The cerberus: three heads, monstrous creature, and not supposed to be in the Enchanted Forest. This beings home territory was all the way down south in the lands where most demons resided. A disaster creature with an A+ difficulty rating on the human guild scale. So, when Hannah, Kenji, and Oliver came across one while looking for Freya and Anna, they were horribly confused.
Holy shit, what the hell is this thing doing up here? Hannah asked the boys via her unique skill [Network].
First time I'm seeing one. I've only read about them. Kenij replied.
Can we even kill this thing with just the three of us? Oliver asked. However, they couldn't discuss it any longer, for the beast had discovered their presence. The cerberus lunged forward with terrifying speed. Kenji hunkered down and barely managed to get a magical barrier up in time to protect himself. The impact of the attack pushed him back several feet.
"We've got to get out of here!" Kenji yelled. The others however, were already on the move. The beast stepped back from Kenji, almost as if it wanted a better picture of the scene. Kenji refused to give the creature any distance as he immediately activated his unique skill, [Analyze and Execute], and charged it. This skill allows Kenji to locate enemy weak points and deal additional damage to them on the target points. "I said, leave guys!" He yelled. The cerberus went to bite Kenji again, but he brushed off the bite with another barrier. I can't keep this up for long. He thought to himself, I just hope the two of them can get out of here.
Oliver dashes in while the two are locked in the collision and slices across the snout of one of the heads. Black blood splatters on the flowers below. All three heads begin to howl, staggering the boys. It begins to rear up, and swipes its massive paw across the forest floor. Kenji, impacted by the paw, is flung like a ragdoll and hits a tree behind him. Hannah, who has been preparing the high level wind spell {Wind Glaive}, swings a devastating wind slash at the beast. One of the heads is slashed right across its eyeballs, destroying them. The creature lets out a blood curdling howl, and a small red orb appears in front of each mouth. Hannah's eyes widened.
"Get out of here, now!" She yelled, immediately casting a wind magic buff on them for speed, and running. Kenji stumbled to his feet and got out of the way, while Oliver cast some illusion magic to mask his presence. After a small charge up, the mouths let out rays of fire, drenching the forest in front of it in a blanket of flames. Sorry Anna and Freya, Hannah thought, we're gonna have to reevaluate.
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I didn't think something as silly as opening my mouth would get me in trouble in this new world, but here we are. Dhae had now taken myself and Anna into her personal tent to question us alone.
"How does an outsider know our tongue?" She asked me. Anna, who couldn't understand why she was here, just shrugged. "Who sent you here?"
"I'm an adventurer." I lied, "I've been to many places. I was able to pick up your language through encounters with other tribes."
"Isn't that just a fancy word for killer? You're just like us with better manners." Dhae responded. "I'll tell you what. I'd like to give you the opportunity to hunt with us. Since you can communicate with us, I think you'll be useful in that sense. However, I will still be limiting your abilities." I glanced over at Anna.
"And what about my friend here?" I asked, "can't she hunt with us as well?"
"She's got the talent so I was interested, but she can't understand what I'm saying. How would she be useful if she needs a translator?" Dhae responded. While that was true, I really wanted to keep Anna close by. Anna, who had been watching the back and fourth, nudged me on the shoulder.
"What's going on? What's she saying?" She asked me.
"I'm trying to get you to join the hunters with me, but she's giving me a hard time about it." I responded honestly.
"While I normally would like that, this is a fairly good opportunity to split up. I can snoop around here while you're out hunting. We'd cover more ground that way." She had a point.
"Okay, works for me." I responded. Dhae was starting to get annoyed at the delay.
"Hey, I didn't say you could talk amongst yourselves. Again, I think she'd be too slow to follow commands without an understanding of how we speak." She said.
"That's fine, she said she's willing to do what you need her to anyway." I said.
"Well, she didn't have a choice either way." Dhae responded. "Don't forget who's in charge here. Let's go introduce you to my group, send the redhead back to the other slaves for now." She brought me across the camp to where we saw the other tribe members training earlier. A blonde girl looked over at the two of us approaching, and she aimed her bow at me.
"What's with the girl, Dhae? Can I play around with her?" She asked, smirking.
