Much like the Divine Hierarchy for Runebearers, there was one for monsters.
Though unlike Runebearers, monsters needed more than a single Rune to rank up.
Yes, due to their massive size, both physically and Soul-wise, monsters of each of the six total classes held many more Runes relative to their human counterparts.
For example, Seekers and Disciples could be compared to the Sixth and weakest monster class, Brephos, a youngling.
That class didn't hold more than two Runes.
The one above it, the Fifth Class, Moros, held up to four.
That was what likely fought the Hierophant, for they were comparable to Shepherds.
Perhaps he was on the weaker side of Hierophants, as, in all honesty, someone of his class should've killed this Moros without much struggle.
Or maybe Runebearers were generally weaker in this world, as, unlike players, most didn't risk their lives on a daily basis for no reason other than fun or the damned GRIND.
'Yeah, maybe.'
Thinking that, Xenos calmly walked past the two Cerberuses devouring his once prison mates and picked up the Hierophant's sword that was stuck in the ground before a group of dead Cerberuses.
Grrrrr!
The moment he picked it up, however, one of the two feeding canidae lunged at him, swiping at his chest.
Xenos calmly stepped back, easily dodging it, and took a stance with the sword, revising it for a second or two before it was somewhat proper.
His Beholding Eyes scanned them as they tried to circle him.
—
Name: Cerberus
Rank: Brephos
Runes: One
—
As expected, those before him were Brephos, who were just recently born.
There were three of them, and again, each one of them was the equivalent of a Seeker.
To put it so plainly, he was essentially fucked here...
Or, well, he would've been if he weren't so used to their attacks.
"Come."
The three two-headed Cerberuses snarled at him, hackles raised, eyes glowing faintly.
Though large, they were tiny compared to the hulking three-headed beast that had fought and been bested by the Hierophant.
Each one padded across the bloody ground with quick movements, tails whipping as they continued to circle him.
Xenos rolled the sword in his hand, testing its weight, while keeping his stance. Though it might not seem like it, he was taking this seriously; one mistake would do him in.
"C'mon puppies! Attack me already!"
Thankfully, his... aggro worked, and the first one obliged immediately, lunging with snapping teeth.
Xenos leaned back with a smile, letting it pass in front of him. The second quickly followed up, swiping at his midsection.
He twisted his body and let it slice past.
"Hm, yeah. Same as the game."
The third snapped forward in a quick bite, but he tilted his head away and jumped back.
"A lunge, a swipe, and a bite, perfect. Same three moves, nice and simple."
Xenos tapped the flat of the blade against his shoulder, pacing slowly around them, eyes tracking every twitch of their muscles.
Now that his safety check was complete, he could begin his attack and truly have some fun.
"Luck."
The Cerberuses spread out, two cutting him off from the front while one slinked behind him, making him sigh while turning his head just enough to watch all three.
"Trying to flank me already? Who taught you that trick, huh?"
He suddenly stepped forward, putting all of his weight into the motion, and the front two lunged instantly with their teeth and claws, but Xenos pivoted right after, sidestepping so the pair crossed paths, their attacks clashing against nothing but air.
That left the third one alone...
"Isolated."
The one behind.
"You're mine."
He rushed it down, boots splashing in puddles of blood as the creature snapped its jaws wide, biting straight at his arm.
Xenos tilted his sword, smacking the jaw upward with the flat of the blade, and then swung hard across its neck.
The cut wasn't perfect—he felt resistance halfway through, the blade nearly snagging on bone—but the Cerberus jerked its head at just the right angle, splitting its throat clean, blood spraying across his black clothes.
In moments, the beast slumped with a whimper.
"Huh, almost messed that up..."
Xenos blinked at the corpse and chuckled.
"I forgot how weak I am."
Thankfully, his Luck Rune picked up the slack and assisted him in the kill... perhaps it wasn't so broken.
He stepped over the body, spinning the sword in a loose circle as the other two were already on him, swiping and lunging in turns.
A claw sliced where his chest had been a second earlier, before he ducked low as the other leaped past him.
"That's two."
By the time those two words left his lips, the thing hit the dirt and tumbled, whining once before its body went still.
It seemed that he slashed at it as it soared by, carving through its flank, using its own strength against it.
Xenos tapped the flat of the blade against his boot, humming, finding this much easier than he once expected.
"Alright, come."
The last one paced slowly, growling with both throats while it circled him in widening arcs, eyes never leaving his movements.
Xenos's grin widened.
"Oh, you're the one that killed him, huh?"
It was smarter than the rest, and that was obvious to anyone watching, as it didn't fall to his aggro like its kin did, forcing them to circle each other for minutes, man and beast locked in a silent challenge.
'Okay, beast, if you're not coming to me, then...'
With no warning, Xenos stepped forward.
"I'm coming to you!"
His boot scraped against the dirt, body leaning as if he was about to sprint, forcing the Cerberus to react instantly, jaws flashing in a reaching bite.
But it was too far.
Xenos hadn't moved into its range.
He paused mere inches outside.
"Got you."
And then he truly moved, dashing in low, sword piercing up in a clean line.
The blade cut through its throat before it even realized it had overextended, its blood spraying across his cheek.
Unable to retaliate even once, the Cerberus collapsed, silence falling alongside it.
Xenos flicked the blood off the Hierophant's sword and planted it into the dirt.
He stared at the three corpses, his grin turning into a genuinely happy smile.
"…That was fun."
Xenos wiped his cheek with the back of his hand, humming away once more, as if nothing cruel or ugly had happened, as if a literal massacre wasn't rotting around him.