The heavy stone doors groaned behind Kyle as they sealed shut, locking him into a pitch-black temple that reeked of death and molten ash.

  

  Warning: Floor Guardian Encounter Imminent

  Name: Cerberus — Gatekeeper of Hell

  Kyle blinked.

  “…Cerberus? Like… the three-headed death dog?”

  A faint rumble shook the air.

  A deep growl echoed from the darkness.

  Kyle: “…Of course it’s the three-headed death dog.”

  One admin god spat out his divine wine. “They sent Cerberus on Floor One?!”

  A second admin, flipping through records, shrieked, “HE’S CLASSLESS! WHO FILED THIS?!”

  A junior admin whispered nervously, “W-We didn’t expect anyone to actually choose Hell Difficulty…”

  “WELL, SOMEONE JUST DID!!”

  Another god squinted at Kyle’s display window. “Wait. He skipped the tutorial. Again?!”

  “Look, he’s going in barefoot! Is that a twig in his hand? Oh. No. It’s a rusty B-rank sword.”

  Kyle moved slowly, trying not to make a sound, sword drawn low.

  He could see it now… a massive, chained figure resting in the shadows of the chamber.

  Three colossal heads lay flat, sleeping. Each one breathed slow, earth-rattling breaths.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Kyle muttered, “If I just sneak past it—”

  CRACK.

  His foot landed on a piece of charred bone.

  The closest head’s red eye opened.

  Kyle: “…”

  

  Guardian Cerberus has Awakened

  All three heads lifted, glowing with molten fury.

  Cerberus let out an earth-shaking roar.

  One god leaned forward. “Ohhhh nooo. He woke it.”

  Another one yelled, “YOU HAD ONE JOB!”

  Someone else laughed, “He stepped on a bone! Classic noob move!”

  A small betting board appeared above them:

  Kyle Survives 1 Minute — 5:1 Odds

  Kyle Dies Immediately — 1:2 Odds

  Kyle Befriends Cerberus — 1000:1 Odds

  Without any prompt or countdown, Cerberus pounced.

  Kyle’s reflexes screamed—he dove sideways, barely missing a jaw the size of a truck.

  He rolled, slashed—his blade bounced off its hide like plastic.

  Cerberus roared and swept its paw.

  BOOM.

  Kyle was launched across the room, crashing through obsidian pillars.

  Blood spilled from his mouth.

  “Shit—can’t even scratch it…”

  He scrambled to his feet. Another head breathed fire in a cone—Kyle ducked behind rubble just in time.

  His stamina was draining fast. He was panting, burned, bleeding, nearly unconscious.

  

  Warning: Vital signs critical

  In his hazy vision, a faint blue shimmer appeared in the distance.

  A faint label blinked faintly above it:

  

  [Safe Zone]

  Kyle's eyes widened.

  Every instinct in his body told him to run. But his limbs barely responded.

  Cerberus roared again. Kyle didn’t have time.

  He gritted his teeth, adrenaline flaring.

  “I’m not dying here…”

  With one final push, he bolted toward the glowing zone.

  Cerberus lunged.

  Kyle dove.

  The second he crossed the shimmer—

  

  [ Safe Zone Activated ]

  Cerberus slammed against an invisible barrier. The ground cracked… but Kyle was safe.

  Collapsed, breath heaving, blood dripping.

  He didn’t even realize what was inside the safe zone.

  He just passed out.

  A god screamed, “HE MADE IT?!”

  One of them sighed, “He's like a cockroach. Can’t kill him.”

  Another whispered, “Did he… actually made to the Safe Zone ?”

  The administrator managing the floor pulled his hair. “I bet he don't know what's going to happen there”

  A cloaked figure sat in a throne of swirling emptiness.

  He watched the screen showing Kyle’s broken body… and smiled faintly.

  “He lives. How amusing.”