Cronus' system: Against the gods

Chapter 12: Descent into Tartarus

Rex blinked, his eyes adjusting to the sudden shift in his surroundings. The sounds of dodgeball and the chatter of his classmates had disappeared, replaced by eerie silence and an oppressive heat. The gym floor had given way to cracked earth beneath his feet, jagged and uneven. The air felt thick, almost heavy, and smelled of sulfur. Dark, towering cliffs stretched up on either side, and the sky above was a swirling mass of ominous red and black clouds.

"What the-where am I?" Rex muttered, spinning around. The familiar surroundings of his school were nowhere in sight.

"Welcome, Harbinger," Cronus's voice echoed in Rex's mind, the deep tone somehow even more solemn than usual. "Thou hast entered a simulation of Tartarus, the underworld's prison of gods and monsters. Here, thou shalt grow stronger, if thou canst survive."

Rex's heart pounded as he took in his surroundings. He had heard of Tartarus before, in old myths and legends, but standing here now, in a realm crafted by Cronus, made the stories feel all too real.

"Wait, this is Tartarus?!" Rex asked, his voice shaky despite his attempt to sound casual. "I thought you meant, like, some training montage, this is a whole lot more... fiery."

Cronus chuckled in Rex's mind. "Thou seekest power, dost thou not? Then face the trials. Survive. Grow. This is thy crucible, Harbinger."

Rex swallowed hard. He wasn't exactly in a position to argue. If this was what it took to get stronger, then so be it. But the word "survive" echoed in his head, sending a chill down his spine.

"Okay," Rex said, forcing himself to breathe slowly, "giant hellscape filled with monsters and death. No big deal. Let's just, uh... see what happens."

He took a step forward, cautiously navigating the uneven terrain. Jagged rocks jutted up from the ground, and faint shadows danced along the cliff walls. There was a palpable sense of danger in the air, like the entire place was watching him, waiting for him to make a wrong move.

"Any advice?" Rex asked, keeping his voice low.

"Trust in thy power," Cronus replied. "Aether is thy weapon. Time is thy ally. Use both wisely, or perish."

Great. More cryptic advice, Rex thought, but it was better than nothing. He felt the Aether hum faintly within him, a power he was still struggling to understand, but knew was vital to his survival here.

After a few minutes of walking, a low growl echoed from ahead, reverberating through the rocky canyon. Rex stopped in his tracks, his heart racing.

"Uh, Cronus? What was that?" he whispered.

Before Cronus could answer, a massive shadow emerged from the mouth of a cave just a few hundred feet ahead. At first, Rex could only make out its glowing red eyes, but as it stepped into the dim light of Tartarus, his breath caught in his throat.

It was a dog but not just any dog. This creature towered over him, easily twenty feet tall, with three snarling heads. Each set of jaws was filled with gleaming fangs, and thick, black fur bristled along its muscular body. Its claws scraped against the ground, sending sparks flying as it advanced.

Rex's mouth went dry. "Cerberus," he breathed. He had read about the legendary guardian of the underworld, but seeing it in person was an entirely different experience.

"Thy first trial," Cronus intoned. "Prove thy worth against the guardian of Tartarus."

Cerberus growled, its three heads snapping at the air as it slowly stalked toward Rex, each of its eyes locked on him. It radiated raw power, and every instinct in Rex's body screamed at him to run.

But there was nowhere to run. The cliffs closed in on both sides, and the only way forward was through the monstrous creature.

"Okay, okay, think, Rex," he muttered, backing up slowly. "I've got Aether. I've got time manipulation. I just need to not die. Easy, right?"

Cerberus suddenly lunged, its middle head leading the charge with a deafening roar. Rex barely had time to react, diving to the side just as the beast's massive jaws snapped shut where he had been standing. Dust and rocks exploded from the impact, and Rex rolled to his feet, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Not gonna lie, that was terrifying," he muttered, already feeling the burn of adrenaline surging through him. "But I've got this."

