Cronus' system: Against the gods

Chapter 113 Inside the Gates

Rex arrived before the gates with a confident look on his face.

Despite the grim surroundings, Rex wore a confident smirk, but underneath it was a storm of doubt and frustration.

He couldn't forget the recent fallout with Lucius and his gang, the memory of his helplessness burned in his mind. If it hadn't been for Hercules and Jefferson, he'd have been another casualty of Lucius' growing shadow.

The thought lingered, sour and heavy, but Rex refused to let it show. He clenched his fists, feeling the faint hum of Aether beneath his skin, and took a steadying breath.

"So, Cronus," Rex began, his voice carrying a forced bravado that barely masked his unease. "Should I be expecting a fancy key to this gate, or can I just smash through it? Because, honestly, that'd be way more satisfying."

The silence around him felt oppressive, broken only by the faint creaks of the spectral chains shifting in the nonexistent breeze.

It felt strange. Cerberus had guarded the first gate, its menacing presence etched into Rex's memory. But here, there was no keeper, no hulking beast standing watch. The absence gnawed at him.

"The key opens all the gates in Tartarus," Cronus finally answered, his voice a low rumble that seemed to rise from the depths of the world itself. "All thou hast to do is summon it, as thou summoneth thy sword."

Rex nodded, stretching his hands forward as tendrils of Aether coalesced around his fingers, glowing like liquid starlight.

"So that's how it is, huh?" he muttered, his tone lightening as a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Well, can I summon some cookies from your dimension too? You know, fuel up again before driving into doom?"

He drew a circle in the air with practiced precision, the Aether responding like a brush to his will. Images of the Key of Hades flooded his mind.

The glow of Aether intensified, and with a sudden spark, the key materialized in his hand.

The Key of Hades materialized in his hands, a reminder of the Cerberus' ferocius paws and outstanding endurance. Heck! That battle still etched into his memory even now. "Hmm? Cronus, the cookies?"

"...?"

Rex frowned, turning the key over in his hands. "Uh, Cronus? You didn't answer me." He raised an eyebrow, waving the key slightly as though it could draw Cronus' attention. "Can I summon cookies from your dimension or what?"

"...?"

"C'mon," Rex muttered, shaking his head. "Don't go silent on me now. You can't just dangle omnipotent baking powers in front of a guy and not deliver."

The lack of response didn't really bother Rex. He had gotten used to Cronus' deadpan reactions or lack thereof. "Hmph! Lightening the mood helps, you know," he muttered under his breath, gripping the key tighter. "But nooo, you've got to be all cryptic and broody, don't you? Typical."

As he stepped closer, the gates loomed over him like the jaws of a great beast waiting to devour its prey. Rex tried not to think about how small he felt compared to them.

He thrust the key into what he assumed was the keyhole, its jagged edges fitting with a faint click.

The reaction was immediate. A searing green light exploded outward from the gate, swallowing the ancient iron and spilling over the jagged terrain like molten emeralds.

The key in his hand grew unbearably hot, its surface thrumming with a power that seemed far older than anything he had encountered.

"Okay, that's... definitely not normal!" Rex muttered, trying to yank his hand back. But the key wouldn't budge, it felt fused to his palm. Panic began to bubble beneath his practiced bravado as the light crept up his arms, crawling like sentient fire across his skin.

"Uh... Cronus? A little explanation here, please!" His voice wavered slightly, the first crack in his carefully maintained confidence. The light, warm at first, grew colder and sharper as it traveled over him. His muscles tensed involuntarily, his breaths growing shallow.

"...!"

Nothing. No response. Just the oppressive hum of the gate's power and the relentless advance of the light.

Endurance: 80

Intelligence: 20

Description: Shadowy figures that appear as humanoid silhouettes with glowing eyes, these are souls that failed to cross into the afterlife and are now bound to the temple.

Abilities:

Soul Drain: Slowly saps the life force of any living creature nearby.

Intangibility: Can phase through walls and attacks.

"So weak!" Rex spat in disgust as his own stats flashed before his eyes.

Name: Rex Xander

Level: 38

XP to next level: 0/1,900,000xp

Race: Human (Hero of Time)

Class: Cerberus Slayer (Effect: gains 2x more XP from killing wolf-like creatures)

Strength: 258

Agility: 282

Endurance: 194

Intelligence: 174

Aether: 180/180

Available Ability Points: 0

Active skills:

Aegis of Eternity level 1(XP to next lv 0/300xp): (Cost: 5 Aether per one second)

Harbinger can create a timeless bubble that isolates them from time's flow. Inside the bubble, they are immune to damage, healing rapidly or simply freezing in place until it's safe to emerge.

Passive Skills

Fate's eyes

Titan's will: Cooldown time left(24 hours)

"Not to talk of me being able to rewind time by 5 seconds and also use temporal rift for five seconds without Aether, this would be a piece a cake"

A/N: Don't unlock the next chapter. I got exams....um.....sorry, *Sigh* school life