"Knock it off, Gunri. This one's off the table." Dhae said. "She can speak our tongue, I was thinking we have her hunt." The girl lowered her bow and walked closer to me, eyeing me up and down.
"You speak Karthi? Where did this proper looking lady learn a tribesman tongue?" She asked, her hand grabbing my chin. These folk are very handsy.
"She says she's an adventurer. Did you see her fight earlier? Quite impressive for how quickly she went down in the forest." Dhae said. "I was thinking she could help us out there. We could always use more fighting bodies, especially those who can't say no." The man who I awoke to on our first night here joined the conversation.
"I do love me a strong woman, I'm all for it, as long as I can get a piece if she misbehaves." His face read of pure lust, not that he was trying to hide it.
"As I've told you twice now, she's mine. If anyone gets a piece of her, it's going to be me." Dhae said, putting a knife to Bleit's neck. He scoffed and walked away, going back to practicing his spearwork. I prefer women anyway, but I can't help but see I'm truly just an object to these guys. I guess I am the slave here, after all. Dhae clapped her hands together.
"Let's bring her out on a test run, let's see what she's truly capable of!" She exclaimed.
The group was myself, Dhae, Bleit, Gunri, and to my surprise, the demon boy who healed me. He seemed to be the only individual the Karth had who was capable of healing injuries. Not that I was mad of course, this gave me more time to prod at him. We met at what seemed to be a stable. This was where they kept those large lizard looking creatures Anna and I were ambushed by in the forest.
"Alright, woman. You can ride with Zal'gus." Dhae said, "I'd give you your own but I can't trust that you won't just run off with it." The demon boy nodded when he heard her. So his name is Zal'gus? That doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. I'll call him Gus.
"Alright, Gus. Take good care of me!" I said, climbing on with him. He smiled and nodded. Dhae whistled a tone and the lizards started moving. I saw Anna on my way out and waved to her. She smirked and waved back, disappearing into a tent I couldn't recognize.
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"So, a fucking cerberus?" Adam asked Hannah, Kenji, and Oliver. "What the hell is that doing here?"
"Do you think we would've come running back here if we knew the reason? We weren't equipped to fight something like that!" Hannah said.
"Listen mate, I love you, but we almost died. I'd appreciate a little more care for our well being." Oliver said to Adam.
"Guys! I do care! Am I not allowed to try to make the conversation brighter?" He said. "Anyway, did you get to check the camp out?"
"Of course not." Kenji replied, "we came into contact with the cerberus before we reached the camp. We put up a decent fight for what we had, I'd say."
"Yeah if you call a few cuts and shields a fight…" Hannah said.
"I'd call living to see another day a good encounter with a monster of that caliber." Adam said. " It shouldn't matter how much damage you guys did, I'm just glad you're okay."
"See? You could've just opened with that..." Oliver said, sulking in his chair.
"Hannah, I'm assuming your locator magic is working now? Can you confirm the girls location please?" Adam asked Hannah.
"Sure!" Hannah exclaimed, closing her eyes. She telepathically shared the result with the help of her skill, [Network].
"I was right, they were taken by the Karth." Adam said.
"The… Karth?" Hannah asked.
"Right, you were only summoned two years ago. We haven't had any run-ins with them in quite some time. The Karth are a barbarian tribe known for being exceptional hunters. That being both monsters and people. They don't discriminate based on age, race, or gender, and are quite ruthless. I'm glad the gals are still alive." Adam explained. He stood up, getting ready to leave. "I have a plan to get the girls back, I have to grab a few things first. Meet me at the gate in an hour."
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These creatures we were riding on were quite the exceptional beasts. They were fast, and had lots of endurance. We had been traveling for only about ten minutes when suddenly, Dhae shot her fist up and we stopped abruptly. I attempted to use my sensory magic, but to no avail with this fucking collar around my neck. When I opened my eyes, however, I saw it approaching. Twenty five feet tall, three heads, and a body like a warhorse built from muscle with ash-black fur. There was a gash across the eyes of one of the heads. Is that a… cerberus?And it's injured? Dhae then yelled to the group.
