511. Hound of the Demon King

This was it. It was Levithus’ one and only Grand Skill. He had leveled up 10 times in an instant— he had changed Subspecies entirely. The truth was, before Levithus became a [Hellprince], he had been a [Changeling].

And while he had lost most of his transformation abilities when he evolved, he still had a single Skill that could let him become something more. He had gained a Grand Skill that let him transform into any Primeval Demon 10 levels above him.

But if that was just it, it would have been an utterly pathetic Grand Skill. It wouldn’t have been a Grand Skill befitting a [Hellprince] like him. No— it did something more.

Levithus luxuriated in knowing that this was beyond just an increase in Stats. Because he had not only taken the form of a [Cerberus], he had also briefly become one, inhabiting all its Skills and abilities as his.

In an instant, he had gained half a dozen new Skills.

Temporary Skill [Deathly Hound] Gained!

Temporary Skill [Hallowed Howl] Gained!

Temporary Skill [Instantaneous Disengage] Gained!

Temporary Skill [Splitting Strikes] Gained!

Temporary Skill [Passive - Permanent Haste] Gained!

Temporary Skill [Passive - Rapid Regeneration] Gained!

Temporary Grand Skill—

And Levithus knew that he had won.

[Cerberus - Lvl. 181]

“Huh. Did he just gain 10 levels?”

I stared at Levithus. He had transformed into a [Cerberus]— a three-headed [Hellhound]. He wasn’t particularly massive like the [Cerberus of Hell] I had encountered with my clone not too long ago. That wild Primeval Demon had been as big as the [Hellabomination]!

But even though there was a size differential, I was pretty sure Levithus was stronger. After all, he had just ripped Belzu’s head off in a single second. I had barely even registered what just happened.

The Hound of the Demon King stepped forward as he spat out Belzu’s insect-like head. I blinked for a moment, then Levithus let out a howl. He sprinted forward as I backed away, beating my wings and flying into the air.

“Stay back!”

I yelled with [Intimidation], and Levithus slowed for just a moment. I pointed at him in that brief pause and whispered.

“[Sacred Hellfire]!”

Instantly, the transformed [Cerberus] erupted into black flames. He yelped as it skidded to a stop, and I ascended rapidly above the hills and the valleys. I looked down at Levithus as he writhed a thousand feet below me, trying to claw off the golden flames.

“He’s fast.”

I murmured. And a voice came in reply.

“Indeed he is.”

I glanced back to see Belzu floated next to me, his tiny little wings buzzing quickly as he hovered in the air. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Was that an illusion? Or did you actually die?”

“It was as much of an illusion as it was reality.”

“What does that even mean?”

I asked with a frown, but Belzu shook his head. He raised a spindly hand and pointed at Levithus. The [Cerberus] was yelping in pain, making the same sounds a dog would make, not speaking in any intelligible sense.

And Belzu just whispered.

“[Desecration of the Mind].”

Levithus recoiled. His body flashed with a crimson light briefly. Belzu assailed him with a mix of mind magic and curses from afar. Levithus went limp as my [Sacred Hellfire] continued to eat away at his first layers of flesh.

But he wasn’t dead. No notification rang in my mind, even as I waited. So I raised a hand, creating a salvo of [The Holy Flames]. Weapons made out of gray fire. Belzu glanced back at me, and I unleashed the volley of projectiles as I spoke slowly.

“We have to keep him down—”

I started, but Levithus leapt back to his feet. He raised all three of his heads and looked up as he unhinged his jaw. He howled, and the world around him exploded.

“Uh-oh.”

I blinked. I watched as a powerful shockwave erupted from the [Cerberus]. It was deafening. It dispelled [The Holy Flames]. It even dispelled my [Sacred Hellfire]. It ravaged the landscape around him. The nearby white hills and the entire valley was blown apart from the invisible blast.

I saw the rippling air burst up towards me, and flew back. Belzu just froze, only to fade away as an illusion. I didn’t wait to see where he had gone. I flew as far as I could until I was miles away, and the shockwave was weak. It dissipated into the air as I stared into the far distance.

The entire landscape had been scarred open. Like a canyon had formed in mere moments by the sheer force of the attack. I wiped the sweat off my brow.

“That was dangerous. It’s a good thing I… I…”

And I trailed off. My eyes grew wide as I saw a figure rapidly darting through the torn landscape of the faux Netherworld. Levithus sprinted full-speed ahead through Belzu’s little dimensional pocket as I gaped.

The [Cereberus] was fast. He was already fast as a [Hellprince], but his speed now was incomprehensible. He was a blur that left craters with each jump he made, crossing great distances in moments. I sent another volley of flaming projectiles at him, but he easily evaded the attacks and leapt into the air.

He shot up like a slingshot, propelled by the sheer force of his four legs. And in an instant, he had reached me. I narrowly dove to the side and avoided his clawed swipes.

“That was close!”

I pointed at him, and sent a blast of iridescent flames at his back as he fell through the sky. Levithus snapped his gaze up and unleashed a breath of black flames in response. The two blasts of fire clashed in the air, and the explosion knocked me back.

I gritted my teeth as I tried to fly higher, and a figure appeared beside me.

“Belzu!”

I called out to the Lord of Lies. He just stared down at Levithus, and the world shifted. The ground broke open, swallowing the [Cerberus] as he let out a yelp. The earth threatened to crush him as I shook my head.

