Golden's instincts screamed too late.
The Cerberus moved.
There was no warning roar. No dramatic build-up. One moment it stood atop the collapsed wall, massive and still—and the next, it was there.
The ground shattered beneath its leap.
Golden barely had time to register the blur of black fur and burning gold eyes before pain exploded across his chest.
Claws tore through fabric, skin, and muscle with terrifying ease.
Golden was thrown backward as if struck by a battering ram. His body slammed into the jagged stone, the impact knocking the air from his lungs in a strangled gasp.
Pain followed.
Not sharp.
Overwhelming.
It felt as though his chest had been ripped open, as if something vital had been peeled away from his body. Warmth flooded down his torso. His vision blurred, edges darkening.
Golden coughed.
Blood splattered against the black stone.
He tried to breathe—and nearly screamed.
Each breath sent agony lancing through his ribs. His hands flew to his chest, fingers slick almost instantly. He didn't need to look to know how bad it was.
I'm dying.
The Cerberus landed several meters away, claws carving deep furrows into the stone. It turned slowly, three heads swiveling toward him.
It was calm.
Patient.
Golden's heart hammered wildly.
"No—no, no, no…" he whispered hoarsely.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
He had read the novels. Hundreds of them. Isekai stories where the protagonist always survived the first encounter. Where danger existed to awaken something greater.
Golden forced himself to sit up, blood soaking into his tunic.
"System," he croaked.
Nothing happened.
His vision swam.
"System," he shouted, voice cracking.
"Open system!"
The ruins remained silent.
The Cerberus took a step closer.
Stone cracked beneath its weight.
Golden's breathing grew ragged.
"Status window. Skills. Anything!" he screamed, desperation spilling over. "C'mon—this is the part where something happens!"
Nothing.
No voice.
No glowing screen.
No miracle.
The Cerberus lowered its heads slightly, eyes gleaming with faint curiosity.
Golden laughed weakly, the sound broken and wet.
"I guess…" He coughed, blood flecking his lips. "I guess I wasn't the main character."
His strength was fading fast. The edges of his vision darkened further, the world narrowing to pain and violet sky.
Then—
The Cerberus froze.
All three heads snapped in the same direction, muscles tensing instantly.
Golden felt it too.
A pressure swept across the ruins—clean, sharp, and strangely luminous. The air seemed to brighten, the oppressive weight of the violet sky momentarily pierced by something… pure.
A distant sound echoed.
Not a growl.
Not a roar.
A resonant, crystalline note that rang through the ruins like a bell forged from light.
Golden's eyes widened weakly.
No way…
From between the shattered towers, a figure emerged.
White.
Radiant.
A creature stepped into view, its form tall and elegant, hooves striking the black stone with unnatural grace. Its coat shimmered faintly, as if woven from moonlight itself. A long, spiraled horn rose from its forehead, etched with glowing runes that pulsed softly.
A Unicorn.
Golden's breath hitched.
He remembered this.
Not from experience—but from stories.
Natural enemies, he thought hazily.
Cerberus and Unicorns… they always clash.
The Cerberus snarled.
The sound was filled with raw hatred.
The Unicorn lowered its head, light gathering along its horn.
Then they collided.
The impact was cataclysmic.
A shockwave tore across the ruins, flinging debris into the air. Golden was thrown onto his back, breath ripped from his lungs again as the ground trembled violently beneath him.
Stone shattered. Ruins collapsed.
Golden lay there, helpless, watching gods fight.
Claws met horn. Light met shadow.
Each strike sent ripples of force through the air, the clash of divine beasts shaking the very foundations of the world. The Unicorn moved with blinding speed, horn carving glowing arcs through the air, while the Cerberus retaliated with brute strength, each blow threatening to tear the other apart.
Golden's vision flickered.
This is my chance.
The thought cut through the haze of pain.
He remembered something else.
Unicorn hair.
In the novels, in the myths—it was said to heal anything. Cure any wound. Restore life itself.
Golden swallowed hard.
The beasts were too focused on each other to notice him.
If he stayed here, he would bleed out.
If he moved, he might die faster.
But if he succeeded—
Golden clenched his teeth.
"Worth it" he muttered weakly.
He forced his trembling arms beneath him and pushed.
Agony tore through his chest, nearly knocking him unconscious. He screamed through clenched teeth, vision swimming as he dragged himself forward across the stone, inch by inch.
Each movement left a smear of blood behind him.
The battle raged above, shockwaves rolling overhead like thunder. Light and shadow clashed violently, debris raining down around him.
Golden's hands shook as he reached the edge of the battlefield.
The Unicorn reared back, striking the Cerberus with a blinding flash of light. The beast howled in fury, stumbling a step.
For a brief moment—
An opening appeared.
Golden stared at the Unicorn's flowing mane, strands of luminous white hair drifting freely.
His heart pounded.
If I fail, I die.
If I succeed… maybe I live.
Golden gathered what little strength he had left.
And lunged.