"Scatter and regroup! What the fuck is this thing doing here?!" The lizards bolted in four directions at once, claws tearing grooves in the dirt. Dhae went toward the cliffs, Gunri veered across the flats, and Bleit plunged toward a nearby river. Zal'gus kicked our mount hard and dashed toward a field of jagged stone. Behind us I heard a howl and thundering footsteps. Shit, of course it chose us.
The monster lunged forward with immense speed, its three heads barking and snarling in discordant fury. The ground shook as it charged. The giant lizard ran as fast as its legs could carry it, weaving through the rocks. Zal'gus clung tight, urging it onward, but the cerberus was faster. One massive paw slammed down, barely missing the lizard's tail. A snapping jaw closed inches from my boot.
"C'mon, girl!" Zal'gus shouted, "you can do it!"
We leapt over a ridge of stone, and the ground vanished. The rock shelf collapsed beneath us. With a startled shriek, the giant lizard plunged into darkness, Zal'gus and I were released from the saddle and undergoing free fall. Pebbles and dust rained around us as the light was getting dimmer and dimmer. Our fall was broken by us hitting water, while the lizard was not so lucky. The poor thing landed roughly five feet from the water onto the hard cave floor, dying on impact. Zal'gus and I resurfaced and swam to the rocky shore. High above us, a ragged circle of light marked the opening of the pit. A shadow passed over it. Three snarling silhouettes leaned over the edge. The cerberus' heads sniffed the air, their growls echoing faintly down into the depths of the cave. Realizing it couldn't follow us down, it vanished shortly after. As we sat on the cave floor, all I could think about was how I somehow made it out of that alive.
"Hey, Gus? Thanks." I said.
"For what?" He asked, "I didn't exactly get us out of that situation."
"Sure you did!" I said happily, "we aren't dead!" Zal'gus gave me a smirk.
"I guess, you're right, miss." He responded.
"Hey, drop the miss stuff. My name's Freya." I told him. "Do you know anything about getting this collar off?" I asked. He crawled behind me from where he was sitting and uttered a spell in a language I couldn't understand. Huh, so even with this nifty skill, there's still languages I don't know? My collar immediately unlatched and fell to the floor. I could feel my mana return to my body.
"There you go, mi- Freya." Gus said.
"Thanks, man." I replied. I sat in a meditative position and tried to get a lay of the land. Around us I could sense four pathways leaving the small lake we managed to land in. Further in I could sense the presence of living beings, but I can't yet determine what exactly they are. Even so, I couldn't imagine whatever is living in a dark place like this is anything friendly, especially from what I've seen of this world so far. The only thing that was upsetting me was the fact that I couldn't determine if any of these pathways led back to the surface. I guess we'd just have to start exploring.
"What do we have with us right now for supplies?" I asked Gus.
"Well, considering we were just headed out on a short expedition, all we have is two empty sacks strapped to the saddle, a couple knives, your spear, and some rope." Gus said.
"We can use the lizard for meat, but we'll have to find a means of cooking it." I responded, "let's carve it up and head out. I can't imagine our new roommates will let us sit here for long." We carved up what meat we could store in the small packs we had and got up to go. I grabbed the spear and looked over to Zal'gus. "I'm not too comfortable with knives, will you be okay with those?" I asked.
"It's okay, I have these." He said, holding up his fists.
"You fight unarmed? Don't you specialize in healing?" I questioned. Most fantasy type healers I've seen in stories would use magic or small weapons to fight.
"No really, I'll be fine." Gus said, "let's go."
Gus conjured a small light with mana and we headed out. The air was cool and damp, carrying the mineral scent of wet rock and something older, something earthy and forgotten. Our footsteps echoed softly as we trekked down one of the passages. The ground sloped downward, uneven beneath our boots. Smooth stone alternated with loose gravel that slid and displaced with each step. Sometimes the ceiling dipped so low we had to duck beneath hanging stalactites, their tips shining with droplets that fell in slow, steady plinks.
Faint glimmers began to appear on the walls. Crystals grew from the rock in pale blue, violet, and milky white. They caught what little light we carried and scattered it into soft reflections that shimmered across the cavern like distant stars.
"I wish we had extraction equipment, these crystals would fetch a good price." Gus mentioned. "In fact, I believe they're crystalline! They carry mana and can be forged into fantastic weapons!"
