An enormous pale whirlwind violently tore through space and leapt out from the magic formation.
It twisted the blazing flames around it, weakening the steel-like roaring sound to almost nothing.
The massive storm of wind spun wildly through space, crashing toward Cerberus's crimson flames with shocking force.
BOOM!
The shockwave exploded outward as crimson and pale intertwined and collided.
The two powers crashed against each other, tearing at one another like two vicious beasts biting into each other's hearts.
The next moment, the crystallized power suddenly exploded apart, setting off violent waves of air that spread fearlessly in every direction.
White light burst apart, and the phantom behind Viktor slowly faded like morning mist.
But this was only the beginning.
Another giant beast's phantom stepped through the smoke, revealing a massive emerald body full of life.
The serpent god in the sky flashed with spiritual light as a huge green magic formation summoned countless mysterious patterns.
The formation suddenly shone with bright colors, as if declaring that the entire border of hell would overflow with dazzling vitality.
At that moment, vines dotted like stars suddenly appeared.
Countless vines intertwined together, weaving into an enormous dark green war hammer.
[Calamity of Wood: Emerald Meteor Strike]
Cerberus raised its head and looked at the war hammer large enough to cover the entire land, then stepped back several times.
The sharp teeth in its mouth flashed crimson light as it lowered its body.
BOOM!
The war hammer smashed down mercilessly. Cerberus swung the crimson blades covering its body, trying to cut through the layered fortress of vines.
But these vines, strengthened by the power of nature, were nearly as tough as the hardest frost blades.
No matter how hard Cerberus slashed, it could not pierce any part of the war hammer.
As the air trembled, the massive impact blasted a huge hole through the dark green smoke covering the ground.
Cerberus staggered upright, but the flames bursting from its mouth suddenly bent and surged toward the Calamity of Wood.
The phantom behind Viktor appeared once again. The smoke scattered, and a blue halo quietly emerged.
A giant whale appeared behind Viktor like a raging beast flowing through the sky.
[Calamity of Water: Falling Wave Reversed Sea]
Facing the incoming crimson flames, the Calamity of Water activated its formation, and a massive waterfall poured out from it.
After easily swallowing the crimson flames, it slammed heavily into Cerberus's body.
Struck by the terrifying torrent, Cerberus rolled several times across the ground.
Even the land covered in dark green smoke cracked open with extremely deep fissures.
It struggled back to its feet, its eyes savage as it glared at the enormous Calamity of Water and let out a low roar.
It kicked off the ground hard, burning with crimson fire as it crossed distorted space and charged toward Viktor.
"But how are you going to get close to me?"
Viktor narrowed his eyes as the phantom behind him shifted again.
Black-purple lightning appeared around Viktor while pitch-black wings wrapped around both sides of him.
Purple light burst from the deep eyes of the Calamity of Thunder. The purple formation before it rapidly spun, releasing terrifying pressure.
Cerberus swung the flaming blade at its joints, but only a few meters away from Viktor, it sensed something wrong.
The air seemed frozen, faintly glowing.
Before Cerberus could react, shining lightning blades suddenly appeared in the air.
[Calamity of Thunder: Protection of Thunder]
Countless lightning stars swept across the ground, stabbing fiercely into Cerberus's body.
The lightning moved through the steel-like battlefield like silver snakes, winding toward the hellhound's burning heart.
The heart, blazing like burning flames, instantly felt endless pressure.
Cerberus felt as if its body had been struck by a giant hammer. Its trembling limbs no longer had the strength to support its massive body.
Viktor remained expressionless. At some point, behind him stood a giant beast like red magma.
The surrounding space began to distort from the heat waves, and terrifying heat swept through everything.
The ground covered in dark green smoke trembled as if it were about to explode.
Wide cracks leaked scorching magma, and countless flames shot upward the instant they touched the ground.
The magma surged like scars across the earth, trying to burn everything nearby into ashes.
Viktor lightly raised one hand as if holding a gun and aimed at Cerberus's battered body.
"Finally, let's finish this with my favorite skill."
The moment his finger lifted, flames burst forth.
[Calamity of Fire: Fury of the Flame Severance]
A gigantic pillar of magma burst from deep underground straight into the sky, like a giant blade tearing apart heaven and earth and breaking the world's prison.
The terrifying heat wave swept up everything around it. The blazing flames pierced through scattered orange sparks and through the entire deep land covered in orange fire.
Even the surrounding heavy sounds of steel suddenly stopped, as if the world itself had been drowned in silence.
The whole world seemed to tremble, afraid that disrespectful words might awaken this world-shaking calamity.
The magma was dark as ink, and the horrifying heat swallowed Cerberus whole.
The crimson glow that once burned fiercely was now covered by the red sea of fire, gradually vanishing as if dragged into a bottomless abyss.
The magma calmed, while the flames danced their final dance.
At this moment, the entire border of hell had been completely destroyed by the terrifying attack.
And the hellhound now lay on the burning ground, barely alive.
Its body slowly rose and fell. All three heads hung out their tongues, no longer able to resist.
Cerberus had forcefully endured five Calamity skills in a row. Comparable to taking five war spells head-on.
Although its body was horribly damaged, it still stubbornly stayed alive.
Viktor looked at its nearly empty health bar and narrowed his eyes.
