The entire world was thrown into chaos by the appearance of the Transcendent species Jeramin had summoned through sacrifice.

The proof was the way the global average viewership rating was climbing at a terrifying pace.

The moment the Transcendent species appeared, reporters all over the world rushed out articles.

One of the eleven Transcendent species appears.Cerberus, Gatekeeper of the Demon Realm, reveals itself before the entire world.The Transcendent species Cerberus is nearly level 600...Viewers from all over the world poured in as they saw the articles, and the commentators began explaining the situation.

Up until now, there have only been three public raids on Transcendent species. The first was when Master Blacksmith Hyun raided the Great Archdemon Gremory together with the White Tiger Sword.The second was the Ice Witch, raided by around fifty American high-rankers from the United States, the nation widely considered the strongest Ares country in the world.The last was the Hydra recently raided in China. Poison King Liu was the only person capable of summoning Hydra, and once he realized that Hydra did not end at the Legendary level and that a true Transcendent Hydra actually existed, he gathered China’s top users and launched the raid.What is interesting is that, with the exception of Gremory, neither of those two raids could really be called complete successes.The Ice Witch was in a severely weakened state, and the American rankers ambushed it in that condition to secure their victory.The same is true of Hydra. Rather than calling it a kill, it is closer to saying it was sealed.That is what a Transcendent species is at present: an incomprehensible realm beyond the power of users to do anything about.Their commentary itself proved why the viewers had come flooding in.

He summoned Cerberus?This is completely insane... damn.Is there anyone who doesn’t know Cerberus, the gatekeeper of hell?Jeramin? Who’s Jeramin?At the center of it all, the user Jeramin stared at Cerberus drooling in front of him.

This is insane.

Summoning one of the eleven Transcendent species happened at random.

And Transcendent Cerberus was one everyone knew.

Cerberus, the gatekeeper of hell, already famous even in reality.

Of course, it had not been easy for Jeramin to summon Cerberus either.

It required not only the sacrifice of twenty powerful rankers, but Jeramin himself also had to pay a price.

[You have summoned a Transcendent species.]

[Your level decreases by 5.]

[You cannot use Sacrificial Summoning for 2 weeks.]

Even so—

The loss of five levels did not matter at all.

The timing was perfect.

All the prime figures of the nation of Hyun had gathered here.

If he slaughtered everyone in front of him through the Transcendent species Cerberus, Jeramin could rise in a single leap into the ranks of the greatest users in the world.

And Jeramin did not let the chance slip away.

“Summoner’s Sacrifice.”

KUUHWA-A-A-A-A-ANG-!

One of Jeramin’s greatest powers—one carrying penalties comparable to Transcendent Species Summoning itself—manifested.

[Summoner’s Sacrifice]

[The summoner is sacrificed to maximize all stats of the summoned species.]

[All stats increase by 18%.]

[Attack Power and Defense increase by 20%.]

[Total HP and MP increase by 25%.]

[When the summoned target’s summoning ends, you will be forcibly logged out, and double the normal forced-logout penalty will be applied.]

[Cerberus’s level is updated!!]

[Cerberus Lv.637]

That displayed level was enough to shock the entire world.

Even Kumar, standing on Jeramin’s side, found it awe-inspiring.

“Grrrrrrrr.”

“Krarararak!”

“Grrr, grrr, grrrr!”

The oppressive aura pouring from Cerberus alone made it hard to breathe, and the Indian rankers trembled.

Kumar, too, knew exactly what he had to do.

“Sun God’s Grace.”

[Sun God’s Grace]

[The target’s stats increase by 5%, and all Attack Power and Defense increase by 15%.]

[This is a stackable buff.]

[Cerberus’s level is updated.]

[Cerberus Lv.642]

Among the Indian rankers, those with stackable buff skills began layering them onto Cerberus.

Since they were stackable buffs, each individual one was not huge, but endless pillars of light rained down over Cerberus’s body.

By the time every stackable buff had been applied, Cerberus had become an absurd existence.

[Cerberus’s level is updated.]

[Cerberus Lv.664]

The Indian rankers were ecstatic.

“The ultimate weapon we created...”

“This is insane.”

“The nation of Hyun is finished now.”

“We won. We really won against the nation of Hyun!”

Jeramin knew that, if only for the moment of its summoning through Sacrificial Summoning, the Transcendent species had to obey his orders.

Standing beside Cerberus, Jeramin said,

“Cerberus, tear that man’s head off.”

The one Jeramin pointed at.

None other than Hyunsoo.

But then—

[Cerberus refuses your command.]

“...?”

Jeramin frowned in confusion.

Something incomprehensible was happening.

Cerberus stood firm, staring only at Hyunsoo.

That expression—was it a beast looking at prey?

Not at all.

The three-headed Cerberus was smiling at Hyunsoo.

What is this? That look... it’s like it’s met its master...

Jeramin was overcome with confusion.

*****

Cerberus.

Hope had been living a happier life lately than anyone else.

Even today, he had been enjoying a kind of happiness he once could never have had.

Thanks to his older brother Kkoko’s power, Hope had been able to remain in Atlas for the day, and he had fallen asleep.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Lucky Lump curled up asleep before him, while Golemmy leaned against something with a pickaxe in its arms, sleeping as well.

And on top of his back, the adorable KyooKyoo and Pretty were sleeping together.

Kkoko, the older brother who lost his memory again from time to time, stood atop a tree, looking down at him with a gentle smile.

“Grrr...”

“Krng...”

“Grrr...”

Hope, whose body was larger than anyone else there, let out tiny sounds so he would not wake them, then wrapped his paws tightly around Lucky Lump and Golemmy in his embrace.

