[Krrrrrrrr…….]
A growl dripping with rage filled the Bupyeong Station underground shopping mall.
At the same time, a massive front paw completely smashed the fire hydrant.
Kwajijijik~!
Even so, Cerberus’s anger showed no signs of subsiding.
Soon, Cerberus spewed blazing sulfur flames.
Hwareureureuk! .Hwareuk! ..Hwareureuk!
Red sulfur flames shot up simultaneously from all three heads.
Only then did the foul stench lingering in its nostrils vanish without a trace.
At that moment.
Kkuruk kkuruk~!!
Its stomach churned mercilessly.
An overwhelming hunger surged in.
Since sneaking into the underground shopping mall, Cerberus had devoured every living thing in sight, starting from small insects to rats.
But no matter what it shoved into its mouth, the emptiness never filled—like a bottomless jar.
It was a side effect from undergoing all sorts of experiments at the research facility.
This terrifying hunger could only be satisfied by absorbing massive amounts of mana.
At least devouring the Hellhound had absorbed some mana to hold on, but even that was woefully insufficient.
Soon, Cerberus raised its heads and began sniffing.
The reason it hadn’t been caught once since escaping the facility and reaching this underground mall.
The reason it could repeatedly shake off pursuers in Bupyeong Station underground shopping mall.
Thanks to its extremely sensitive sense of smell that could accurately detect targets even 10km away.
Moreover, the olfactory information collected by each of the three heads allowed it to clearly grasp not just the target’s location but also shape and movement, as if seeing with eyes.
Of course, that made the stench of the sewage water hit even harder.
[Kin…… Kin kin…… Kin……]
Before long, Cerberus caught the scent of its prey.
It began charging fiercely, following the scent trailing like black thread.
Each footfall created gusts of fiery wind.
The junk in the underground mall burned mercilessly and scattered.
In just a few seconds, Cerberus reached its target.
A woman in a pure white dress.
Dense negative-dimensional mana emanated from her body.
If it chewed her up whole and absorbed the mana, this cursed hunger might finally be sated.
It could also gain power far greater than now.
Perhaps even evolution into a ‘higher species’ was possible.
[Krrrrrrrrrk-.]
Cerberus approached slowly, drooling boiling saliva ttuk ttuk.
But.
[…….]
The woman stood still, not fleeing.
Frozen before impending death.
No different from the countless prey it had devoured before.
[Kraaaaaaaaak—!]
Soon, Cerberus roared roughly and lunged at the prey.
But at that moment.
[……Now, Master.]
A low voice from the woman’s mouth.
At the same time.
Deudeuk— Deuddeuddeuddeuk—
A sound like something tilting.
Soon, what entered Cerberus’s eyes was a display case toppling over.
……Tung! ……Tung! ……Tung! …… Teoeong!
As the first display case fell, others began collapsing in a domino effect.
Glass bottles displayed shattered on the floor, spilling their contents everywhere.
Jjaenggang! Jjaenggeurang! Wajangchangchang—!
Glass shards and liquids flying everywhere.
At that instant.
Hwaaaaaaaaak!
Something struck Cerberus’s face head-on.
It was neither swirling magic nor a sharp sword strike.
[Kin.Kin kin…… Kin……! Kek kek kek kek!]
Scent.
What hit Cerberus was a fierce current of smells.
Sour and pungent, sweet and cloying, deep and subtle, sharp and intense.
Plus floral, woody, powdery, mossy, smoky scents.
Hundreds of different fragrances mixed chaotically, surging like a tsunami.
Cerberus coughed painfully.
[Kek! Kek kek! Kek kek kek kek! Kek kek! Kre—haaaaaak!]
Sticky scent particles clung to nostrils and palate, stimulating olfactory cells.
Even for a normal dog, it would be horrific; for Cerberus with senses tens of thousands of times sharper, how much worse?
To Cerberus, this scent bomb was nothing less than a torture weapon.
It quickly turned its head toward the source of the smell.
Glass bottles on the display cases.
The liquids spilling from the broken bottles emitted intensely concentrated fragrances.
[Grrrrrrrrrk~!]
Soon, Cerberus gathered sulfur flames in its mouth with a gurgling sound.
Intending to burn the source of the stench entirely.
Soon.
Puhwaaaaaaaaaaaaak!
Red sulfur flames erupted simultaneously from all three maws.
The blazing inferno swept the display area, incinerating everything it touched.
The thick fragrances evaporated in an instant from the intense heat.
But.
[……!?]
Cerberus’s nose twitched spasmodically.
