted, every muscle in his body screaming in protest. He couldn't hold this barrier for long, but he didn't need to. The Cerberus was relentless, pressing harder against the barrier with its massive jaws, trying to break through.
Rex's eyes glowed with determination as he lowered his barrier, just as the jaws snapped forward. At that precise moment, he gathered all his remaining Aether into a concentrated blast.
BOOM!
The explosion of blue energy erupted from Rex's palms, slamming into the Cerberus's heads and forcing the beast back. The shockwave sent dust and debris flying, obscuring the battlefield.
Panting heavily, Rex staggered back, barely able to stay on his feet. His vision blurred from exhaustion, and his entire body ached from the fight. The Cerberus was still standing, but it was badly injured now, its movements slower, more labored.
"Yeah, now time to use the second trick up my sleeve" Rex panted, staring at the Cerberus
The Cerberus growled as if replying to Rex, and then suddenly, it's body started shifting and shifting and then the heads of the Cerberus slit apart, each one taking a different body. One Cerberus had suddenly become three different entities.
Rex almost burst into tears. Just when he thinks he's won, the Cerberus would bring something new . "Well...this is unexpected but-"
"Let's dance!" Rex smirked and then....
{Passive ability activated: A TITAN'S WILL}
EFFECT: TEMPORAL BOOST OF 2X TO ALL STATS: LASTS FOR 5 SECONDS
Name: Rex Xander
Level: 10
XP to next level: 0/20,000
Race: Human
Class: ???
Strength: 76
Agility: 96
Endurance: 50
Intelligence: 58
Aether: (2000/2000) Temporary usage: (Available for just one day)
Active skills
Time control (lv 4) Xp to next level: 10/100
Time rewind (lv 2) X to next level: 10/100