"Is that so?" I asked, "maybe we can retrace our steps once we find our way back to the surface." I began to sense five creatures approaching us. "Look alive, Gus, we've got company." We began to see the silhouettes of five hulking creatures. Hyena-like heads swung back and forth as they laughed in sharp, barking bursts. Rusted blades and crude axes glinted in their clawed hands. Zal'gus snarled.
"Gnolls. Careful Freya, these things are vicious!" He said, getting ready to fight. I'd like to see what I'm capable of with earth magic, because I didn't want to fall out of practice. I crouched down, my hands hovering close to the ground, fingers brushing the soil as if listening to it. The gnolls rushed us all at once. The first leapt forward with a jagged knife. Gus stepped into the attack instead of away from it, catching the gnoll's wrist and twisting hard. The bone cracked. The blade dropped, and a driving elbow sent the creature sprawling into the dirt.
A second gnoll went to swing an axe, to which I responded. I focused on what I wanted to happen, and mana began to flow. The earth beneath me surged like a breaking wave. Jagged slabs of rock burst from the ground, throwing the gnoll off balance. Before it could recover, Gus closed the distance and struck two sharp blows, ribs then jaw, dropping the creature in a cloud of dust. The remaining three gnolls circled, snarling, almost as if trying to plan their next move.
One of them lunged low, claws raking across Gus's side. Blood darkened his cloak. Before I could be stunned about it he clutched his injury, and his hand began to glow. I watched as he closed his own wound, ready to continue the fight. He has those indeed. Gus made quick work of the attacker with precise, meaningful strikes. I readied the imagery for my next attack. The other two gnolls charged together, attempting to use their numbers to overwhelm me. I slammed my palm into the soil. The earth answered with a deep crack. A ridge of stone erupted between my attackers, splitting their charge. One was thrown backward by the sudden wall, tumbling across the cave floor. The other one, however, made it through. It roared and swung wildly, but Gus stepped inside the arc of its weapon. A quick strike to the throat stunned it. A second blow to the temple dropped it heavily into the gravel.
Behind us, the gnoll thrown by the earth wall struggled to stand. I raised both hands. The ground clenched. Thick vines pierced the earth and rose from the dirt like tightening roots, wrapping around the creature's legs and dragging it down. Gus ran over and finished the job by breaking its skull. Silence finally returned to the passageway. Dust drifted through the air, and five beasts lay scattered across the broken ground.
"I didn't know you could use such strong spells." Gus said, "you didn't even use any incantation!" I sat there confused at what he even meant.
"I've never seen you use incantations either. This is the way I was taught magic, were you the same?" I asked.
"I think I'm something of a more special case, or so I've been told. Healing magic itself is rare so I figured it came with that. But a demon capable of using healing magic is unheard of." Gus responded. "I've been a slave as long as I remember, so I never got to live with my own people." Both of my parents were dead, but at least where I'm from there was no slavery. I guess you could say I got enslaved in a different way in the form of my occupation. We continued to make small talk as we traveled through the winding caves. We had a couple smaller encounters that were a breeze. First gnolls, then direwolves, some bats, and finally large rats.
"Hey Freya, take this with a grain of salt, but I think I'm noticing a pattern with the creatures we've encountered so far." Gus said.
"Go ahead anyway, what do you notice?" I responded. It's not like we had much else to pass the time then walk and talk.
"Well, you know about labyrinths?" He asked.
"No, I'm not actually from this world." I said. Since it was just the two of us for the foreseeable future, I might as well tell him about myself.
"You- you what?! I guess that makes sense actually, is it a skill that allows you to speak with me? I've met an Otherworlder before, and I heard they can have some neat skills." He said. "Nevermind that, back to what I was saying. There are eight labyrinths in this world. No one knows who created them, but they tend to follow a theme throughout them. The creatures we've been fighting so far are all those that would normally be under a vampire's control."
"So we're going to fight a big bad vampire?" I asked.
"Well, in theory. The only known living pure vampire might be around here somewhere, I just hope we don't run into her." Gus said. "Along with the labyrinths, there are a few monsters in this world that are unique beings, and she's one of them. She would be truly formidable in a fight." I think we can handle the little guys for now, but I don't know how I'd do against a powerful foe in my current state.