He raised his hand, focusing on the Aether within him. It surged up like a current, and he tried to remember what Cronus had told him about controlling time. His eyes locked onto Cerberus as it prepared for another attack.

"Slow down," Rex whispered, willing time to bend around him.

For a brief moment, the world shimmered. Cerberus's movements became sluggish, its powerful limbs moving in slow motion. Rex's heart leaped, he had done it. He had slowed time.

But controlling the flow of time wasn't easy. As Rex focused harder, his vision blurred, and a wave of dizziness washed over him. The time distortion flickered, and Cerberus began to speed up again.

"Come on, come on!" Rex growled, forcing himself to push through the strain.

Cerberus lunged again, but this time, Rex was ready. He dashed to the side, feeling the rush of air as the monster's jaws snapped shut where he had stood just a second ago. Rex skidded to a halt, breathing hard, but he couldn't stop now.

"Okay, that's one dodge," he muttered. "Now what?"

The beast snarled, and its three heads began circling him, each head snapping in turn. Rex knew he couldn't just keep dodging forever, he needed a plan.

"Use thy power, Harbinger," Cronus's voice urged. "Strike swiftly, and use Aether to enhance thy blows."

Rex clenched his fists, feeling the Aether pulsing through him. He could feel it growing stronger, a steady current of energy just waiting to be unleashed. He needed to attack, but how? Cerberus wasn't exactly a small target, but hitting it without getting crushed was the hard part.

"Alright, let's do this," Rex muttered, bracing himself.

He darted toward Cerberus, his fists glowing with Aether as he poured his energy into them. The beast lunged again, but this time, Rex was faster. He ducked under one of its heads and drove his fist upward into its side.

The impact sent a shockwave through the air, and Cerberus howled in pain as Rex's Aether-enhanced punch slammed into its ribcage. The beast staggered, but it wasn't down for long. Its three heads snapped around, all of them snarling in unison as they focused their fury on Rex.

"Uh-oh," Rex muttered, backing up quickly. He had landed a hit, but Cerberus wasn't going down that easily.

The beast lunged again, and this time, Rex was too slow. One of Cerberus's massive paws slammed into the ground, sending a tremor through the earth that knocked Rex off his feet. He rolled to the side, barely avoiding the snapping jaws of one of the heads.

"Okay, new plan!" Rex gasped, scrambling to his feet. "Don't get squished."

He felt the Aether surge within him again, and this time, he focused on his surroundings. The jagged rocks, the cliffs—they were obstacles for him, but they could also be weapons.

"Think smarter, not harder," Rex muttered. He dashed toward one of the nearby cliffs, his eyes scanning the towering rocks for something he could use.

Cerberus roared behind him, its massive paws shaking the ground as it pursued him. Rex's mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. The cliffside was steep and jagged, but there were loose rocks near the top, hanging precariously over the canyon.

"That could work," Rex muttered, a plan forming in his mind.

He concentrated, feeling the flow of Aether as he extended his hand toward the rocks. He focused on them, willing time to shift around them. It was risky, but if he could slow down the rocks and time it right...

With a surge of effort, Rex pulled at the flow of time. The rocks above him shimmered, their movements slowing as the Aether wrapped around them.

Cerberus lunged again, its jaws snapping just inches from Rex's back. He sprinted toward the cliffside, his eyes fixed on the loose rocks above. As the beast closed in, Rex jumped, grabbing onto a jagged rock halfway up the cliff.

"Now!" he shouted, releasing the time distortion around the rocks.

With a deafening crash, the loose boulders above came tumbling down. Cerberus roared in surprise, its three heads snapping upward as the massive rocks slammed into its body, sending it crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact.

Rex hung from the cliff, his heart pounding as dust and debris filled the air. For a moment, the only sound was the rumble of falling rocks.

He dropped to the ground, breathing hard, and looked over at the fallen beast. Cerberus lay motionless beneath the rubble, its three heads limp.

"I... I did it," Rex gasped, barely believing it.

