Tetra landed a powerful blow on Cerberus, and for a moment, I thought we might be able to overpower it. But this beast wasn’t so easily subdued.

Regaining its composure, Cerberus moved with startling agility, holding its own against Flare and the others.

Currently, Flare, Tetra, and the duo of Sheena and Elle were each engaged with one of Cerberus's three heads.

Normally, I would also be on the front lines, acting as a decoy. However, with Sheena and Elle providing reliable support, I focused on observing the battle from the rear and issuing commands.

As for the remaining member of our group, Lycia—

“...I’ve tried several times, but it seems my Inferno of Envy has no effect,” she muttered bitterly.

Since Cerberus was a creature that manipulated flames, Lycia’s fire-based attacks proved ineffective.

If her attacks couldn’t harm it, we needed another approach.

I recalled a power Lycia had used before.

“Lycia, instead of trying to damage Cerberus, can you immobilize it, even if only temporarily?”

“...! Yes, of course, Master!”

With renewed determination, Lycia extended her hands toward Cerberus.

“Inferno of Envy: Bind!”

The black flames she unleashed surged forward, capturing one of Cerberus’s three heads and restricting its movements.

“Guh!?”

Cerberus let out a startled growl at the unexpected restraint.

The others wasted no time exploiting this brief opening.

“Now! Take this!”

Flare leaped high into the air, driving her sword down with full force.

Her all-out strike landed cleanly, severing one of Cerberus’s heads.

But our offensive didn’t stop there.

“Take that!”

“Yelp!”

As Cerberus staggered from the loss of its head, Tetra followed up with a powerful strike.

“And now for the second one!”

Seizing the opportunity, Flare swung her sword again, cutting off a second head.

“Yes! Nice work, Flare! Keep it up and finish it—!?”

Only one head remained.

I was sure the battle was nearing its end, but then something shocking happened.

“This can’t be...”

“Is it the same as with the Hydra?” Lycia murmured beside me, reaching the same conclusion.

The severed stumps where Flare had cut the heads off began to swell.

Within seconds, two new heads emerged, restoring Cerberus to its original state.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…!”

Though this wasn’t like the Hydra, where each stump sprouted two heads, it was still an alarming turn of events.

I’d never heard of Cerberus possessing regenerative abilities.

As I sank into deep thought, trying to uncover a way to defeat this beast, the answer began to form in my mind.

This Cerberus had two key differences from any other of its kind:

• First, its regeneration ability.
• Second, it was the dungeon boss.

Dungeon bosses often possessed unique abilities tied to the dungeon itself.

And the Toria Labyrinth had one defining characteristic: it split challengers into three groups, forcing them to fight through hordes of monsters to reunite.

Now, we were facing a three-headed beast—Cerberus.

The connection between the dungeon and the number three seemed clear.

“Could it be…?”

A single idea began to crystallize in my mind.