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Chapter 34: You Think This Is Over?
Chapter 34: You Think This Is Over?
[Hellhound struggled against the invisible restraints, his Cerberus avatar snarling and thrashing in a futile attempt to break free.]
[The air around them grew colder, the chill of the netherworld seeping into the atmosphere as Hellhound's powers activated in response to the threat.]
[But it was too late. Your tentacles tightened their grip, constricting Hellhound and his avatar further. His once-confident demeanor now cracked under the pressure, the realization of his predicament dawning on him.]
[Evangeline, who had been standing nearby, watched the scene unfold with a mixture of awe and relief. The notorious Hellhound, who had terrorized so many, was now at your mercy.]
["You really thought you could waltz in here, make a show, and walk away victorious?" you taunted, stepping closer to the bound assassin. "I think you underestimated your opponent this time."]
[Hellhound's eyes narrowed, but the defiance in his gaze was tempered by a flicker of fear. "You think this is over? You've only delayed the inevitable."]
["Maybe," you conceded, your voice cold and unyielding, "but for now, you're not going anywhere."]
[With a final thought, you forced the tentacles to squeeze even tighter, the crushing pressure bringing Hellhound to his knees. His Cerberus avatar let out a pained whimper as it too was overpowered, its formidable strength useless against your invisible assault.]
[You initially considered testing Hellhound's power to confirm his abilities, but quickly dismissed the idea. It didn't matter what Hellhound's abilities were—you had easily subdued him with your superior power.]
[With that decision made, another three hundred tentacles extended toward Hellhound, their tips sharpening to lethal points.]
[With just a thought, the tentacles moved at incredible speed, impaling Hellhound and his Cerberus avatar repeatedly, like javelins striking and retracting in rapid succession.]
[Cerberus was torn apart under the relentless assault, and Hellhound was reduced to a mangled heap of flesh.]
[To an outsider, it would have seemed as if Hellhound and his Cerberus avatar were bound by an invisible force, only to be mercilessly obliterated in seconds.]
["That takes care of that. The best way to protect someone isn't just to defend them but to eliminate the threat before it can strike," you remarked, brushing off imaginary dust from your clothes as you moved to collect the loot from Hellhound's remains.]
[Evangeline, watching the swift end to the battle, sighed in both relief and awe. "Even the Hellhound was no match for you. I didn't even get a chance to reveal my avatar or powers; it was over before I could react."]
[You reassured her, "There's no need to worry. A good bodyguard doesn't just protect; they prevent the need for protection in the first place. If I had let you fight, it would have meant I failed at my job. I'm glad it didn't come to that."]
[Both you and Evangeline, along with the Solstice Family, felt a sense of relief that the ordeal was seemingly over.]
[But just as the Solstice Family prepared to retrieve the avatar crystal from their safe to complete your payment, you sensed something unusual emanating from Hellhound's corpse.]
[Evangeline noticed it too, her instincts as an avatar master alerting her to the brewing danger. The rest of the Solstice Family, though unaware of the specifics, picked up on the tension in the air and quickly became vigilant.]
[Suddenly, a surge of cold netherworld energy erupted from Hellhound's corpse, filling the air with an ominous chill.]
[The dark energy coalesced into a monstrous form—Cerberus, but this time it was different, more menacing.]
[Cerberus's fur, once dark and shadowy, had turned a deep, blood-red crimson, and its three heads snarled with feral intensity.]
[Its eyes, which once held a glimmer of intelligence and malice, were now hollow, consumed by pure rage and bloodlust. The beast had lost all sentience, driven only by the primal urge to destroy.]
[Just as the newly resurrected Cerberus prepared to lunge at you and the Solstice Family, Evangeline stepped forward, her expression calm and resolute.]
[With a graceful wave of her hand, the monstrous Cerberus was instantly frozen in place, encased in a flawless ice sculpture that shimmered in the cold light.]
[Evangeline's avatar revealed itself in that moment, manifesting as the Frost Goddess Divine Clothing—a magnificent set of attire that radiated ethereal beauty and power.]
[Upon her head rested a delicate winter crown, intricately crafted from pure, glistening ice, adorned with frosty gemstones that caught the light like stars twinkling in a wintry sky.]
[In her hand, she held an ice scepter, its shaft made of translucent crystal, and its tip crowned with a cluster of sharp, gleaming icicles that seemed to pulsate with a cold, unforgiving energy.]
[Her battle dress, a masterpiece of elegance, was woven from threads of frost and snow, its surface adorned with intricate ice, frost, and snow motifs. The dress flowed like a frozen river, and every movement she made sent a ripple of cold air through the room, making her appear as though she had descended from a divine realm of eternal winter.]
[Evangeline looked every bit the embodiment of a Frost Goddess, ethereal and divine, as she stood before the frozen Cerberus, her presence commanding and awe-inspiring.]
[A sudden surge of power coursed through Cerberus, and with a mighty roar, the beast shattered the ice sculpture encasing it.]
[The ice splintered into a thousand shards, falling to the ground as Cerberus emerged, even more powerful and ferocious than it had been when its master was alive.]
[The crimson-furred Cerberus barked, and the sound reverberated through the stronghold like a shockwave, carrying with it a potent mental attack that sent the soldiers and guards around you into a stunned daze.]
[Even you felt the weight of the mental assault pressing down on your mind, threatening to overwhelm your senses.]
[But just as the mental attack threatened to incapacitate everyone, Evangeline's winter crown began to glow with a soft, icy blue light, dispelling the effects of the mental crowd control. She regained her composure in an instant, her eyes narrowing with determination.]
[With a swift motion, she waved her ice scepter, and the air around her filled with countless sharp icicles, each one gleaming with a deadly edge.]
[Evangeline brought her ice scepter downward in a commanding gesture, and the icicles shot toward Cerberus like a hailstorm of frozen daggers!]