At this moment, victory was already his.
[The Underworld has acknowledged your qualifications]
The massive steel gates decorated with horned skulls slowly rose once again, covered in magma-like patterns and still radiating danger.
But now, they looked more like they were welcoming Viktor inside.
[The gods are shocked by your victory, especially the god who only wished to see you fall before your opponent]
[He has remembered your scent, and you will continue to receive his attention]
[The Queen of the Underworld "???" wishes to speak with you. She will wait for you in the garden before the Gates of Hell after you leave the Underworld]
[You will continue receiving the gaze of the King of the Underworld "???"]
The steel gates slowly opened.
Between the doors appeared a crimson vortex, floating within emptiness and calling for Viktor to enter.
[The Underworld will continue to welcome your arrival]
"Not a bad welcoming ceremony."
Viktor curled his lips upward, clearly pleased.
"But now's not the time for that."
At the same time, Vega circled through the air a few times before elegantly landing on Viktor's shoulder.
Behind Viktor, the Gate of the Dead spilling dark green smoke also burst open.
A strange dark green vortex appeared from within the doorway as a gigantic skeletal arm emerged from inside.
It tightly grabbed Cerberus's hind legs, the ones extending crimson blades.
Faced with the sudden situation, its six eyes widened as it howled and struggled.
However, with its strength nearly exhausted, it was powerless to resist being dragged away from the gate to deep hell as its vision became covered in dark green mist.
In the end, its crimson flame-covered body was completely sealed inside the Gate of the Dead.
The two gates slammed shut against each other, and the mysterious text floating before Viktor disappeared completely.
The two doors shut with a loud crash, and the mysterious words before Viktor also went silent.
Viktor looked at the gate to deep hell and brushed dust off his trench coat before politely saying, "I need a pet to guard the gate."
"Now, it belongs to me."
Viktor elegantly bowed toward the Gates of Hell.
"So, until we meet again."
He turned into a gust of dark green smoke. The smoke flowing behind his face merged into the goat skull hanging on the Gate of the Dead.
The gate slowly crumbled apart, turning into dark green flames that gradually faded away.
The border of hell returned to normal. Orange flames surged, sparks flickered, and the sounds of twisting steel echoed through the empty land.
Except one gate had opened, and one dog was missing before it.
[...]
[The gods are angry. They are furious and amused at the same time]
[Your actions have drawn the anger of countless gods because you took away hell's gatekeeper right under their noses]
[The King of the Underworld "???" is enraged]
[Your small action will be recorded within the Underworld]
[When you next return to the Underworld]
[You will be sunk into scorching rivers]
[Your soul will be torn away and offered as sacrifice to ten thousand souls]
———
Wrapped in dark green flames, Viktor passed through the Gate of the Dead and stepped into the land filled with golden wheat.
Heavy dark clouds filled the sky while cold winds blew through the wheat fields along with drifting mist.
Vega raised its black wings and wiped its forehead, shaking off several drops of sweat that didn't actually exist.
"My god, that was exciting."
"I really didn't expect you to actually steal that dog right under those guys' noses."
Vega looked up. The giant three-headed hellhound lay in the wheat field, panting heavily.
Its tongue hung out, looking half-dead.
Viktor calmly met Cerberus's gaze.
As the gatekeeper of hell, it naturally could not be brought into the human world by normal means.
But Viktor possessed the Necromancer's domain. The Domain of the Dead did not belong to the human world.
This place would become a bridge leading to the human world, secretly sending Cerberus into reality.
"Those gods can't return to the human world, so we're safe."
As long as Viktor never returned to the Underworld, neither the Underworld nor the gods could do anything to him.
As for now...
"The rest is up to you, Vega."
Vega leaned back slightly and raised the eyebrow above its single eye.
"So you're leaving me alone in such a lonely place? Fine."
"Though my favorite thing is putting my mark on other people's property."
That deep single eye stared at Cerberus, filled with greedy light.
Cerberus lowered its three heads, its body slightly bent as it whimpered softly.
Its trembling body and tucked tail rested quietly on the ground without moving.
———
Dawn slowly appeared as the morning sun rose from beyond the mountains.
Red light spread across the land, warming the weathered Clavenna manor.
Sunlight slipped through the cracks in the curtains, falling across Liya's bed and shining onto the red treasure chest sleeping in the corner.
The chest creaked open, and strands of dark smoke rose from inside and spread outward.
When the smoke faded, Viktor appeared in the room and deeply inhaled the air of the human world.
A faint scent belonging to a girl entered his nose.
This place felt familiar. Where had he arrived?
Looking around the neat room with its faint fragrance, Viktor began examining the surroundings.
Just as he was looking around, he suddenly heard a soft rustling sound behind him.
Out of curiosity, Viktor turned around.
In front of the wardrobe, Liya was unbuttoning her sleepwear.
The sleepwear had just slid down from her shoulders, revealing pale skin.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Liya stopped moving.
She slowly turned around.
At that moment, their eyes met.
Liya looked at Viktor's familiar figure before her, and her whole body froze in place.
For a moment, she was motionless like a statue.
Seeing her turn around on her own, Viktor's gaze subconsciously swept up and down her body several times.
Finally, he calmly and naturally said, "Your development is pretty good."