Something was wrong.
[Kekek! Kek kek! Kek kek kek kek! Kek!]
Coughing even harder than before.
The scents had vanished only briefly.
Mixed with the sulfur flames’ heat, even stronger and more varied smells began spreading.
Fragrances thick enough for even ordinary people to cover their noses.
For Cerberus with senses about a million times sharper, it was like red-hot pokers stirring its nostrils.
[Krrrrrrrk!]
[Keoeok…… Keok.. Kegek…… Kek kek kek…… Kkiiing— Kkiing!]
The left and right heads streamed tears, snot, and drool, utterly disoriented.
In contrast, the central head, holding control of the body, quickly tried to assess the situation.
It should have burned away the scents with sulfur flames—what was this?
[……Krrrrrk!?]
The central head spotted something beyond the blazing sulfur flames.
Hwareureureureuk~!
Burning fiercely like a signal fire were piles of hundreds of scented candles.
***
‘Operation success!’
I nodded, watching the diffuser store blaze.
The trap to neutralize Cerberus’s sense of smell, aka ‘Scent Hell.’
Toppling the display cases to spread diffuser scents was just a feint.
Cerberus would surely spew sulfur flames to eliminate the smells.
And the real deal was the piles of scented candles stacked behind the displays.
Cerberus’s sulfur flames that never extinguish until the target is completely incinerated.
Meaning, those candles would keep burning until their ‘duty’ (?) was done.
Emitting all sorts of fragrances peng peng.
[Keok keok……! Kkyeok……!]
[Keaeek! Keeaeek! Kkiiiiing!]
[Kkeuruk
Kkeureureureureuk.
Cerberus, completely out of it from the scent bomb.
Moreover, the ventilation system in Bupyeong Station underground shopping mall was completely stopped.
..But a trap is just a trap.
The main course starts now.
Kwaang—!
Jeanne leaped, shattering the ground.
Climbing atop Cerberus, she began strangling the central head with both arms.
[Kek! Kek kek! Kek!]
Cerberus has three heads, with the most intelligent one holding control of the body.
Literally the leader.
[Kek! Kek kek kek! Keaeek—!]
Cerberus thrashed wildly.
But Jeanne’s arms, locked like a noose, showed no sign of loosening.
Soon, Cerberus’s left and right heads began attacking Jeanne simultaneously.
Kwajik! Kwajiik! Kwajik! Kwajijik~!
Arms, shoulders, calves, thighs, wrists, and ankles.
Cerberus’s massive fangs pierced her body mercilessly.
Black blood flowed, flesh tore revealing bone, but Jeanne paid no heed, tightening her arms further.
Black mana surged, repairing Jeanne’s wounds in the blink of an eye.
At that moment.
Jjijik!
Jeanne’s poker face twisted for a moment.
Because Cerberus’s left head had torn the bottom of her dress.
[How dare you tear the one-of-a-kind garment Master gave me…….]
Inverted black-and-white eyes stared fixedly at Cerberus.
Hot rage blazed in the pure white pupils.
Jeanne ground her teeth, glaring at the left head.
[……You’re next.]
With those words.
……Ttuduk!
Cerberus’s central head drooped limp.
Jeanne immediately wrapped her arms around the left head.
Udeuk— Udeuddeuk— Udeuk—
[Geok! Gegeok! Geok geok!]
This time, not the neck but crushing the skull itself.
No doubt intending to smash the cranium.
Then, Cerberus’s right head panicked and tried to bite Jeanne.
But.
“Not sure if this will work.”
I threw the large plastic bags in my hands into Cerberus’s maw.
Imported chocolates swept from the snack store counter across the way.
Chocolate is deadly poison to canines—common knowledge for kind-hearted dog lovers like me?
Sure enough.
[Keoreuk…… Keoreureuk……]
Foam began bubbling from Cerberus’s snout.
No matter how much it’s the watchdog of hell’s gates, a dog is a dog.
At that instant.
Ppagak—!
With a terrifying sound, Cerberus’s second head drooped limp too.
Soon, Cerberus’s last head began wailing pitifully.
[Kkiing! Nking! Nking nking—! Kkiing—! Kking nking nking!]
A miserable cry it hadn’t even made when it was a tiny Chihuahua.
Soon, Jeanne approached the last head and muttered.
[There are no bad dogs in the world.]
A dry voice.
But the meaning was truly warm.
The last head nodded frantically heollebeoltteok, wagging its tail with all its might.
But Jeanne’s gaze looking down at it was colder than before.
[Bad dogs…… are all dead.]