"Thou hast passed the first trial," Cronus's voice echoed in his mind. "But many more await thee, Harbinger."

Rex collapsed to the ground, exhausted but exhilarated. This was only the beginning of his journey through Tartarus, but for now, he had survived.

{System notification: Exp points + 100}

Suddenly, a faint golden light began to shimmer above the fallen body of Cerberus. The air around Rex vibrated with energy, and he could feel a shift in the atmosphere, like the very fabric of Tartarus was acknowledging his victory. The golden light coalesced into three distinct orbs, each glowing with a soft, ethereal radiance.

"These are ability points," Cronus said, his deep voice carrying a sense of gravity. "Three tokens of power, granted to thee for overcoming a trial of Tartarus. They are fragments of divine essence, meant to strengthen thy body and mind. Use them wisely."

Rex watched the glowing orbs hover in front of him, slowly rotating as if waiting for him to make a decision. He had heard of ability points in games, but seeing them in real life was both surreal and overwhelming.

"Okay, ability points," Rex muttered to himself, rubbing his chin as he considered his options. "Right, I should definitely use these, but I need to be smart about it."

Cronus's voice echoed softly in his mind. "Thy journey through Tartarus will grow more perilous. Every step forward shall be fraught with greater challenges. Think wisely before thou decidest."

Rex knew Cronus was right. If this was the first trial and it had nearly torn him apart, the next one could easily be worse. He couldn't just randomly distribute these points; he needed to plan carefully.

His current stats flashed before him like a hologram:

Name: Rex Xander

Level: 1

XP to next level: 100/1000

Race: Human

Class: ???

Strength: 10

Agility: 12

Endurance: 12

Intelligence: 10

Aether: 10/10

"Okay," Rex began, thinking aloud. "Strength could help me deal more damage. I can hit harder, maybe even overpower bigger creatures. But..."

He glanced down at his hands, still trembling from the effort of taking down Cerberus. Endurance had probably saved his life in that fight. Being able to withstand punishment had kept him alive when the three-headed beast charged him, teeth gnashing.

"Endurance is definitely important," Rex thought. "I don't want to get crushed before I even get a chance to fight back." His eyes drifted to his agility stat. In the fight with Cerberus, speed had also been crucial. Dodging its attacks, especially when the beast went berserk, had given him the edge he needed to survive.

Then there was intelligence. He could feel how taxing it was to think on his feet during battle. More intelligence could help him stay sharp, think faster, and strategize better. Cronus had already hinted that greater mental clarity could also lead to better Aether control in the future.

"Alright, strength, endurance, agility, and intelligence... they all matter," Rex muttered, running his hand through his hair. "But I only have three points."

He made his decision.

Strength +1

Agility +1

Endurance +1

The orbs of golden light floated toward him, each sinking into his body with a warm sensation. He felt a sudden rush of energy, his muscles tightening and his reflexes sharpening. His entire body felt more responsive, more resilient.

New Stats:

Strength: 11

Agility: 13

Endurance: 13

Intelligence: 10

Rex flexed his fingers experimentally, testing the changes. His body felt lighter, his movements more fluid. The slight boost in strength, agility, and endurance made him feel like a different person altogether.

"Alright, this is definitely an upgrade," Rex said, feeling a bit more confident. "I'm ready for whatever's next."

"Thou hast chosen well," Cronus's voice rumbled, filled with approval. "But be wary, Harbinger. Tartarus tests more than mere strength. The next trial will challenge thy mind and spirit."

Rex took a deep breath, knowing there was no turning back. The dark landscape of Tartarus seemed to shift in response to his growing power, like the realm itself was watching him.

A distant rumble echoed across the horizon, the sound of something massive moving through the underworld. Rex's heart skipped a beat.

*Awooo*

Suddenly, three Cerberus rushed out once more, their nine heads growling at Rex with intense hatred

"What the hell, Cronus, You never told me I'd fight more of this!"

"Good luck harbinger!" Cronus chuckled

"I swear I'll get you for this!"