NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33: Hellhound And His Avatar Cerberus Appears!
[Hearing Evangeline admit that she was not only an avatar master but someone who had absorbed seven avatar crystals, you couldn't help but view her with newfound respect.]
[You understood the immense pain and difficulty of absorbing an avatar crystal, with each successive absorption becoming increasingly agonizing.]
[For Evangeline to have endured this process seven times, she was clearly not an ordinary woman. As expected of the heiress of the Solstice Family, she was extraordinary.]
[Moreover, the fact that Evangeline had absorbed seven avatar crystals meant that her avatar was in a semi-evolved state, similar to yours. This indicated that her avatar had likely awakened a new ability, making her capable of easily defeating avatar masters who hadn't reached this stage.]
[While you were already confident in your ability to defeat the Hellhound, knowing Evangeline's power provided an added layer of assurance.]
[As long as the Hellhound hadn't absorbed 13 avatar crystals and fully evolved his avatar, you had plenty of room to maneuver.]
[With this in mind, you asked, "What about the Hellhound? Do you have any information about his power and the number of avatar crystals he's absorbed?"]
[Evangeline nodded, then shook her head slightly before explaining, "I know about the abilities he's shown publicly, but as for the exact number of avatar crystals he's absorbed, that's something no avatar master would reveal easily. Not everyone knows about the method of evolving one's avatar through crystal absorption."]
[She added, "However, my family has researched the matter, and we estimate that the Hellhound has absorbed approximately eleven avatar crystals, possibly even twelve. That would explain why he's willing to assassinate me for the one more crystal his employer is offering."]
["After all, with one more crystal, he would achieve the complete evolution of his avatar. At that point, he wouldn't care about the consequences of offending the Solstice Family."]
[Upon hearing this from Evangeline, you felt even more confident about facing the Hellhound.]
[As you continued to question her, Evangeline provided detailed information about the Hellhound's powers and abilities.]
[What you learned was both impressive and daunting—the Hellhound appeared to have very few, if any, weaknesses. The primary vulnerability of most avatar masters, which was their human form, had been effectively mitigated by the Hellhound.]
[According to the Solstice Family's research, the Hellhound could merge with his Cerberus avatar, transforming into a half-human, half-beast form.]
[Although this form was somewhat weaker than Cerberus itself, it compensated by eliminating the Hellhound's human weaknesses. This transformation could even be partially activated without fully integrating Cerberus into himself.]
[In other words, the Hellhound could undergo a partial beast transformation, enhancing his physical power and effectively neutralizing the typical vulnerability that avatar masters faced—making his own body less of a weakness.]
[Just as you were about to ask Evangeline more questions, your conversation was abruptly interrupted by a loud, ferocious barking echoing from outside. The sound was so powerful that it seemed to shake the very walls of the Solstice Family's stronghold.]
[Evangeline's eyes widened, and before either of you could react, the barking was followed by a series of deafening explosions.]
[The entire stronghold trembled as sections of the outer walls crumbled, and you could hear the panicked shouts of the Solstice Family's guards as they rushed to respond.]
["It's him," Evangeline whispered, her voice tinged with a mix of fear and resolve.]
[You nodded, already summoning your purple tentacles, preparing for what was to come. You could sense the presence of a powerful avatar master approaching—Hellhound had arrived.]
[You and Evangeline rushed to the nearest window, and as you peered outside, you saw him—a figure emerging from the smoke and rubble of the now-destroyed walls.]
[Hellhound was a middle-aged man with a rugged, battle-worn appearance.]
[His hair, dark and wild, framed a face marked by countless scars, each one telling a story of a life spent in brutal combat. His eyes burned with a feral intensity, a deep red glow that seemed to pierce through the shadows.]
[His physique was imposing, his muscles corded with strength, and his skin bore a faint, almost imperceptible sheen, as if he were constantly on the verge of transforming into his beastly form. His attire was simple—a torn, weathered leather jacket and combat pants—but the aura he exuded was anything but ordinary.]
[As he stepped forward, a massive three-headed dog—a physical manifestation of his Cerberus avatar—materialized behind him.]
[Each head snarled viciously, and the ground beneath its massive paws seemed to crack and freeze from the cold air of the netherworld that radiated off it.]
[The temperature around Hellhound dropped dramatically, and a bone-chilling frost began to spread across the ground, as if the very essence of the underworld was seeping into the mortal realm.]
[Hellhound's lips curled into a cruel smile as he surveyed the damage he had wrought, clearly enjoying the chaos he had unleashed.]
[His voice, low and menacing, carried over the distance. "So, this is the infamous Phantom Reaper. And you must be the little Solstice heir they're paying so much to protect."]
[You couldn't help but scoff at the situation. "Yo, bro! Are you here to assassinate someone or start a war? Cuz it's hella loud for an assassination."]
[Hellhound merely smirked, unfazed by your attitude. "Doesn't matter. In the end, all of you will die. A perfect assassination leaves no witnesses because they're all dead along with the target."]
[As Hellhound spoke, you kept up the casual banter, but behind your facade, you were already setting your plan in motion.]
[While he focused on the conversation, you quietly released hundreds of your invisible tentacles, letting them slither through the air toward him and his Cerberus avatar.]
[In a matter of seconds, your tentacles had coiled around Hellhound and his Cerberus, binding them tightly before they even realized what was happening.]
[Hellhound's smug expression faltered as he realized he was bound by something unseen. His eyes widened in shock, and a growl escaped his lips. "What the—?"]
[You couldn't help but smirk at his reaction. "Surprised? You should be. You're not the only one with tricks up your sleeve, Hellhound."]