“That’s not enough to beat Levithus. He’s too fast and strong right now. I need the Boots of Alexander to—”

“The Treasures of Alexander are not in this world.”

Belzu spoke over me. He craned his neck to the side without turning his body, and he faced me with his head turned 180 degrees.

“I have stored them safely back in the confines of the real world.”

“What? Why would you do that?”

I blinked, and the Lord of Lies sighed.

“Because if we perish here with the Treasures of Alexander, then Levithus will get his hands on three Mythical Grade artifacts. And if he escapes from this world, he will be more dangerous than ever. We just have to hope that he won’t be able to break free if that happens.”

“That’s…”

I stared at Belzu. He genuinely thought we could die here. That meant only one thing— Belzu had used up his second Grand Skill. His last Grand Skill. He had evaded death, and he couldn’t pull that same trick again.

Both of us were at our wit’s end. We didn’t stand a chance against Levithus. And I wasn’t even sure if I could beat him with the Boots of Alexander or the Greaves of Alexander. The Crown of Alexander did nothing, the Breastplate of Alexander was broken, and the Sword of Alexander was with Daniel.

I pursed my lips.

“I am not going to die here.”

I watched as the ground cracked open. Giant claw marks shredded apart the landscape, tearing apart hundreds of feet of land. I watched as the earth was shredded to bits, and Belzu grunted.

“I cannot keep him down.”

The Lord of Lies manipulated his world— he traced his hands in the air like he was weaving together a picture. He was crafting this world in an image he desired. The broken hills and shattered mountains smashed together with Levithus in between the rocks.

But the [Cerberus] just growled and tore through this tempest of stone as he continued leaping off the eddying debris to reach Belzu and I. Levithus moved fast, but he wasn’t infallible. He was struck by a few stray pieces of flying stone chunks, and that showed me I just had to time him right.

“Keep him distracted!”

I called out to Belzu as I beat my wings once, and shot straight down for Levithus. I activated [Divine Haste] once again— it had no cooldown as long as I ended the Skill quickly enough before using up the entirety of its magic. And I focused on the figure of the [Cerberus] as Levithus tore through the falling rocks.

“First— [Warped Time]!”

And the world around Levithus slowed. For some reason, Belzu himself grimaced at that. But I wasn’t done. I sent a blast of iridescent flames down at the [Cerberus], and he countered once again with his own breath of black flames.

I had expected that. The explosion briefly blotted out my vision. I knew that Levithus couldn’t see through the dust and smoke. But I had planned that. I closed my eyes, taking in my surroundings with my spatial senses instead.

The world around me was rapidly condensed. And it was confusing to me for a moment. But I quickly gathered myself, ignoring that this was a pocket space, and dove to the side to intercept Levithus. I focused, not on the world around me, but on a certain Skill I had.

[Angelic Premonition]. It worked similarly to [A Hunter’s Sense], giving me minor warnings when I was in danger or about to run into a trap. But occasionally it gave me something more— visions a few seconds into the future. And I tapped into it. For just a single moment, I saw everything that would play out in the next five seconds.

So I cried out.

“[Barrage of Cinders]!”

I unleashed a flurry of strikes as I flew by Levithus. He easily dodged out of the way, and countered with a snarling bite. But I was already ahead of him. I had disengaged and raised my Divine Nebular Scythe as I grinned.

“And— [Draconic Fury]!”

I struck out at the [Cerberus] before he could react. I tore through the slowed space I had trapped him in, and dug deeply into his side from a distance. I didn’t even need to get close. Thanks to [Draconic Fury], I could swing from a distance, and the image of a Dragon’s claw would strike my target.

Levithus reeled as the crimson aura melded with my rainbow-colored flames and burned his side. That was when my vision of [Angelic Premonition] ended, so I decided to capitalize on that opening I created. In that moment where he was distracted, I closed the gap between us and reached out with a [Faux Limb].

“Now [Divine Demon’s—”

But before I could activate my Skill, Levithus drew back. His body flashed a black aura, and he suddenly flew out of the way. He soared away from me— far from my reach. I blinked a few times as my [Divine Demon’s Mark] faded away.

“That’s…?”

I recognized that Skill. Very briefly, it was as if Levithus himself was taken over by the [Hellabomination]’s Grand Skill. But it ended soon enough, rather than act like a continuous barrier protecting him from harm.

The [Cerberus] growled as he landed on a falling hill, and Belzu’s eyes widened.

“Salvos!”

He called out, but I just blinked.

“What?”

I glanced up, only to see that Belzu was gone. I stared in confusion for a second, then I sensed it. An overwhelming power that came from Levithus. He howled as black flames wisped off his body— angered by the damage he had taken. The whirling world stopped moving now that Belzu was gone, and it was like time had frozen in this fake reality.

The torrent of rocks halted as my eyes went round. The black flames formed behind him to create the image of a massive looming [Cerberus of Hell]. His three maws moved, and he whispered slowly, his voice resounding one after another, creating an echo.

I opened my mouth as I heard what was being said.

“[Temporary Grand Skill: I Shall Devour The World].”

“[Full Phase]—”

I started in a panic, but a moment later, the phantasm of the [Cerberus of Hell] exploded, engulfing this false reality.