"It would definitely be wise to not cross paths with her if we can avoid it." I said. "I don't know if you could tell but I'm quite new to the whole magic thing."
"Really? You seem to use it quite naturally!" Gus said. We continued on for what felt like half an hour down different corridors and caves. Then the view began to change. The natural rock gave way to something shaped. The floor becomes smoother, worn flat by centuries of passage. Rough stalagmites have been broken or carved away, leaving a corridor that feels almost deliberate. Old iron brackets cling to the walls, some holding torches long since burned out, others still cradling faintly glowing embers that cast dull red light across the stone. We looked at each other and Zal'gus shook his head.
"This is the first sign of any kind of civilization yet and you don't want to continue?" I asked Gus.
"If the vampire is anywhere, it's most certainly here, Freya." He responded.
"Well, I'm going, come with me or don't." I said. I knew he was probably right, but we could just run if things went south… right?
"Freya, come back!" He shouted after me down the hall.
The hallway opened suddenly into a vast chamber. The ceiling arches high above, lost in shadow. Pale crystals jut from the walls, catching the dim light and scattering it into cold reflections. Water drips somewhere far away, each drop echoing like a ticking clock. This is no longer a natural cavern, but something made with purpose. Ancient stone pillars stand in uneven rows, carved from the surrounding rock itself. Their surfaces are etched with faded symbols and illegible markings that spiral downward toward the floor. Between them lie remnants of life: cracked goblets, rusted blades, scraps of dark cloth, and bones bleached pale by time. At the end of it all in the back of the room lies a door, waiting for us to open it.
The stone door wouldn't budge at first but the two of us eventually pushed it open. No one had likely been down here for centuries. As we entered the door, it was almost a complete difference from the outside. The building was very well lit, and it was definitely owned by someone who was very wealthy. Beautiful paintings lined the wall, and there was very nice furniture strewn about. What looked like a tomb from the outside instantly became a noble's mansion on the inside. We were admiring the decor when suddenly the doors at the top of the lobby staircase opened and what I could only describe as butlers and maids came out. They lined up in front of us and bowed.
"Welcome, Echo of Divinity! Please, join us for dinner!" They said in unison, motioning further inside. The door behind us shut before we could react, sealing us inside with them.
"Echo of what now?" I asked. The group however, didn't respond, instead they started to escort us down the main hallway of the building.
"Hey! What the hell is going on?" Gus asked. This time, we got a response.
"The Echo and their companion shall join the Master for a meal!" They said with a smile. Man these guys are fucking creepy.
At the end of the hall was a set of tall double doors, which swung open to reveal a dining room built for ceremony as much as for meals. The chamber was long and high-ceilinged, its walls carved from pale stone and draped with heavy banners bearing the crest of a bat stitched in gold thread. At the center of the room stretches a massive dining table made from a single slab of dark polished wood. The surface gleams in the candlelight, reflecting rows of silver plates, crystal goblets, and carefully arranged cutlery. Dozens of high-backed chairs line the table, each carved with curling vines and small mythical beasts hidden in the patterns.
A chandelier hangs above, wrought from iron shaped like twisting branches. Dozens of candles burn along its arms, their flames dancing gently and filling the room with warm golden light. The scent of melted wax mingles with roasted meats, baked bread, and rich spices drifting from another room. Along the walls stand tall cabinets in a display of wealth: delicate porcelain dishes, ancient goblets, and trophies brought back from hunts or distant lands. One shelf holds the skull of a strange horned beast, its polished bone a reminder of some long-ago triumph. Servants move quietly along the edges of the room, placing steaming platters onto the table. Gus and I were ushered towards the end of the table, and then we saw her. Gorgeous flowing white hair, striking ruby colored eyes. Sipping wine quietly at the end of the table. She looked over in our direction and smiled.
"We finally meet, Echo of Iris, please have a seat. Enjoy this wonderful meal while I pick your brain." She said.
Gus snapped his head my way. "Iris, like, the Iris?!" He exclaimed. "You didn't say anything about that!"
"Dude, no way. I have no idea what is going on here, man." What the fuck lady. That was the one thing I wanted to keep under wraps.