Rise of the Eromancer-Chapter 361: The Start of the Hunt

"What!? What manner of insanity is this!?"

"Someone stop him!"

Madness. That was the only explanation the champions and heroes could muster as they watched the red blur tearing through the hunting grounds. The only hint of humanity in the frenzied figure was the glint of his eyes, catching the sun like fleeting sparks—eyes that became the last thing his victims saw before being crushed into pulp or cleaved in two.

Most top champions, like Achilles, didn't bother participating in events like these. Hunting the wild cerberus held no glory for them; they had done it countless times before. The gods themselves often barred such champions from participating to give younger, lesser-known heroes a chance to prove themselves.

So why now?

Why was a creature—a beast—allowed to rampage unchecked during this event?

The few heroes who had already respawned rushed to the information board, desperate to uncover the identity of the one responsible for their repeated deaths. Those who had seen him clearly before he was drenched in blood scoured the list of champions to see if they could recognize him.

But no matter how hard they searched, they couldn't find him.

That was, until, someone accidentally scrolled to the bottom of the registry.

"Isn't this… him?"

"On the bottom of the list!?"

"Rhys… of Wilder? Where in the gods' names is that!?"

The plaza buzzed with disbelief. How could the one causing such carnage be someone who had just arrived at the Tournament of Champions? Someone who hadn't even participated in a single event before today?

Yet there it was. Slowly but surely, Rhys's name began climbing the ranks.

And it wasn't because he was raking up points, no. Points are unique, and one could only get them once from killing the same person, perhaps the gods set it that way to avoid someone killing a single person over and over again.

Rhys was climbing up ranks because he killed anyone he saw and causing the others to lose points instead.

Some champions gave up entirely, refusing to re-enter the hunting grounds. Instead, they joined the crowd gathering in the town plaza, watching the chaos unfold on the massive floating screens that broadcast the event.

For Rhys, however, the purpose of his rampage was simple: to ensure no one interrupted Clio's hunt for the wild cerberus.

Drenched in blood and standing amidst the now-deserted field, Rhys and Clio found themselves nearly alone. Most of the other champions had learned to avoid them or resigned themselves to hunting on a completely different area.

"Uhm… I think it's fine now, Rhys."

Clio's voice was soft, but the wry smile on her face betrayed her amusement. She'd killed her share of champions during the hunt, though only those who attacked her first. Unlike Rhys, she wasn't out for blood. Instead, she had focused on tracking the cerberus, though she hadn't found a trace of it. That didn't seem to bother her much; she'd been thoroughly entertained by Rhys's one-man massacre.

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"Did you really need to kill all of them?" Clio asked, glancing around. Though the bodies of resurrected champions disappeared, the blood remained—a stark, crimson stain on the once-vibrant green. "I think the Goddess Artemis is watching us now."

"It doesn't matter, Princess," Rhys replied, casting a glance toward the goddess, who still hadn't left her perch. And true enough, she was staring at them, her eyes narrowed in a mix of curiosity and irritation.

Rhys, however, didn't care. His attention briefly flicked to the Hearts floating above her head before turning back toward the field.

He could have attempted to connect with Artemis, try to at least fill up one of the Hearts—but he'd realized something important since he and Clio had been sent to the Tournament of Champions.

The gods were far more powerful than he had initially believed.

He'd encountered Arachnea, Apollo, and even Hades—and had tasted a sliver of their power. But this? The ability to resurrect champions endlessly, turning them into immortal playthings? It was a stark reminder of just how vast the gap was between him and these… creatures.

If he approached Artemis and she took offense, the result would surely be instant death.

And so, without hesitation, Rhys turned and walked away. It would feel unnatural to approach her now…

…he would do it later, once they'd finished hunting the wild cerberus.

The two continued through the glade, stepping into a vast forest. The trees stood tall and widely spaced, almost as if designed to accommodate the movement of a massive creature.

"Do you know what I find strange about all this, my love?" Clio narrowed her eyes as she scanned the area, not even waiting for Rhys to respond before continuing. "According to the legends I've read, the mother of all cerberus is the guardian of the underworld, which is, well… your world. And typically, they thrive in hot, hellish environments—"

"And this forest is damp and cold," Rhys finished for her.

"Hm," Clio nodded, a small smile briefly touching her lips. "But do you know what else I've learned since meeting you and hearing your stories?"

"What's that?"

"That there's no logic in the world we live in—especially not now that we're here. We came to search for your father, yet we've done everything but that," she sighed. "It feels like the gods have been playing with us ever since we were born."

"They have…" Rhys murmured, cracking his knuckles as he stared at the ground. "And since the only thing we can do is play along, we might as well play along well. Don't you think?"

"What are you—Rhys!?"

Before Clio could finish her words, Rhys suddenly slammed his fist down to the ground—causing the very earth they were standing on to tremble for a moment… before completely caving in—no. It didn't only cave in, but collapsed completely.

Clio barely had time to process what was happening as her feet lost contact with solid ground. She instinctively scanned her surroundings, her sharp eyes locking onto a large chunk of debris falling with her. She kicked off it with practiced precision, throwing herself toward Rhys, who was calmly plummeting alongside her.

The two of them plunged into a literal abyss.

The only indication they'd reached the bottom was the echoing thud of their feet meeting the ground.

And then came the growl.

At first, it seemed to echo endlessly, but it quickly became clear the sound wasn't bouncing off walls—there were multiple growls. Low, guttural, and menacing, all coming from the same direction.

Rhys exhaled, grabbing something from his pocket and then snapping them, creating a crackle which he ultimately used to ignite a small torch. As to where they got them, well, he had learned to be resourceful the past year—and as the darkness was illuminated, the thing they were supposed to hunt finally showed itself to them.

Themselves.

Not only because it had three heads.

But there was more than one cerberus there.

They were surrounded, more than a dozen of them.

"Well," Rhys then took a step back, lightly pushing Clio with a smile on his face, "You said you wanted to handle this yourself, so… …how about it?"