Hope had lived his entire life amid pain, suffering, disregard, contempt, and trampling.

And at the end of all that, what Hope had wanted most was rest.

Just a peaceful death.

His life had been like that of a suffering dog waiting to be euthanized.

But then—

The appearance of one human had changed everything.

Nell, passing by, had said,

“I’ve heard one person can’t change the world. But it seems Hyunsoo changed your world.”

At their lilting laughter, Hope had panted happily.

Today.

The master named Hyunsoo had changed Hope’s world.

And then, dragged by a sudden compulsory force, Hope appeared here.

There was Hyunsoo, the one who had changed his world.

And surrounding him were more than a hundred and fifty unknown humans threatening him.

They had made Hope even stronger.

Then Jeramin spoke.

“Cerberus, tear that man’s head off.”

[The summoner commands you.]

[You are to kill everyone before you.]

[You must comply.]

The moment Hope saw Hyunsoo, he was happy.

But he did not run to him.

And he tried not to wag his tail the way he usually did.

Cerberus possessed extremely high intelligence, and just as he had thought, the humans had placed buffs on him.

“Hurry up and kill all of them!”

The summoner, Jeramin, urged him on.

[Cerberus does not carry out the summoner’s command.]

Once again, Cerberus refused to listen.

Then another voice was heard.

[The god who governs causal law descends in person to warn you.]

A god appeared, visible only to Hope.

The god who governed causal law.

The God of Death.

A man cloaked in black robes, his face hidden in darkness, appeared amid black currents.

Because Hope was a Transcendent species, he possessed far more knowledge than others—and even understood why the God of Death had appeared.

The God of Death approached and said,

“If you do not comply, you will be imprisoned in the Abyssal Hell for two weeks. The summoner offered sacrifices and summoned you. You must answer.”

Hope, standing before him, did not move in the slightest.

Cerberus, who normally only made the sounds of a beast, now faced him in silence.

The God of Death slammed his staff against the ground.

KUUUNG-!

“Comply.”

It was a power that carried the force of an enormous yoke and suffocating oppression.

The Abyssal Hell.

The hell where those who defied the commands of Ares went.

Or those who violated causal law.

Or many other beings besides.

Hope did not know much about that place either, and the God of Death informed him directly.

[It warns you that you will feel the pain of burning in scorching fire.]

[It warns you that you will feel the pain of freezing solid in bitter cold.]

[It warns you that you will feel the pain of being cut apart by thousands of blades.]

[It warns you that you will feel the pain of falling from a great height.]

[It warns you that you will feel the pain of your body being crushed by massive iron bars.]

[It warns you that you will feel the pain of suffocating underwater.]

[It warns you that you will feel the pain of walking an endless road.]

[If you do not comply, you will live for two weeks in the most terrible fear imaginable.]

But Hope did not waver in the slightest.

The God of Death was startled.

“Are you not afraid? Even with the power of a Transcendent species, it will be difficult to endure.”

This was a space where only the two of them could speak.

And unlike usual, Hope could now speak not in the sounds of Cerberus, but in a human voice.

As he turned, Hope’s heavy voice rang out.

“It doesn’t matter.”

There was not a shred of regret on any of the three heads as he turned, and the God of Death asked,

“What is it that makes you go this far?”

To that question, Cerberus walked on in silence for a moment before answering.

“My master.”

*****

[Cerberus does not carry out the summoner’s command.]

[The god of causal law warns Cerberus.]

[However, Cerberus decides to accept all of the consequences.]

[Cerberus breaks free from your restraints.]

“...?!”

Jeramin panicked.

An incomprehensible situation was unfolding.

Cerberus slowly approached Hyunsoo.

The moment he broke free of the restraints, he no longer bothered hiding it.

He wagged his tail with all his strength and ran toward Hyunsoo with his massive body.

Tat-tat, tat-tat-!

Then he sat down in front of him, panting and grinning.

And Hyunsoo, too, could hear it.

[You are the owner of the Transcendent-grade Cerberus’s Ring.]

[Cerberus’s Ring cannot be used for 2 weeks.]

[Hope is dragged into the Abyssal Hell.]

[Hope will suffer the pain of burning in the hottest flames for 2 weeks.]

[Hope will suffer the pain of having his flesh torn apart by thousands of blades for 2 weeks.]

[Hope will...]

As Hyunsoo listened to the notifications, sorrow crossed his face.

This was not the situation he had wanted.

Nor the one he had hoped for.

He kept shaking his head, as if begging him not to do this.

But Hope, sitting before him, smiled brightly.

[Hope tells you not to worry.]

[Hope says he can endure it.]

[Hope says it is nothing.]

[Hope says he is happy to be able to fight together.]

[Hope says that you are his only master.]

Hyunsoo could see Hope lowering his body before him.

He had been thinking of scolding him.

But he changed his mind.

It had been Hope’s choice.

And the creature bowing before him was looking at him with a radiant smile.

There was not a trace of regret in him.

So Hyunsoo climbed onto Hope’s back.

Then the crouching Transcendent species Cerberus slowly rose, releasing its force.

“Krrrhaaaaaaaa!”

“Kraaaaaaaa!”

“Kwooooooooah!!!!”

Hyunsoo and Cerberus seized the attention of viewers across the world.

What exactly are we looking at right now?The Transcendent species Cerberus is carrying Master Blacksmith Hyun.This is a sight no one will ever see again in their life!Then Hyunsoo said,

“Ready, Hope?”

[Hope says he is ready.]

“Sweep them away.”

PUOOOOOOOOONG-!

Cameras around the world began broadcasting Cerberus racing forward like a streak of light with Hyunsoo riding on his back.